First time when I test drive a car!


It has been buzzing around for quite some time now that India is shining and it is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. I had never been able to relate the story of emerging India in a true sense, until the day, way back in the year 2003, when I started trading online. Although, in those days, I used to have a dial-up internet connection, it gave me a sense of elation being able to buy and sell shares sitting at home. At the backdrop of the exposure I had to the stock market, it made me feel a bit hopeful that soon all the luxuries of the world would be at our feet.

It was during the period 2003-2007 when the stock market bloomed to the unprecedented 21K mark. It was truly a boom time, since Indian companies across sectors demonstrated robust performance. It seemed to be as if everything was on a roll. I saw people flourishing around me. I saw small provision stores transforming into a mini super market or super market. It was only during this period when our entrepreneurs carved out their own niche by getting themselves at top of the list of richest persons in the world. 

 But, for me it was a usual course. Being a government employee I was not subject to pay hikes like my counterparts, working in the private sector, were. Also, having limited exposure in equities, from financial aspect, the gain I had was something I could not boast about. The boom period left me bewildered since I could not keep pace with the fast changing world.

 As the years passed on, yesterday's luxuries became today's necessities. Buying a car, in those days, was a distant dream which has now become a near possibility - thanks to the arrears received after settlement of a long due wage revision and, of course, easy availability of finances. Finally, we decided to go for buying a car and had a test drive.

 When I test drive a car, for I had it for the first time, it was but merely to test what worth I am of since I had to restrict my choice within a certain affordable budget. Truly, it was like going through a reality check and nothing more.

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