Nidhi wanted to buy a flat. Karthik wanted to keep renting, because the landlord’s dog, a golden retriever named Tax, loved him unconditionally and never asked for a down payment.
They opened a spreadsheet. Rent was ₹22,000 a month. A similar flat cost ₹90 lakh, with an EMI of nearly ₹75,000, plus maintenance, plus registration, plus the sudden need for a sofa that did not look temporary.
“If we rent and invest the difference,” said Karthik, “we come out fine.” “If we buy, we own something,” said Nidhi. Tax barked at the word “own,” which both took as a vote.
They realised the answer depended on how long they planned to stay, what their job situation looked like, and whether they would really invest the difference, a question Karthik answered with a long, honest silence.
They chose to keep renting for two more years, put ₹30,000 a month into a dedicated flat fund, and revisit the question with real numbers. Tax was given extra biscuits for neutrality. He accepted them without comment.