For those who prefer numbers
The Balance Sheet of My Life
Suketh Kumar Chinchela · Balance Sheet as at 31 March, every year · Prepared in the format of Schedule III to the Companies Act, 2013 (more or less).
| Particulars | Note No. | Amount (in smiles) |
|---|---|---|
| I. Equity and liabilities | ||
| (1) Shareholders' funds | ||
| (a) Share capital: values, paid up in full by my parents | 1 | Priceless |
| (b) Reserves and surplus: a sense of humour, built up one dropped catch at a time | 2 | Ever growing |
| (2) Non-current liabilities | ||
| (a) Long-term borrowings: patience, borrowed from family | 3 | Repaying daily |
| (b) Deferred commitments: one skydive over Dubai, postponed by mutual agreement | 4 | 13,000 ft |
| (3) Current liabilities | ||
| (a) Trade payables: thank-you notes owed to friends who were secretly my mentors | 5 | Many |
| (b) Short-term provisions: next year's Budget predictions | 6 | Due 1 February |
| Total | Priceless | |
| II. Assets | ||
| (1) Non-current assets | ||
| (a) Property, plant and equipment: one engineering degree; one pair of eyes, independently managed | 7 | Fully serviceable |
| (b) Intangible assets under development: , Orato and the India Business Quiz platform | 8 | Nine trades & counting |
| (c) Goodwill: Toastmasters friendships across Area C4, District 225 | 9 | Not for sale |
| (d) Long-term investments: friendships of the fifty-year kind | 10 | Compounding |
| (2) Current assets | ||
| (a) Inventories: essays in draft | Several | |
| (b) Cash and cash equivalents: chai and samosa, shared | Always liquid | |
| (c) Short-term loans and advances: free advice to anyone filing an ITR | 11 | Non-refundable |
| Total | Priceless | |
Statement of Profit and Loss
For the year ended 31 March, any year.
| Income | |
|---|---|
| Revenue from operations: speeches given, essays written, software shipped | Satisfying |
| Other income: laughter at Toastmasters meetings | Generous |
| Expenses | |
| Cost of materials consumed: chai | Substantial |
| Finance costs: interest on sleep borrowed from tomorrow | Compounding |
| Depreciation: a cricket career, written off in one ball | 100% |
| Profit for the year: lessons learnt, carried to reserves | Positive |
Notes to Accounts
Note 1 · Share capital
Contributed in full and never called back. The terms were simple: work hard, be kind, and come home on time.
Note 2 · Reserves and surplus
A cricket ball in the slips cost me a catch and changed my eye. The humour that grew out of it has been the best-performing reserve on these books.
Read: The Catch That Changed My Life →Note 3 · Long-term borrowings
Interest-free. Repayment schedule: daily, in phone calls and Sunday lunches.
Note 4 · Deferred commitments
A skydive was negotiated down to zero after my parents objected. Recorded as a deferral, not a loss: the negotiation was the win.
Read: The Sky Can Wait →Note 5 · Trade payables
Owed to the friends who told me to stop running from my own voice. Settlement in progress.
Read: Guru-Shishya →Note 6 · Short-term provisions
Made every year since 2020. Past predictions are disclosed in full in the Writing section, including the optimistic ones.
Read the Budget essays →Note 7 · Property, plant and equipment
As a friend once put it, eyes like a chameleon. Excellent for monitoring multiple troublemakers at once. No impairment.
Note 8 · Intangible assets under development
Capitalised at the cost of many late nights. Arthavya has been live since 15 August 2026.
See the projects →Note 9 · Goodwill
Arises from serving as Area Director and from every club meeting where someone found their voice.
About me →Note 10 · Long-term investments
Modelled on my father and his friends, who grew together for over fifty years. Held to maturity.
Read: Define FRIENDSHIP →Note 11 · Short-term loans and advances
Includes one ready reckoner on which Income Tax Return to file. No security was taken.
Read: Income Tax Filing →
Independent Auditor's Report
Qualified opinion. In our opinion and to the best of our information, the statements above give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the subject, except for the matter described below.
Basis for qualified opinion. The subject does not eat on time, and has been reminded of this repeatedly.
For Mom & Associates, Auditors of Affection
Place: Home · Date: Every day
Prefer prose? Read the About page →