Rajkumar, a kanada superstar, is no more. He had a heart-attack. Police expect riots and there is a bandh tomorrow. Our office is closed for tomorrow. Though I don’t want to go out, my sister is returning from Delhi, little after midnight and there are no taxis. So I have to go to pick her. Hope I return safely. Don’t know what is going to happen in the next three days.

When I was happy & satisfied about how the flats came up, a guy pops up from no-where and claims that he has a part in the land! He filed a case in the court, but was dismissed since he is coming after 40 years while the land moved hands multiple times. Per Indian law, a claim is valid only until 20 years.

Though the court dismissed the case, this guy comes in to the site to provide troubles. So last Saturday we, around 12 flat owners, met the flat promoters and take action. Hope this gets sorted out quickly.

Phew! I got my flat registered. It is one hell of a task. It has been busy for the past month – calling the bank, confirming with the builder, getting all the documents ready and so on and on. Note that I didn’t ask for any change in the design at all; just the default design. That itself sucked my energy out. What if I had asked for changes!

Well, going to a government office is good. One gets to see real India. Nothing moves without bribery. And it is all invisible. It is everyone-knows-but-no-one-knows situation – every one knows that funds flow; but no one knows how it flows.

My sister registered her house last week. Tomorrow is the house-warming ceremony at her house. My parents will be here. Taking advantage of this, I’m also planning a simple function at my flats.

One of my college-mate is living in Bangalore. He has been inviting me ever since I landed here. I’ve been avoiding meeting him, not so much because I don’t want to, rather because of the bloody traffic. Well, you can’t dodge for long. So, yesterday I went over to his place. I took along my sister and brother-in-law. Without a traffic guide, I won’t be able to get through this maddening traffic.

As those of you who know me, I don’t like to do these ‘social events’ a lot. I do like to go places, meet others and have a chat and may be have a beer. But these gatherings always make me uncomfortable after some time and that is exactly what happened yesterday. After an hour, I became restless. But thankfully, we, just him and me, took a ride in his new car and I got to see the place around. (That part of the city looks entirely different from what I have been seeing all these days). That gave me some breathing time and space, and after the ride I was comfortable.

I have come a long way in these aspects, but still a lot to learn.

I’m living in a different world. For three decades, I’m used to tears, worries, heart-aches, loneliness and like. At every moments of those, I would remind myself of the folk story I heard long back – about the gift that King Solomon presented to his dad, a signet ring with these words inscribed on it: ‘This too shall pass’. Indeed that passed!

At times, when I sit down at home listening to a soft music with no or low light, I wonder if it is all a dream. Thankfully it is not.

But, ‘this too shall pass’! That is life. Don’t judge me wrong. I’m not sounding as a pessimist. I know, this too shall pass, for better things will come. I know it and so be it.

A week back wood-work started at my apartment. Plan is to finish the wood-work by the end of the month and complete the apartment by middle of March. Parents wish that the apartment is ready before March 1st, since Lent season starts by then. It looks not possible.