No profit is worth your health

WHEN the stock market hit an all-time high, a close friend pressed me to invest his idle savings. Despite his enthusiasm, I stayed cautious — the market is no place for someone who doesn’t even know the ABC of shares, especially when another’s money and trust are at stake.

I suggested mutual funds — a wiser choice. But caught up in the bullish frenzy, he stood firm. Reluctantly, I helped him open a Demat account and apply for the minimum lot in a promising IPO. Fortune smiled on him. His maiden allotment brought a sudden windfall. Convinced that the bull run would change his life, he brimmed with overconfidence.

But the euphoria didn’t last. As the market nosedived, his gains vanished. Desperate, he bought more shares, ignoring the fundamentals — losing nearly Rs 1.5 lakh. The IPO crash and rash trading drained him financially and shook him mentally. Overwhelmed by frustration, he withdrew into himself.

One morning, his wife called: “Pata nahin, thode bhaji kal ton kyu chup-chap ne — na hi kujh khande ne, te na hi kujh bolde ne. Aaj taan bilkul dheri dhahi baithe ne” (I wonder why he has been so quiet since yesterday — he is neither eating nor speaking. Today, he seems completely crestfallen).

Worried, I rushed him to the hospital. His BP was 188/108 — alarming. Fit until now, the sudden stress had pushed it dangerously high. The doctor ran an ECG, prescribed tests and admitted him for cardiac monitoring.

While the doctor stepped out, I noticed a notepad in his file with home BP records. I checked them against recent Sensex trends on my phone — each market dip spiked his BP, as if the market’s heartbeat had synced with his own.

Ironically, the market rebounded that afternoon — over 1,100 points — and all his stocks bounced back. Staring at my phone in disbelief, he whispered, “Is this for real? Show me again!”

The doctor returned and asked, “How is he feeling now?”

“Better — his stocks recovered,” I said.

The doctor smiled. “So, this was market panic, not just hypertension.” He asked the nurse to check his BP.

“122/85 — perfectly normal,” she reported.

“That’s better. But step away from the market,” the doctor advised. “No profit is worth your inner peace or health.”

The next day, he seemed calmer and visibly relieved. Over tea, I checked his stocks on my phone — all in the green. I said, “You’ve recovered — both your health and money. Perhaps it’s time to step back from the market and find some heartsease.”

He nodded, looking lighter, grateful and reflective. As he walked me to the gate, he murmured a Punjabi adage: “Kise nu maah swaadi, kise nu baadi” (What is pleasant for some may be unpleasant for others). I realised the hard truth: what’s the point of profit if it robs you of peace of mind or harms your health?