Sunita sat across the table, stirring her tea absent-mindedly.
“Ruby,” she said, “I don’t even know how to explain this. I open my app every morning and the number is lower. I close it, but it stays in my head the whole day.”
Ruby nodded. “Like checking your weight every morning after a wedding season?”
Sunita laughed. “Exactly like that.”
“Everyone Around Me Is Talking About It”
“At office,” Sunita continued, “people are discussing markets during lunch. One person says everything will fall more. Another says this is just the beginning. At home, my cousin sent a voice note saying he exited everything.”
Ruby smiled. “Markets don’t fall alone. They come with noise.”
She added, “It’s like when one neighbour says there’s a water shortage, suddenly everyone starts storing buckets — even if taps are still running.”
Sunita nodded slowly. That made sense.
“Why Does Staying Put Feel So Wrong?”
“I know I started investing for the long term,” Sunita said. “But right now, doing nothing feels careless.”
Ruby leaned back. “Doing nothing feels wrong only because your mind wants relief.”
She continued, “When something feels uncomfortable, our first instinct is to act — not because action is correct, but because action feels comforting.”
“Like switching TV channels during ads?” Sunita asked.
“Exactly,” Ruby smiled.
“So What Should I Do Right Now?”
“First,” Ruby said, “stop treating this like a fire that needs to be put out today.”
She explained, “If your fridge stops cooling, you act immediately. But if it’s just making noise, you observe. Markets are noisy right now.”
Sunita relaxed a little.
“So I don’t have to decide anything today?” she asked.
“No,” Ruby said. “Today, your only job is to pause.”
“But Every Month, Money Still Goes In”
Sunita hesitated. “My investment gets deducted automatically every month. Watching that happen now feels painful.”
Ruby nodded. “Like paying your gym fees even when your weight hasn’t reduced yet.”
Sunita laughed again.
“You don’t stop going,” Ruby said. “Because you know results don’t show immediately. Investing works the same way.”
“I Didn’t Know I’d Feel This Nervous”
Sunita looked thoughtful. “I thought I was okay with ups and downs. Turns out, I’m not.”
Ruby smiled gently. “Nobody knows how they’ll react until they’re inside the situation.”
She added, “This isn’t weakness. It’s learning.”
“Like realizing night driving makes you uncomfortable only after you try it?” Sunita said.
“Yes,” Ruby replied. “And next time, you plan better.”
“Should I Stop Watching All This?”
“Yes,” Ruby said immediately.
She explained, “Checking numbers again and again won’t change them. It only spoils your mood — like opening the fridge repeatedly hoping sweets appear.”
Sunita smiled. “So… less checking?”
“Much less,” Ruby said. “Once in a while is enough.”
“What If I Panic Again?”
Ruby took a piece of paper.
“Let’s decide this now,” she said. “When you’re calm.”
Together they wrote:
- I will take money out only if I actually need it
- I will not react just because others are panicking
“This paper,” Ruby said, “is for days when your mind starts negotiating.”
Sunita folded it carefully and put it in her bag.
A Simple Truth Ruby Left Sunita With
As Sunita stood up to leave, she asked quietly,
“Ruby… do people who invest well not feel scared?”
Ruby shook her head.
“They feel scared,” she said. “They just don’t let fear drive.”
She added, “Think of this phase like traffic. You don’t get out of the car just because it’s slow. You stay seated and wait.”
Sunita smiled. The tea was cold now, but her mind felt lighter.
Nothing had changed in the markets. But everything had changed in how she looked at them.
Simplified Money Talks 