1408, 80 forest manor

If 1408, 80 Forest Manor could speak, what would it say?
Every house has a story to tell.
Here is ours:

It is Friday evening, October 14, 2005. I enter 1408 with a bagful full of desires, joy and anticipation. The silent lobby greets me with a spick and span look reminding me of a decent hotel in India.
As the elevator takes Sonu and me to the 14 floor, my dreams grow in seconds. I enter our first home with my right foot forward holding Sonu’s hand. Tearing away from his smiling face, I cast a glance at our home.
I gawk at the empty home. The carefully arranged carton boxes in the living plus dining room gawk back.
In its regal magnificence stand a light grey plastic oval table and four chairs used by Sonu and his bachelor friends, formerly meant to place in patio, but chosen to be our dining table. In one corner of the living room, stand two racks full of my priceless books collection. In another corner is a computer table with printer.
The earlier tenants of our apartment generously left shower curtains and white curtains for the living room and bedroom.
The bedroom has a mattress, and a wooden dressing table (with car stickers on it) and a full mirror. An iron box and table stand at the opposite end. Next to it is an enormous wooden filing cabinet with several more, now familiar cartons lined up for me.
Ah, the kitchen that I know nothing about. A Microwave, some cutlery and pots are seen.
The apartment overlooks the entrance of the building that is nestled amongst Fairview mall, library, IGA grocery store and a park.
Slowly, we began building our loving nest. The top shelf in the kitchen turns into a temple. Akin to the Tirupati Balaji mandir, I mount the step stool to worship god.
The dining table is covered with a lace curtain, folding its jagged edges from sides. Ooh la-la! It turns into a table cloth.
The cartons are opened, and things are put in its place; medicines, jackets, clothes and shoes.
A wooden shoe rack from Ikea, dryer, computer table, TV, cutlery, blender, processor, pots and pans from various stores soon find its place in our home. Each item is seen with four critical eyes, checked for affordability, appearance and adoringly placed in our nest.
We choose our bed frame from Ikea; a light wooden frame that stole our hearts instantly. Little did we know what was coming ahead.
We write down the code numbers for all the pieces of the frame, and went about picking them and putting it in the car.
Excitedly, we rush home to put the frame and its pieces together. Suddenly, we feel that this wood feels different. A transparent shiny feel to it strikes us that this is particle wood, and not real wood.
We decide to return it. It was a pain to lift the heavy stuff and put it back in the car. But we had to do it! This time we go for a wrought iron frame. We heave a sigh of relief when everything is done.
Frequent mall trips leave us with a feeling of buying more. We look at the lovingly adorned pieces and understand that we cannot afford nor do we have the space for it. We return with the thought that one day when we buy our home, we will adorn it with the world’s best possessions. “One day” appears so distant now.
I love going to the mall and the library. It has become my second home. I can spend the entire day browsing through stores and books. I often sit in the food court or coffee shop not doing anything nor thinking anything. Friends are puzzled when I don’t complain about the loneliness, the weather, etc. I am happy with my new life. The hush is welcoming; allowing me to be in tune with myself.
Joining George Brown college to complete my certification in Technical Communications has added another dimension to my new life. Meeting new people and starting my life from the scratch is fun.
Our first furniture arrives in last week of October – a sturdy wooden futon with a magazine stand on its sides. Both the arm rest opens to place remotes for CD, TV and VHS.
This soon becomes our preferred place to sit in the evenings. After Sonu comes back from work, we blissfully sit on our futon for hours discussing diverse topics. My much loved is when he gets freshly baked butter croissants from the nearby IGA grocery store that we heat and enjoy with tea followed by cooking together.
Sonu began teaching me basic cooking; elucidating the role of Indian spices. In spite of my lack of culinary knowledge, I took pleasure in cooking experimental dishes.
Friday nights is exclusively ours; pasta or pizza night with wine and movie followed by sleeping on the futon-converted-bed.
Our weekends goes in meeting friends who excitedly call us for lunch /dinner and lavish us with gifts.
It is mid January now, time for us to call our friends home for dinner.
The search for completing the home décor begins with earnest. On Boxing Day sale (just before Christmas), we choose a rust brown love seat and a 3 seat sofa from Brick; next comes a wooden centre table and two side tables. Now our living room looks complete.
A number of kitchen items are bought; chip and dip, wine glasses, beer glasses, and other kitchen accessories.
On the last weekend of January, I give a surprise birthday party for Sonu. His friends take him out of the house to buy ice, and when they enter again, he is stunned to see the decorated house, cake and everyone whistling and clapping.
Now every weekend is spent in going for parties or inviting everyone home. The whole day goes in cooking and tidying the house on the day of the party. Dance, eats and leg-pulling till wee hours in the morning make the parties, fun filled evenings.
Six months fly in decorating, laughing and celebrating joyous moments of life. A blurred Diwali, exciting Valentine's day, and a fun new year at Halliburton; brawls to hugs, kisses and love; time has come to move on to a 2-bedroom apartment.