• Home
• /
• KT Network

Relations are more valuable than money...

A couple of days ago, someone forwarded an inspirational message to me, which says: 'Cherish the Relations. The whole world watched Taj Mahal - except Mumtaz, for whom it was built'. How important the sentence and the underlying meaning are! It reminded me of an old and tragic incidence, which is an eye-opener for those who forget everything while chasing after money.

There was a snack (Namkeen) manufacturer in Mumbai. His brand was so popular among customers that he became a millionaire instantly and started making a hefty turnover every day. Alas! History repeated itself and the instant success and gleam of wealth made him haughty and greedy. He had lent a sum of Rs1 million to his married sister as her family was passing through a bad patch financially. After a couple of years he demanded the repayment of his loan, but his sister was helpless and couldn't return the amount. She honestly assured her brother that she would repay his loan once her bad times were over.

The brother didn't believe her. He suspected that his sister was hatching a plan to spoil his fortune. The greed made him so anxious that he started visiting his sister's house every month to enquire about his loan. One day she requested him with tearful eyes not to insist on returning his money constantly, but it led to a bitter, heated argument. The brother was not ready to listen to anything at all and kept demanding his money back.  Overcome with sadness, she passed away.

The brother didn't expect that the quarrel would lead to such a tragic end. He was left in shock and repented his behaviour. In a grief-stricken state of mind, he too passed away. Had he controlled his avarice and bad temper, two valuable lives would not have been lost.

Friends, the relations in our life, and not our money, make us prosperous. Money can be earned anytime and lost money can also be recovered anytime, but lost relations are not that easy to rebuild. Our family, relatives and friends are the real assets. They are the best inspirers and medicines to our agony. I also realised this valuable truth when I almost faced death.

If you want to help someone from the heart, never expect return and repayment. Try to attain and cherish the real happiness in your life instead of money, which is fickle and evaporates easily. An excellent quote by Alfred A. Montapert comes to mind- The main source of our wealth is goodness. The affections and the generous qualities that God admires in a world full of greed.

Dr Dhananjay (Jay) Datar is the chairman and managing director of Al Adil Trading.