In Search of an Abode

The desperate search for a house marked the first two weeks of my stay in Mumbai. I had secured a place in the guesthouse eventually, but that lodging was guaranteed only for 15 days. So outside the office hours it was always about brokers, rents, BHKs and RKs.

The first time someone said, “do BHK ka kiraya char hazar ke aspas hoga” (the rent of a two BHK flat will be around four thosand), I was rather confused with that new jargon. However, the casual tone definitely indicated that it was a very common term of usage. I didn’t want to look stupid. So I nodded in a way that wasn’t confident but good enough to let the other person assume that I had understood.

It wasn’t difficult to figure out BHK and RK as we, me & one of my friends, had to get a look on a number of those different-sized and different-priced flats all around where my office is located. The brokers played a vital role in the house hunt process. We used to travel by the bike of our broker. Thanks to the broker and my friend being too lean and thin, we managed to squeeze on the same bike. It must have been a treat for the passers-by to watch us on the vehicle.

After about a dozen of such perilous rides, we finally hit upon our choice. It was a two BHK flat with three rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a large terrace for a monthly rent of Rs.4500/-. I share it now with three of my friends who work in the same company. We had settled for this flat in spite of it being a bit far from the more happening areas because it was cheap. But we would soon find out that this humble dwelling had added benefits other than its inexpensiveness.