Saturday 10th January 2026. Flat 902 Jeevan Society
Baby, come quickly. Dadi
wants to talk to you. Come na…how many times do I have to call you.
Don’t bother, Sunil. The kid is sleeping,
don’t disturb her. I will make her speak to Mom on FaceTime some other day. You
do the talking today.
Mumma, how are you doing?
You have put up cameras in the
house that you can see me almost everywhere except in the bathroom. You know
everything about me; my every movement you can see and hear every word I speak.
Why can’t I have some privacy?
Mumma, you live alone in a mad
city like Mumbai and we live thousands of miles away in London. Our work and
life are both here but we want to take care of you always. What if you were to
fall sick or need any help? You won’t be able to call the doctor or ambulance.
We can do it from here and also rush home in case of any need. This technology
gives us much peace of mind.
I hope you have not put them in
the bathroom as well?
Come on, Mumma. Don’t be angry.
Shruti and I are always worried about you and this is the least we can do by
keeping vigil and overseeing your safety and security.
Do as you please. I am fine and
can manage my things well alone.
Mumma, who is this person who
keeps coming every day to your place?
Oh, that’s Murthy, our new
neighbour who moved in recently. I invite him to have the evening tea with me,
so he comes.
But why every day?
Arrey, he is a good old man,
lives all by himself. He is a very interesting man and I quite like his
company.
Mom, what’s wrong with you? Can’t
you see him bringing gifts every other day? Don’t you find it strange?
Those are cookies that he keeps
buying for himself. Since I make the tea for him, he brings the cookies and
sometimes other small eats here to share and enjoy together.
He is there with you alone for
hours. Why can’t he just have his tea and leave? And why do you make the finest
Darjeeling tea for him and often serve fries additionally. What is going on,
Mom? You have to understand that we live in a society and there is a time and an
age for everything. No one will approve of this relationship…
Relationship! You are accusing me
of having a relationship with a neighbour?
This is so shameful to hear it from my son at this age. I have been living
here alone for the last eight years and during this time there have been so
many neighbours who came and went but none really connected as a friend. Today,
for the first time, I am able to communicate with a neighbour who seems
intelligent and cheerful and look what I have to listen to? Sunil, have I ever
complained of my loneliness? You think by coming once a year, sending me money
every month is enough for me to tide over my loneliness. I long for company.
Why should my talking to this man be looked upon by my own son in such a lowly
manner?
No Mumma, you are getting me all wrong.
I do realise that you are all alone and we have begged you so many times to
come and live with us but you have always been so adamant and refused
persistently. And you know the world you live in where tongues wag at the
smallest of pretext. I do not want people to cast any aspersions on you. I was
just trying to be extra protective of you.
Beta, your father built this
house with all his life’s savings. He lives on here with me in in every brick
in the walls. I feel his presence every night when I switch off the lights.
There is no way I am going anywhere. I
just don’t feel like talking on this issue any more. Good night, Sunil.
Flashback: October
2025. Flat 901, Jeevan Society
Mr. Murthy had moved into the
present flat at Vasai a couple of months ago after the demise of his wife. On
the day that he arrived here, he saw a lady in the adjoining flat talking to a
food delivery man. As he shut his door, he casually wished her good morning and
she immediately reciprocated. In the evening, before leaving for his walk in
the garden, Murthy rang the bell next door.
Hello, I am Ram Murthy, your new
neighbour. Would you mind keeping one spare key at your place, just in case I
forget mine someday and get locked out?
Hello, I am Sujata Gokhale.
Yes, of course, I can keep your keys at my place. Why don’t you come inside?
Sorry, not today. After my walk I have to pick up lots of stuff from the market.
Ok, so why don’t you come after
you have finished your shopping. We could have tea.
It will be late by the time I
come home. But I will take your offer and drop in tomorrow evening, if that is
ok with you.
Sure, anytime. I am usually home.
Thank you for your generous
offer. Bye for now.
That is how they met and in the
days that followed, the two neighbours connected well together. Murthy would
find some time almost every day and drop in. Sujata was happy to have him
over, and being contemporaries, they had many things in common and their
conversation was always interesting and engrossing.
Murthy lived a simple disciplined
life with his pension money of which a large part went in paying off the
monthly rent. He loved company and you would often find him chatting with the
security guards or the gardener. Quite unlike his soft demeanour, he drove a
heavy duty 350cc Royal Enfield motorbike that made quite a noise. He always had a smile on his face. Murthy had
one failing, a sweet tooth, and he would often pick up cookies, sweets and
small bites during his regular market visits. These he would share with his
housemaid and with Sujata who initially resisted accepting them. She
later realised that the neighbour was a good man and the small things he got
were nothing more than his way of reciprocating for the hospitality she would
show.
As their friendship grew
stronger, they both looked forward to their meetings and conversations which
ranged from books, politics, food to travel, places visited and not visited.
They would not agree over some topics but the tone was always friendly. It seemed
as though no one wanted to upset the other. Both felt happy in each other’s
company.
Fast Forward: 11th
January 2026
It was a Sunday early morning and
Murthy had just woken up when the door-bell rang.
Who can it be now? It is too
early for the cleaner or the driver. Must be some idiot asking for donation for
one festival or another.
He walked up and opened the door.
He could not believe his eyes…it was Sujata standing there, instead of the
usual smile, she had a stern look on her face.
Hello…what a pleasant surprise.
My Sunday just got better with your coming. Why don’t you come in?
Ram, here are your keys…she
pushed her hand with the keys dangling towards the shell-shocked man. I do not
wish to keep them anymore.
What happened Sujata? Are you
going somewhere for long?
No, I am not going anywhere. It
is just that I do not want to keep the keys anymore. And let us not continue
with our daily meetings anymore.
Before Murthy could speak
anything, Sujata turned around and went into her flat. He kept looking at
her door for long and then gently closed his own door and slumped on his easy
chair. He kept wondering what had happened? Why had she suddenly behaved in that
manner? What wrong had he done? Had he said anything bad to her or hurt her? He
was enjoying her company and no more. Was she doubting his intentions by any
chance? Oh God!
He swayed on the easy chair for
almost the whole of the day, thinking for the plausible reason for this sudden
turnaround. Why would she return the keys and ask him not to visit her again? He
wished she had told him her reasons and heard him out as well. It was fine with
him if they no longer remained friends and did not have tea together anymore but
casting an aspersion like that was completely wrong and uncalled for.
The ninth floor of the building
that Sunday remained completely quiet and motionless. The doors at both ends
remained shut. Both avoided each other for next two weeks.
Sunday 25th January
2026: Flat 902
Sujata knew the pain she had
caused her neighbour. Everyday she felt like speaking to him and apologising
but could not muster up courage to do so. She had stopped taking Sunil’s calls
and would only talk to her daughter-in-law and the grandchild. She thought over
the matter for days together and then one day said to herself…Enough is enough!
It is my life and I will live it my way.
She went to Flat 901 and rang the
doorbell. There was no response from inside. She got worried and rang the bell
frantically. This time the door opened slightly and before Murthy could say
anything, she said, I need to talk to you and please don’t say no. Murthy let
her in and Sujata saw that the living room was in quite a mess. The well
organised man had not bothered to clean up the place for long and all the
furniture was dusty. She sat down on the sofa and started to speak while the
man slouched on the easy chair with his head bent down, refusing to look at
Sujata.
I am sorry Ram for behaving so
badly with you for no fault of yours… She went on to narrate her conversation
with her son and tried explaining her awkward reaction thereafter. She was
choking while talking and kept adding sorry after every couple of words.
Murthy now lifted his eyes and
looked at Sujata, put his palms together asking her to stop saying anything
more and said… You mean I can once again start coming to your place for tea and
chatting?
Sujata smiled and nodded her
head. Yes…Yes! She wondered how easily the man had forgiven her and agreed to
return to good old days.
She said… I need your help for
two things. Firstly, call an electrician immediately and bring down all the
CCTV cameras in my house. I do not wish to be pried upon even by my children. I
know what is right from wrong and good from bad.
And what is your next ask?
Sunil’s father also had a
motorbike when we first met in our college days. He loved driving the machine
and drove it fast. I loved sitting behind him and enjoyed the cool breeze kissing me as we zoomed ahead with my hair flying. I want you to take me out for drives
once in a while. I want to live my life again on my terms.
Are you sure of this for I will
be more than happy to take you out on drives? It will be your life, your terms
but, with all due respect, I will insist on your wearing the helmet. Safety
first.
Yes! Sure…very sure. Not just any
drive… long drives if you are up for it. How about driving to Mahabaleshwar
tomorrow?
SS
