Pani theeratha "SreeRekha"..

 "Sreerekha" was the first house we bought in Choorakkadu very close to my house. Mu dad and Sree's dad saw it and finalised the deal. I couldn't come for the deed ceremony in Feb'06 as I was carrying Cheeku. This deal made us first time loaners too ,the positive being that from Day 1 it always had tenants. It was in a closed residential layout but apart from these nothing great to brag about. 13 lakhs was our loan amount and EMI started. It was a very huge amount for us at that time and with an addition in the family, I had my doubts on being able to pay EMI regularly. It was a simple 2 BHK but due to an issue, the path which lead to the house was such that the entry was towards the back of the house. 

This made me very sad right from the beginning and I wanted to modify it and make it face the road. We didn't touch it due to multiple reasons - Tenants were always there and also, no one to monitor the renovation as we were in Bangalore. Meanwhile we bought another house "Sreyasree"in 2008, so that closed even the slightest chance of any modification to the first house as we were already tied with one more EMI. Family grew as well. It was another simple 2 BHK and always had tenants. Our Bangalore rent was almost equal to what we got as rent from these 2 houses, so the only additional burden was the EMI.

In 2013 ,we went to US and in few years we repaid the bank loans. My mind still was full of how to redesign the house and  drew plans that came to my mind. The husband didn't care a damn for them and I somehow thought it will never happen. We returned from US in 2018 and as promised, he bought an apartment .

For the first time since leaving my house for job (close to 15 years), I had an own house to stay and could bid bye to rent business. An year passed by in the new house and i was probably the happiest staying there. I was so thankful to God for giving this lovely beautiful penthouse in a happening community in the heart of Bangalore. 

2020 was the year of Corona (COVID-19 Virus) and all 4 of us started working/studying under one roof. The house had 3 spacious rooms , a study and terrace, so we never felt frustrated being together indoors the whole day. WFH became a norm and when it was almost sure that this would continue longer, we decided to go to Kerala. So, in Sep 2020 we drive down to Kerala. After the last tenants had left, "Sreerekha" was lying like an abandoned property. It badly needed maintenance and the Husband decided this was the right time for redesign. We approached my friend Vidya who was running an architect firm along with her husband, showed them the property and told our requirements. While the main requirement was to change the face of the house, we wanted to get the tiles changed, bathrooms renovated and add a bedroom. They have us the plan and rough estimates and the renovation work began in Nov2020. Today is Feb16 2021 and the work is still not over. One reason being it was not given to Vidya and Syam as a full contract. Painter, electrician, plumber, tile work ,truss work was all given to multiple people to save money. What we thought wouldn't take more than 10 lakhs has already consumed 18 lakhs and is still not over. Thanks to Moonraft, Sree doesn't have much work and goes to the house daily spending several hours, trying to prioritize things to make way for each set of people to do their work. Daily errands to buy raw material is another pain. We have changed our return date 5 times already , starting Jan 15 due to the delay in work completion. Though it started as my dream project, every block has witnessed Sree's sweat and hardship. His spending the time daily has helped catch even minor things and suggest modifications for the better. While i am extremely happy about the face change of "Sreerekha", daily i feel guilty seeing his hardship. Hoping that the final completion will happen this week before our return to Bangalore on Feb 19..

I don't think Sree will even make this mistake of giving separate set of work (not full contract) if we ever plan on building another house..

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Baby bro turns 18!

'Baby bro' - thats how Sreya has stored your name on her phone ! XX--------------------------------X---------------XX More delicate than your sister, you were always our baby—the one we held a little closer and cared for a little more. You grew up around us, always wanting us to be part of your day, yet exploring your own world—Pokémon, Beyblades, puzzles, legos,books, athletics, soccer, cubing, chess… and so much more. Electronics was a weakness from very young age. In the early years, to gently wean you away from it, we spent hours together at the library—bringing home piles of books, turning reading into a shared joy. Bringing up two bundles of energy was very challenging. I struggled in many ways, but. I was completely invested in you— ensuring your safety , cooking every meal, driving you to classes, listening to your stories between my meetings, catching glimpses of your school activities, and joining you in running, hiking, and everything in between. My words and actions...
Read more

Of colors and retail therapy..

After a 2 (or 3 ? )month break from blogging i am back..a ten day vacation to Jaipur and delhi during pooja holidays,"maid" void days and such had made me extremely busy. Still when i sit back and relax for a while during the busy days, i do think of my little blog space. Jaipur is an enchanting place with large forts, bazaars and streets full of colorful handicrafts,rajai, camels and of course bangles. I became crazy when i saw the streetside choodiwala and became contented only after buying 10 dozens of  bangles, made of cut glass and mud. I wonder how many days they would with me intact still it was my big wish to buy some of those and i did ! I cannot recollect when my love for Gujju and Rajasthani handicrafts began but i know i love them lots.Love the bright colors and the awesome combinations.In the scorching heat, most of the desi Rajasthanis looked a tired lot ,carrying water and making rotis all the time but their ideas and skills are a class apart. The Pink city w...
Read more

Quack quack, when the earth shakes...

We were munching on those chicken legs when my phone rang. It was Merly. She was out of CPP building and called to enquire if we had experienced an earth quake. My belief is that india ,esp bangalore, never had/would have one ! So i smiled away saying i am out of office and having fun with teammates at Barbeque Nation. Parties have been a culture at corporates and off late though we were devoid of company sponsored quaterly project parties, onsite guys were kind enough to sponsor one. It was first time for me in this place, so i was still wondering at the Barbeque arrangement on each table, the corporate crowd and so on. Prawns, chicken and fish lay on the barbeque for us.Another few minutes and my cell rang again. It was another friend from office, to enquire if we experienced an earthquake. I guessed something was serious this time. Called hubby to realise that he too heard the news but hadnt experienced any shakes. After a while, we indulged back into the barbeques.When Stomach was ...
Read more