The job of house hunting was left to Sunila. For Sameer was too immersed in his new role. In any case, the final decision was hers and Sameer was smart enough to realize that.
For Sameer and Sunila, Mumbai was a far throw from Pune, where they had lived all their lives. Rentals were four times what one would normally pay in Pune, that too for an apartment one-fourth its size. Sunila fondly remembered her apartment in Pune and longingly glazed one last time at the apartment and the lush green carpet of racecourse through the large French Windows in the living room, as she shut the door and walked out. She knew that this apartment, too, was beyond their means.
A week later after landing at Mumbai, Sameer was driving back from Bandra Branch of HSBC, which was the largest branch in Sameer’s cluster and housed Sameer’s office, to Taj Lands End Hotel, where he had been put up for a few days pending the shifting of his personal effects.
His mobile rang. Pulling over to the side of road, he stopped his car and answered.
‘Good Evening Rajesh’
‘Hey Sameer, How are you? Settling in well?’
‘Yes Rajesh. It’s a different experience altogether, I am enjoying it.’
‘Sure, my friend. Had dinner?’
‘Not yet, on way back to hotel.’
‘Oh, great. Seema is also somewhere in Bandra.I’m on way to pick her up. Why don’t we have dinner together? We can come over to the hotel if you are fine with it? I have never met Sunila. Seema too, would get a chance to meet the two of you. What say?’
Sameer did not have much of choice. Sunila, not thrilled at this new development, understood that it was a part and parcel of Corporate life and quietly toed the line.
Dinner was mostly a one man show, where only Rajesh spoke. He had an opinion about everything, and a contrarian approach to whatever anyoneelse said. Sunila was getting frustrated. Thankfully Seema was also bit tired after a long day and wanted to head back home. After one and a half hour of torturous conversation, the dinner was over. Sunila and Sameer walked Rajesh down to the lobby of the hotel and waited with him on the porch till the CRV was brought in.
‘Have you managed to find a house?’
‘Not yet Rajesh. Sunila had seen some in the last few days but we haven’t closed on yet.’
‘’Oh yes….the only issue we are facing is that the apartments here are quiet an apology, as compared to what we get in Pune. And my God, aren’t they expensive!’ Sunila exclaimed.
‘What’s your budget?’
‘About a lakh a month. The best we can afford is a two bedroom apartment’ sighed Sameer.
‘And to think, we were staying in a lavish four-bedroom palace in Pune.’ Added Sunila.
‘hahaha’ laughed Rajesh. He put his right hand inside his pocket and pulled out a key. Dangling it in front of Sunila, he looked at Sameer, ‘Go have a look tomorrow morning. If you like it, we will talk.’
‘What’s this Rajesh?’
‘An apartment in Case Grande at Parel. I’m sure you might have heard of it. It’s a good four-bedroom apartment. The number of apartment is on the keychain.’
‘But whose apartment is it Rajesh? And four-bedroom? I don’t think we can afford it.’
‘Take a look. I’ll call you tomorrow.’
The CRV had arrived, he got into it with Seema and drove off, leaving Sunila holding the keys.
The very next day early in morning , pressured by the deadline given by Rajesh, Sunila and Sameer went to Parel. The apartment was a fabulous four-bedroom one. 2900 sq ft was the estimate of it’s size by Sameer, huge by the standards of Mumbai. The interiors were exquisite and class apart. Very clear that the owner had spent money on it.
‘Let’s go’ said Sunila.
‘Why? Don’t you like it?’
‘Lovely, but can you afford it?’
‘I wish I could’ said Sameer as they entered into the shiny steel elevator.
On reaching office Sameer called Rajesh, who was busy talking with someone on his mobile, Sameer decided to hold the line.
‘I know we need less space for the branch. However, it’s within my authority to approve a slightly larger space for the branch. Go ahead and do it, we’ll talk later. And make sure no one get’s to know of this, anything goes out then you’re a history…..’ a pause. ‘ok, call me if you need any clarity on structuring this deal.’
‘Hello….helloo… hey Sameer.’ Rajesh came on the line. He seemed to have forgotten that Sameer was on the line and was a bit surprised when he realized that Sameer was still on hold.
‘Good morning Rajesh.’
‘Morning….morning. Tell me.’
‘Rajesh, we had gone to see the apartment this morning. It’s nice, but I don’t think we will be able to afford it. It’s big, won’t fit in my budget.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s beyond my means.’
‘You had a budget of a lakh right?’
‘Yes sir.’
‘Give me a minute’ He went off the line for a minute, leaving Sameer to wonder what he was upto. He could hear some taps of a keyboard and then Rajesh came back on the line.
‘I have just sent you something. Take a look.’
‘E-mail?’
‘yup’
Just a minute Sir’ Sameer refreshed his inbox. An e-mail from Rajesh popped up on his screen.
Rajesh read through the contents. His eyes grew wider and wider. He was grinning from ear to ear.
Thanks Rajesh. This was so unexpected.’
‘Welcome my friend. Now tell me, can you afford to pay me rent of two-and-half lakh a month for my apartment or not?’
Sameer had no other option left but to say ‘I am highly indebted to you. Whatever you say is fine by me.’
That night back at home, Sameer and Sunila had an elated discussion. ‘Wow second promotion at this level !!! You are a star now Sameer.’ Sunila could not hide her excitement.
‘I know Sunila. I knew the job was graded higher than my personal grade, but I didn’t expected them to give it to me so soon. I expected it sometime around the end of next year. But now this promotion, and the increase in salary, is so unexpected. Let’s enjoy till it lasts. I ‘m not complaining.’
‘So now no choice left but to take that house.’
‘Yes’ nodded Sameer. ‘He has been very good to us. An increment of eighteen lakhs vis a vis two or three lakhs –the normal increment with this promotion.’
‘We got one life, let’s enjoy it to the fullest’ said Sunila. ‘When are we shifting?’
Within two weeks they shifted.
After having spent the entire day in pack unpack both Sameer and Sunila decided to hit bed early when the door bell rang.
Sunila opened the door.
‘Hi’ a very sweet and pretty girl at the door said.
‘Hi’ replied Sunila with a blank look. In her assessment the girl was in her late twenties.
‘I am Divya, your next door neighbor. We moved in about ten days back. Saw you shifting so came in to check if you needed any help. Should I send some food? You must be awe fully tired.
Divya was very friendly and Sunila was yearning for company since they moved to Mumbai They both hit off very well.
During conversation Divya complained about high rents in Mumbai and that they were shelling out One Lakh Sixty thousand per month.
The moment she said that Sunila looked at Sameer. He too had a shocked look on his face. Neither said anything.
After Divya left that night. Sunila walked up to Sameer . He was lost in thoughts. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘Rajesh took us for a ride.’
‘As in?’
‘He coerced us into taking a flat which would have fetched him a rent of around a lakh and sixty, and charged us two and a half a month. In the euphoria of promotion, we, like suckers, agreed to it too. He hiked my salary so that the differential was taken care of. But doing this he ensured that I don’t crib and keep my mouth shut. B y increasing my salary, he made a huge profit, can’t you see that.’
‘hmmm….’ Sunila couldn’t say anything further.
For the first time, Sameer was exposed to the games business leaders play. He was angry, but he knew Sunila was right. Wasn’t he also the beneficiary of the largesse? Had he lost the right to complain?