These Mumbai senior citizens have a fortress in Deonar

About 15 feet from the gate of this quiet, welcoming bungalow in Deonar Village, a blinding light flashes at my face. I reconsider my first impression and approach it gingerly. The bell goes unanswered, so I try to open the grills and peer through the double doors.

Bad idea! Hell breaks loose.

A cacophonic siren goes off and a watchman comes running. Captain Sunder Shastry emerges from behind the double doors, looking very pleased.

"I apologise for startling you, lady. But you had to see for yourself what I meant when I said I take my safety very seriously," smiles the 77-year-old retired sailor, who ushers me in.

One step into the house and an invisible mechanical bird chirps loudly. Another step and a large plastic dog near the door barks for exactly 10 seconds. His wife comes out of the kitchen and peers. "That's the effect I expected. If someone does manage to get through the double doors and enter our home, no matter where we are, we'll know of it."

In the wake of the recent murders, Shastry decided to take security matters into his own hands rather than rely on police.
Motion sensor lights and siren facility monitor four spots outside his bungalow. Every room has a hidden switch that connects to the siren, which the couple can switch on to alert neighbours and watchmen if they hear the electrical bird and dog going off. If the couple is not at home at the time of a break-in, they will be alerted on their mobile phones. When they travel abroad, the Shastrys pay a monthly rental charge to a security agency back home, who would get alerted if the system goes off. The equipment and connections cost Rs20,000.

But is this enough?

"No," says Shastry. "Forty years at sea have taught me that no measure is ever 'enough'. But at the age of 70, one has to do something to sleep peacefully at night."

Leela, his 66-year-old wife, says," You think we don't know we are seen as easy targets? I am aware of it every second but I can't change that. But this," she looks around her home, "this much we can try. Insecurity is insidious; you don't even know you're so cautious."

The Shastrys do not keep full-time maids as a rule, and neither do they ask their domestic help to fetch things, afraid it might tempt them. Even their evening walks aren't what you'd call leisurely — Shastry tries different routes and carries a flashlight that sets off an alarm if he presses a button.

Leela says they speak in codes while referring to gold, keys and valuables amid others. “For instance, ‘Did you buy stones for the garden’ stands for ‘Did you lock the doors’.” But Sunder doesn’t get it yet.“He exclaims, ‘Stones? You mean the doors? Yes, I’ve locked them’,” says Leela.

“I am a senior citizen, after all!” jokes Sunder.

Leela doesn’t smile. “If we didn’t have these in place, I think we would be as paranoid as many people our age are now. I don’t blame them, but paranoia only limits the already few options at having a normal life…”