Painful Painting

Must have watched TV ads; Saif Ali of Bollywood painting wall of his apartment and promoting some particular brand of paints to turn the life more colorful! But my recent experience in this venture to turn the walls with colorful paints deemed not paintful but painful. Considering exterior paint works in my residence put me in search of reliable painters. But first jolt came as none could recommend one! Some recommended casually but they did not sound dependable. At last I decided to contact paint companies like Berger, Asian paints who claim to offer the service under their supervision. I called them one by one; first turned up a guy from Asian Paints, he was kind enough to visit my residence and listen my requirements. His terms of service seemed to rigid. I sought clarification if they  could be little flexible ( as painting the windows and grill after painting the walls); he promised to ring back or make a return visit soon. But he did not keep any of his promise! "Don't bother for anything Sir; we only need money and PANI; rest everything is our headache" was the promise of Berger. I fell pray to their such promise. They collected the advance cheque and a signed contract paper. Stupid I was, later I discovered no where Berger's name was mentioned in that contract paper. It was some Pvt, Limited company executed the contract. I was checking up if their was a mention of 21 days that they promised for completion of work; but no where I could find it! Only the amount and certain number of paints they were going to apply were mentioned. More surprising no where I could find Berger's name! They man who signed the contract; all along introduced himself as Berger's employee! I took up the phone; rang them up to the phone number mentioned in that paper. Clarified that they were not Berger but another company engaged by Berger to execute painting job and Berger is no way responsible for their deeds or misdeeds! And the man who singed contract from was not Berger's employee. I was put at my wit's end. But actual surprise awaited for me when they turn up for the job.

The boys were wearing T-Shirts and caps with Berger's logo; it was reassuring; at least Berger was involved in some way. Of course Berger was involved; they ensured their costly paints were sold. But how they were use; appeared not their concern. They offered one year warranty. Even if you smear your wall with lime it would anyway last for more than a year. So paint costing hundreds of rupees per liter would last in any case at least a year or to be more precise one monsoon. With utmost careless supervision and time overrun they finally finished. By that time their team vandalized my roof garden; as and when they got the opportunity they left the walls with one coating of paints instead of two or more. Pointing it out to those painters fell in deaf ears as they were answerable to their contractor. The contractor is answerable to the person who signed the contract with me. And he is answerable to whom God only know! They give you a toll-free help line, their some customer care personal will take a note but do nothing. So I felt it was a labyrinth; and pray to God for the way out!
All I felt after their completion of work; " All quite in western front"