The husband (Puneet) works as a Major in the Indian army serving his time in Kargil, while I live in Hyderabad working and studying to complete a Ph.D. I remember one night both of us discussed going for an over-seas holiday and boy we came up with the bills and loans, not to mention the family we are planning.


Puneet and me 

We both said, "maybe we could have afforded the holiday, had we gone abroad to work". Puneet said, he would give up the army life to live abroad for a few years. When I reminded him of our parents- the usual line - We'll make some money and come back and live with them.

I am often reminded of that conversation, when ever I am reading of the Diaspora -

We'll make money and come back.

Doesn't really happen. Why?

1. The dollar, the pound, the dinar will always be converted to Rupees .

2. Indians do not face physical insecurity or violence. (Stray cases do not qualify)

3. We will not be denied Economic rights, as time passes we will be given political rights.

4. Our kids won't have to compete against 2 million kids to get a seat into Medical college or say against 700 students for a seat into the MA course for "Communications".

4. We won't be subject to corruption, daily routine hassles like not getting an RTC bus to work.

5. We won't live in pollution and how can we forget the "social security" in our old age.

Like most middle class couples Puneet and me will wistfully think of an imagined better life" overseas. Bur deep down in our hearts we know we are having it "as good as it gets", here in India. India has been shining for the middle-class.We just like to "bargain”, a very Indian trait.