Saturday, December 21, 2013

LESSON IN CORRUPTION

LESSON IN CORRUPTION
An Apocryphal Mulla Nasrudin Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE

Constantly seeing news about corruption and scams hogging the headlines on TV, like the recent building scam, I recalled this apocryphal Mulla Nasrudin Story:

While walking on the road, a shabbily dressed Mulla Nasrudin, who was struggling to make both ends meet, ran into an old friend, his school classmate.

The friend was driving an SUV and was smartly dressed in expensive clothes and wore a gold watch. It was clear that he had made it rich.

The friend took Nasrudin to an expensive five star hotel for sumptuous meal.
         
Looking around with awe, as it was his first visit to such a luxurious and opulent hotel, Nasrudin asked his wealthy friend: “How did you make so much money?” 

“I became a builder and made my money in the building business. It is a very lucrative business. See that tall building over there. Half the cost of that building went into my pocket,” the friend said boastfully.

A few years later the friend met Nasrudin in the same five star hotel, wearing the best of clothes and dining opulently, enjoying the best of food.

Surprised at the fantastic metamorphosis, the friend asked Nasrudin the secret of his tremendous success and how he had made so much money in so short a time.

Shipbuilding...!” Nasrudin answered.

Seeing the confused look on his friend’s face, Nasrudin took his friend to the magnificent seaside lounge of the hotel, pointed towards the sea and said: “Do you see that magnificent ship?”

His friend looked carefully towards the sea, scanned the horizon.

But he did not see any ship.

So he asked Nasrudin, “Which Ship? Where is the Ship? There is no Ship out there. I can only see the calm blue sea. I don’t see any ship...!”

Mulla Nasrudin gave his friend a canny smile and said: “The shipbuilding business is even more lucrative than your building business. The entire cost of the ship went into my pocket.”


MORAL OF THE STORY (for Scamsters Only)

Building a Ship may be more lucrative than building a Building on land. 

You can disappear a ship, but you cannot disappear a building on land.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 
© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

Disclaimer:
All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
NB
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this story?  
I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie I am sure that you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@hotmail.com
Twitter: @vikramkarve
      
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
 

No comments: