Finance World

Episode 80: The Boss’s Birthday — When a Junior Staff Spends His Rent to Impress His Corporate Culture

Series: Broken by Burden: Financial Survival Strategies for the Troubled Mind

Date: 23 Sept 2025

📍Rent for Respect

City: Gurgaon
Characters:

  • Ankit Jaiswal – 26, soft-spoken junior executive, first-generation corporate employee from Patna.
  • Karthik Rao – His roommate and best friend from college, now a struggling freelancer.
  • Mr. Arvind Sethi – Their boss, 44, charming, manipulative, idolized by his team.
  • Priyanka (HR) – Sharp and politically tuned; values “visibility” over sincerity.

🌉 The Set-Up

Ankit had only one dream: to climb out of the dusty by lanes of Phulwari Sharif and make his mother proud. He had made it to Gurgaon — not IIT, but an MBA from a decent Tier-2 college, and landed a ₹38,000 per month job in a branding agency. He lived with Karthik in a shared PG near HUDA City Centre, splitting rent of ₹12,000.

Life was tight but hopeful — until Mr. Sethi’s birthday email popped up:

🥳 Subject: Let’s Make It Special!
Hi team, Sethi Sir turns 45 this Friday! Let’s surprise him. Last year, we got him Bose earbuds (₹15K) — this time, let’s go bigger! Ideas welcome. Budget approx ₹20,000. Teamwork matters!
– HR Team

The buzz began. Priyanka suggested a smartwatch. Others nodded. No one asked who could afford it. Everyone smiled.

Ankit didn’t.

🧠 The Mind Trap

That evening, Karthik saw Ankit lost in thought.

Karthik: “Don’t tell me you’re planning to contribute for the gift.”
Ankit (hesitating): “I’m the newest. I’ve to show I’m part of the team… Arvind sir notices everything.”
Karthik: “Yeah, he notices people who laugh at his bad jokes and like his LinkedIn posts. Not who eats Maggi for dinner.”
Ankit (smiling faintly): “Still… ₹2,000 won’t kill me.”

But ₹2,000 became ₹3,000 — then ₹4,500.

The final gift was a Garmin smartwatch worth ₹19,999, and the team dinner cost an extra ₹1,200 per head.

💸 The Price Paid

By the 5th of the month, rent was due. Ankit had ₹670 in his account.

He borrowed ₹2,000 from Karthik, skipped breakfast for a week, and sent a fake transaction screenshot to his landlord with a note:

“Network issue. It might reflect in a day.”

By the 10th, the landlord called thrice. Ankit avoided him.

By the 14th, he got an SMS:
“Electricity will be disconnected if dues remain unpaid.”

🧊 The Cold Return

Back in office, Arvind Sir flaunted his new watch at the Monday meeting.

Arvind: “This is classy, folks. Real taste. And I heard Ankit suggested the brand — nice work, kid.”

Everyone clapped. Priyanka added him to the next project group.

That night, Ankit smiled on the cab ride back. But the smile faded as he opened his Paytm app:
₹22.17 balance.

He hadn’t eaten all day. Karthik handed him half a paratha.

Karthik (quietly): “You got applause. I hope it fills your stomach.”

🧱 Reflections

Ankit’s story is not about stupidity. It’s about invisible pressure — the cultural disease of “optics over substance” in corporate India. The unsaid rule that “fitting in” often means financially breaking yourself.

He bought respect with rent.
He earned a spotlight, but lost his savings.

💡 Lessons This Story Teaches Us:

  1. No job is worth self-deprivation.
    If your workplace values gifts more than grit, rethink your goals.
  2. Peer pressure doesn’t disappear after school.
    It just dresses better — in formals and performance appraisals.
  3. It’s okay to say no.
    Being financially smart is not being unprofessional.
  4. Don’t confuse attention with appreciation.
    You may be noticed — but not necessarily respected.

📌 Where He Is Now

Ankit still works in the same company. He has since shifted to a cheaper PG and set a ₹1,000 cap on all group gifts. Surprisingly, a few colleagues followed him.

Arvind Sir? He wore the watch for two weeks, then switched back to his Apple Watch.

🔜 Next Episode Teaser

Episode 81: The Farmer’s Son’s Coaching Fee — When Rural Dreams Collide with Urban Debt
In the next episode, a boy from rural Odisha dreams of cracking NEET. His father sells half an acre of land to get him to Kota — but rising hostel fees, test series costs, and pride combine to push both into debt, depression, and denial.

⚠️ Disclaimer:

This series is a work of emotional storytelling rooted in real societal patterns. All names and characters are fictionalized. The intent is to raise awareness, not offer financial or legal advice. If you or someone you know is struggling financially or emotionally, please seek professional help.

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