The Sounds of Silence (when constructing)

‘Ahmedabad’ city, has been misspelled in the Indian census, therefore Google has it as ‘Ahmadabad’. Otherwise, affectionately known as ‘Amdavad’ I would like to give it a mod name - ‘A-bad’. Perhaps post Gandhi scene which quintessentially starts from here, the city is recently experiencing a greater migration wave, with immigrants from the rest of the country finding relatively better opportunities cum prosperity here.

Within the midst of overpowering apartments, the new part of the city has some bunglo’s too.

Nice sun is shining even though it is winter – the rich bunglo’ owner and his equally rich neighbor are basking under its shade, only to be separated by a compound wall. A contractor, who perhaps aspires to be similarly affluent, has his elbow resting on the compound wall, as he is talking to one of the owners. He attempts speaking in style, efforts to dress presentable, and is nodding to everything possible or impossible which probably the owner wants. A bathroom he has been contracted to redo. He gives further employment to his subcontractor, who in turn would get a band of laborers - normally from his own village - in popular culture known as – ‘gang of labourers’ - to work under the same shining sun.

The construction work would go on. The gang making merciless noises by randomly banging and ringing their hammers for the whole day, persistently and patiently, taking a month to redo the bathroom. While the skilled gets 250 rupees for a day, the unskilled gets 110 - they both get kayami-work (Gujarati for ‘longer-term work’; pronounced Kuh-aya-me). The subcontractor from their own village makes a little more, and the main contractor we were earlier talking about some real good. Maybe it makes sense, because he is an unsaid bathroom design consultant too.

The image here shows the exterior of the bathroom they would deliver in the end. Yes, this is the finished product. Presently, there is a graphic appeal to it, but the neighbor isn’t amused. He dare not comment to his uncaring neighbor about the bad alignment of windows, and quality that is left. Commenting - which will make him endure the same sounds of construction once again.