My life is that of a constant
star or a planet on a cosmic timescale where nothing happens except the regular
course set for it. In my case it’s a mishmash of SPARRC, guitar, Vipassana, and
stock market activity. But this fortnight changed all that.
First
I was laid down with a stubborn fever. I have so many doctor friends that I get
free online consultation. Vivek gave a prescription for the fever & terrible
coughing that seemed to abate before physical exertion stirred it up for the second
time. This plays into my territory for it gives me a guilt-free cozying up in
the bed; I am truly one of the most lethargic biped in creation. The weather is
changing, we had the first spell of North East monsoons yesterday and so I can
attribute my fragile immunity on the weather elements. But it does look a
straight road to the doctors this time, some blood test and things like that.
But
illness thing has not got me down at all; in spirits this is my brightest
moment of the year. For starters, I am taking to Future & Options trade as a fledgling duck to water. These four months of cash market experience and I am discovering
a lot about myself in these F&O trades. It does help when your first FO
trade in Hindustan Unilever fetched me a 12 k profit, ACC looks like a 40-50 k,
Infy is always a stock where I have never lost money. Seriously it’s not the
money that gets me excited as a peacock in rains, it’s the excitement of
planning a trade. My mind is swimming on “Call” or “Put” options (should I buy
CE or sell a put) even in sleep or what strike price to choose for ITM or OTM at target.
Unlike cash market where you don’t watch your stocks for days and weeks except
for a passing glance, the first week of FO trades saw me glued to my screen. My
instructor advised, “Sathya, you seem to be having a ball of a time but
please be careful for naked positions are dangerous.” I thank him
profusely on the phone but keep asking myself, “Why begin a trade with a hedge
option; I will have a hedge only when things don’t go as per my plan.” I seem
to developed a gut feel for a dozen stocks. To my exaggerated self-belief my trade management skills is among the best in the universe. So far so good, this stock market
activity is so consuming that it’s slowly replacing my time to write these
silly blog posts. It’s then you realize how much of a gift writing is, it needs
a mind to curate thoughts before it flows on paper like an easy flowing stream.
Gopalan
is a good friend and he wanted me to look at a “buy a small villa in Kumbakonam
in a Brahmin agraharam.” I went to look at the place which is 320 kms from
Chennai and loved it. The major attraction is availability of quality tambrahm food. So I am investing
in this property, purchased land and the construction will be complete in June.
This looks ideal for a week’s gateway from Chennai with the excitements of a
monthly train trips, good food and wholesome company.
The
trigger for the post is Raghu who I met in Kumbakonam. Rarely have I warmed up
to a person at first sight, he vibrates cheer and friendliness. He’s
purchased a big villa at the premise, he advised me on the best site for my
land (this is a gated community with individual houses replete with restaurant
for three squares a day). In fact, I was to stay there for three days but since
he was going to Chennai in his car, I joined him in a blink of an eye. The 6
hours car journey got us bonded as I gave him a synopsis of my life: lousy
parents, heart surgery at 28 that reduced my career options and how stock market
activity is consuming my days. I said, “Sir,
I go without opening my mouth for days and weeks, I am the definition of a
recluse. I have a mother and siblings but not one cares a whit.” The next day he called saying, “Sathya, I am
going to disturb you as frequently as possible. I consider you as a little
brother, it’s sad that there are so few to engage a brilliant conversationalist
as you.” Those words of concern melted my heart, this is a start of a friendship and looks a good harvest already. He visited my place the next day, insisting on my inspection of a new apartment at Palavakkam which is 4 kms from my place. If
everything goes well, I should be buying this place in a fortnight’s time. So
immediately within a fortnight I am owner of one plot of land in Kumbakonam and
likely owner of an apartment in Chennai. This is entirely the gains of
mindfulness for nothing was planned, rather I was hesitant to own a property
but when it comes my way, I am agile enough to change my mind and go for the
fruit. One of the reasons I signed for Kumbakonam apart from good food is
friends like Gopalan and Raghu in the same compound. Both these gentlemen have
large hearts, they care and they treat me with affection which adds up very
well to my credit side of life.
This
fortnight also had a couple of surprises. First, my Pozhichalur uncle prised-out
my postal address with a fib saying, “I may be passing that way, so please dish
out the address,” which I smsed. Couple of months later, I see the wedding invitation
of his grandson. The undercurrent of such a ruse was clear: He wanted to send me an
invite and not want me there. I thought without an outrage, “The old man looks
a moron but what devilish cunning,” as I tore out the wedding card for a trivial amusement.
That it finds a space in my blog post is only to remember the devilish wit of
the whole thing. The second surprise was Ashish Bansal visiting Chennai and I
showed him the Theosophical Society lawns. We had a great time catching up
and a good dinner at Ratna Café. Ashish is one of those blokes who has the
temperament of a test match opener, forever patient and composed with as few demands
to those around. I surprised myself limping 5 kms in one my rare trips to TS,
just showed that a stroll with a good companion makes you forget your arthritic
pains. These look like the best of times for me, let’s hope that bird flies
from the cage this time.
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