A look at what living in a new Indirapuram society is like
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A look at what living in a new Indirapuram society is like

Here’s a funny look at the people who make — or break — a society from the point of view of a first-timer, a trying-to-settle-in working mom.

A look at what living in a new Indirapuram society is like

Here I am, resident of a newly built, sought-after highrise in Indirapuram. To give you a background, I moved to this beautifully done-up society just five months back from a nearby standalone house, where I had been living for the past 25 years.

Before I moved in, I had made sure the builder had completed all the work. I also checked the reputation of the society and the builder. After making sure all was well, we sealed the deal and moved into our new abode.

Everywhere I went I could see kids cycling and playing, grannies chatting in the central green area, homemakers cracking jokes while waiting for the lift.

The first few months kept me busy, as I was juggling between settling into a new house and work. Now, it’s been over five months and I am a snug resident.

So let me take you inside a society that’s still settling.

 

 

Love thy neighbour

Neighbours in any newly developed society are curious to get to know each other. Don’t mind, please — this statement stands true for me too. View this as an opportunity to be more social. There's a certain comfort in seeing familiar faces every day. You can bump into them in lifts — and some of them will introduce themselves. Flat number, phone number, names, family head count — all kinds of information is exchanged here. And yes, not to forget, your number is saved against your name and flat number. Here, everyone knows you through your flat number. There’s no need to acknowledge people through their names, such as Mrs Sharma, Mrs Verma or Monu’s mummy. Life is different here.

 

 

Ignorance is bliss

Deliberately ignoring is common here. Say X knows I stay in Flat No 1300 on the 13th floor, but when X bumps into me in the corridor, X prefers to look the other way, or check the already-read messages on the phone. There will be many such X's and they will always be in a hurry. They will go quickly past you and ignore you. 

These residents are so busy in their own lives that they forget they opted to live in a society and have people around. They will never come to society meetings, never raise their voice and never give any feedback. They are silent and never present — as good as not being there. Alas! They are part of the society and you can’t ignore them.

 

 

"I love talking, keep chatting"

A major part of society life revolves around a lively few who love to socialise. Let me tell you who they are. They are the ones who smile when you look at them in the lift, greet you even if you see them for the first time, talk to you even near the trash bin, wave at you even while taking a walk or dropping the kid to school. They will make anyone’s day cheerful with their warmth and smile. You will see these bubbly personalities talking to kids, offering them chips, helping you carry bags up till your flat. They are there for everyone. However, sometimes, they tend to go overboard.

 

 

They love to be the centre of attention

You will find such people in almost every society. New housing societies are perfect grounds to gain attention. When everyone is saying "A", these people will stand on a chair and shout out "O". To gain attention, they will fling allegations, raise unnecessary questions and disagree without reason. Their favourite line: “I have been doing this for many years, so I am the only experienced and seasoned person for this work.” They will try to bond with all the new settlers and be overfriendly with them. They are the ones who will be offended when you disagree with them in a discussion. Yes, they are the ones who are full of themselves. 

 

 

Roar behind your keyboards

It’s going to be fun talking about these people. These residents are omnipresent — they are everywhere with their views. How? Through social media, of course. Forums and WhatsApp groups have not just entered professional and personal worlds, but they are part of community living as well. These residents are virtual tigers. They roar, talk big — but on social groups. They don’t have a solution for anything and they are interested in everything. Don’t be scared, you won’t find them in real face-to-face discussions.

 

 

For the love of the chair

People who love positions are everywhere. Every society needs residents who can represent common problems, issues, set meetings. It can’t be done alone. So, usually, resident associations or community groups, made of local people acting in a voluntary capacity, promote and defend the interests of the residents. I learnt that they are known as AOA, or Apartment Owners’ Association. This one word has a good fan following here. Now who will lead is the real confusion. The builder wants the association to form as quickly as possible, so it can hand over the project and live in peace. This one word, however, takes the entire peace out of the society. Those who want power remain in the background at first and push freshers in the lead. Freshers come forward — try to run the show but don't understand how much is to be done. Trouble starts. Both attention lovers and keyboard tigers pounce on them. If you are born to lead, you will use your natural tact to deal with them. Otherwise, chaos builds — resignations, brawls, conflicts! Now power mongers with hidden agendas come forward to lead.

I wonder... is this the right place to live, really?

And then, I come to know that most of the societies in Indirapuram are like this — “fumbling in the dark, and directionless”. That’s when an AOA activist tells me, “The more the number of educated residents in a society, the greater the chaos.”