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The Apartment

I am in my apartment right now, typing away on my laptop. While I am here, I thought I'd write about where I live. You might be wondering about whats so interesting about somebody's living quarters? Well, read on...

When I arrived here, I was left at the door of the apartment by the driver of the taxi, and he said, "Go on in". I bid him goodbye, and then walked to the door. It was a wood-panelled glass double-door, something where after you open one door, there is another one inside right after which you open to get into the lobby. And it was then that I discovered that the first door was locked --- woops! The only other thing you could see there was a steel board on the wall beside with loads of smooth circular buttons that had numbers marked 11 through 48, and a little wire-mesh on top covering a speaker. Hmm... so this was just like in the movies: you press a button, and you can talk directly to the person in the apartment whose number you pressed. Now the question was, who do I talk to? I noticed that number 17 said 'RECEPTION' beside it; thats the one! I pressed the button, and within sometime a lady's voice came from the speakers, "Hellow" (yeah, there was the 'w' after the 'hello'). I introduced myself into the speaker there, and she said, "Welcome in", and the door-lock opened automatically. [Well, not automatically --- you press a button from inside the apartment and the front door of the building just unlocks itself]. Welcome to technology, I told myself.

I went in to meet a very 'nice' receptionist, and after filling in a form with my details, I was given the keys to my apartment, number 34. I got into the lift with cool sliding steel doors and little buttons that glow up when pressed. Soon, I opened the door to my flat and entered. What met me inside was a clean and crispy flat fully carpeted. If you have done some deal of house-hunting at some time, you'll know what a furnished flat is. Well, this one was as furnished as you could possibly do to a flat. Remember the days when as a kid you would wake up on a Puja day and just run through all the presents you got, just opening them eagerly and feeling happier? That was just what the first fifteen minutes were like... I virtually zoomed through the apartment. There was this living room with a TV and a set-top box and two remotes, with a full sofa set along with a small dining table and four wooden chairs; and it also had two pearly lamp-shades at the corners of the room set on little wooden tables. The bedroom had a semi-double bed with a reading lamp and a bed-switch on either side. The sponge mattress and the sponge pillows were so cool --- you just sank into them. Then there was the kitchen with so many different items: a microwave, an oven, so many drawers full of a mind-numbing deal of crockery. And the ultimate thing was the bathroom; a complete one with everything right from a bathtub with a curtain and telephone shower inside, to the sink, a swanky mirror, hot and cold water, you name it, and it was there.

Ok, now after the initial euphoria, I dropped my bags, unpacked and changed a bit, and then set out to explore things in detail. Let me tell you about the kitchen. I should call it a room of cabinets. As I opened up all of them one by one, I found a fridge, a washing machine, an oven... all built into different parts of the kitchen, fitting the spaces between the cabinets exactly. Now I went on to the drawers -- a full set of knives, forks, spoons, of different sizes grouped accordingly were there: enough for a family dinner, I'd say. And then there were glass dishes of various sizes, wine glasses, normal glasses, big mug-type porcelain cups, the smaller cups... woops! Besides, there were steel sauce pans, tea-makers, four ovens, cookers... and an incredible number of apparatus that looked like they might be useful to a person who knows how to use them. I felt so much like a country bumpkin in that kitchen right then and there. What and how do you use them? And why do you need so many of them? Even the dish-washer stand with a liquid soap dispenser and scrubber-and-sponge cleaner looked so alien to me!

I explored the other places in detail. I had two telephone sets: one was in the room from where you could make all sorts of calls even to international numbers. And the other set was just beside the door, to converse with somebody who has pressed the button of your apartment at the entrance to the building. Ahh... so that is where you get to blabber into the speaker there. The bedroom wardrobe actually had a full sliding mirror for a door... and inside there were neatly arranged hangers and an iron board and a sleek steam iron. As I stood before the clean mirror, I saw myself in the full suit with tie and everything. And I could have clapped my hands in delight right then, just plain glad, happy and delighted to have the place for myself!

I tried out the bathtub that day. Opened the hot and cold knobs, and covered the drainage of the tub while I lied down into the tub. It felt wonderful, to have the warm water gradually rising on the sides while you just sit back and relax after coming in from the freezing cold outside. I just rested there... in heavenly peace for some time while the feeling of numbing peace settled in. But then, duty reckoned: I had to report to office that day for at least an hour. I just dragged myself out of that warmth and prepared for the real purpose of the visit. Never mind, I still had 2 months to enjoy myself.

Now, I had reached there on Thursday, and my friends (colleagues) were coming over on Saturday night. So I was kind-of expecting someone else to be housed with me in the same flat. Imagine my surprise when I came to know that they will all be given similar flats of their own to stay, and I had the entire place to myself! I secretly clapped my hands in delight... oh I was so happy. "WAS" --- ??!! Hell! Why am I talking in the past sense? The apartment, the bedroom, the sofa, the kitchen, the bathtub --- they are still here, and I am here!! :) And guess what? I am typing this while I sit on the spongy bed with the pillows cusioning every muscle of my body. And it is past midnight; the room-heaters have made the ambience of the room just perfect. I feel a warm mushy feeling grabbing me while the reading lamp with its serene light makes my eyelids heavy. Ahh... sinking into sleep... sleep sweet sleep... ...

Comments

  1. mmmmm....if people could really go green with envy, I'd actually be capable of photosynthesis right now. Man, I almost reached your apartment through your vivid description. Would you like some company sir?

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  2. Hey Sudipta, its nice to hear about all the details. I can now exactly imagine the whole place in my mind. If I were you, I know I would have explored the whole place exactly the way you did. Hey you didn't say anything about the fridge? I love checking out whats inside fridges :-)

    But a place like that would make me feel very lonely...!

    (word verification - fooidd :-)

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  3. hey bhai u liked ur apartment so much you almost cud have written in ur location the full address ,as it is u have changed ur locatin to scotland........;)

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  4. :) haha too happy to read this post of yours.. though bit jealous too :(
    btw enjoy your stay while you are there .. and do send some photos.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hmmmm....We got a winner...
    Scotch n soda was the only thing missing :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sunshine, photosynthesis? Hmm... that explains your energy! Company? And that too of your esteemed self right here in Scotland? Umm... let me think... SURE!!

    Evenstar, You would have explored the whole place just as I did? Hmm... I always knew that great people think alike! Inside the fridge? Umm... besides ice, I think there were some little milk cubes (dunno what else to call them). Wait till you see the pics.

    Varun, bhai, full address? Will not make any difference, I suppose, to the tale! :)

    Sweet Alien, yeah, ladies are always jealous. If you ever get that feeling again, interpret that as a confirmation of your Ladyship :)

    BTW, pics coming soon

    Sajid, umm.. yes I don't drink but my pals here do. Will post the pic of the wine line at Tesco very soon.

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  7. OMG!
    I soooo wanna be there:(( Awesome place! Have great fun!

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  8. Supremus, yes, sir.. that would have been good. But anyway, things are better without her as well :) And thanks for the compliment, next post coming with photos soon

    Poornaa, :)) Now I feel happy... I mean, what use is enjoying something if you don't have people getting jealous of you? >:)

    Am having fun, thanks!

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  9. hey, very good pics.
    without picture it was bald headed man without wig :)...just joking
    nice post dude

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  10. Good to see you having a good time...:)

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  11. u r really lucky !!! even i wanna have this oppportunity ven i grow up.......thnks for letting me c a dream of mine thru ur eyes.
    n all d best for ur stay.

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  12. Seems you are quite awestruck! Good luck to you.. invite friends and have parties (and let us read good stories)..

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  13. wow! nice photos :) why didnt u put some of yours too ? and too busy kya? not blogging lately?

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  14. Animikh, I know.. all those miles of text and no pics make it a dull read.

    Gratisgab, you're back!! Wow... thanks for dropping by. I'll check your place in a few days. And yes, I am having a blazing time.

    Rohan, welcome aboard! And I pray that you'll have better things in your life than this. All the best.

    Ritwik, yups... am a bit awestruck. But thats wearing away now. Will write more about the 'stories' soon. :)

    Sweet Alien, yeah.. have been a bit busy. Will be posting one today.

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  15. hey i am back from Surathkal.. it was too good..

    btw ur apartment is too good.. is ne thing more that u were expecting..?? lol..

    keep in touch

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  16. bhai waiting for ur next post with pics .....
    :)

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  17. bhai waiting for ur next post with pics .....
    :)

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  18. Wah Sudipta Babu.. badiya hai...
    seeing ur apartment i miss my hostel room very much...
    waise do u have a celing fan???
    u didnt mention it?
    ohh i forgot.. scotland will be cold .. dont switch on the fan...
    Hyderabad is too hot i always switch on mine...
    hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
    Take care

    ReplyDelete

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