Conversations at public places provide an index of a society's primary concerns at the moment. In India, it would not be off the mark to say that it is now about money - or more specifically about having currency notes.
The only topic of discussion the past week has centred around 'exchange...money' and nothing else. Be it over dinner at home, in public transport, at office or a TV debate for that matter - every conversation has been about currency demonetisation.
Funny it may seem considering that the notes which were idling in some cupboard at home, turning sticky and probably even forgotten lost by its keepers until midnight of November 8, became a precious commodity overnight.
One thing is clear though. Not everyone is prepared to part with this money. Rich and poor, those with a box full of change and others without - every individual seem to be seeking some advice from a friend or relative as to how to go about this.
Take a quiet walk or a bus to reach your destination, and you cannot but complete the journey without hearing at least one person seeking advice from may be a friend or relative somewhere as to how to go about bringing out the undisclosed holding safely.
Invariably, the suggestion from this end has always been (at least within hearing of this correspondent) "just deposit the amount into your bank account. We can discuss the rest later".
Almost ten days now and the disclosure issue does not seem to be over yet. About one third of the high denomination notes have come back to banks so far. How much more will come into the open in the next 45 days remains to be seen. But for now it's raining remittances at banks.