From Boy to Man

Jan 27, 2008 changed my life forever. From an absolutely carefree bachelor life I stepped into the tough, unforgiving life of a married man. What cruel tricks life plays on an unsuspecting young, naïve boy (!!). Getting a house for rent, applying for a ration card, getting a cooking gas connection, buying furniture and home appliances, setting up a wardrobe.. bed, phone, computer, utensils, knives, provisions.. phew! the list is endless.

Getting a decent house in Chennai, Good Heavens! Let not such a suffering befall even my worst enemy. Greed is all pervasive, though it would be unfair to malign house-owners riding the wave of a “booming economy”. Crooked brokers, caste-clinging owners (if you ever thought India would become a casteless society, forget it) and above all ridiculous ads in media.

1. “IT Professionals preferred” - Meaning rents will be revised every 3 months
according to dollar fluctuations, onsite opportunities and quarterly company
results (House-owners are too net savvy nowadays).

2. “24 hours water supply” –Yes and you have a bonus offer too. The color changes
every hour and comes with added minerals and salt/pepper for taste, wow!!

3. “Vegetarians preferred” –Strictly for Brahmins with an IT tag. BTW I goofed by
asking whether eggs and milk belong to the vegetarian category and got thrown
out.

Saravana Stores became my second home so much so that the boys started asking me “innaku enna sir”. Rumor has it that home appliances stores in T Nagar employed goons with a sketch of mine to be given special treatment (c’mon how many times can you enquire about the prices alone without even buying a bulb).

But this has been a great eye-opener for me as a person. Respecting the opinions and tastes of your better-half (hi hi, often I just shake my head like a jackass and go by her choice), making friends and influencing people (God bless Dale Carnegie), patience and above all applying every ounce of my management skills (not that I have gallons of it). For soon-to-be-hooked-bridegrooms, a piece of advice from a recent entrant –Patience pays and managing a home gives you insights that a thousand management books can’t ! Be prepared for the ride of your life!!