Ghar!
The dream house with the full, top angle view of Taj slipped my hands. On Friday afternoon I got this terrible news. Since then, life turned into a hectic run.
So what happened? Honestly, even I am not clear. I was all set to take possession on Friday, and even landed up at the property dealer’s place early morning. He told me to return a bit later. That bit later turned to hours. Anxiously, I called him post-lunch only to get the shattering news that the landlord had given away the house to some one else. I am still unclear whether it was a goof up by the property dealer or the landlord was genuinely at fault for backing out of the deal. Maybe, it was because I hadnt paid him full money. Perhaps, there was someone else offering a better deal. Whatever it was, the likelihood of getting that flat seemed bleak.
I tried to contact him. He was not available. I made efforts through a long-winded common association that I had discovered some days back. But no good luck smiled on me. By evening, as Agra submerged into thick sheets of rain, the reality socked my plexus with a deafening thud.
I wasnt ready to do that entire painstaking process of searching a house all over again. But that had to be done, because the approval for the interim place where I was staying had run out.
I raced to the initial set of flats I had seen; in fact, this one was the very first one where I had set foot on. The person told me that the flat was gone. But there was another one available, should I be interested. I could feel some hope creaking in. The flat turned out to be marvellous. Without second thought, I said yes. There were no fans or lights there, which he promised to install the next day.
Even though the flat was marvellous, and in a much better locality than the previous one, still I had my doubts. The person refused to divulge the owner’s name. He was ready to give possession within a day. And he didnt want any extra money as security ( usually its equivalent to one month’s rent). Even though that spelt less advance money leaving my pocket, still it seemed a bit too good to be true. In fact, the entire thing happened so quick and smooth, I had a small niggling doubt within me. Yet, I brushed it aside, because I needed a good house to stay in this city. And at this short a notice, this one was manna from heaven.
The next day I had an important training to conduct. So, I went there early morning to give the money, lest even this one slips away. The person was not available. I returned after the training. An old hand in the building informed that the concerned person had just left for lunch. I could feel a sickening feeling rearing within me.
I did some other work, and returned in the evening, around 5 or so. The man was there. Before he could say anything, I fished out the cash and placed it in front of him. I needed the house, any which way. That day I was literally on streets!
“Wait, not so soon, there is a small hitch” the man said.
Sweat broke on my forehead. My tongue felt like sandpaper. And I gulped and blinked as he narrated the small hitch.
To be continued…
Sunday, 3. September 2006 22:41
Apun Aa Gaya Bhai !!
Monday, 4. September 2006 9:03
We have had very very similar experiences in Bangalore when we were looking for an apt……rent ke liye nahin….khaaredne ke liye…..gave x amt of money as the token amt, the broker was not ready to disclose the identity of the owner of the flat….bas uske baad kya…..we got our money back…mukar gaya &^*&…..:P
And Chennai ke house hunting stories ke baare mein toh kehna ne bekaar hai…
oye hoye suspense in the end….waiting waiting to know more…small hitch…..ab yeh to be contd. board toh lag gaya hai…lekin pata nahin aap kab karte hai update…
But anyways I assume that in the end you managed to get the flat.
Monday, 4. September 2006 10:07
I hope it is not a Bhoot movie like haunted house
Never mind the old one. It was, after all, a rented house
Monday, 4. September 2006 10:42
Mehak – Gold aapka phirse
It’s good you got the money back. Else, aur pareshaani. Waise, I was also lucky to get the advance back , not that it was a huge amt that I paid, but still…
Don’t worry about the post’s second part. It’s ready and already published. Only that I have scheduled it to be visible after 4 pm tmr.
Manish – Ha ha , I had the same thought while seeing so many houses. In fact, there is a colleague of mine who was also house-hunting alongwith me – and I freaked the daylights out of him when he went for his house selection – quite similar to Bhoot, but since you mentioned it … good enuff for yet another post
Waise, in the prev one it cudnt hv been like Bhoot, coz I wud hv been the first tenant there. Aur abhi kya haal hai…uska byaura, next post mein
Monday, 4. September 2006 11:14
what the hell!!! you can’t avoid adding nail biting suspense even in a house hunting narrative???
but this seems like the good ole days, when DJ would churn out story after story that kept us on the edge of our seats…..
Monday, 4. September 2006 11:16
Bhai apun ko toh kuch locha lagta hai..
Underworld wale bhai ka property toh nahin hai!!
Monday, 4. September 2006 11:36
Why good houses always go to bad tenants. I know it feels bad and now if you look back, staying in Nepal was not all that bad. Our rupee was stronger there and the heat was less. Writer more about agara and your life journey.
Monday, 4. September 2006 19:27
LOL Dj! Sorry but you make this sound like a hindi film hero on a quest…what haev you gotten yourself into now? How do YOU land up in these situations anyway? raahu ketu ne saath abhi tak nahi choda lagta hai hehehe
Monday, 4. September 2006 20:30
Anks – Ha ha , just trying to get back to the old style
Gaurav – Arre bhai , yahan underworld don nahin hote hai…saare over-world hote hain ‘katte’ ke saath waale
Dhoop – Yeah climate wise and house hunt way also Nepal was way way better. Didnt have all these hassles. But as that song goes ‘laakh lubhayein mahal paraaye, apna ghar phir apna ghar hai’ (‘Aa ab laut chalen’ from Jis Desh Mein…), that way, its ok to be in India
Kaush – Apun kisi hero se kam hai kya
Dunno why i always land up in such situations … but then if i didnt , how wud u get to laugh and read all these tales 
Monday, 4. September 2006 22:00
Oh ho . so you are also in house hunting spree.. good luck man… & nice way to end the post…
agli post mey grehpravesh jaroor karva dena apna (atleast)….
Tuesday, 5. September 2006 13:23
on “laakh lubhayein….” : bahot khoob
2 lines meri taraf se bhi:
“khoob gaye pardesh
ki apne deewar-o-dar bhool gaye
sheesh mahal ne aisa kheencha
mitti ke ghar bhool gaye”
Tuesday, 5. September 2006 22:03
Navjot – ‘also’ bole toh? even you are, kya? Agla post haazir hai, padh lijiyega zarur…
Dhoop – Bahut khoob!