What’s the big deal? I live off my debit card and Internet banking, scarcely having seen a note worth over Rs 100 since demonetisation, I thought. However, Nature has a way of bringing you to your knees.
Cyclone Vardah struck and my gizmos and gadgets were worth no more than the plastic of which they were made: My diabetic mother needed insulin and no one was accepting cards. That is when I came face-to-face with the spirit of a resolute Chennai. An ambulance driver refused to entertain my pleas to take her to hospital until I paid him Rs 1,000 in Rs 100 notes — of which I had none.
I bought milk for over Rs 100 a packet from a good Samaritan and candles worth Rs 200 on credit. The vendor was very kind: She only demanded my watch as collateral. Meanwhile, I had no fuel, no food, no power and no money. To sum up, demonetisation after Vardah made my heart go out to the hoarders. I, too, have started stocking notes because who knows when the next cyclone will strike.