I Am Back Home From Daulat Baugh To Satguru Shlok

I am back again after four years of silence on this blog. The building went for redevelopment, I knew I would miss my building where I have lived for over forty years. Every brick sighed and its breath diminished each day as the day approached for redevelopment. I remember the last rainy day in June 2014, the building wept.

I had moved out for two years and taken a small flat close by.

When I moved, what I missed the most was my balcony.

Nine feet by four feet balcony was the area where I would spend most of my evenings. As the sun slumped across the horizon, its golden rays filtered though the tall trees spreading its warmth over me. I sat in my balcony with a cup of tea on the ledge and a mobile in my hand. Many evenings were spent sipping tea and surfing through my ‘WatsApp’ messages. Sometimes I would listen to the music and sometimes watch videos on its tiny screen. Then there would be chats on social media, forward messages to read or the missed phone call to be answered.

Balcony appeared to float above a large open space between wing A and wing B defying gravity. It was a structural masterpiece as well as architectural one. Fancy cars sparkled under daylight and occupied most of the building compound, but the area between the parked cars was large enough for children to play outdoor games. On weekends and on holidays, children and their friends from neighboring buildings played various outdoor games that included cricket and football. Younger children played running and hopping games. Babies sat in their pram chewing on fingers. Old men walked carelessly, lost in their own world, distant.

A group of senior women sat on wide, rectangular platform, built over the water tank. They met every evening for endless conversations dissecting the TV serials, or discussing the news that they had collected during the day from their maids who were the carrier of tales.  The distance from the tank to my balcony was not much, two floors upstairs their murmur was audible. The news that I collected while surfing the net seemed pale against their juicy gossip. At regular intervals, they would glance up to acknowledge my presence.

I had blogged about my balcony on my other blog at

http://chat-with-pushpee.blogspot.in/2014/10/redevelopment-5-my-balcony.html

Whenever I missed my home, I went to see the construction of how much it had progressed.

The builder delivered us a brand new building in two years as promised and now I have a beautiful home with branded  and modular amenities. I live on the eight floor facing north-east. Friends tell me this is my lucky home  according to Vastu shashtra and I am to see much more happiness here. I love this house because it is so airy, with long french windows, bright and good ventilation. The vibrations of this house is really good and all the guests who have visited me are telling me that I have hit a jackpot.

Although there is no balcony, the view of sky is vast and beautiful. Morning I spend soaking in the sun that come direct from my long french windows and I spend most of my days, reading and writing closer to the windows.

The only difference is that it is an isolated place. I hardly see my neighbours. They used to be my family once, now I meet them only in lifts with brief hello. The attitude is cold and the rules are be-happy-with-what-ever-you-have-don’t-complain. They are becoming strangers now. There are no more senior women sitting in the compound, there is no bench now for them to sit in the building area and the compound is cobble webbed, suitable only for cars and heavy vehicles. I am always afraid of tripping over, so I don’t venture out for walk, except to trample on mat that has been spread over a small narrow walking path from main gate to the lobby.

Well, my mom always said “Be happy under all situations and the life shall shine over you”

So happy I am that my Lord has blessed me a beautiful home and I am grateful for that.

.

-->