Rentals and Rents and Matrimony and what not.
Dinesh K Kapila
Well, what on
earth would I be blogging about now, matrimony and rentals and rents ! Well, I do
have a reason and its all connected, not always but at times, you just have to
connect the dots as they say. Or at times the penny drops late, then you draw a
lesson and move on and may be blog about it years later.
Chandigarh
and its sister cities, Panchkula and Mohali, commonly now called the tri-city,
have similar designs and markets. We have showrooms and booths, the showrooms are
larger, triple storeyed and house restaurants and offices and what not. The booths
are much smaller and are used by traders to sell rations, medicines, small hair
salons, fast food outlets etc. Well, in our sector the rents of booths have
escalated sharply, so sharply that traders in neighbouring sectors (localities)
have started complaining and inquiring as t what could be the viability of a
booth after paying Rs 70000/- to Rs 90000/- a month as rent, when a showroom –
ground floor goes for Rs 140000/- a month. There has to be an economic rationale to all
this.
But then this
is not just simply this. There are cartels at work and even greed. And markets
do correct, even for rents, but it takes time. And this point in the Indian
context is hotly debated. Just a couple if days back, I met a fellow resident
who owns booths all over the city and we got chatting. He agreed rents were sky
high only in our sector and called it absurd. Then he shared some rather bewildering experiences. He owns a
booth where he found renting it out a problem till he found a family just too
willing to rent it, they really seemed in a hurry to start their business
selling chaat and samosas and chanas. Barely had he taken the advance they were
decorating the booth, putting up a board and went about it with speed and
determination. Our friend was suitably impressed, then the tenants invited him
to their son’s wedding. He went and blessed the couple and wished them well. Then
one fine day they said they were vacating and closing down. As to the reason,
it was not business losses, simply that the son was now married and that was the
aim all along. They would go back to
what they did earlier, God knows what, but they were finding it difficult to
marry off their son and this booth had proved lucky for which they were
grateful ! They paid the rent, but to find a new tenant and to redo the booth is
always a pain. Subsequently, at another
booth, he continued, the early vacation came as the daughter was married in a better family kind courtesy the father indicating
he ran a successful business from a booth ! it happened to a showroom also he rented out. That Sir, is life, we cannot read
the minds of people we come across.
In my own
case, as I shared with my friend, years ago, a business family approached me to
rent out the house I have in the tri-city. We got talking and they were easy
going people and stated until they constructed their own house they wanted to
rent out my place. It’s a spacious place and they ran a good business as
contractors. Incidentally, they are a prominent business family now !. Well, we
signed the papers and that was that. Exactly fourteen months later I got a call,
that they were ready to vacate and where to hand over the keys and bills for
water and electricity. I told them to wait as I had to take leave and expressed
my surprise that they had constructed their house so early. The businessman
stated more when we meet. On the weekend I went over and met them. Simply put, he
said in chaste Punjabi, my objective was to marry off my son to a good business
family and that has happened. I really have no further utility by staying on and
paying more rent when cheaper options exist, in fact I am going back to my
previous place as it is still vacant. An added factor, just to explain, by the
way, a couple of years ago, his son was in love and he, the father, nixed it, the
son was heartbroken, and in his previous place, attracting a decent family with
dowry was a major challenge. That previous place was a first floor house and
much smaller by way of accommodation, but for now, it would do !. He was nice
to keep his servant in the garage to help out until I made alternative arrangements
and paid the rent in full, but vacate he did. And then there was a rather sophisticated
lady and her daughter, from Shimla, very gracious, well read, articulate, the daughter was pretty too. Well, same old
story, the pretty daughter got engaged shortly after they moved in and within
two weeks of the engagement they vacated and moved to a first floor one bedroom
accommodation. It was all so very sudden, my shortest renting out ! Ever !! Others
came and went, no problems whatsoever, and then you forget them and their
faces. But this I do remember. Have to.
And then my
friend and I shared tales about families seeking matrimonial alliances not on
what the guy does, the potential groom, say, a good businessman or professional
or an Executive but that his rental income is assured and considerable and he
really does not need to work. He related how a niece, from a well placed
business family, was approached by a senior police officer for a matrimonial alliance
for his son. Being very honest, he, the senior policeman, had just a couple of
showrooms and rice shellers, all rented out, as Junior was not inclined to get
his hands dirty. It took some delicate negotiations to break off without hurting
sentiments. Not working is the status, with pride, with the rental income from
the farm, showrooms and the odd rice sheller etc thrown in !
Now that is
how it goes, the merry go around ! Of matrimonial matters. But I wonder, do the
girls and their families who get enticed really feel happy later when reality
strikes. No matter if in some years the business stabilises or some stability comes,
but the foundation itself is so very shaky and may be its safe to say maybe even
unethical. The same would apply to the families of the girls too, but such
alliances are rarer though I find after talking to friends its not so rare actually.
So take care.
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