My Residential Colony

When I first saw my first rented apartment in a residential colony, I immediately liked it. It was a 50-year-old house but what I saw made me agreeable was I could connect to it. It was pretty cool from the inside due to its old strong construction. In the hot summer, a single air-conditioner could cool two interconnected rooms. The park-facing balcony is where  I spend most of my time.  I enjoyed the rainy and pleasant weather, sometimes with the company of my daughter, watching children play in the park, or observing roadside fights. In winter, I enjoyed my lunch in the sun. The rent was reasonable due to the old construction and everything was perfect.  

After an enjoyable year or so, my landlord decided to demolish it and build a new house built on the same spot. It was disappointing to move out, but strangely, after a year I got it back with new construction. The interior and exterior were superb, but the front balcony was very small.

The back balcony was reasonable, though the view was different – only one backyard garden in the entire lane of buildings. Fortunately, it was directly opposite my balcony.

I often see Mr. Singh, a neighbour, possessive about parking space near his house. One day, he hesitantly placed a temporary fence outside his home on the government road. He thought, “If any official objects, I will remove the fence”.

A few months later, he turned the temporary fence into a half-cemented wall with floor tiles. He thought, “It can easily be removed if there is an objection. No big deal. Everyone is doing the same”.

A few months after that, he added a temporary roof. After a few months, his confidence had gone to the next level and he constructed a room instead. He thought, “It has been many years now, all the space I covered is mine.  I would put up a big fight if anyone objects now”.

A few months later, another fence…….

Mr. Singh often complains, there is no parking place in the city.  

Poem

Roads and balconies getting narrow,

Big rooms with too much furniture inside,

How to be close to nature?

How to open heart and mind?