Life and Lies of M R Maiti

It's 3 AM. I can't find any sleep. I lock my 1BHK flat and call the lift. It's an old-style one. I am worried that the beeping sound it's making would awaken the inmates. Quickly, I shut the doors. The elevator takes me four floors down to the ground floor. Again, I shut the door, quickly. The night is a bit chilly. The prevailing silence in the compound is only interrupted by some dogs occasionally barking in the distance. My footsteps must have awakened the night guard for he shakes away his awkward sleeping posture. I don't recognize him. Must be new, I think. I move closer and enquire.  It's his first night in this enclave. He's filling in for someone just for today. Employed by some agency that manages guards from one place to another, he is usually stationed at some resort in Phulbari, Siliguri. There, he works his shift from 8 AM to 4 PM and stays with three other people in a single room. His salary is 6000/- per month. The rent I'm paying