Gummadavelly Hamsika

AR2009

NARRATIVE IMAGINED FOR HUMANISING THE VERTICAL AND CREATING AN IDEAL NEIGHBORHOOD
If I closed my eyes, I would be enveloped by the sounds of horns honking, people chattering, and the dusty smoke hitting the face. If I opened them, bright lights, tall buildings, crowds of people, and billboard signs would encompass my line of sight. I have a phone in one hand, and unstrapped helmet on the other and a heavy backpack full of goods to deliver. Encountering lots of hurdles in my way, I parked my bike in front of a stone wall. I reach a cozy, dark space made as if punctured through the boulders. I could see a neighborhood located on terrain and sloping down towards the lake and blurred high- and mid-rise buildings situated on the other side of the lake. In my closer view I see children playing, elderly chit-chatting in the pockets created by the jogging track. I continue my path downwards on the jogging track encountering green lushes hitting my face. Sarees of different colors, materials, and fragrances that have been hung from the upper floors hover on my face. Taking the lift, I have reached the 12th floor and I could hear giggles of children and their nasty behavior of turning on the calling bells of houses and trying to hide behind the porch of the house to save themselves from being caught. But, in some other cases, women were sharing their cutlery, hot delicious food cooked right then with the beside neighbour. I took up the ramp seen Infront and then started seeing different plants, creepers growing by taking the support of the walls of the house. While some had wind catchers and photo frames, others had idols of gods which each one of them believed in and kept in Infront of their porches. After reaching the next level, I could see vibrant colored houses popping from different planes. I was a bit tired and thought of taking a minute break and I looked down from the atrium space I have reached. I could see multiple activities happening on terraces located on different levels and like spare spaces floating in the air. There were women drying spices, some weaving the khatla and others washing and drying out their clothes. As I have reached the destination floor, I looked in my phone to locate the house and deliver the parcel, it was instructing me to search a corridor that frames the view of the lake and I finally found it. I saw a pale blue colored house situated on the end of the corridor and I rang the bell and delivered the parcel.