New Delhi: Chartered accountant Nitin Kaushik recently posted on X the real-life story of a person who purchased a 3BHK apartment in Surat for Rs 55 lakhs without an inheritance or fancy career but with consistent discipline.

Kaushik said that he had recently met a person who despite not belonging to any privileged background, recently bought a 3BHK apartment in Surat for Rs 55 lakhs. Kaushik said this man’s simple story will “change your view on wealth”.

How a Simple Story Change your View on “Wealth”

A few weeks ago, I met someone-not from a privileged background-who recently bought a 3BHK apartment in Surat worth _55 lakhs.

No inheritance, no fancy job, no startup exit-just steady discipline.___#stockmarket_ pic.twitter.com/WBBgtGGyx3
— CA Nitin Kaushik (FCA) | LLB (@Finance_Bareek) January 7, 2026

When Kaushik asked the person how he managed the purchase of the home the person said that he had saved Rs 45 lakhs over 12 years and took a home loan of Rs 10 lakh. “No panic about EMIs or inflation. Just quiet confidence and planning,” Kaushik said.

Kaushik said, “This was not overnight success.” The man saved consistently through recurring deposits, gold savings schemes and local real estate investments in his village near Surat. Kaushik said that consistency added with patience over 12 years is the key to the man’s success.

The person already owned a two-storey home and a small commercial shop in the village, which were both rented out. The rental inflows were roughly Rs 22,000 per month. “Every rupee saved or reinvested, building more wealth quietly,” wrote Kaushik.

According to Kaushik, the person accumulated over Rs 40 lakh through consistent saving and reinvestment, without using stocks or mutual funds. The man’s accumulation of wealth showed that “wealth is not about quick compounding but long term discipline. Many chase complex, risky strategies, but steady, patient investing builds real wealth brick by brick,” he said.

According to Kaushik, wealth develops based on how long you stick to your discipline and not how much you make. “Wealth grows by how long you hold your discipline, not just by how much you earn. Even small streams, flowing steadily, become rivers. Formula for success is Consistency × Patience × Simplicity. Anyone can start this today no matter your income level,” Kaushik said.

Last Updated:January 09, 2026, 09:50 IST

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea on Friday laid out a detailed repayment roadmap for its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) liabilities; Know details

Vodafone Idea Share Price

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea on Friday laid out a detailed repayment roadmap for its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) liabilities, under which it will service a portion of the dues at a maximum of Rs 124 crore per year over a six-year period.

The company’s shares rose about 6% in early trade after the announcement.

In December, Reuters had reported that the Indian government approved a partial moratorium on Vodafone Idea’s dues, freezing payments of about $9.76 billion and pushing a large part of the repayment burden into the 2030s.

In its stock exchange filing, Vodafone Idea said its AGR liabilities — including principal, interest, penalty and interest on penalty for FY2006-07 to FY2018-19 — outstanding as of December 31, 2025, will be frozen and repaid in a phased manner.

As per the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) communication, the company will pay up to Rs 124 crore annually for six years from March 2026 to March 2031. This will be followed by payments of Rs 100 crore per year for four years from March 2032 to March 2035.

The balance AGR dues will then be cleared in equal annual instalments over six years from March 2036 to March 2041.

Vodafone Idea also said the DoT will constitute a committee to reassess the AGR dues, and the committee’s decision will be final. After the reassessment, the revised AGR amount will be repaid in equal annual instalments between March 2036 and March 2041.

The development is expected to remain in focus for investors, given Vodafone Idea’s stretched balance sheet and the critical role AGR relief plays in its long-term financial stability.

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Last Updated:January 09, 2026, 06:29 IST

The rider chose to work mostly after ten at night. Rapido offers a 20% incentive for rides between ten pm and six am, making late-night slots more rewarding than daytime hours.

Over four days, he rode mainly at night, sometimes starting in the evening and continuing past midnight. Image: X

It began as a simple experiment. A Bengaluru resident, curious about the buzz around gig work, decided to spend a few late nights riding for Rapido to see if the money really matched the hype. He was not looking to switch careers or become a full-time rider. He just wanted to know whether a few spare hours after work could actually make a difference to his monthly finances.

Four days later, he had more than just an answer. He had numbers, experiences and a reality check that soon went viral on Reddit, sparking a wider conversation about part-time work in the city.

Why he chose Rapido and the night shift

The rider chose to work mostly after ten at night. The reason was practical. Rapido offers a twenty percent incentive for rides between ten pm and six am, making late-night slots more rewarding than daytime hours.

Another detail that caught attention was his claim that Rapido was not charging any commission on rides at the time. While he admitted he was unsure if this was permanent or linked to regulatory issues around bike taxis, the zero-commission factor clearly boosted his take-home earnings.

For him, the goal was simple. Test whether a few hours on the road could actually translate into meaningful extra income.

How the four days unfolded

Over four days, he rode mainly at night, sometimes starting in the evening and continuing past midnight.

On the first day, he worked from six thirty in the evening to nine at night and earned Rs 170. Later, between eleven at night and one thirty in the morning, he earned another Rs 460. His total for around five hours of riding came to Rs 630.

On the second day, he stayed online for about five hours and earned Rs 750.

On the third and fourth days, he rode for roughly three to four hours each night and earned Rs 420 on both days. He noted that these days were slightly slower, with fewer ride requests compared to the earlier shifts.

By the end of the fourth day, he had enough data to calculate what part-time riding really meant in practical terms.

The final numbers

Across four days, the rider clocked a total of seventeen working hours. His gross earnings stood at Rs 2220. From this, he deducted fuel expenses of around Rs 400. That left him with a net profit of Rs 1820 for the entire period.

In simple terms, he earned just over Rs 100 per hour after accounting for petrol. For some readers, that sounded modest. For others, especially those struggling with stagnant salaries and rising living costs, it felt like a useful safety net.

When the internet joined the debate

The Reddit post quickly filled with comments from people living similar double lives.

One user shared that he works in an IT firm from two in the afternoon to ten at night, earning Rs 24000 a month. After his shift, he rides for Rapido from ten pm to six am. According to him, the money he makes on the bike often matches or even beats what he earns at his desk job.

Stories like these pushed the conversation beyond one person’s experience. They raised bigger questions about whether flexible gig work is slowly becoming more attractive than low-paying formal jobs, especially for young workers.

Who this kind of work suits best

The Bengaluru rider ended his post with a grounded conclusion. Rapido and similar platforms may not be perfect, but they work well for students, people from economically weaker backgrounds and those who have free hours late at night.

Lower traffic, higher incentives and the freedom to log in and log out without long-term commitment make gig riding easier to fit around studies or a regular job.

At the same time, he did not romanticise it. Long hours, physical strain and rising fuel costs remain real challenges. This is not easy money. But for many, it is better than having no extra income at all.

A glimpse of Bengaluru’s changing workforce

This four-day experiment reflects a bigger shift in the city’s work culture.

Bengaluru is no longer a place where one job defines a person’s identity. Today, the same individual can be a software employee by day and a bike captain by night.

The story of this part-time Rapido rider is not just about earnings. It is about how people are stitching together livelihoods in a city where ambition often moves faster than paycheques.

And in those late-night rides through quieter streets and glowing phone screens, many are finding not just fares, but a new way to stay afloat.

Why he chose Rapido and the night shift

The rider chose to work mostly after ten at night. The reason was practical. Rapido offers a twenty percent incentive for rides between ten pm and six am, making late-night slots more rewarding than daytime hours.

Another detail that caught attention was his claim that Rapido was not charging any commission on rides at the time. While he admitted he was unsure if this was permanent or linked to regulatory issues around bike taxis, the zero-commission factor clearly boosted his take-home earnings.

For him, the goal was simple. Test whether a few hours on the road could actually translate into meaningful extra income.

How the four days unfolded

Over four days, he rode mainly at night, sometimes starting in the evening and continuing past midnight.

On the first day, he worked from six thirty in the evening to nine at night and earned Rs 170. Later, between eleven at night and one thirty in the morning, he earned another Rs 460. His total for around five hours of riding came to Rs 630.

On the second day, he stayed online for about five hours and earned Rs 750.

On the third and fourth days, he rode for roughly three to four hours each night and earned Rs 420 on both days. He noted that these days were slightly slower, with fewer ride requests compared to the earlier shifts.

By the end of the fourth day, he had enough data to calculate what part-time riding really meant in practical terms.

The final numbers

Across four days, the rider clocked a total of seventeen working hours. His gross earnings stood at Rs 2220. From this, he deducted fuel expenses of around Rs 400. That left him with a net profit of Rs 1820 for the entire period.

In simple terms, he earned just over Rs 100 per hour after accounting for petrol. For some readers, that sounded modest. For others, especially those struggling with stagnant salaries and rising living costs, it felt like a useful safety net.

When the internet joined the debate

The Reddit post quickly filled with comments from people living similar double lives.

One user shared that he works in an IT firm from two in the afternoon to ten at night, earning Rs 24000 a month. After his shift, he rides for Rapido from ten pm to six am. According to him, the money he makes on the bike often matches or even beats what he earns at his desk job.

Stories like these pushed the conversation beyond one person’s experience. They raised bigger questions about whether flexible gig work is slowly becoming more attractive than low-paying formal jobs, especially for young workers.

Who this kind of work suits best

The Bengaluru rider ended his post with a grounded conclusion. Rapido and similar platforms may not be perfect, but they work well for students, people from economically weaker backgrounds and those who have free hours late at night.

Lower traffic, higher incentives and the freedom to log in and log out without long-term commitment make gig riding easier to fit around studies or a regular job.

At the same time, he did not romanticise it. Long hours, physical strain and rising fuel costs remain real challenges. This is not easy money. But for many, it is better than having no extra income at all.

A glimpse of Bengaluru’s changing workforce

This four-day experiment reflects a bigger shift in the city’s work culture.

Bengaluru is no longer a place where one job defines a person’s identity. Today, the same individual can be a software employee by day and a bike captain by night.

The story of this part-time Rapido rider is not just about earnings. It is about how people are stitching together livelihoods in a city where ambition often moves faster than paycheques.

And in those late-night rides through quieter streets and glowing phone screens, many are finding not just fares, but a new way to stay afloat.

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