BRAToSPHERE

Tag: Mumbai

  • House Hunting

    One of my colleagues pointed me to this article where a celebrity was denied accommodation in Mumbai. It reminded me of my own troubles in finding a house.

    I have stayed in five cities in the last five plus years that I have been working, and have changed seven houses since then.

    Right since my early Delhi days, to Bangalore, Hubli, Mumbai and now Gurgaon, one thing that has always remained common across each of these cities is the pain associated with house hunting.

    If it is the astronomical amount demanded in the form of deposit in Bangalore, it is the high rentals demanded in Mumbai that becomes the sore point. The fact that I would be  a single bachelor staying in the house any which ways got seventy percent of the houses out of my realms. And this Anti-bachelor resonated in all of the cities without exception.

    The most troublesome place to find a house is Mumbai. As it is popularly said in Mumbai, getting a roof on your head is the toughest part, everything else can be sorted.

    The worse thing here, among other things, is the lease expiry issue. The lease is always made for eleven months and the owner has the complete right to kick you out of the house with no reasons whatsoever. This in spite of having a strict “no party at my place” rule to your friends, in spite of having a travelling job and rarely staying in the house and in spite of having no visitors at all.

    I believe I am like the ideal tenant to have. The real tenant was not me at all! It was my stuff which needed a roof and I had to pay a huge monthly premium to let it be. I was out most of the time.

    The other worse thing in Mumbai is the concept of a “co-operative housing society”. The whole purpose of such entities seems to be to ensure that the rental process becomes difficult. Even the owner has no say most of the time.

    Non-Vegetarian? Sorry!

    South Indian? Sorry!

    From South India? Even then sorry!

    Bachelor? Well, non-starter this one is.

    Bachelor is the word that every landlord shuns like plague. So much that many a brokers suggested that I lie that my Mom would stay with me, or even go to the extent of lying that I was married!

    Things here in Gurgaon seem to be slightly better. That I think is more a function of the huge supply!

    Hopefully I would not have to embark on this journey again any soon.

  • Adios Mumbai

    July 2011, amidst the heavy Mumbai rains, I landed in this city of dreams.

    I had a new job, and this was going to be my new place of work. I had mixed emotions then. Mumbai was touted as an expensive and difficult city to be living in. The famous (or infamous) pace of the city was a cause of concern, more so as I was relocating from the calm and peaceful Bangalore.

    Overcoming all of that, I think the last three years have been an amazing experience in this City. These last three years have developed many a fond memories that I would be cherishing for a long time to come.

    I still remember during my first week in Mumbai, I had complained to my manager how I already hate the city due to its rains and the overcrowded roads. She very calmly smiled back at me and said, “give it some more time. Mumbai would grow on you and you would start liking it”. Grow on me, it truly did, so much that I now find it difficult to leave this city.

    After the horrendous experience in the first month, where I had to commute by the non-existent auto to office every day from my hotel, I had decided that I would stay as close as possible to my office. My 1 bhk flat, was a 10 minutes’ walk away from office and I so much loved it. Think, this was one very big factor that helped foster my relationship with the city. I could avoid its roads and traffic that it was unpopular for.

    Catching up with old friends, working double triple hard on my new job, and spending sleepless nights to catch up with the city comprised my first year here. I was staying alone, and all of my weekends would be with friends trying to explore the city.

    Different places to eat, to hang out and every possible popular pub in the city was on the radar in the first year of my stay here in Mumbai.

    Our new found interest in plays comprised a vital part of our weekends those days. We religiously checked the schedules of Prithvi Theatre in Juhu and made up our plans around it.

    Like every city, I developed my own favourite places to hang out, where I could spend hours and hours together. Powai was one of them. The whole locality gave a very European feel to it, and I wish that I could stay here someday. The other favourite is Colaba causeway. The whole street has fascinated me right since my Summer intern days, where it turned to be a daily hangout place, from our hostel near Chruchgate.

    And like I have a favourite coffee shop in every city, Mumbai too had one – the CCD at Carter Road, Bandra. I remember having spent hours and hours there. This place just made me forget all about the daily life chores and helped experience a different world. This was pure meditation! The entry of Starbucks did not change this preference at all.

    This, and many other experiences truly enriched my stay here for a little less than three years, and yes, I would love the opportunity to be residing in this city again someday.

    For Now, Gurgaon it is!

  • Auto, Sangam cinema Chaloge?

    It has now been a little over a month that I have moved into my new house, and completely love it. The weekends are fun, the view from the 10th floor balcony is just stunning. In a very unscheduled manner, the rains got delayed to September and it was raining all day in the beginning of this month.

    Surprisingly, by a strange act of God, it has not rained a single drop after the Ganesh Pandals have been up from last week. Even the rains God are here to appease the Lord!

    Now, Coming back to my house, the weekends are beautiful and relaxing due to the scenic view and I just keep lazing in my balcony all day along absorbing it as much as possible.

    Then comes Monday, and it is still raining. The view is still the same, but I now have to go to office, and the pain point here is the going part.

    Office is fun, but the commute till there during the rains is just a nightmare. Now till I get the car, and more importantly a parking space at both office and Home, I have to depend on public transport for this nightmarish commute.( The distance is only 3Km, and it still takes forever to get to the office)

    The fact that it takes time is still bearable; the irritating part is waiting for a rick for the ride. And then, further more irritating is the part where I have to convince the driver to take me there. I am paying him, and customer is King is all good in text books, but not with the autowallahs!

    Every morning, it has become a daily to chore to walk down the road, and keep asking every possible auto guy, “ Sangam Cinema chaloge?”. One auto, after another rejects you, and you just keep walking, hoping and waiting for a kind soul who can give you the ride.

    Sheer utterance of the word,” Sangam Cinema” repels them and generates the expression of disdain. Is it a strike today? No! it cannot be happening every day. Is the auto already engaged? No, it is only the driver riding away to his glory, and him slowing down and listening to your destination gives an impression that he is out to do his job.

    So what could it be? A couple of days back, I signaled an auto guy for a ride, and just sat inside the auto without uttering the destination. The auto guy asks,

    “Kahan jaana hai?”

    I am sitting behind in the passenger seat, tell him with full confidence and intimidation, “Sangam Cinema” and I consciously remove the word “chaloge?”

    He stops the auto, and without turning back replies, “nahi jaana!”

    “Kyun? Phir kahan jaana hai? Jahan aapko chalna hai, wahin le chalo!” I tend to fight.

    In vain, after a brief hiatus, I had to get down the auto as he refused to budge, and I was getting late for office.

    So, feeling like a solider returning from a lost battle, I again start my tryst with the next empty auto guy!

    This is a routine that keeps repeating day in day out, twice a day, every day. Morning and evening. And inadvertently, the auto driver always seem to have a different way to go than you destination.

    This makes me think, why?

    He is there to provide a service, and I am here to pay and use that service. Perfect economic sense right? So why this situation?Assuming rationality, the only reason is, the auto Rickshaw driver does not see financial sense to give you a ride, and counts on getting a better ride (to maybe a longer distance with no traffic on the way). He is okay to go into the direction of uncertainty as the upside is too high probably.

    By the way, Auto rickshaw meters in Mumbai run even when the auto is stationery (like being stuck in traffic). Clearly, the tariff for the waiting period is not too high to incentivize the driver to take the traffic route.

    One other key reason is the demand – supply gap during peak hours. In the mornings, and the evenings, there is a splurge of office goers and the number of autos on the road remains constant shifting the equation.

    How can we tackle these issues?

    1. Let the market decide the Auto fares and fix it, rather than regulate the fares. To avoid monopolistic behavior we can have a couple of auto unions in every area who would decide on the prices. Maybe a model like branded providers for cool cabs can be created for autos too.

    This would help avoid cartelization of the unions as each of them would be competing with the other for the passenger.

    Alongside, other forms of public transport like bus, metro, Cool Cabs, etc to give the passenger a wider variety at different price points.

    2. The first option is a long term solution and would take time to develop and implement. Autos are an essential mode of transport presently. A possible temporary fix could be to hike fares in the morning and evening office hours. Similar to the differential night charges, autos should be able to charge a higher price in the morning from 8 – 10AM and evening 5 – 7PM. This would serve two things :

    Passengers who can wait for the peak hours to subside would wait, as they now have an incentive of lower pricing.

    Also, during peak hours the autos would realize the benefit of carrying a passenger more than roaming around empty in hope of getting a better longer distance ride. Autos would have the single minded focus to maximize the number of rides during these peak hours.

    3. Develop the concept of Share Autos. More often than not there is more than one person willing to go to the same destination, and sharing an auto by both could divide the burden on them and on the road traffic too. Even the Auto Drivers get to gain by charging a slight premium.

    An efficient Public transport is the first step towards a truly global city. And if Mumbai aspires to get anywhere close to that status, Public transport is the first step in that direction.

    Hope someone is listening!

    Till then I am back to the road, “Rickshaw, Sangam Cinema Chaloge?”

  • Home Search in Mumbai – Painful

    Been on a roller coaster ride the last couple of weeks.

    Exactly about a month back my house owner asked me to vacate the house. It is apparently an annual ritual in Mumbai. You would know, if you are one of the many staying here in rented apartment. The lease is for 11 months, and the owner was not interested in renewing it. He had someone of his own coming over to Mumbai, and he needed his house for him.

    Okay! Who am I to question? It is his apartment, and I had to vacate.

    So there starts the ordeal, again. House search.

    For anyone who has stayed in Mumbai would know, House search here is a complex quagmire of brokers, agents, and hazaar touts all there to make a quick buck out of you. And God save you if you are a bachelor. Flat Owners, or rather the “society” considers bachelors as social outcasts and most of them do not allow us into their flats.

    So, every day after office this would be my routine. Catch hold of some broker, see some shady houses and after a good long evening spent waste, get back home without really being impressed with any House! This was after spending a week exhausting myself trying to get hold of some owner directly through the magical bricks and sulekhas of the world. No avail.

    Funny thing I realize is how these owners come up with weird reasons to say no to renting out to a bachelor. Just say it man! I would atleast respect you for that. Why dilly dally things, and waste each other’s time?

    There was this decent flat , close to my office, which I had zeroed in, and, as became the norm, I told the broker well in advance that I would be staying alone and I am a dreaded “Bachelor”. I saw the house, liked it, insisted on meeting the owner and set up a meeting on a Saturday. The owner seemed cool, and I again re-iterated my point that I would staying alone here. A Bachelor! He was cool with it.

    I had decided that I would move in on the following Wednesday, and had stopped my house search. What happens? The owner stops responding, and finally declares that he just got a notification from the society ( had to be just!) that the houses cannot be let out. The societies are the easy bakras to make infamous! I hung up, and started the house search all over again.

    Again, after seeing a lot of shady houses, I finalized on a nice flat on the first floor in a good society. I generally prefer flat on higher storeys, but I was running out of time and more importantly was fed up of all the running around. I finalized the house, and spoke to the owner (who stays in a different city) and again clarified that I am a bachelor. I even issued the token cheque of a month’s rent value ( the rent was 15% higher than what I was paying but I was still okay, out of desperation!)

    The broker started getting the agreement copies ready, or that is what he claimed, and I decided to move in on Wednesday( again!). On Monday evening, the owner calls and declares that he plans to sell away this house, and thus to avoid “putting me to inconvenience” he has now decided against renting out the apartment. Hypocrite Ba*$%rd!

    The house search begins again, and now I am really desperate. The notice period issued to me by the present owner would soon expire and I do not want to be homeless!

    The search starts again!

    I was on the verge of finalizing a shady old house, with paint falling from every corner, for an higher amount than what I was paying presently, all in desperation.

    I then came across this lead through some other broker (of course). 10th floor, not so far from office, and an absolutely new Society.( The owner took possession one day before I moved in!). Needless to say, i finalised it on the spot and moved in last Friday. The wohle weekend was spent setting up the house.

    So, I now have a new address.

    Home search is such a pain, and completing the entire process is such a relief!

    This is how I had spent my entire August.

    Oh! and by the way, those who follow me on twitter/ Facebook already know, I also got to go to London to watch the Olympics!

     

  • Home – A Magic!

    I have been consistently on the move the last couple of weeks.

    June 26th,Delhi, in a morning evening official trip. I like such trips, they are so very convenient.

    7th July, Saturday, morning 9:45 flight to Tirupati via Hyderabad. Mom, dad and Jatin are there, and it is more of meeting them than the real purpose anyone heads to the religious abode.

    I land in Tirupati at 1pm on Saturday, and straight head to the hilltop. Mom, dad and Jatin have reached in the morning itself.

    Nice two days, I spend the with them. Sunday evening, I have my return flight from Tirupati at 6:45pm , again via Hyderabad. This time it is a longer flight, as I have to deplane and then board another connecting flight. I reach Mumbai at 11:20 pm in the night. Nice weekend it was.

    11th July, Wednesday, I am again in Delhi for a morning evening official trip. The early morning 6am flight, and return in the last flight out. Reach Mumbai at 11pm. Now this is getting hectic. I still like it.

    Travel is fun, but it completely takes your regular schedule off the track. To start with, the eating goes for a toss. I joined a gym recently, and had only decided that I would go regularly that these trips take that promise off, and the next trip completely derails it.

    Off to Vizag!

    13th July and 14th July, Saturday night, I am awake again till 2am. I had to go out with everyone, and meet up with everybody. Such short trips back home make it all the more hectic.

    15th July, Sunday, I am in the plane at 7:30pm on the way back to Mumbai. Again, it is a via Hyderabad flight(Why can there not be a direct flight at a convenient time, to Mumbai?), and I reach Mumbai only at 11:30 pm. I am awake till 2am! I am in two minds whether I should sleep at all, but then cannot resist the temptation, or should I say I just gave in. I fell asleep at about 2:15 am, with an alarm clock set for 3am.

    4:45 am, i luckily wake up, and look at the clock and freak! I have a flight at 5:55am, and I am still on the bed. Not packed yet, unshaven, Unkempt, and it is an official trip. I just dump clothes into the suitcase and dash out. I have not even web checked in.

    I reach the airport just in time, to board the flight. I am in Delhi at 8am. Thankfully the morning is free, and I head straight to the hotel to freshen up.

    16th July, Monday night, we have an official team dinner in Gurgaon and I am there till 10:30 pm. After that I head to south Delhi, to meet up with a friend who happened to be in Delhi, also on an official trip. I reach there at 11:15pm, and we start again. It was fun catching up with Delhi folks. we were all staying together in Delhi, three years back, at the beginning of our careers. Life has come a long way since then!

    At about 3:15 am, I am totally zoned out, tired, groggy and decently sloshed when I get into a radio cab, to head back to gurgaon. The session starts at 9:30 am the next day morning, and I have to be on the hotel so that I can catch up with some sleep, and be on time to office. I sleep at 4:15am.

    17th July, Tuesday night, I am groggy all day in office, but still have the energy to head to CP in Delhi to meet up with a friend. How can I be in Gurgaon, and not make a visit to CP? it is like my favourite place in Delhi.

    After that, me and my friend head to south Delhi to meet some other friends, and 5 of us have dinner together in a plush Punjabi restaurant, with some liquids, in south Delhi.

    One of my friend, who is getting married in two weeks time, comes down with me to the hotel in Gurgaon. The party is not yet over. Actually, we had a lot of catching up to do. We reach the hotel at about 12 midnight, and chat for a long time. I sleep at about 2am.

    18th July, wednesday, I am up at 7 itself, as my friend wanted to leave, and I wanted be on time to office. I also pack my bags, and check out, as I am scheduled to fly back to mumbai tonight. Finally, I think. I have actually started missing mumbai.

    In office, I am told, I have to stay back for one more day. Great. I reschedule my flight for tomorrow, and head back to the same hotel and check in again. I am sick, tired, limbs paining, eyes red and totally zoned out. I thought I would sleep early and make up for some lost sleep. But I had important things to handle, and once again I sleep only at 1am.

    19th July, thursday, after a day long meeting, here I am in the flight headed to Mumbai back. After 6 long days being spent outside, I have actually started missing home.

    No wonder, as they say, home is always home.

    I am actually looking forward to the weekend, after being out of town for the previous two weekends.  I don’t have any plans, but the sheer thought of being at home for the weekend makes me feel happy.

    I stay alone in a 1 bhk, so I don’t really have anyone back home waiting for me, but still I am happy to get back home.

    This, I guess, is the magical thing about home!

    p.s.: Wrote this in the flight back to Mumbai, last Thursday.

    p.p.s : I am off to Delhi again tomorrow. Such is life. and it is fun!