Home, Sweet Home

Razia Khan tip-toes into our morning discussions

Should the elderly be made to relocate under family pressure, however well-intended the move may be? Regardless of whether the new home is better located or more spacious, even luxurious and comfortable, is it fair to uproot them from their well-settled lives?
This became the subject of animated discussion today as Rukhsana Khan revealed that she is longing to return to the flat she vacated six months back. Sadly, the place has been put on rent while she presently occupies a lush, sprawling apartment in a prestigious high rise not far away.
Clearly, she does not feel at home in the new address.

Kiran Prakash

“A home is where your heart belongs and you develop roots,” opined Banoo Apa, who is almost in the same boat as Rukhsana. “Whatever the drawbacks of my old flat, it was there that we made our fortunes, friends and foes… We belong to that place. I still feel it is calling us back.”
Coincidentally, Banoo Apa and Rukhsana had moved out of their homes around the same time in April and went on to be neighbours in the same apartment complex. Apart from the avoidable expenditure on commute (earlier, they could walk it to the Garden), both of them have not yet got over the feelings of nostalgia and it surfaces regularly in their everyday conversations.
On this, Shekhawat is completely rigid. Over the years, he has acquired several high-end properties around the city, but has never thought of shifting into any of them. “Why should I shift?” he questions. “My flat is auspicious to me. My family and I are well-adjusted here. We are not interested in moving into a new locality and starting life afresh.”
Meanwhile, Kiran Prakash has returned to his old flat after spending a year or so in Malad. The distance and heavy traffic en route to the Garden were major deterrents for him to report for the exercises daily. For the last five months he had completely stopped coming as he got busy refurbishing the flat. So when he showed up unannounced this morning, everybody was overjoyed. We raised a fourth laugh to celebrate his return.

Bihari Milwani:
After a long and extended rainy season, we saw the ‘ray of light’ in our Kiran Prakash.