Price of Dreams: A Tale of Money, Morals, and Mayhem

 

Chapter 1: The Golden Illusion

Ravi Verma had never seen a lift before the day he stepped into the glass tower of Sunrise Finance. The building glimmered like a diamond under the Mumbai sun, its clean glass panes a far cry from the soot-stained windows of his one-room house in Allahabad. Clutching a borrowed suitcase and wearing his cousin's blazer, he had arrived in the city of dreams to begin his career as a junior analyst.

To say he was nervous would be an understatement. His palms were sweating, and his heart thudded like a dhol at a wedding procession. Yet, beneath the anxiety was a current of excitement. He had made it—escaped the cycle of scarcity that had defined his life so far. His father’s small paan shop barely managed to keep the household afloat. His mother, a woman of quiet resilience, had pawned her only gold bangles to buy him a second-hand laptop for his MBA entrance prep.

And now, here he was. Earning ₹40,000 a month—an amount his family saw as nothing short of a miracle.

“Sir, chai?” a peon offered as Ravi walked into the office, wide-eyed. People in pressed suits were talking numbers he didn’t yet understand, casually flipping through files that looked like future fortunes. He took the cup with both hands, nodding politely. Even the tea here tasted richer, thicker, like it had been brewed with ambition instead of water.

Over the next few weeks, Ravi learned fast. He watched, listened, and worked till the office lights dimmed and the cleaners began sweeping around his desk. He was meticulous, always double-checking figures, never missing deadlines. His team began noticing.

“Yaar, you’ve got talent,” said Aditya, his team lead, clapping him on the back one evening. “Stick around and you'll be riding a Beemer before you know it.”

Ravi laughed but something inside him stirred. A BMW? Him? It sounded impossible. But then again, hadn’t everything so far?

Weekends became optional. Sleep became luxury. Ravi devoured investment books, followed market news religiously, and began helping clients make minor but smart portfolio adjustments. When his first client saw a 12% return in a volatile month, Ravi’s confidence grew wings.

Back home in Allahabad, his father now wore a new kurta on Sundays. The electricity bill was paid on time. His younger sister, Shalu, got enrolled in a better school. Every call home ended with his mother’s voice softening into blessings.

“You’re doing well, beta. Just don’t lose yourself in that big city.”

He smiled each time. “I won’t, Ma. Promise.”

But promises made in moments of comfort often unravel in moments of temptation.

One evening, as he walked back from the office, Ravi passed a showroom with a sale sign: Raymond Suits – 50% Off. He hesitated. The blazer he wore daily had a missing button. Inside, the air-conditioned store smelt like success. He bought a charcoal grey suit on EMI.

The next week, he bought a sleek smartphone. “Networking tool,” he told himself.

Then came the rented 1BHK flat in Andheri. Small, but miles ahead of the PG he had been sharing with three other boys.

His expenses rose, but so did his dreams.

At work, his boss started giving him bigger accounts. During team meetings, Ravi’s voice began to carry weight. Clients appreciated his clarity and honesty. One even invited him for dinner to Juhu, where he tasted sushi for the first time and pretended to enjoy it.

In the midst of this glittering ascent, Neha entered his life like a monsoon breeze—unexpected and refreshing. She had joined as a marketing executive, sharp-witted, always impeccably dressed, and fiercely independent. They first spoke over coffee in the pantry, and something clicked.

“I always thought finance guys were boring,” she said with a smirk.

“We are,” he replied. “Until you see our pay slips.”

She laughed, and he found himself smiling more than he had in months.

Neha had grown up in Mumbai, studied in Singapore, and returned with global dreams. She talked about stability, ambition, and the importance of financial planning—not just for the future, but as a lifestyle.

“I’d never marry a man who doesn’t know how to manage his money,” she said once, half-joking.

Ravi nodded, even though he had just maxed out his credit card to buy her birthday gift—a delicate diamond pendant she admired at a mall.

That night, he stood by the window of his flat, looking down at the glittering sea of Mumbai lights. Somewhere far away, a train honked, reminding him of the slow chug of life back home.

He was living a life his younger self could not have imagined.

But as the lights of the city blinked like silent warnings, he couldn’t help but wonder: was he moving toward wealth—or simply the illusion of it?

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links

Price of Dreams: A Tale of Money, Morals, and Mayhem (Chapter 5): https://lifeinwords2025.blogspot.com/2025/05/price-of-dreams-tale-of-money-morals_23.html

Price of Dreams: A Tale of Money, Morals, and Mayhem (Chapter 4): https://lifeinwords2025.blogspot.com/2025/05/price-of-dreams-tale-of-money-morals_3.html

Price of Dreams: A Tale of Money, Morals, and Mayhem (Chapter 3): https://lifeinwords2025.blogspot.com/2025/05/price-of-dreams-tale-of-money-morals_97.html

Price of Dreams: A Tale of Money, Morals, and Mayhem (Chapter 2): https://lifeinwords2025.blogspot.com/2025/05/price-of-dreams-tale-of-money-morals_22.html

Price of Dreams: A Tale of Money, Morals, and Mayhem (Chapter 1): https://lifeinwords2025.blogspot.com/2025/05/price-of-dreams-tale-of-money-morals.html

Full story_ In another life : https://lifeinwords2025.blogspot.com/2025/05/in-another-life-love-story-left_14.html

In another life trailer: https://lifeinwords2025.blogspot.com/2025/05/in-another-life-love-story-left.html 

Intro of life in words: https://lifeinwords2025.blogspot.com/2025/05/life-in-words-home-for-heartfelt-stories.html