Pradeep had always dreamed of owning a shiny motorcycle of his own. But his wallet constantly felt like it was stuck on the last day of the month. Whenever he saw his friends riding their bikes, his heart would sigh, “If only I had a bike that could race with the wind!”
At last, he made a firm decision. “Even if I have to cut corners, I’ll buy that bike.” From the very next month, Pradeep trimmed his expenses so sharply that his family was left astonished.
He reduced the sugar in his tea by half, replaced eating samosas with merely smelling their aroma, and skipped going to the movies by sitting in front of the TV with his eyes closed, pretending he had watched something. His friends grew suspicious and asked, “Are you unwell or something?”
Pradeep would just smile and reply, “No, I’m investing in my future.”
After six months of strict saving, he finally had a decent amount in his bank account. One fine day, he walked into a showroom and bought the motorcycle he had been dreaming about. Seeing the brand-new bike, he felt like a child who had just received his favorite toy.
The moment he brought it home, he parked it proudly in the courtyard and began cleaning it every five minutes. The neighbors joked, “You don’t even shower this much love on your wife!”
The next day at the office, Pradeep enthusiastically narrated the story of his sacrifices to everyone. His friends laughed and warned, “Now stop cutting expenses before you actually disappear!”
But Pradeep ignored them. Every evening, he would start the bike, ride it for barely two minutes, and park it again. To save petrol, he had decided that the bike would shine more than it would run.
One day his wife asked, “You bought the bike, but how will we manage the household expenses now?”
Pradeep replied seriously, “With love.”
By the end of the month, however, it felt as though the bike had punched another hole in his pocket.
Still, Pradeep remained happy. He thought, “Maybe my stomach feels lighter, but at least my dream now has wheels.”
And every morning, he would glance at his bike with a proud smile before leaving for work, as if saying, “I cut my expenses—but never my dream.”
RAJEEV VERMA 