Episode 55: The Illusion of Prestige — When a Father’s Promotion Becomes a Family’s Pressure Point
Series: Broken by Burden: Financial Survival Strategies for the Troubled Mind
Date: 18 Aug 2025
🎭 From Simple Dreams to Costly Appearances
Rajeev Mishra and Sarla began their married life in a modest 1BHK near the Patna Secretariat. He was a junior clerk then — quiet, disciplined, with ink stains always on his shirt pocket and a head full of ambition. She came from a simple family in Gaya, with dreams of keeping a peaceful home, wearing a silk saree on festive days, and raising children with good values.
Their first purchase together was a black-and-white TV, secondhand. They celebrated it with chai and samosas, laughing like they had bought the moon.
Rajeev (back then, holding the receipt):
“One day, I’ll be an officer. And we’ll have our own house, a fridge, and you’ll have gold bangles, not just copper ones.”
Sarla (smiling):
“Let’s first buy a gas cylinder, Mr. Officer.”
Through decades of thrift, careful budgeting, and no vacations, Rajeev worked his way up. No bribes. No shortcuts. Just files, patience, and dreams carried like unpaid debts to himself.
🌟 The Promotion
Finally, at 49, Rajeev was promoted to Senior Administrative Officer. The colony felicitated him. Photos in garlands. Articles in local newspapers.
With the new post came a car, staff, and social elevation — and an unspoken expectation to “live accordingly.”
Rajeev (beaming):
“We made it, Sarla. Our son will now walk into campus interviews saying, ‘My father is an officer.’”
They moved into a 3BHK in a posh colony. New furniture. A double-door fridge. A bigger TV. And suddenly, new EMIs.
👨🎓 Vedant’s Shift
Vedant, once a grounded boy who saved bus fare to buy second-hand novels, began to shift after joining his MBA in Pune.
New friends. Fancy cafes. Branded shoes. iPads. When Sarla video-called him, he seemed rushed, always distracted.
Vedant (irritated):
“Ma, please. I’m with friends. Don’t call like this.”
Sarla began noticing a change in tone, in posture. A subtle distance.
One night, she found a receipt for a ₹12,000 wireless headset in Rajeev’s drawer.
Sarla (calmly):
“He bought this on your card?”
Rajeev (sighing, proud):
“Let him live, Sarla. I couldn’t. I used to iron my shirt thrice to hide its age. Let him wear his dreams without stitching the same pain.”
Sarla (softly):
“But we are the ones tailoring those dreams — on credit.”
📉 The Cracks Appear
Soon the loan notices arrived. Credit card bills. One bounced EMI.
The prestige was intact in public, but in the kitchen, Sarla had switched from full cream to toned milk. She gave up her only gold bangle — a gift from her late mother — to pay Vedant’s term fee.
Rajeev was still in denial. He thought he was investing in respect — not realizing he was slowly mortgaging their peace.
💬 The Confession Scene
On the night of Diwali, while neighbors burst crackers, Rajeev found Sarla sitting in the dark, holding a letter.
Sarla (quietly):
“This is a third reminder. Tomorrow they’ll inform your office.”
Rajeev (sinking onto the bed):
“I just wanted to give him what I couldn’t have. I wanted to be proud… without shame.”
Sarla (holding his hand):
“You gave us pride the day you said no to corruption. This… this is not you.”
Rajeev (tearful):
“What will people say?”
Sarla (firmly):
“Let them say what they want. Let’s finally live for what we need.”
🧠 Character Psychology
Rajeev wasn’t chasing luxury. He was chasing validation — for years of honest struggle in a corrupt system. But in proving himself, he slipped into emotional debt — trying to fulfill his son’s silent demands and society’s loud expectations.
Sarla, the quiet backbone, saw what prestige was doing — not to their bank account, but to their identity. Her silence wasn’t weakness. It was restraint. Until it broke.
Vedant was a good boy lost in fast lights — unaware of the shadows falling on his parents’ peace.
💡 Reflection: What This Story Teaches Us
- Promotions without value alignment create pressure, not progress.
- A parent’s guilt often becomes a child’s entitlement.
- Image built on loans is self-burial in slow motion.
- Your children will one day be more grateful for your honesty than your image.
🛠️ Financial Strategies for Mid-Career Professionals
- Set Clear Post-Promotion Boundaries
Not every new job requires a new house or new car. Celebrate internally — not through EMIs. - Involve the Family in Budget Upgrades
If you shift lifestyle tiers, make sure every member understands the financial cost and roles. - Talk to Your Child About Value, Not Just Expense
Let them know what you’re affording out of love, not obligation. - Maintain One Silent Saver Fund
Always keep a fund untouched by image expenses. That’s your true prestige.
🌱 Where They Are Now
Rajeev took a voluntary transfer closer to home with fewer perks. Sarla started a small catering service from their old neighbourhood — and Vedant, after seeing his parents’ truth, stopped asking and started part-time teaching at a coaching centre.
“I always wanted to make my father proud,” he told a friend.
“I never realized he had already made me proud by the way he lived.”
Episode 56: The Gold That Vanished — When Family Heirlooms Are Quietly Sold to Keep the Lights On
A working elder sister sells her late mother’s cherished bangles to pay the electricity bill — only for her younger brother to misunderstand her forever.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This blog series is a work of reflective fiction rooted in real financial struggles. It is not a substitute for professional mental health or financial advice. If you or someone you love is in emotional distress, please seek help from a qualified professional.
All names, characters, and situations are fictionalized to protect identities but inspired by true societal patterns.
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