One morning when I got up and came out, my father was talking with two men opposite the house. Few days later, bullock carts started reaching one after the other climbing uphill with loads of cabook blocks. They were unloaded and stacked in piles nicely adjoining the foundation laid already. Mother told, the father had decided to start building up our planned house, connected with existing two rooms. I was happy, since we were going to have a new big house. On the other hand, I was very sorry about losing the exposed foundation, I used as my railway track to run along, shouting who……. kuchu kuchu kuchu kuchu; kuchu kuchu kuchu kuchu.

One day afternoon, when I came from school, to my surprise, the walls had been raised about 2 m. Workers were busy on erecting timber framework parallel to walls. On my inquiry father told, that was “palanchi” ( scaffold ) used to build walls when they come up while standing on “palanchi”.


I watched with inquisity, how the walls are built straight and vertical using strings and plumb bob, how they handle mason’s trowel and how door and window frames are set in walls. The day the roof covered with tiles, lot of relations and neighbours gathered with home made foods, sweets, fruit drinks, coffee and tea.

Once the house was fully completed with colour wash on walls, I saw it as a palace built on a hill. I was very happy and proud to hear some were telling, our house was the largest and most beautiful in the area.