KATHMANDU, Feb 6: Sharing your living quarters with someone else has its own share of fun and problems. You may develop an instant rapport with the roommate or it could take time to have a comfortable relationship with them. It's nice to have someone to come back to at the end of the day and share the happenings of the day with them.
At the same time, your roommate could be the thorn in your side if you're constantly having issues about cleanliness, sharing kitchen duties, ensuring that the lights are turned off, etc. We asked a few people to share their roommate stories and here's what they had to say.
AnonymousI've been sharing the apartment with my brother and two other people for more than a year now. Since the other two have jobs that demand traveling, we have minimum interaction and we're pleasant to each other. We don't share the kitchen or usually have our meals together but we have small parties when they're both home. However, we do have to share the bathroom and that leads to friction sometimes. My roommates live in the apartment only a few days of the week so when they leave the bathroom untidy or don't clean it, I'm not able to say anything to them directly. It really irks me that they're untidy and because I feel weird to say anything to them, I keep it all bottled up.
Shreya Kakshapaty, 24
I first met my roommate in the college hostel four years ago. She was a senior in the college. A very frank girl, she was also very kind hearted and I miss having her around now that we are in separate rooms. The four years that we shared the room was very pleasant. We got along very well together and also shared secrets with each other. We did quarrel at times but because she is like an elder sister to me, we were quick to make up.
Suresh Mukhiya, 26
When I was in India to pursue my graduation degree, my landlord arranged for someone to share the room with me. I felt really thankful to have Vinay as my roommate as he was very sensible and broadminded. Initially, I was apprehensive about sharing the room with him because I wasn't sure how we would get along—me being a Nepali and he an Indian. However, we became like brothers and we shared the accommodation for nearly two years. I'm sad to say that we stopped being roommates because we quarreled and exchanged harsh words. We moved out and I lost touch with him. After a year had passed I came to know that the misunderstanding was created intentionally by one of my friends. Then I tried to find Vinay to explain and clear the misunderstanding. Four years have passed and I haven't been able to contact him. I hope I get the opportunity to set things right with him.
Raman Maharjan, 22
It's fun to share your accommodation with other people because you know, sharing is caring. I live with four other people and they're all good friends of mine. My roommate is a nice guy. I like his enthusiastic spirit and his go-getter attitude. He is the kind of person who wants to get things done before other people have even thought about it. In fact, he quite inspires me to do the same. But sometimes, I can't help feeling like he should take it easy and relax. My flat mates and I have certain rules like keeping our things tidy, not monopolizing the bathroom, and sharing the food. Living in close quarters with roommates is not always easy, though. Sometimes, we do fight about who has to cook tonight and who has to do the dishes.