A sanctuary of peace and quiet

Located at a distance of over 5 kilometres from the Manesar toll plaza, Aster Court in Sector 85 is one of the several newly built condominiums in the area. This residential complex, unlike most of its counterparts, has a higher occupancy rate. However, it is yet to see community living in its full spirit.

“Most of our residents are working professionals. This means that coming together for social events is difficult. These usually happen when a society meeting takes place,” said Abhishek Mathur, a marketing professional, who bought his dream apartment here a year and a half ago.

When get-togethers do take place, there is no dearth of fanfare though. The Holi celebrations, which took place in March, is a case in point. Celebrated over the weekend, several stalls selling clothes, snacks and food were put up for the residents.

“We have movie screenings from time to time. The movie Gold was screened a while back for the residents. However, ensuring an adequate number of people for screening remains a problem,” said Abhishek Yadav, who moved to the residency around four months back.

The condominium houses 12 towers with 12 floors in each one. Each floor has four apartments with spacious balconies on both sides. The society has tennis and badminton courts and two grocery stores. It also has a playroom area for kids, a pantry, a party hall, a gymnasium, a table for playing table tennis and a 1,000-book-strong library.

The clubhouse managed by a third-party houses the swimming pool. However, the residents have never been able to use to the facility. “We have been told that there are certain renovations being made to it. It is currently not in use,” said Mathur. “The library services are especially enjoyed by the senior citizens who like to read,” said the condominium’s estate manager, Manoj Kumar Gautam.

For several residents, the value for money that these apartments provide more than make up for the lack of certain facilities. Yet commute remains a problem. “My wife does not drive so she is dependent on cabs, which are never readily available here. She has to take that into account whenever she ventures out,” Abhishek Yadav said.

Security is of prime importance for the residents. The residency uses application-based technology for sharing guest information with owners and has a three-tier security system in place.

Abhishek Mathur took up the issue of the absence of CCTVs with the estate management when he moved to the condominium over a year ago. “The management was actually very swift in resolving the issue,” said Mathur.

The society provides radio frequency identification tags for the cars of its residents. “As they enter, their tags are automatically scanned,” said Manoj Kumar Gautam. This helps control traffic at the entry points of the property.

While the estate waits for a residents’ welfare association (RWA) for the time being, the maintenance has been handed over to several third parties.

Despite the remote location, when residents enter Aster Court’s 29-acre property, they get to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the world outside. “When I return home after work, this place puts me at peace,” said Joyesh Chakraborty, a resident

First Published: May 19, 2019 04:27 IST