Life of a Coin

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You look at me and take pride in having. But my shining and glittering face gets tarnished due to your careless careless handling and the heartless manner of treating me. I have been circulated among you for many years. The lettering embossed on my back is dulled. My face too becomes very dull. I'm now an old coin.

But I had a glorious birth in the mints. My parent was a metal strip from which I and my siblings were cut out. Then we were embossed with two ears of corn and the figure 1 with the words Rupee and 1981 imprinted. It indicated the year of my birth. On the other side, the lion capital and the words भारत and India were embossed. The figure and letters were very distinct and legible. I was proud of my smart appearance. But I got old since then. Now you would not recognise me as the same coin.

My first journey was to a bank and that was the beginning of my active life. I was paid over the counter of a bank to a gentleman who chased a cheque. He too could not remain indifferent to my shine and admired my look. After leaving the bank he put me into a leather bag. My next visit was to a shopkeeper. He shut me up in a drawer. I continued to be there for many months. He perhaps did not want to part with me. I had to rub my shoulders with the low born 50 paisa coins. I felt uneasy. Suddenly, I heard whisper from far end of the drawer - 'Oh my young friend, come this way to us'. I found few coins as I look now. They were beckoning me. An old coin gave me good advice with a smile - 'Why are you avoiding us? A rupee is always a rupee, however dull may be look of me'. At last, I was exchanged for two 50 paise pieces. My new master was a miser. He kept me in a chest. I found five hundred of my won species lying there. We were all confined for almost seven years to the chest. The only relief was that we were carried now and then into the fresh air. We were also counted and placed in different heaps. One day the miser died. After long confinement, we were taken out by his young son. He gave me to a young lady. She soon handed me to a servant to buy chocolates. I thus rambled and rambled till I was worn out. The corn ears became dull. The lettering became almost rubbed out. Eventually, I was given away in charity to a beggar. Even he accepted me with reluctance. At last, I was sent back to the mint to be melted into a furnace and cast into new metal sheets.

Now, as I lay back waiting in the mint, I realise that life is short, but waiting for death is long. In this long wait, I again hope to be born as someone that is admirable to all.

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