My dearest friend Mr. Subbarao is a software engineer by profession. Recently he got a promotion and his salary increased significantly. With this new hike in salary he planned to get a loan to purchase a new flat in a posh area. He immediately went on search and in no time he got an apartment. After having a look at the interior of that apartment he was so impressed that instantly he paid advance and booked a flat.
After three months and consulting with a high class priest (people say that he can pick up an apt muhoorth for any individual, don’t know why people still suffer after going through these so called very effective and efficient muhoorths) my friend entered the flat with a grand opening ceremony. Everyone from relatives to friends to colleagues praised Mr. Subbarao for his excellent taste in choosing a flat. Mr. Subbarao is on cloud nine.
The first day, the second day…..the first week, the second week….all the flats were sold out, after one month the struggle started!
One day Subbarao was talking on the cell phone to his parents. He was doing it in the veranda of his flat. Suddenly someone came from outside and interrupted Subbarao saying that “Sir please don’t speak loudly or else go inside and talk”. Subbarao stunned and said “off course I am inside only this is my flat.” That someone who is actually a security guard of that complex said “that’s fine Sir but your neighbours may get disturbance” Subbarao said “they may get but not right now, is not it?” The guard said “Actually they complained Sir” Subbarao got sick and said “it’s ok”
Another day Subbarao’s child who is of four years old was playing in the veranda along with his father. He was screaming with joy by seeing his father’s antics in order to entertain him. This time a man in his early forties came to the flat without ringing the bell and asked Subbarao little rudely “Can you please maintain some silence and give us some piece”. Shocked Subbarao said nothing but nodded his head in acceptance. The confused child suddenly stopped screaming put his thumb of right hand in the mouth and came to his father slowly. He held his father’s right thigh tightly with his tiny left hand, still keeping the thumb of his right hand in his mouth. Subbarao forced himself to put a smile after having a glimpse of his child’s innocence face comprised with confusion.
Some other day as Subbarao was watching the TV, a lady in her early thirties came inside and asked him politely to reduce the sound. Subbarao wondered because in reality the sound was moderately low, he was thinking how this much low sound can make disturbance to others?! The reason was different, though the sound was low, the construction of apartment was in such a way, even a small sound can make into the others flat because the thickness of the partition walls between those flats is very less. At the same time most of the people living in posh apartments are little bit self absorbed who used to make it a point even for simple things.
After one week there was a society meeting in which the owner of the complex sat beside the chairman of the society with a bunch of documents. After confirming the arrival of all the residents of the complex the owner stood and informed all of them that from next month onwards they are going to revise the rules and regulations of the apartment complex. The details are as follows, he read out carefully
- Service charges for water supply : 500/- per month
- Service charges for security : 700/- per month
- Service charges for housekeeping and maintaining sanitation : 950/- per month
- Service charges for providing communication facilities : 1050/- per month
- Service charges for electrical works and power supply : 450/- per month
- Service charges for complex maintenance works : 450/- per month
- Service charges for providing entertainment to the residents : 400/- per month
Total charges per month per flat : 4500/- per month
Concession for all the flat owners : 25%
So total amount to be payable per month : 3375/-
Per month 3375/- per annum 40,500/-. On realising this Subbarao almost got a heart attack.
All the flat holders raised their voice how you can do this? The owner simply showed them the documents on which the flat owners duly signed thus accepting the terms and conditions. Later he showed them the conditions which are in small font and at the bottom of the page.
During the agreement finalisation no one was concentrated on those tiny font words. Now all of the flat owners got a big blow.
Subbarao thought for a while, “we can’t speak on the phone as we wish even inside our flat, we can’t play with our children even inside of our flat, we can’t bring more relatives to the flat as per our wish even though the flat is owned by us, we can’t step in or step out from the flat without informing the security even though the flat is owned by us”
Subbarao now concluded that these apartments are nothing but “The modern JAILS”
