A Father’s Legacy, a Son’s Ordeal: Navigating the Labyrinth of a Bengaluru Property Dispute and Finding Light Amidst the Ashes
The city of Bengaluru, often hailed as India’s Silicon Valley, held the promise of prosperity and security when my father, a man whose life was deeply intertwined with the sacred rituals of Abhishekam for nearly four and a half decades, decided to invest in a commercial property. His unwavering faith in the divine, a cornerstone of his existence, was a constant source of comfort and, as my wife often affirmed, a protective shield over our family. While I too acknowledged the spiritual dimension, my pragmatic mind leaned towards attributing his well-being and our family’s fortunes to his inherent goodness and unwavering truthfulness and total absence of deceit.
The property in question, an office space strategically located on the first floor, corner unit number 301, of the prominent Carlton Towers in Bengaluru, seemed like a sound investment for the future. However, the initial optimism soon gave way to frustration and anxiety as the builder’s inordinate delay in handing over possession plunged us into a quagmire of debt. The dream of a secure asset transformed into a looming financial burden, forcing us to seek legal recourse.
Our foray into the legal system proved to be an exercise in disillusionment. The lawyer entrusted with our case in New Delhi, a seemingly immature and unconcerned individual, failed to grasp the gravity of our predicament. Instead of strategizing and acting with urgency, the case languished, dragging on without any tangible progress. Finally, a judgment was delivered, but the subsequent silence from all quarters was deafening. My attempts to engage other legal professionals in Bengaluru painted a stark reality: enforcing judgments from consumer forums was an arduous and often futile endeavor.
A sense of despair began to creep in, the fear that our efforts would yield nothing, and we would be left to bear the brunt of the financial strain. It was at this juncture that a glimmer of hope emerged through the intervention of Mr. Suryanarayan, a trusted family friend. He, in turn, reached out to a highly respected senior lawyer in Bombay, whose compassionate intervention proved to be the catalyst for change. This seasoned legal mind contacted the defendant’s lawyer in Bengaluru, urging them towards a compromise.
Through this intervention, we finally gained possession of the property. However, the victory was bittersweet. The office space stood unoccupied, exuding a sense of neglect and listlessness. The protracted legal battle had taken its toll, both financially and emotionally. With a heavy heart and depleted resources, we made the difficult decision to sell the property, ultimately incurring a financial loss. The period from my marriage in 1995 to the culmination of this property saga around 2001-2002 was particularly challenging, compounded by my earlier involvement in resolving my grandfather’s property issues between 1995 and 1997. The cumulative stress had weakened my resolve, and the sale felt like a necessary, albeit painful, step towards regaining some semblance of stability.
Amidst the weariness, a faint ray of light began to pierce through the clouds. An idea I had been nurturing – the creation and sale of books – started to gain traction. Our very first order arrived from the United States, a modest $19.90 (excluding shipping), but it represented a monumental leap of faith. We held the copyright, we were the direct sellers, eliminating middlemen and the perennial issue of stuck receivables. Paypal was our savior. Receiving payments and transferring it into our account in 3-4 days. It was a venture built on our own efforts and ingenuity.
Adding to the blessings in our lives, we were graced with the arrival of our son in 1997.
My son showing of his new stroller to my Dad.
His presence became a source of immense joy and strength, making the preceding difficulties more bearable. In all these years I kept up the promise, held on till 2015, I made to myself, I would urge, my dear sister, Sarada to visit us every year. I knew that with myself and father as her support she would want to see us at least once an year.
My sister visiting us.
In 2006, we made the decision to relocate to Mysore, a move that brought an unexpected surge of happiness and tranquility. My father could easily drive around – temple, vegetable buying etc. He could finally go for walks on the plain clean no traffic roads.
Our book business flourished, reaching customers across the globe. We proudly became one of the earliest online vendors in India in 1999, a time when Flipkart was still in its nascent stages, operating as a brick-and-mortar store. Our books found their way to readers in over 75 countries, a testament to the power of the internet and our perseverance.
Then, four years later, in 2010, a news report in the Deccan Herald newspaper cast a long shadow over our past ordeal.
FIRE in Carlton Towers – Feb 2010
The headline spoke of the tragic fire at Carlton Towers on February 23, 2010, an incident that claimed nine lives and left over 70 people injured.
There is a website dedicated to this tragedy, called beyond carlton.
The report detailed how the fire had originated on the first and second floor, spreading rapidly through improperly laid aluminum cables supplying power to a software company. While the initial investigation pointed towards the building’s management, a subsequent report by the Karnataka State Electrical Inspectorate identified the electrical wiring as the primary cause.
As I read further, a chilling detail sent a shiver down my spine. The article mentioned that many of the victims, in their desperate attempt to escape the inferno, had jumped from the 1st floor and 2nd Floor of Carlton Towers. The very floor where the office space my father had purchased, the source of so much stress and financial strain, was located.
The realization was profound and unsettling. Had we managed to occupy the property sooner, had the legal battle taken a different turn, we might have been directly impacted by this devastating tragedy.
The loss we incurred from selling the property, the lawyer’s delay in Delhi, the misguided fighting the case in consumer forum where you cannot enforce the judgement with help of police, the years of anxiety and frustration, suddenly seemed to carry a different weight.
It was as if an unseen force had guided us away from a potential catastrophe.
My wife’s unwavering belief in the sacred protection surrounding my father and our family took on a new, eerie significance.
While I still held onto my belief in his inherent goodness as a guiding force, the proximity to such a tragic event left me with a profound sense of both relief and a lingering unease about the unpredictable nature of life and the unseen forces that might be at play.
Mr. Suryanarayana respected my father’s goodness.
My father’s inherent goodness and transparent honesty came from his spiritual strength.
