HYDERABAD: April started out on a cruel note with many city companies tell their staff to watch their expenses as lack of business during the lockdown has resulted in no or lesser paychecks. We asked a few singles, those in their 20s, tell us how they are facing this situation. Sindhura Reddy who recently joined a corporate company as the legal adviser said that she barely worked for four months and she had to face a pay cut. “I live in a Paying Guest (PG facility) with 11 others and most of us are in the same boat.
As I had spent most of my money coming to Hyderabad and buying work essentials like a laptop, phone etc, we are low on finances. We have paid our PGs in advance and told them that we will be paying the amount in parts. Although that doesn’t work in normal circumstances, these are unprecedented times and our PG owner gracefully agreed. However, there was a proposal to fix air conditioners in our rooms from April for which we paid extra and looks like our non-payment will mean no AC and therefore sleepless nights,” she says. However, she is grateful that the PG owner did not humiliate them when they went to discuss the problem.
Aspiring stand-up comedian and independent communications specialist Navin Pivhal says that he is lucky to be an Indian single who still lives with his parents. “I feel like we are living in a scene straight out from a sci-fi movie/series. I, like most of us, never thought we will see times like this in our lives. Upon that, I have quit my job to pursue creative endeavours, and the lockdown happened, which cancelled all the projects. However, in this scenario, I am glad that we have a culture of living with parents so I do not have to worry about rent. Dodged the ‘rent bullet’ just like Neo in the film The Matrix. I never thought I would miss junk food so much.
The other day I had a tear or two in my eyes thinking about samosas, hot Mirchi bajjis, kachoris, and other savoury delights. Modern-day problems need time-tested solutions so taking inspiration from Kota Srinivasa Rao’s Lakshmipathy from ‘Aha Naa-Pellanta!’ I am also putting a picture of chicken or burger or pizza on my computer screen and eating dal chawal to satisfy the cravings,” he shares.
Says Satyanarayana Vaddi, CEO - FinAnomics Capital, “Coronavirus has shown us we were living in an economic fairy tale. So what to do next ? Learn to live a lean lifestyle. Remember that cash is king. We are in a VUCA world. VUCA is an acronym used by the American Military. It stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Please keep buffer for emergency expenses. Try and do Skype calls or zoom calls and save on phone calls. Broadband can take care of all your expenses. Stop your post paid on phone till you hit better times. Check your medical requirements and insurance.”
kalanidhi@newindianexpress.com @mkalanidhi