Page 59 - Seniorstoday January 2024 Issue

and many of his neighbours were from the for an initial period of three years with an
services and a few civilians.
Shiv had a decent pension income and
investments. He could live comfortably,
travel frequently and regularly host
parties at home for friends and relatives.
On the suggestion of one of his friends,
Shiv had considered leasing out a part of
his commodious villa, which will not only
generate some income to cover inflation
in the cost of living, but also provide some
kind of company at close quarters. His ad
had elicited several responses and he had
to carefully sift it to decide on a suitable
lessee. Shiv found one of the respondents,
a youngster called Makarand Gaitonde,
in his mid-twenties from Mumbai, with a
good educational background, appealing
and fixed up a meeting with him to get to
know him a bit more. He had to be cautious,
living alone that he was in his large villa
and in a vulnerable age of 55 at that time.
Shiv learnt that Makarand was the only
son of his parents, who a year earlier had
perished in an avalanche in Uttarakhand
whilst on a pilgrimage. Makarand had
since completed his post-graduation
in finance and economic and had got a
campus job offer with a leading engineering
company in Pune. He was expected to join
in a fortnight’s time and Shiv’s villa was
a perfect option for him given the central
location and nearness to the place of
work. Shiv intuitively felt positive about
Makarand, all of 25 and full of enthusiasm
like his own son was, and agreed to the lease
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #55 | JANUARY 2024
option of renewal and escalation in rental
thereafter. Thas was in 2003 and twenty
years later, Makarand had continued to be
Shiv’s lessee.
Over the 20 years period, which started
off as a lessor-lessee relationship, Shiv
and Makarand had bonded very well,
guided by some invisible connection of
the universe. If Shiv had lost his wife
and son, Makarand had lost his parents.
If Shiv was living alone, Makarand was
orphaned and lonely in life. Both Shiv and
Makarand were extroverts and mingled
easily. Shiv would regale Makarand with
his army stories and Makarand would
enthral Shiv with his campus love and sob
tales. Both were acute and articulate and
could hold conversations on diverse topics
for hours. Both were socially conscious and
generous in donating for deserving causes.
Shiv bloomed and Makarand flowered
in each other’s company, like a magical
osmosis effect. Their daily get togethers
at the dining table, an idea which Shiv
had mooted, was something joyous that
both looked forward to, a platform for just
conversing like a family, express concerns,
seek ideas and everything else. The close
relationship soon saw Shiv becoming
a surrogate parent for Makarand and
Makarand a son that Shiv had lost young.
It was a matter of time before the villa
become fuller with Shiv ensuring a good
match for Makarand and welcoming home
a lovely bride in Malati. The Grewal and
Gaitonde family had fused, made stronger
with the arrival of the stork before long.
Shiv’s empty villa of the past had become
full and ebullient with a complete family,
though not co-sanguine. It didn’t matter to
either Shiv or Makarand, their hearts heard
the beats of bond thicker than blood.
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