Home, sweet home!

Once upon a time the suburbs of Mumbai where I live were dotted with quaint cottages surrounded by tall trees, gardens, and pretty flowers.

- MONICA FERNANDES

The residents had time for themselves, their families, friends, and neighbors as commuting was not the nightmare. It was quite okay to drop in unannounced at a neighbor’s place for a cup of tea and for the latest gossip. Cars were few and residents preferred to walk or cycle for their shopping of daily necessities. They breathed in the fresh air of the pollution-free suburbs. Their cottages were ‘Home, sweet home!’

But then the so-called ‘development’ wormed itself insidiously into our lives. Cottages were replaced by three and six-story apartments occupied by residents who kept to themselves. They had time only to exchange a hurried “Good morning” to the neighbors as they charged off to their schools, colleges, and workplaces. The favored modes of transport were now the car to work, or the rickshaw to the nearest station to catch a fast train.