The uncontrolled influx of a huge crowd of people has given rise to a constant race between the ever expanding population of the city and the living space, which eventually each time (at least till now) ends with living space matching step with the population just at the finishing line, always giving you the belief, that the city cannot accommodate any more people than it already does. But courtesy the so-called "Builders" of the city, at whose behest the city is expanding fast, vertically more than horizontally, everyone manges fit into the spilling cauldron of people, sleeping wherever his/her economic strength allows them to.
So, to find a respectable rented accommodation in the city was a struggle of its own. Some advertisement samples on websites catering to our requirements were like:
2Bhk Flat in Posh Location, Well-Furnished, 24-hour water supply, near Railway Station
Rent Rs. 30000 per month.
Studio Apartment, with Kitchen and Bathroom, 6th Floor, in a Good Building with Decent people, Lift available
Rent Rs. 18000 per month.
1HK Apartment, Sea facing, spacious, with 24-hours water supply. 5mins from railway station.
Rent Rs. 19000, negotiable.
Don't they all sound fabulous? Don't they create images of lavishly beautiful luxurious flats, waiting to be ours at throwaway rental charges, and that too negotiable?
But once you set out to find yourself a good place to sleep in going by these wonderful sounding ads, its a different story altogether. The first lessons in the struggles of the difficult Mumbai life are learnt on this tour. Dealing with the ever-smiling, shrewdly persuasive brokers, meaneauvering your way through bridges made of planks over stinking nallahs in the midst of slums, when you reach the site to inspect the flats in so-called posh locations, you discover that the spacious-sounding 1Bhks and 2Bhks claimed by the brokers actually referred to minuscule matchbox-sized rooms where one can barely stretch oneself fully. And the 'well-furnished' claims go for a toss when you realize that the only furnishing provided is a bare bed(only if you are very lucky) and a showcase.
Reminiscent of the cubicle-sized flats and Paying-guest accommodation on offer at Delhi's Satya Niketan, South Extention, Vasant Vihar or ther North Campus, flats here come for a price generally higher. And for obvious reasons, the nearer to a Railway Station the residence is, the more expensive it gets to lodge in there; the local trains are the most popular mode of transport for the city.
A noticeable peculiarity in the housing system here is that all across the city, the residential places are in the shape of multi-storeyed buildings only, individual homes being extremely rare- the kothi system is nowhere to be seen. The ones that are, are expensive bungalows belonging to the over-affluent dwellers of the city.
Finding a decent enough place to live in Mumbai at a reasonable enough price, where basic necessities of human dwelling can be fulfilled is actually credible feat. Being smart, aware and well-researched is the key to success. And if you mange to do that, all the wise men in the city will tell you that in the struggle for success in the city of dreams, half the battle is won.
