Why I never knock on the door to House No. 15

This is what you see, when you stand at the gate

We all dream of that place we are finally going to call home. It is a bit like waiting for that perfect person to fall in love with. Our lives are mostly about jumping from one high to another. Here is one in my life that refuses to go.

While in Guwahati, I pass by House No. 15 every time I leave mine. The tea shop from my place is half a kilometre away and every morning, when I am walking there, I tell myself that this is one piece of real estate I would love to call home. Here is what cuts it right for me;

Location

Google Earth Image showing House No. 15 (Yellow Board Pin), the woods and the river Bramhaputra

With the mighty Bramhaputra river idling by in front and wooded hillocks drawing up the rear, House No. 15 is probably the only such location I know of, considering it is just 300 metres away from one of the busiest roads of Guwahati. This is what you mean when you say the words 'Island of Peace'.

Neighbourhood

House No. 15 is located in a quiet neighbourhood that has few houses, with their inhabitants hailing from all socio economic levels. There are kitted out VW Polos going by while naughty naked village kids are sitting around and playing with stones or bugs. All in the same frame. Traffic on the neatly metalled road that leads to House No. 15 and beyond sees few cars go by, making it an 'up my street' locale.

View

The view from House No. 15. I hope you're not looking for any more text below this. Thanks.

The House Itself

Here is an image showing the whole house, the car drive-in entry and the great woods right behind it. You will notice that everything around the place is right in its element. There are no manicured lawns or pavements or LED lighting. It is clearly a place that is stuck in reverse. Somewhat like myself. I feel there is a connection here that makes House No. 15 such a dream come true for me.

The house itself. Notice the wooden chair in that veranda!

Also, this is the first time I have felt this way about any real estate. Many times, when I am in the middle of the day's pressing schedule, I switch myself off for a minute and think about how leisurely it must all be inside House No. 15. I keep myself synced with trends. I embrace new technology. I love gadgets. I admire contemporary architecture. I sell all kinds of real estate. But home for me, is where time has to stand still. Otherwise it is just a 'place'. I will never buy a 'place', no matter what it comes attached with or to.

So, should I knock on that door?

If I lived in House No. 15, I would be a person who would not like a stranger knocking on that door to ask me for a possible sale. (Please note that I don't even have the money to buy that rickety iron gate for scrap, let alone the house, but that would be my intent in some way when I rattle the gate).

If I lived in House No. 15, I would probably be stuck in time and would hate to be shown a new high by a real estate dude with a brochure that looks like a million dollars. I would be happy where I was and part of being blissfully happy is to act blind.

And finally, considering that House No. 15 is at least half a century old, there are chances that there are guns in there. This place must have been a wild forest teeming with game and threats fifty years ago. Now no matter which side of the gun I am standing on, the situation is unnecessary.

There is no way I am knocking on that door. Anil bhai, one special for me please. Yes, with ginger.

About the author

Rahul Mishra is a real estate professional who started his life as a salesman in the year 2001, selling homes in the city of Kolkata. He worked pan India in real estate organisations like MMG Realty, Bengal Shrachi, The Phoenix Mills and The Space Group before helping co found Pillars with a single objective - To make real estate easy!

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