Hammering - Literally!!!!!

One day, I met a very standard looking couple in the elevator, the guy introduced himself as the owner of the apartment above ours and then, after that one single sentence, there was nothing normal about them anymore!

Preceding Days’ Story:

Out of the blue, one fine morning there was this earth-shattering sound from above our house, so agonizing that I, along with my son had to spend most of the day out…at the end of that day when I thought it was over, it had actually just begun!

There were hammering sounds allllllllllllll day to an extent that, even my three year old says “amma malli modalupettaru” (they started again)…In an attempt to be a thoughtful, co-operative neighbor having tolerance to the art of carpentry, we all put up with it in silence….until….

One early morning, as early as 3:30AM, the haunting tak-tak was back! At first, we thought our subconscious got so used to the noises that, it had become background score for our dreams…..but then we realized, it was ACTUALLYYYY happening and at 3:30AM! My husband, A, got furious and walked up to see that, there were loads of people busily moving around in colorful pattu sarees….much to their dismay, A didn’t seem like a guest, so they called the carpentry employment creating owner! When ashish complained about the clatter, this guy asked “now? Or the daily work?”. Seriously?? This guy seriously thought we were up at 3:30AM to complain about the daily hubbub??????

Present Day Story:

But yet, the story continued for months after, when this afternoon it just got way beyond the tolerance levels and it seemed like we are living in joinery workshop…I crashed into their house and yelled at the workers asking if they were building him (the owner) a Taj Mahal, that’s when I realized atleast two workers came out of each room (a 3BHK) and that’s way tooo many carpenters, unless ofcourse they are actually building a Taj Mahal.

I look around and I don’t see a single fully completed box!!!! The house is filled with all types of wood material; saw dust, logs, blocks, racks, sheets and pieces of wood!! In this age of modular furniture, I have no idea what this guy is trying to do, apart from ofcourse creating employment and giving life to dying art forms!! The cutting, drilling, hammering, sawing has been going on for soooo many months now that, with all the wages, the carpenters must be building their own new house!

It is indeed very aptly said that, it is easier to love humanity as a whole than to love one's neighbor!!!