So I’ve been looking for a place to buy. My mom thinks I should get “settled”. I think it’s a scary word and I have never quite understood why parents make it the purpose of their lives. If children are happy and content living their lives the way they want, why put so much pressure to conform to what they (the parents) think is the right way to live their lives?

Settling down in mom’s dictionary would mean having most (preferably all and more!) of the following – house, car, safe, secure job, money in bank, husband/wife, kids (not necessarily in the same order). While I don’t necessarily agree to this definition of being “settled in life” who’s going to do the explaining to my mom? Not me. I do want to live for a few more years 🙂

So anyways, I thought that buying a flat might create a false impression that I am. In the process of settling down or close to it. For some reason, my mom is also extremely disapproving of my travelling and wanderings and she thinks that I should “cut my wings” and sit at home, waiting for my old age to set upon me.

So once I put all my hard earned money in EMIs for a flat, I won’t have any money left : to travel! That, for some reason, fills her with an enormous amount of satisfaction. Mothers : I’ve stopped trying to understand them quite a while ago.

So anyway, back to my topic. In a bid to start the settling down process, I’ve been house hunting.

Did anyone know that you now need to pay upwards of Rs 3000 for one measly sq feet of space in this city? Whoever said that all you need is the ground you stand on and all that kind of philosophical blah? That itself is worth thousands today.

Unfortunately and shockingly, during the course of 2 months, I realised there’s little out there for a poor, single income, regular tax paying (saddled with numerous loans and outstanding credit card bills might I add) citizen like me!

Everywhere I go, the rates seem to be going through the roof. I’m wondering how hundreds of expensive flats in a single complex get sold just like that. The bored marketing guy (who can blame him, he has nothing to market!) of one complex on Ring Road informs me there’s absolutely nothing left. Zero. He shakes his head sadly.

Who are these people buying flats like apples and tomatoes? Who are these people shelling out 40+ lacs without batting an eyelid? I’d like to meet them and give them a piece of my mind!

I’ve gone to the far reaches of Banerghatta Road : far, far inside : I doubt that these places are actually in Bangalore. And they quote you some ridiculous rate with such a straight face that you come away feeling impoverished.

So I have 3 options before me:
1) Win the lottery
2) Find that rich uncle who was supposed to leave me his tea estate
3) Write a book and get rich

Hmm. The more I look at the three options, the more depressed I get by the minute. Did I say options?

I think I am going to be flatless and fancy free for a long long time. Though telling my mom that I’m not ready to settle down just yet is not going to be easy.