Superior Neighbours!

My source who happens to be a resourceful domestic help of the owner of the building block where I’ve rented a flat with my family informed me the other day that in the vacant flat opposite to mine a youngish individual had moved in. To my immediately obvious query he replied with a smile the said individual is not a bachelor, but has a good family with a working wife in their native place, and on being transferred the individual has rented the flat. Okay, no bachelor parties to disturb us or the family of the owner, I thought with a relaxed mind, yes, the owner as I know him for several years would never invite trouble by letting the flat to just anybody. I wanted to meet my new nextdoor neighbor as we’re are used to, our old-fashioned or rather rustic ways, in our long history of cultivating cordial relations with our neighbours as well as with the respective owners. However, luck didn’t shine on me for quite some time.

Several days passed, still no sight of the new neighbor. Then, fortunately, just before the start of the Durga Puja celebrations I happened to confront him as he was moving out on some errand at the same minute I did. He was a tall, slim and simple-looking guy with a thin moustache, adding a rather insignificant detail to his plain face, and probably in his early forties. He accosted me with a smile and held the small metal sliding door that provides exit and entry into the passage and which the safety-oriented owner always insists on being kept locked all the time making keys available to all the resident families, open for me to pass.

As we walked through the lane toward the main road I started an exchange of greetings with him and a brief conversation ensued till we parted ways at the main road. I was happy to learn that his family of wife and two kids was coming to him for the Puja holidays, and I promptly invited them to our house. He smiled nodding in acknowledgement and said that he was at that point of time going to the nearest LPG agent for an urgent gas connection. I understood the necessity and wished him good luck.

The Durga Puja holidays came and passed. During those five days I had no information as to when his family came and how they were putting up or if he managed to get the gas connection. Unfortunately, my source had also gone to his native village to spend the holidays with his family. However, I came to recognize the tell-tale signs that the members of his family had indeed arrived and were enjoying: at the somewhat relaxed morning hours every day when we come out to visit the nearest Puja pandal we find a huge lock on his door which remained like that for the rest of the day; and during late night when I check the passage before shutting the door for the night I find a heap of shoes and sandals in front of his closed doorway. I was happy they were enjoying together in the new city and perhaps it was their first Puja tour. From our own experience I was certain they must’ve booked a vehicle for their tours on a daily basis.

I had no knowledge either which day following the holidays his family left. One morning while going out to collect the newspaper I found his house locked with the huge lock and not a single pair of shoes or sandals was there to be found. I surmised he must’ve accompanied his family back to their native place and would maybe return soon to resume his forced bachelorhood. I smiled to myself, not exactly knowing why.

Just before closing the door I instinctively looked at the passage separating his main door from mine. Including the staircase going up to the owner’s residences the distance was barely seven or eight feet. I locked my door to it, sat down at the dining table chair and started reading the newspaper.