Paying Guest

The Indian renting scenario includes an option known as PG or Paying Guest. In this arrangement a tenant or group of people live with a family in an extra room and share meals and space with them. In our denizen all five of us live in the third floor of a house owned by a couple in their 50s who live on the second floor. Affectionately called aunt and uncle, they have one daughter who is living with them as she is pregnant; in many places the daughter stays with the mother in many areas so that she is able to learn the complexities of childbirth and be at home with her family.

As for our flat it has two bedrooms, a large hallway, kitchen and bathroom. Anindya and I are in the last bedroom that has a balcony with the girls (Silvia, Christy and Abhinayan) in the adjourning room followed by the hall. The mattresses on the bed are Indian which by definition means harder and thinner mattresses that will not suit the western oriented sleeper.

I make my way downstairs every morning to get breakfast at 8:30am and dinner at 8:30 pm with a small packed lunch that I take to work. Hovering inside with a hum and greetings which never fails to amuse, time is always well spent as my inspired actions result auntie to proclaim that I am acting out what she sees on television soaps everyday. Our conversations have evolved with me asking about their day and auntie chiding uncle for all the hard work she does. In this serious yet light discussion I usually am the impartial viewer who manages to infuse humor to the situation and give them both due for their hard work. Overall it makes me feel like a member of this small Indian family. They still are under the impression that I am from India and I do not have the heart to break their heart about the simple Indian who lives with them, temporarily a member of their family.