I am in Ooty and that was the biggest news for only a day. From the very next day the gloomy weather, failure in finding a decent accommodation and unconventional eating made me crazy. However, I managed to get a decent and sound sleep. Walked the climbing roads with 6 kg. of backpack on my back. You must be wondering, what I am trying to point out. I am just trying to say that my dog-days are back and am kicked back to basics.
I reached Ooty on 7th August. It was a late evening, when my cab started climbing the Nilgiris through the hair-pin bends and tricky hill roads. There was no sign of any light around us, and the only light visible was passing vehicles. After flying for 5 hours and spending 3 boring hours in Mumbai airport, my eyes were way too tired to bear those 1000 watt lights of trucks and buses. The mountain looked like some dark cove of demons where the small peeking lights from villege houses seemed like evil all seeing eye of fate. Despite this, I was relaxed, because I assessed my driver by the way he was driving in the city. He was a senior driver that the Car rental gave me. When there were no cars or lights visible, I could look around me and see my radium-dial watch competing with the glowing indicators of the power window switch of the car doors. I reached Y.W.C.A. Anadagiri guest house at around 9 in the evening. Had no problem settling down in my cottage. Cold night gave me shivers and was not ready to forego the comfort of my warm jacket. However, I had to do that after sometime. Later I realised that the flushing system in the lavatory is faulty, the telephone is not working and there is no drinking water. I requested for a different room immediately.
This was the first part of settlement. Now the next phase, next day. I shifted to another room with everything perfectly in place. The only problem I had moving 52 kg.'s of luggage is, I went out of breath. Went out to search for houses. This is a very tiring and boring job so far in my life. No I am not prejudiced with some outlandish feeling, I am speaking from my past few experiences. The houses which will seem very decent, are always already let out or over priced. The land lords literally behave like lords and speak as if they are some Maharaja/Roy-Bahadur from the era of Viceroy Wellington and they are speaking to some petty farmer subject. Brokers are some weired species which the Physiologists even failed to describe. Their words changes as soon as you turn you back and they speak double meaning words. then comes the hardest part, settling for the security deposit. Yes, you are right, this is harder than the settlement of rent. Any moderate landlord will ask for atleast Rs. 40k to 50k as an advance over the rent you are going to pay for next 11 months. I sometimes wonder that what if my grandpa would have had bought some decent houses in Calcutta and let them out. By now we would have been filthy rich. This is I think by far one of the easiest way of making money.
However, after crossing all those hurdles and making my self clear about the priorities to the broker, I and my fellow classmate (at the Academy) Bhavesh Patel found ourselves a more than decent house just right for us. Completely furnished with all the necessary things and also a decent enough rent. I was relieved to some extent as I don't have to go through that harassment anymore.
Now, the last thing left for me is to approximate my monthly expenditure. Though sounds pretty boring and hackneyed, but practical. I would never want to loose a penny, that I could spend on something important. The most imminent task in hand at the moment is to again pack back and shift to my new apartment for the next one year. Adjusting to this wacky climate would be a Little tough for few weeks, but I will be seasoned eventually. I will take a break now and report back in some time.
