Archive for September, 2025
O My George!
When Mr. Narasimhan wakes up every morning at 5.00 it is essentially for two purposes. One, to anticipately wait for the phone call his son would occasionally make as he drives back home in Fermont from his Silicon Valley office and two, to hit the ground jogging with his retiree friends around his housing society peripherals. The half-an-hour drive after office hours gives Kaushik Narasimhan the perfect setting to catch-up with his dad’s sugar level updates, stock take his mother’s arthritis medicines, check out on the latest political grapevine in India and also listen to the latest tales of the boastful auntie next door. And when done with the materialization of or the wait for the US call, Narasimhan would quickly ready up in the short-sized Bermudas and over-sized sneakers that his son gifted him from America and join his friends on the ground, all of whom invariably have a son, a daughter or a niece settled in the US. Half a dozen circumambulations of the society later, they would soon settle down on the park benches, both to slow down their aging hearts and to share notes on the latest accolades of their off springs in the land of opportunities.
“My son has just purchased a new Duplex house in Richmond and we are planning to go for the Grahapravesham next month” Santham’s voice was filled with parental excitement as he shared the news of his son’s residential upgrade.
“That’s fantastic…. I heard the real estate prices have gone over the roof in US?” enquired Venkat, who having retired from the home loan department of a nationalized bank always had his pulse on international property prices.
“It cost USD 700,000 and he has still not taken any mortgage” Santham made it a point to emphasis the financial success of his son, a landmark for a H1B visa holder.
“My boy, that’s more than Rs.6.5 Cr! With that money we can buy a property opposite Kushboo’s house in Chennai’ opined Kapilan, who has posters of the film actress all over his house and his son is the joint-secretary of Kushboo Rasigar Mandram, Seattle.
“With Rs.90/- per dollar, I had to shell out Rs.60.00 lacs to pay the first-year fee of USD 65,000 for Sharanya’s Master’s program in Yale university and she still has one more year to go!” the lament of a retired father to fund his daughter’s foreign education was hard to miss. “Maybe I will sell my Naganallur flat next year. I see no other way out!”
“But Mr.Sadasivam, even after completing her education, she now will have to pay USD 100,000 every year to get a H1B Visa! And you know she cannot work in the US without a H1B. How are you going to manage that?” Senthil’s query was more out of concern of the recent Trump’s announcement and its impact on Sadasivam’s finances than to cause him distress.
“See Senthil, my Lord Murugan will take care and I rely completely on Him. And my only prayer to Him is that the US dollar should become cheaper” Sadasivam was referring to the falling rupee rate vis-à-vis the USD.
“No chance Sir, it is only going to become costlier and will soon breach the Rs.100/- mark, most probably before Pongal itself!” Chandrasekhar sounded prophetic as he made these claims. He recently lost a hefty commission when his US client cancelled the order of the T-Shirt supplier in Tirupur because of the new 50% tariff.
“Is that so? I will then book our tickets to the US next month itself! My daughter is expecting and me and my wife will have to be there well before the due date in April’26” former finance ministry official Parameswaran was at his budgetary best when he announced this plan.
“Sir, whatever plan you make, unless the visa charges are taken off and the dollar prices come down, our children are all going to be in trouble, big time” Conceded Senthil whose daughter and son-in-law got their H1B visas just two months back and escaped the USD 100,000 fee each. They may not be that lucky next year.
“Correct, he even offered to re-build the UN headquarters with escalators that doesn’t stop in the middle” Senthil was alluding to the Trump’s speech in the UN.
“It’s going to be tough till the Trump era ends. He is basically a business man who believes in making America great again by cutting deals”. Mr. Rajagopal comments relied on his vast experience teaching behaviour sciences to management students.
“I and Trump belong to the same industry sir” quipped Ramamoorthy who has three unfinished housing projects in Chennai city to his credit. “He sees himself as a real estate developer first, and as POTUS later”.
“Even his signature resembles the Manhattan skyline Sir!” Ramamoorthy was referring to the straight, tall and continuous lines in Trump’s signature.
“For me it looks like the ECG reading of a person who just suffered a heart attack” resorted Dr. Kannan, a heart specialist and along with being a health enthusiast.
“With so many of our children in the US, we should rename our Triveni Apartments as Trump Apartments”. Chari, who was quiet till now came up with this wonderful suggestion to win the Trump grace.
“In fact, to win the grace of Trump we should honour George Washington! American Indians should build a Temple for the first President of the United States and invite Trump for the Kumbabhishekam ceremony. That will work wonders for the Indo-US relations!”
“What a fantastic idea Chari sir! With George Washington’s face on the dollar, there is no better way to strengthen the rupee vis-à-vis the US currency”. Narshimhan’s parting shot left everyone in splits!
Yours
Narayanan
Declaimer: This is a fictional piece and resemblances are only co-incidental.
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