Neighbours

There was an old saying in our religion “love thy neighbour.” For some of us, this is so true. But few among us have a different mindset. They believe that no one else is as important as them. They think that the world does not exist without them. They believe no one else governs the power that they have. But the question is why I am writing so many horrible things about our beloved neighbours? What’s wrong? if I have so many problems, why shouldn’t I change place and live somewhere else?

Well, what I am about to portray here is a somewhat middle-class family who lives in an old apartment for last 23 years. So, naturally, they don’t want to leave their house soon. Secondly, this residence was in the middle of the city. Thirdly, the place that they were living in was famous for its charm and humbleness of the people. Now, after 23 years things were changing, except this family. In this family, there were three members - a father, mother, and their only son. Father works with the well-known company and is recognized by everyone around. Mother was government teacher and a son who was ten years old and looking after his studies, and the family was called a perfect family. They lived happily in this flat. The name of the apartment is not essential, so I am not mentioning it. In this apartment, there were total 32 flats. Some of them were still not sold due to location issues. The middle part of this apartment was full. There were five flats on one floor.

So, we can imagine that the problem part was in use of lobby and maintenance. This family lives on the second floor of that apartment. Their flat numbers were B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, and B-5. This family lives in the flat number B-4. Life was going smoothly with a little bit of here and there. But then suddenly a family of flat number B-2 decided to shift out of the flat because there were apartments which were now available with much better facilities and better housing plans. So, flat number B-2 was now available for sale. In the region where these people live in, whenever this type of situation occurs, generally seller went to their nearby relatives and sold it at a meager price. So, it happened the same here. The newly shifted neighbours of B-4 were relatives of previous members of that flat (B-2). The freshly moved family comes from a straightforward background. They belonged to a community who does small-scale business for living. The newly shifted family of B-2 lost their chief member long time ago. The total members were three - a mother, a son, and a daughter. The son works in a shop while the mother and daughter were looking after their home.

The new deal of buying this flat turned out to be lucky for this family, as in a short period, the marriage ceremony took place for both brother and sister. Within a small period, boy’s life changes, he went on to open his own business, and it went well. The Girl went to her husband’s house and was accepted with an open hand and loved by everyone. The mother was now relaxed as both the children were now beginning to settle in their own life.

Meanwhile, members of the B-3 flat also decided to buy a new house, the reason was they were a big family, and that unit was becoming too crowded for them. So, they bought a big house, but their old flat did not sell as quickly as they expected. It was because B-3’s current owners did not want to sell their unit cheaply. Hence that flat remained unsold. So, they gave that apartment on rent until they find someone to buy it for the proper price. Now about this B-3 unit, it was located on the very corner side of that floor. It also shares one wall between flat B-4 and B-3. That wall also happened to be the part of the main lobby as well. That was the only significant area on this floor.

After a couple of years’ time, mother who lived in flat number B-2 went to the B-4 flat as both developed some neighbouring relations, she spoke to a female member of the B-4 flat and broke the good news that her son’s spouse was expecting a baby and she needs their help. Like a good neighbour, unit B-4 member dis all they can, and after some time unit, B-2 members were ready to introduce the new member of their family to all the members of that apartment. All the flat members were happy for the new-born baby boy.

Soon one of the biggest festivals was around, and all apartment members were enjoying it. Suddenly the next morning of that celebration, the members of flat B-2 were becoming restless. Mother and son stopped their usual talking with other members of that apartment. They stopped their day to day activities. The Son’s mother became clueless as her son stopped her to go out alone, his behaviour changed drastically. He started to avoid everything.

In a couple of days’ time, that family had suddenly vanished. All the other flat members were puzzled. No one knew what happened during the festival night. Everyone speculated as usual. Everyone was starting to feel about that new-born who was hardly one year old. Some of them tried to find out what happened by asking their relatives, but their families decided to stay mum. No efforts were made to register police complaint. Everything went on quietly. No one spoke about this incident for few months.   

Then suddenly one morning a guy came crashing down and starts inquiring to one of that apartment member who happens to be in the parking, trying to get to his office. The ratchet man asks “Hay! Hey, you over there “, the apartment member turns and looked at that man and replied “what is it? Why are you shouting at me like that??” ratchet man replies “yes, yes, shut up and tell me where this flat number B-2 is hmmm!?? “, ratchet man looks at the apartment member like he was nothing in-front him. The apartment member felt insulted and went away without saying anything, leaving that ratchet man clueless about B-2 flat’s location. But that ratchet man did not stop there, and he went further inside of that apartment. He went to the first floor. Then to the second floor. Then to the third floor and then he started to come downstairs again where he found someone was closing his flat door and started to go out. He stopped that man and this time he asked him a different question. He said, “Hey do you know any flat which recently sold?” The man replies “no every flat on this side is full, you should go to the other side of the apartment and asked them about that.” That ratchet man replied with confidence as he was aware of the location of B-2 flat but didn’t know the floor in which this flat was, he said “I know it was this side. You might not know the gravity of the situation here.” With that said he started to go down the stair and went out of the apartment area.

That man was never heard or seen since that day. In a few days’ time, one male member of the B-4 watched the open door of the flat number B-2, a sound of the renovation of furniture was echoing through the entire apartment. Slowly everyone noticed this sound and tried to find out the source of the sound. The male member of B-4 went inside the B-2 flat and asks one of the workers “what is happening??, Are they coming back??”, worker reply “what are you talking about sir? Don’t you know, this house is sold?” “What! sold? to whom? who bought it? When did this happen?” The B-4 member asked surprisingly. Worker replied “well, sir, you look like a gentleman. I’ll tell you everything but don’t tell anyone that I’ve told you, you see.” Just in the nick of time that ratchet man suddenly came inside the house and said” what are you doing in my house? Who permitted you to step in like that hmm!?”, ratchet man turned toward workers and said with anger “what are you looking at hmmm!?, What did I tell you guys about talking to any of the neighbours? Start doing your work if you want any money from me.” Then he gave a glance to the B-4 member and said, “you mind your business, if you want to stay out of trouble.” The B-4 member came out immediately after felling that insult. The workers came every day at 10:00 am in the morning and finished their work at 6:00 pm. They finished their job and did not speak to anyone as they were ordered before and neither anyone else bothered to ask them anything.

People were starting to look busy into their day to day life. In a few days’ time, a new family was introduced into this apartment where the flat number B-2 was. This new family was even weak, then the previous family of B-2. They come from the impoverished background. In this family, there were five members, a widowed wife of elder brother, the two daughters of a late elder brother, a mother who was about 75 years old, and that ratchet man. All the members of that apartment were in shock. They didn’t believe what they were witnessing. They all were thinking and gossiping. How a family which comes from the impoverished background can afford to buy the house that was entirely out of their reach? They were not against that the new family does move to that apartment, but they are worried about how?

As time goes by, this new family tried to settle down and started day to day life with all the intention to let others know about their arrival. They came from an impoverished background, so there was no sign of literacy and etiquette in their behaviour. Whenever any problem encountere this family, they made sure that others know about it by shouting at each other in a very high tone. Whenever holiday was around the corner, these voices grew louder and louder, so everyone else has their attention. The members of the second floor were now starting to get fed up with this day to day irritating behaviour, but they had no choice but to bear it, as this was their internal problem, no one wanted to interfere.

But one incident boiled them all up. It happened like this - Once this B-2 family was having a bedbug problem. It was at the end of the winter season and start of the summer season. For the B-2 family, it was just like a day to day problem for them, so they treated it very commonly. The solution they came up is if they have bed bugs in their bed then that bed must go out of their house. The problem is where are they going to put it? There is only one big area available on that floor, and that is that common wall between two flats of B-4 and B-3. As shameless they are, they have decided to move their bed against that wall. As all other members of the second floor are unaware of the fact of bed bug, the foundation of that bed is now situated against the wall at night, so that no one is present to oppose this.

The very next morning, everyone is starting to notice this unusual activity and remains quiet. Everybody thought that someone put it there and will soon take it back. As the summer season is coming, bedbugs are now feeling the heat and started to come out of that old rusty wooden bed. Slowly bed bugs are now entering other houses as uninvited guests. One week passed that bed is unmoved. Everyone else who watched this every day finds unusual. The second week was gone, and there is no sign of moving that bed. The summer season reaches its peak. Everyone who lives on the second floor finds bedbugs in their houses. They all tried everything to get rid of bedbugs. Some of them used old ways, some of them bought some anti-bedbug spray, but all in wain. Almost all the person who lived on the second floor has bite marks on their body. Then one day one of the female members of the B-1 flat find out that the bedbug coming out of that bed which put against that wall. She quickly went to the B-4 unit and rang this flat’s bell.

The female member of the flat number B-4 opens the door, a female member of B-1 asked her, pointing towards that bed which put against that wall “is that your bed?”, B-4-member reply” no not at all, I don’t know who put it there. Some months ago, someone already put it there. Maybe we should ask other members of the floor.” The B-1 member agreed, and they both have started inquiring. They ask every other member of that floor one by one. The last flat remains to examine is B-2 flat. Both knows about the behaviour of that flat members, but it is necessary to find out who put that bed against that wall, so they have knocked on the B-2 door. The door is open after a couple of knockings, the female member of the B-2 opens the door, she watched that two female members were standing on the doorstep. She replies rudely “yes, what is it? don’t you know I am busy! why are you disturbing me like that?” both the woman asks at the same time, one of them pointing towards that bed” is that your bed?”

The woman replies as if she had done something that worth noble price she said “yes who else do you think has the marvellous bed like that?” one of the two woman replies with little anger “do you know that there is bedbug in it?”  

                                                                                               to be continued…