Who moved my cheese... my chair, my table, my fridge, my TV...?

Ok, first, to pick up threads from the previous post, but very briefly:

Somewhere towards the mid of February, a nagging cough turned into some kind of a mysterious illness. This monstrous cough resulted in an even more mysterious chest pain resulting in a TB test, a string of chest x-rays and ultra-sounds (I was certain that if I do not die of the cough, I will die of exposure to all the radiation!). This resulted in me panicking and rushing to Delhi to surrender myself to my parents’ care. All of the above also resulted in me consuming at least half-a-kilo of antibiotics with a dash of steroids (the effects of which haven’t worn out still!). The cause of the pain and the nagging cough are still vague – the doctors settled in for “an allergy” but I am not 100% convinced. I had to get a blood test done after my medicine marathon ended to follow up on the cause but there were other plans of distraction.

Just when I was about to celebrate the end of my medication –one day, I came home from office and I had a small crowd of people outside my door wishing to see the house because it was “up for sale” – I swear I would have fainted, had I not just popped in my multi-vitamin energy releasing tablet. This meant vacating the house and looking for an apartment AGAIN!!!!!

To give you a rough idea about the “moving and packing” status of my life:

• From being born till now, I have changed 11 cities.

• I completed my education from Nursery till Post graduation in 8 schools/colleges (this includes changing school every year from class 9th till 12th standard. 4 schools in 4 years – howzzat?)

• I have so far changed accommodation 17 times in 31 years.

• In 4.5 years in Bangalore, this will be my FIFTH move (if I discount a 5 month stay at an apartment in Holland).

It is like when I finally stopped moving cities, I started moving within the city – like crazy! And I assure you, except for one time– NONE of the moves were intentional.

WHY? WHY ME?

People stay in rented accommodation for years – there are rent renegotiations, there are some bickering by the tenants but all is sorted and people stay on. With me, strange things such as ‘suddenly the house is up for sale’ or ‘the owners coming back from abroad to take up the house’ like situations happen. For example:

The first time I was told to vacate a house in B’lore was because the house owner after living in Jamshedpur for almost 15 years was transferred to - yes - Bangalore- of all the places! Then, the next time was when the owners who left for the UK for 3 years had to be back after 9 months – because of the recession!! Now, the owner wants to sell the house!! There is no way I can ever predict these sort of things and hence be “careful” in choosing the owners.

There is a whole lot of mental and physical stress involved – the exhausting drive through the town to check out places which turn out to be dumps, depressing you further, then haggling with brokers (sometimes owners)and explaining you are single but not really because your parents visit you and they are nice people. In addition to this, there is financial loss too – the movers and packers , the rental deposit – it just keeps on increasing from one house to another – so does the rent and the brokerage.

Not to mention the trauma of settling in the new place – not just the dimensions but a frikin’ whole new set of curtains every time! Sometimes, I wish the houses were all universally built – there would be no adjusting to small wardrobes and smaller bathrooms or bigger living rooms.

For the first time ever I have started to feel – I wish I have my own house!

Now, all I need is some money!

SIGH!

Till next time!