New House In Goa

We reached Goa around the second week of November in search of a house. The previous year's house we lived in was not available. After looking at a couple of houses, we finalised one. It was the most beautiful house in Morjim. A huge 3 bhk ground floor place with a big front yard and a garden around. The living room was a size of 2 bedrooms, the kitchen at the back and a door leading to the back yard. The landlords gave us some kitchen utensils. We had to manage the rest by ourselves. The only problem in the house, there was only one bathroom. As our plan of subletting the house was On, we only hoped our roommates would adjust that part peacefully. The landlords were very kind people living adjacent with their kids in the '20s, two sons and one daughter. The whole family was friendly and warm. The landlady whom we called Kaki, would often bring us freshly made food. She was very much a mother like, and she too was fond of me. They had a dog who had lost her hind leg in a road accident. Even with three legs, she would play around and show no sign of handicaps.

There was a small metal gate at the end of the garden, opening to a narrow lane which would join the main road of Morjim. Another big metal gate was in front of our porch, built for the entry and exit of cars and bikes. Artur's house was at 5 minutes walking distance from our place. We were eagerly waiting to meet our friend from Armenia. Like always, he helped us with everything to set up our house. Some Israeli friends gave us their whole kitchen utensils as they were leaving Goa forever. In no time, our kitchen was fully functional without buying anything from the market. Soon the search for roommates begun. Pasha joined us just like the previous year. Now he seemed more stable, focused and matured, looked like a relationship effect to me. He continued to work with his father in the big resort. After posting ads on FB for roommates, we started getting enquiries. Some would come to check the place. Artur would also refer his contacts who were looking for a place to stay. His kabab making business was taking a hit as most of the high-end restaurants were yet to resume the business for that year.

The season in Goa had not begun fully. There were very fewer tourists, mainly due to the increase in visa prices by the Indian government. Russians were missing from the beaches leaving most of the shacks running empty. The month of November was about to end, and Goa was still deserted. All local business owners were under stress as they had not seen such a drastic drop in the tourists at the peak season of Goa. We were worried about our business prospects too. Also, we had taken a big house with the hope of getting enough roommates. Else we were set up for paying a huge rent with no sustainable income. Our evening gatherings on the porch with Artur were stress busters. He would share stories in his broken, funny English. We missed him so much during the whole year since we had left for the mountains last year. His presence was enough for us to get out of our worrying mind. When you have a company of such an amazing friend, then even the hard times feel like a cool breeze of the evening.

My Second Round Of Goa Had Begun.