You have converted your house into a boys? hostel. What led you to decide to open a hostel rather than giving the house for rent to a family?

The profit earned by this move is comparatively more than that what I would have received, had I given it for rent to a family. Here, I charge for accommodation according to the bed. I also own a tent house and I use the house corridor as a godown to keep chairs and other materials. I do not believe that any family would have allowed me to do so.

What are the problems in running a boys? paying guest accommodation?

There are two general problems. Primarily, there is the problem of alcohol consumption, and then there is the matter of bringing young girls to the hostel. We ask students, who are involved in such acts to vacate the hostel immediately. We may also take the help of the administration, though we have not been driven to do that as of yet.

What steps do you take if the inmates indulge in rowdy behaviour or come in after hostel hours?

The boys who stay here are very understanding by nature. While dealing with the boys, however, we take care that we do not insult or reprimand them in presence of their friends. They are adults or nearly so, and that should be kept in mind while dealing with them. We are friendly, yet firm with them.

What is the admission criteria?

We take in tenants after checking their family backgrounds. Mostly, our new tenants are those who are known by our present tenants. We also believe that a boy?s appearance speaks volumes about the kind of person he is.

How do they treat you?

As my father is an old man, if any emergency occurs, I am quite confident my boys would be ready in no time to help me. It is all about maintaining a good relationship.

Amrita Pritam