The Tree - Postscript

The irony of it. Around Diwali time, someone from the horticulture department dropped by, had the mango tree cut, the neem tree pruned (permissions? hush, hush, don't tell anyone, we'll do it quietly, and no one will ever know, but how about a Diwali gift?). In 10 minutes, the two-storey high mango tree is gone, chopped up, loaded on a truck, gone! Plenty of sunshine on the front lawn and on the kitchen garden at the back.

But the new room, for which the tree had to be axed? I confidently and optimistically call the CPWD civil engineer. Oh no, now our contract has run out, no more budget, you will have to wait until the new financial year! Persistence being my middle name, I wait patiently until early-April, make another call to the "civil" engineer ... yes, we are thinking about it, we will have to invite tenders, I will speak to my boss, I will get back to you with definite information in a day or two (I fall for that again)! I think it may be time to give up on that room ...