Our Dream House

I'll skip the details of Sunday. In short, let's just say that Marie and I had in mind of doing a shopping splurge at "Style Plus", found it closed (yes, Indians also have at least a days rest), went food shopping instead, got back home frustrated (getting bug killer is not really what we had aimed for), lounged around, got totally bored, watched the monsoon rain fall for hours, watched "The Lady Vanishes", ate by candle light because the rain had cut off all electrical circuits, freaked out when we saw how early it was, decided to watch another DVD "L'Assassin habite au 21" and went to bed at 10 pm. At that rate, might as well make nunnery our business.

Anyway, Monday. Monday HAD to be a better day than the day before.

And it was. What we hadn't been able to do on Sunday at "Style Plus", we did on Monday. This resulted in two ladies in a tiny rickshaw bulging on each side from huge shopping bags. We very much felt like "Preity Woman" (with the Indian accent) in Trivandrum. Plus, I had the wonderful satisfaction of ordering two new mattresses which (and the satisfaction is even greater) would be delivered to the house in the evening.

When we got back, Justin had, very sweetly, the discretion to keep to himself any facial expression reflecting astonishement or disapproval.

Once we got our new house goodies installed, I asked Justin to contact the internet company to find out when they would be coming. As we were waiting for a call back from their headquarters, Justin and I started talking. I was eager to do so as I wanted to find out a bit more about their working rythm.

I then asked him THE question Marie and I had been thinking of since we had arrived : "what does "Sankalpam" - the name of the house - mean?" "It means the house team", he replies. I beg your pardon....Did I understand correctly? "You mean as a football team? As a group?" I ask. No, no. Let's try this again. He tries to explain to me that the house we are staying in had been imagined by Bina Nair. Aaaahhhhhh!!!! Now it is clear! Our house is called "Our dream house".

Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!! How lovely it is to know that this very place, this very living room and bedrooms was imagined and loved by its owner.

Knowing that simple detail made the rest of our day....until 6:30pm....when the delivery of the mattresses hadn't come and I knew I would have to sleep another night on what I had been sleeping on for the past two weeks.

During the day, an uncomfortable piece of information lingered in the back of my mind. Chandrika has had to take her afternoon off as she has had to go and ask for a new roof for her home. She has to go to a certain place in order to get her demand approved. Justin and Pradeem had told us she came from a poor family but, through my morning discussion with Justin, I slowly and painfully grasp the meaning of what they meant by "poor". Indeed, apparently her roof was made of plastic and it had caved in due to the heavy rains. In addition, she is all alone to raise her 19 year old son and has mother, brothers and sisters to look after. My fit to have my mattresses suddenly feels very futile and I am ashamed.

The afternoon is interrupted by the expected visit of the chartered accountant. He will be able to give us all the necessary procedures in order for us to register our company. M. Kumar arrives with his partner and I start explaining exactly the purpose of our meeting. Through their patient explanation, Marie and I come to understand the following : no matter what, if we want our company to be Indian, it will have to have an Indian partner; if we go into a business partnership and our Indian partner withdraws, the company ends; if we open a Limited business, we still need to have a Indian business partner, either as a director or as a shareholder. The partner owns a part of the company only in case of loan. However, the chartered accountants tell us it is possible to ask for dual citizenship after 6 months of residency in India. If that is the case then it is possible for one of us to ask for it and buy the shares of the original Indian partner.

The process seems clear yet it will take a few more weeks. We will not be able to open our business account with the bank right away.

As we accompany the two gentlemen at the door and thank them for their advice, Marie and I begin to see what will have to be done.

Into the night, we elaborate our strategy.