Laitumkhrah needs major makeover
Laitumkhrah is a locality that houses the plushest of buildings and commercial centres like the Anderson Arcade, a plush shopping complex frequented by those with sartorial tastes. The shops inside this complex are frequented especially by young women looking for top of the line boots and a whole range of dresses that can give the metros a run for their money. In the ground floor of this building is a paid parking lot. The road to the parking lot by the side of Anderson also goes ahead towards Nongrim Road, an old residential locality in Laitumkhrah.
For over a year the road leading to the Anderson Arcade shopping complex has been in a sorry state. The road has become a death trap for smaller vehicles. Over and above the drain from residential complexes nearby flows by the side of this road and also the water pipes to different houses pass along this drain. This of course is a trade mark of Meghalaya —all water pipes are laid 
along the drains thereby making it dangerous to drink the water since the water pipes too are all leaking. No one seems to pay attention to this menace — not the PHED, not the citizens themselves and certainly not the MLAs representing the different constituencies.
For those frequenting Anderson Arcade or those simply going there to park their vehicles each time they turn into the parking lot they are unsure if the vehicle can clear the broken pavement and make it safely. Similar is the case for vehicles coming down that path to join the main road. It appears that the PWD are not undertaking any repair work in Laitumkhrah — at least not along the main road. Drivers will just have to bear the brunt of PWD apathy.
A grand gesture
So how grand is your gesture of love?
Almost a month after the Valentine Day’s fever is over, the SJ team is here to ask you a question. What would be that one grand gesture of love that will set you apart from a world full of lovers?
An SJ team member had the rather exquisite luck of witnessing the grandest expression of love she had ever witnessed as she sat down for a meal at a city restaurant last Saturday.
So as the diners of this brightly lit restaurant were enjoying their food and indulging in weekend conversations, a rather daring bug made its way from outside into the interiors of the restaurant. It took a particular liking for a table where an adorable married couple were seated, and buzzed annoyingly around their heads.
Now this caused the good lady to immediately block her ears with her hands, get up from her seat and shriek a few times in panic, as she tried her best to move away from the uninvited guest. It was later discerned that the lady was phobic to insects due to an unpleasant episode from her childhood.
Seeing his beloved panic, the gentlemen immediately knew he had to do something. He got up from his seat, picked the napkin lying by his side and went about, running all across, aiming for the insect’s head.
And as he valiantly jumped up and down the dining area, batting the air with his weapon, the people around watched him in silence for five straight minutes.
At long last, he succeeded in chasing the fly away from their table.
He then went to his wife, sat her lovingly back at her seat, and quite apparently, gathered the admiration of the entire gathering, including this enthralled SJ team member.
Therefore, in contrary to the medieval days, the modern day does not require one to cross oceans of fire and fight dragons to prove their love for their muse. One can, for that matter, swat away a fly and display their unique grand gesture of love.
Here’s utility for you!
Although one may not always find signboards conspicuously displayed at every commercial establishment with “THIS PLACE IS UNDER CCTV SURVEILLANCE” inscribed on them, their relevance is highly underrated!
It may be safe to say that CCTV footages can help you go back in time.
Now, to say this without any endorsement would be wrong. This is why you need to read ahead.
Only recently, an SJ team member watched a fiasco enfold as a customer at an eatery in the city misplaced his mobile phone as he went absent-minded for a split second.
Not knowing how to go about finding his phone, this person began enquiring people that he didn’t even know. The owner, coming to his rescue, suggested that he watch the CCTV footage and find out.
It took only two minutes for all eyeballs to latch on to the monitor as the owner played the footages.
After a few minutes of rewinding and forwarding the clips, and with the help of the masses who worked with spy-like precision, they noticed that a man had picked up the phone and slipped it into his waist bag.
The case was cracked!
As the sound of chortles and shrieks of laughter filled the place, phone owner went on to awkwardly check the thief’s bag and recovered his phone.
Turns out, CCTV saved the day!