The house

The great Indian dream's  is occupied in a large part by a dream house.After liberalization of economy suddenly the house has become a reality for crores of Indians.The low interest rates and easy financing as compared to pre liberalization era have painted the houses  of many colors on Indian canvas. I resisted the jump on the bandwagon for 27 years of my working life.But, finally gave in to my wife's incessant chant and with high degreee of reluctance ,I decided to test the waters.And the waters are real hot and the dream is turning out to be a nightmare.

The survey took us to such parts of the city which might have belonged to Pedar road to Dharavi.The ingenuity of builders took my breath away.In a space ,just enough to stand on one leg, they had costructed 5 bedroom duplexes.The day is not far when they will deliver 4 story houses on flower pots.Breathless ,I managed to use the sign language to ask the price.The cool ,unemotional answer ensured that the taken away breath does not return.

" Almost free sir.Rs 30 lakhs is just to pay the laborers who pulled my cement truck out of ditch in front of my site.! You are my family and I can not commit the sin of charging my bro."

Shuddering with the fresh memory of buying sugar and Dal at my (?) grocers',I begged the builder to indicate the  cost-to-him at least so that I do not carry the sin of swindling my brother builder  on Judgement Day.He didn't budge and I had to settle for the labor welfare.But he was not through yet.Insisting that his nephew and niece should have two chocolates (one apiece) he agreed to take  Rs. 29,99,980/- only :twenty rupees for the chcolates ,sir.

We trudged back to our 40 year old dilapidated company quarter only to find that its crumbling confines have suddenly turned in to  a gold mine  for the Income Tax department.This earthquake hit house has been valued to yield Rs. 30000 to the ITD.Now the quarter costs me Rs.3000/- per month. I can't do much(which I could not, anyway) as I can not even have the pleasure of pushing the EVM button with agonizing sense of revenge for next four years.Even the municipal elections have been held!