Living spaces - The Balcony

A walk down the well-to-do areas of a mid-suburb now is very different from what it was a decade ago. The air is still, there is no breeze playing between the then short buildings. You don't see children playing in the building compound, they are busy with their online games and gadgets, which is not uncommon. But missing breeze is very unsettling. Redevelopment of buildings has turned modest sized buildings into huge buildings adding extra floors, multiple walls, extended windows and compromised with the open spaces for ventilation between buildings. Something that was taken for granted to be as part of our living spaces has gone missing.

More often than not, I see these dilapidated buildings with fancy decorative balconies, now covered with dust, half broken and in desperate need of repairs. The new ones of course have a faux balcony with a railing added or worse still half glass wall. Most buildings have these full size windows, effectively saving the builder the costs of bricks & cement for one wall per room & the inhabitants thus not seeing a point in having a balcony. With sliding gates and maximum use of space, the residents seems to think of balcony as just an extension of the window, not really required or just add a grill & dump old stuff in the box-grill. The beautiful balconies adorned with colorful flowers, a quintessential money-plant and the tusli perched decoratively near the half walls with columns are lost forever.

Balcony or the gallery that I recollect of my childhood was like a child's room away from the child's room. The familiar spot where the sun light would stream in, the flower pots arranged in layers to give a feel of a mini garden, spending afternoons in the balcony scribbling on the slates, spotting birds, squirrels on the neighboring trees and waving good byes to family members or relatives. The balcony was my personal living space to spend hours. Looking through the edifices in balcony's wall design to wave my folks good-bye, to spot the flute seller playing a melodious tune, miscellaneous hawkers, passer-bys, street arguments, the processions - marriage, political rallies, ganapati visarjan - you name it and the balcony offered an unobstructed view.

And I am glad that I still have this balcony, that my building is not yet redeveloped. 

A pie in the sky, a space of my own, a balcony every home must have.