‘This world is not worth living in. Things are going from bad to worse.’ I said.

‘Really? Everybody likes to say that! What is going bad? Economy is doing well, malls are overflowing with shoppers, rains have already hit Kerala, managers are busy recruiting, and pay rise seems to be good this year. What more can you ask for?’ Lulu said.

‘I do not know, but I do not get a very happy feeling.” I said.

‘High blood pressure?’

‘No, just checked, it was okay.’

‘Blood sugar level must be high!’ Lulu

‘No thankfully it is under control.’ I replied.

‘Hmmmm…..Did your wife fire you?’ Lulu asked mischievously.

‘Yes, it happens very often and I am quite accustomed to it. That can’t be the reason.’

‘Did you mess up your work?’

‘No, I didn’t. I have retired a year ago and have good time to work on my consulting assignments.’

‘Oh, then you must be having ‘dissatisfaction with the status quo’! People often suffer such strange psychosomatic diseases,’ Lulu laughed and rubbed his head on mine.

‘I do not know what you mean. It is just that some uneasy feeling has stayed with me for quite a few days now.’ I said.

‘Only you can answer what is happening to you, I can’t.’ Lulu said in admonishing tone.

‘Okay let me think….I think I am feeling bad because I have to pay taxes! Time for payment is fast running out.’

‘Tut..tut..tut.. Don’t pay then, there are thousands who don’t pay and still sleep well. Perhaps they sleep well because they don’t pay taxes’ Lulu said.

‘I agree. But I will be very restless if I don’t pay my taxes. I will live under fear that someday I will be caught’ I said. ‘There is so much corruption in this State of Maharashtra. From being called Commercial Capital City Mumbai now qualifies for being called Corruption Capital City of India. Whatever I pay will only cause ‘unjust enrichments’ to somebody.’ I said.

‘I now understand why they have made tax payments simpler. Well, why don’t you go on fast unto death like Anna Hazare?’ Lulu asked.

‘Oh, I can’t do that…. It is difficult for me to skip my meals. Moreover who will pay attention to me? Anna Hazare’s fast has news value, unlike mine.’ I said.

‘Then seek information under the Right To Information Act and sue or expose the guilty’ Lulu advised.

‘I will have to study the Act. I do not know what information to seek and how.’

‘Ok, then get Arundhati Roy to write an article’ Lulu said laughing.

‘You are making funny suggestions. Arundhati Roy is not going to write an article because I feel strongly about corruption in the society.’

‘Then I think your ‘dissatisfaction with the status quo’ is not a psychosomatic disease. It can do no harm and no good. Carry on…’ Lulu said flying away.

Vivek