We have come to a quiet moment in our home this evening where my wife is, once again, chiding me for my stubbornness. "When will you learn?" she asks gently, seeing the exhaustion on my face.
She is referring to my pathological habit of helping professionals in need.
Over the last six months, I have provided employment, stability, and opportunity to eight different professionals. They were searching for a breakthrough, and I believed I could be the one to give it to them.
Since July 2025, I have invested over INR 30 lakhs of my hard-earned capital into these individuals.
Today, not a single one is standing with me.
The journey was a painful lesson in human nature. I had to shake hands and part ways with several who simply remained unproductive. I let go of others because they failed to add value to my vision or—more importantly—to my clients.
And then there were those who simply sat on the fence, watching other birds fly and conquer the world, doing absolutely nothing to progress. They consumed resources, but lacked the fire to build.
It deeply reminds me of the ancient fable, “The Sage and the Scorpion”.
As the story goes, a sage keeps rescuing a drowning scorpion, only to be stung each time. When asked why he continues, the sage replies that it is the scorpion's nature to sting, but it is his nature to save.
I am no sage, make no mistake. But these professionals bit me, one after the other, regardless of the lifeline I threw them.
Yet, as I sit here reflecting on the lost capital and the broken trust, I know my answer to my wife won't change. I will continue to help those in professional need.
The scorpions will remain who they are, but I refuse to let their sting change who I am.
