My Experience With Truth - The All New Gandhi Ji in Pink

Here's what I noticed, experienced, observed, post the 'Announcement of the Year':

Day 1: 11:00AM | Time for vegetable and fruit shopping 

This market is a busy area in Bandra, but today it was quite empty. I asked the vendors who recognize me as I am a regular, how is work? Their response: There are hardly any customers. We are making a loss. These items have a shelf life and hence getting wasted. Customers who are coming are simply wanting to pass on 500/- and 1000/- and not willing to give us change. We can't sell our stuff! 

Day 2: 8:30 AM | Conversation with Mausi 

Our house help (mausi as I call her) who is an honest elderly woman and does not do too much talking, mentioned that local shopkeepers are taking 500 rupees and giving 400 in return. Clearly a loss of 100 for those who do not anyways make too much money. But what to do, you need groceries and other utility things so you accept it. She laughed and said after a brief pause, ‘Chalo 400 toe mile, bank jaane ka time kidhar hai.’ #Sad

Day 3: Visit to the bank for an exchange

Went to two banks nearby, they said, 'NO CASH, please come after 2:00 PM'. Went to the other branch of ICICI (Waterfield Road, Bandra), long queues, but my transaction went well and smooth and I received/earned my very first Gandhiji, but to my surprise, I felt it was too much of effort to exchange my own money. How and why? Ok here it is:

• spent Rs 120 in going to the bank & back (autorickshaw fare)
• 45 min to 1-hour in the queue, 30 minutes of commute
• All you can exchange is Rs 4000/- until Nov 24, 2016, which means I should make another visit soon
• Yes, you can withdraw from the ATMs, but the long wait in sun, made me chose payment by card / online transactions
• Mind talking to me: Imagine going through all this hassle if I were a 65 or 70-year-old?? Sad, isn't it?? 

10:15 AM | Thank you staff at ICICI Bank, I am Impressed

Queue at ICICI Bank, Mumbai

• They greeted and addressed without any anxiety, anger or bored expression
• Managing the crowd with appropriate information, printout of the form ready and handy
• Watching the shady looking guys who you can sense are up to some mischief
• Sending those away if they have already been there for exchange to follow norms

A big thank you to every staff member at ICICI for dealing with everything so patiently and diligently! Some of them were actually back office and marketing folks. Yes, I did talk to them. Afterall, they are also common people like us, why get rude with them.

11:15 AM | My first Pink Note 

Post the waiting period, I was escorted inside the branch, since I had filled the form beforehand, with ID proof and its copy ready, all they did was to take me to the respective individual who verified my Aadhaar card and I gave me my first #PINKNOTE.

Since I was already tired, was tempted to fold it and keep it in my bag and rush out of the bank but then held it for a brief moment, smiled, and kept it nicely in a pocket where it will not get creased, just how we care for a new relationship, car, dress, phone or a refrigerator and then in a few days/ weeks it becomes another thing that belongs to us :)

My Pink Note sitting quietly next to me, Gandhi Ji smiling as usual, the color goes well with the shirt of an alpha male

11:30AM | A question from the common man

On my way back, the auto guy asked, Madam, exchange kiya bank mein? (Did you exchange old currency in the bank?) I smiled and said, 'yes. I did!' He responded: "Chalo acha hai, per iss sab ke beech mein, humaara toe waatt lag gaya. Na passenger hai, na bank jaane ka time... humara kya fayeda hua?" (Good you did, but how do we poor people benefit from this change in currency etc, I did not earn in last 3 days, because there are no passengers and I do not even have time to go and stand in the queues at the bank.) I felt his pain, had no answer to give, so there was an awkward pause. 

I was quiet but my mind was not, I thought to myself... too much is going on, don't know if it’s good or bad, how it will help, not help, currency hoarding will begin again at some point, or maybe this will teach people some lesson... but for now, it's too much of pain and inconvenience for a common man, who earns on daily basis to run his/her family. I am hopeful, but feeling too tired thinking and hearing about all that has happened in the last few days, yes, US elections included. 

As they say #Changeistheonlyconstant So there is no option but to be hopeful about this situation! 

Thanks for reading! 

Disclaimer: This is purely based on my experience as a common man/woman/ citizen of India. No offence meant to any person or organization or Govt. of India.