Circa 2002 - Graduated with a Bachelors degree in Engineering. One proud Bachelor. Fast forward to 2008 - One disgruntled Bachelor.....
My landlord decided to sell his house. This decision of his put me and my flatmates with the seemingly innocuous task of finding another 'roof over our heads'. The process is streamlined anyways, we thought. We call up a few brokers. We see whats on offer. Try to negotiate the price to as low as we can. Hire the movers. Settle down in the new place. I couldn't have been more wrong.
We did call up the brokers. The conversations followed a similar pattern.
Broker: Family or Bachelors?
Us: Bachelors
Broker: Hmm. Muskil hai bhai sahab. Company lease mil Jayegi?
Us: Nahi. Humari company mein woh system nahi hai. Letter of current employment mil jayega.
Broker: Hmmmm. Koshish kar ke dekhta hun.
Inspite of his and our collective koshish, two weeks later we still had nothing to show for our efforts. We decided to double the number of brokers and tried to visit residential complexes ourselves. This continued for a while, till it dawned upon us, that people across residential complexes in Gurgaon are unanimously wary of leasing their properties to Bachelors.
For last two years, I have been staying in an apartment complex, lets call it Residency Greens (RG) for the time being, and we had our share of ill-treatment. There were people in RG who referred to us as "Call-Centre guys" as if we didn't have names. Dunno from where they got the idea because we have regular work timings 9 -7. Anyways, even if we worked in Call-Centres, there is no reason to look down upon us, as it honest labor just as any other profession. Further, we were always warned to drive slow once inside the complex, while the aunties themselves stepped merrily on the accelerator full throttle. Any occurence of theft and our help was questioned, as if the maids they themselves hired were above reproach. And if we had visitors, who committed the blasphemy of parking their vehicle along the edge of the street, the hyperactive colony people would instruct the watchmen to deflate the tires.
I have never seen such behaviour anywhere. I am shocked that educated people can stoop to this level. And that too when we have been on our best behaviors. To this date, we have not had a single party organised at our place (given the people around we have always chosen to party out), no complains of noise whatsover, driving inside has been regular. I dont see how we are different then anybody around.
Frankly, the Bachelor concern does hold some merit. For most people, Bachelors stand for unresponsible citizens. The typical stereotype is Bachelors have booze parties, bring women, make noise and in general disrupt the decorum of the society. There have been stray incidences of murder being committed in bachelor pads too. Of all that, noise is probably the only concern that i can digest. Booze consumed within the house should not be anybody's headache unless those drunk spill out on the streets and create nuisance or worse still borrow money from the neighbors, buy booze and do the above. Women, ah thats an interesting one. Though again, i could have brushed aside the topic as "I dont understand how that is anybody's concern", i still ponder, would my sister or cousin come to meet me.. should i tell them - I am a bachelor, you are not allowed here? And arent we grown up enough to accept that a guy can bring his girlfriend home, without trying to imagine what the hell is going on outside. Will leave that to the aunties.
What is even more interesting is people who say stuff like - I have nothing against bachelors but i just wont rent out my apartment to them!! Everytime somebody says something like that to me, my heart bleeds out a lil at the stupidity. To them, I would ask - Werent you a Bachelor once too? Or did u skip the phase and were born married? Morons.
Further, people forget that they have kids too. In an increasingly networked world, their kids might grow up and might have to work outside like we are doing and might face the same problems. I am sure they would not want the same treatment meted out to their own kids.
I think the people who put a blanket refusal to bachelors are "lazy". They dont want to take the extra effort and meet the Bachelors and try to look for themselves that Bachelors are not the devils with horns on the sides of their heads, as they are made out to be. In most cases, bachelors are well-educated and responsible. They infact rarely default on rent (One family income Vs three bachelor incomes) and are probably a better bargain in that respect.
My mom's take on this - Lets get you married !! Damn it.
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