Back in the house where I was born and grew to 2 years old, the owner of the house, who was moving to the US, offered to sell it to my parents. It was in a beautiful neighbourhood and it was a pretty big place. They sold it to my parents for a really good price because they were in a hurry and they wanted to sell it to someone they could trust.
After a lot of discussion, my parents turned down the offer. It wasn’t about affordability. My Appa had some money saved, but his business was struggling. He had to choose between saving his company and buying the house. He chose to save his company and didn’t buy the house. As for what happened to the company? That’s another story for another day. But back to the house. Since then, my family has yet to have another opportunity to buy a home. That’s more than 20 years. One way or another, something always got in the way. At some point, my parents gave up planning to buy a home. (A familiar event to a lot of people. Your parents or grandparents probably missed out on a great real estate opportunity or sold their assets for cheap.)
After that, we shifted to 2 houses, everything in a 3km radius. We moved into this current place in mid-2015 when I was 16 years old. It was a major upgrade to our lifestyle. The rent doubled, but a lot more perks came along with it.
Some kids are fortunate enough to grow up in their own house. All their memories will be attached to it. But this is a story from someone like me where we’d shift homes every 5 years.
16 is a weird age. You start to understand the world, at least for me. You explore and experiment with things. Studies are your primary work, apart from that you will develop many keen interests. Always curious about something.
We shifted to this new rented place after a disaster score in my 10th grade, As the famous saying, you would think it is a new place and thus new beginnings. But no, a whole different story happened. I got my first Android phone. All my recorded memories start from here.
As if the disastrous score I got was not enough to bring shame to my family, I contested in the school elections and was elected as the School Pupil leader accidentally (yes, accidentally) It was a last-minute drama (Trust me, it is a funny story I’ll share later).
High school, 11th grade, new friends, new uniform, new people, new phone and a new place we moved. From deciding to contest to preparing for the campaign, and pitching for votes, everything happened in this very room I’m writing this. All butterflies only.
My parents would drop me to school in the morning and I’d walk back home with 10-12 people in the streets, in the delusion of owing it. I’ll go to play every single day. Cricket and football were part of my daily routine.
I was in a relationship (at least what I thought it was). Wasted hours and hours texting and talking in the night. I and my sister will share this room but to talk to that girl, I’ll sleep with mosquitoes in the hall.
12th grade happened, still unserious about education. For the first time in my life, I joined a tuition due to peer pressure. I was the least concerned about the board exams, yet my friend’s parents set me as an example (definitely not my fault). Pretended to work hard. I also failed an exam for the first time in my life. Hadn’t failed in exams before, forget failing, I had not even got less than average marks. But things were different now.
Parted ways with some old friends. Got along really well with some new friends. This (my) house was like the centre point of everyone’s place. We started to hang around in my place often. Everyone will come here. It was accessible and well-connected. We will sit simply in my room playing Clash of Clans. Nothing else. But everyone will be here.
It was in this house my parents bought a new car. I got my license and every other upgrade to adult life.
Then college happened, and I made a bunch of new friends. My college is 20km away from this home, but we all hung out here all the time. The boys would meet up here every week. They would schedule it without even asking me. That’s how much they loved this house.
Meanwhile, my sister left for Chennai for work. Cried like a little kid for 2 days of missing my sister. But for the first time in my life, I had room for myself. No questions asked from parents. No more sleeping in the hall talking to girls. Comfortably spoke from my room only. Lots and lots of cringe relationship talks.
Out of this room, did a lot of crazy things,
- Started the first startup (Rentella).
- Read my first non-fiction book.
- Bought my first stock.
- Earned money for the first time.
- Started and scaled a business with friends.
- Injured my knee and got surgery (twice)
Also, it was in this home my sister confessed her relationship status to my parents. You know South Indian parents right? All the drama happened. Finally, my sister’s marriage happened here.
A lot of new people were invited to this home. Some who are even not part of my life anymore. My friends would casually bring their girlfriends here and we all would sit and talk with my parents. Hours and hours have been spent with friends chit-chatting, ordering from Uber Eats and collecting milkshake bottles. From 2015 to till date, randomly take any weekend, at least 2 of my friends would be here in this room with me. Why? Chumma we will chill.
Also, have had a lot of arguments with friends over startups, life and love. All my friends confessed their love, marriage interests and heartbreaks here in this room. I also personally went through depression, anxiety and a lot of stress. Suffered a heartbreak. Have cried almost every single night for months. Have fought with my parents to an unimaginable extent. I tried a lot and failed a lot in this room.
This room, my bed and the pillow have heard and seen everything. From laughter riots where we cried laughing to unbearable heartbreak from relationships and business stress. From marriages to deaths. This house has been part of both ends.
After so many unforgettable memories attached to this place, today we are moving away from this home to a new place.
The house owner didn’t ask for a deposit or an advance when we first moved here. In the last 8 years, we stayed, not once the rent was increased, NOT ONCE. Considering inflation, rental yield and all it was a steal price. Anyone who asks about the rent will pause for 6 seconds to process how cheap we got the place given the location (heart of the city). The owners left it to us like it was our place, never visited once nor called for regular maintenance updates. We owned the place for 8 years, without having any legal formalities. Never felt like we stayed in a rented place.
The times have changed, and we are moving to a new rented place 3 km away. This means that the meetups and accessibility will be different.
You will not believe me, 100 meters from this home, you can get anything. From supermarkets, vehicle repair, medical shops, meat, sweet shops, gyms, premium sarees, clothing, hardware, jewellery, veggies, hospitals, eggs, and kirana. Yes within a 100-meter radius. I’m not even bluffing.
The nearest bus stop is 800 meters. Equidistant from the airport and railway station. Anyone passing through Coimbatore can reach this home within 3-4 minutes. Icing on the cake for the food delivery executives and online shopping courier packages to reach. Without prime membership, I’ll get prime delivery. Almost a premium location without a penny paid in premium.
I don’t know if we will ever buy a new home. But everyone should have their own home and grow up in it. Not for the status but the lifelong memories that are associated with it. I don’t know maybe my kids will have that luxury of growing up and spending time in their own homes. Nevertheless, this was one rollercoaster period. An integral part of my memorable lifetime was well spent in this place. A place where I became a lesser idiot than I was yesterday. Leaving this place with a heavy heart. Hope my friends and parents feel the same.
Don’t know what’s ahead in that new place. Whatever it is, we move on. Cheers to making more memories. 🥂