If wishes were houses...

In the afternoon, Mishti and I visited the new home of our friends. With its imposing rooms, understated elegance and hidden features, as well as a fully furnished basement, it was a veritable mansion. I have admired many a house before, but this one left me gobsmacked. If other houses are bread, then this one is garlic bread. When S later told me on chat “glad that you liked our home as much as we do,” my response was “a tad more.” I sang paeans about it and told another friend “They even have a dumb waiter at their disposal (no, that’s not me) ...”

If a house could “dress to impress” this one would be a fashionista. Sprawling over an expansive area in a leafy neighborhood, its large backyard, inviting patio and comfy deck beckoned to us. 

 1 sunroom, 2 Jacuzzis (1 indoor and 1 outdoor), 3 garages (with their Porsche parked inside), 6 bathrooms, and multiple walk-in closets later, we were lost for words. Its hidden features include a trash compactor, a dumbwaiter (small elevator used for conveying food and dishes from one story of a building to another), integrated vacuum (central vacuum inlet) in every room, hot tub and steam room (1 bathroom has Jacuzzi and other has standing shower with steam), built-in humidifier, mood lights with switches which give a buzzing feeling in the finger and so on. I muttered inwardly "you had me at the shoe wardrobe..."

The Great Room with a high ceiling and an indoor balcony overlooking it, a raised platform with fresh carpets and a large piano set the scene wonderfully. The accessories complemented the look. A bathroom with mirrors on all sides was a novel touch. All this was even before we entered the fully equipped basement with its disco room and gym room among others. With opulent fittings and generously proportioned spaces, this house was wanting for nothing. They told us that the house was built in a futuristic way in the 1980's - and now in the 2020's it seems to blend in the past gracefully with the future. 

And they have barely started redoing it – they have grand plans and neither imagination nor budget seem to be a constraint. We were mesmerized with it all and discussed it on the way back. This is true sophistication. The only thing I found missing was a library – but that is more to my taste than theirs. S wants to start gardening; she is learning the piano (a large one is placed in the Great Room) and Sho wants to take up DIY (and possibly golf). So, they have their bases covered in terms of activities and hobbies. They also have a social circle through M’s school friends and seem all set to make the most of this place. We have known them for more than a decade and were pleased to observe the lifestyle upgrade. We used to poke fun at S for not being able to explain the “Royalty” card game to us, but this palatial set-up has added a whole new dimension to the term.

S played the song ‘kal ho na ho’ on the piano for us and it was buzzing in my head. I listened to it on the car and then after getting back.

I have never before felt the need to distinguish between Porch, Balcony, Veranda, Patio and Deck – until today when I saw all of this in one house!

There is a saying that an Englishman's home is his castle, but in this case, I am tempted to say that S&S's castle is their home!