The Art of Getting Carried Away

Hi Friends,

I am back though after are long time. I have decided to be active on my blog now onwards. So here is the latest experience of today morning. Over the week end my family -- mom and wife -- were pestering me for the ongoing buy back – “juna do naaya lo” at Big Bazzar. We worked overtime and collected all the newspapers, utensils, clothes and other junk from house. We went on Saturday to surrender these valuables to the lords of retail.

Myself and mom reached early morning to Big Bazaar doors at Thane – Majiwada wherein the gentlemen managing the buy-back was busy cleaning his seat and arranging papers. He took weight of our junk -- newspaper 7.4 kgs, bottles 3 kgs and so on. Finally these valuables were translated into coupons of 1800 Rs. Yahoo see my mom was so happy that we could never have got Rs 30 per kg for newspaper.

She gave me proud examples of rich and famous how they don’t find it embarrassing getting all their junks in their expensive cars -- used as garbage van -- to tow junk to the gates of Big Bazzar and here I am -- feeling shy of submitting "Bhangar" as if my ego and status has been demoted.

Myself and my brother were yet to clean up our cupboard and on Sunday which we managed added few more kgs to the junk collection – I wondered if the same inspiration was kept to clean the unwanted stuff from our house – new collections would surely get a day to be used and old will finds its way out – but no in that case old is gold and has so much of utility value.

In the afternoon we completed the second day exercise of collecting some more junk. On Sunday – being a HOLI – we decided to hit the store in the afternoon assuming that masses would be tired playing HOLI and we would make it fast. We took off in the afternoon bang into Rickshaw and reached the gates only to be surprised that forget we being first not even a single dog was around – it was closed for HOLI – we returned in the same RICK spending few bucks.

We said how fool we were that we didn’t think about it and so on. Being a professional I kept wondering what is in store for Big Bazaar for buying such junk at high price – and coming from the field of analytics and associated to stock market – I assumed that how smart is Mr Biyani that he buys junk at high price and offsets it against the purchases. A smart way to show a bump in the top line – I thought.

Third day ordeal – Monday – with 1800 Rs + coupon in hand and more junk on our back we – myself, mom and my wife – marched to Big Bazaar to make the killing. Once again we were the first to bring in fresh junks. This time we got 600 Rs odd coupon and now we had over 2400 Rs coupon in hand and went straight to pick up equivalent (otherwise we don’t shop at Big Bazzar). After spending an hour we were back at cash counter with a billing of around 3000 bucks – we all were smiling at each other that we have to shell out only 400 Rs odd.

The sparkle and smile vanished in no time as the billing girl said –“Coupon hai kya pehle bolne ka na 10 percent discount hai”. My wife stood confused, mom was not having a clue what we are discussing about and finally I settled the bill with still 2000 Rs coupon still in hand.

I wondered that how can I get carried away – simple I didn’t bother to read the Terms and Conditions. So what I am smart enough to understand that surely this cannot be a deal for such a big retailer that he is sitting to buy our junks at 200 Rs, 30 Rs per kg and so on – of course not. Still not having answer to my own questions I even wondered how cum others like me also drive down with such junks – the travelling time, petrol and other cost put together is not worth the 10 percent discount he gives. Surely though someone told me give the coupons to others in the payment queues who are not having it and exchange it for 5 percent cash – still some profits.

In the end – “The Art of Getting Carried Away” is the lesson I have learnt.