One day as I was gazing at the early morning sky a nosey neighbour joined me on the terrace.
"Hey Narsi, why do you always look lost? Lost in thoughts?"
"No no, Ram, I'm planning some new creative."
"Oh, may I know for whom?"
"For the world"
"Stop it. Be serious."
"Ofcourse I am."
"What ? Every morning I see you on the terrace, looking up at the sky and suddenly rush back and scribble something on paper."
"Yes, yes. They are for the world."
"Narsi,Stop teasing me. You look posessed when you're working on those... What do you call them?"
"Icons"
"Mmm icons. Of what good is it for anyone when you should be creating movies or creating commercials like you always do."
"But these icons are for a cause."
"Oh.. That's nice.You mean you are contributing for a noble cause?
"Yes."
"And what's it?"
"For people who prefer to download it free than to buy the icons."
"What rubbish is that? You mean, you spend hours on the terrace looking up at your dear God to send signals or shock waves to you to rush downstairs and scribble something on paper and spend the next couple of days creating some stuff in black and white on the computer...pardon if it sounds racial.And you say, its for a cause. How can your hardwork be given for free?"
"We are all building a new language.. A kind of visuals, you see."
"Who all?"
"There are many like me."
"What? Many like you? Sweating it out day in and day out for someone to free download?
Don't you guys have a family or any other responsibilities? You artists are all a silly bunch getting excited over non commercial activities."
"Not just that. We also get paid when someone buys our icons instead of giving credits."
"Shameless fool.You create something out of the blue and you pitch your work against yourself. Free downloads versus paid downloads?"
"Yes yes."
"And what do you get after all that?
"Ah,! Now you ask me! Its Cha Ching!"
"What?"
"Its all a bit complicated you see, it slides down some scale or goes up the scale but I get something to buy toffees for some street children every month."
"Oh, a cause within a cause! When are you going to buy much more than toffees for the street children ? When are you going to live in your own house, drive a Merc, get a decent income for yourself?"
"What? Didn't understand."
"Yes. Why don't you work for us?"
"What do you do?"
"We run an NGO!"
"Cha Ching!"
