🌿 Revelations & Drama: How We (Finally) Closed the Deal

Yes, I’m writing after a long pause.

We were at the final stretch of a journey that had taken months— almost a year—of waiting, wondering, and worrying. Signing the sale agreement felt like a formality. Little did we know, it was just the trailer to the real movie.

What unfolded next was the kind of plot twist that many would reject for being “too unbelievable.”

📍 The Great Reveal

We sat with the lawyer, sipping chai, feeling mildly triumphant. Then came the bombshell. Ganesh wasn’t just convincing his extended family to sign off on their shares on this particular land. Oh no.Turns out, He was actually trying to buy out his extended family's rights—on all other properties too—through what’s called a “Hakka sod” agreement. And the catch? He was planning to pay them using the money we were giving him to buy this land.

Except… his mother and two sisters were excluded. Their names would stay on all the other family properties.

 “So essentially, the land we were buying was funding Ganesh’s personal land empire—and the whole deal was tangled in step-family politics that felt more like a family drama than a real estate transaction.”

Had we known the full picture earlier, we would’ve politely backed out with a nervous laugh and a firm handshake. But Ganesh and Mahesh had been working behind the scenes like a pair of stealthy real estate ninjas—and they actually pulled it off.

📍 Crisis Management 101

Once we’d recovered from the shock, we focused on the one urgent item: registering the road easement. That went surprisingly smoothly. We began to feel… optimistic.

Next came the draft sale agreement. Payment terms? Agreed. Holdback till 7/12? Approved. NOCs? Obtained. Signing date? Set.

And then came… more drama. Of course.

Plot twist #1: One of the 14 family members decided last minute he wasn’t interested in selling his 15 guntha share. The land was shrinking before our eyes. Our lawyer shrugged, “Let’s proceed without it.” We agreed—but now had to show on the map which part we were giving up. We were in confusion and could not decide which part to sacrifice.

Plot twist #2: Another member bailed on signing, saying she was in mourning after losing her son. Totally understandable. But her name was in the “other category,” meaning we could technically proceed without her—but with some uncertainty till she signs over another 6 guntha in the process.

Still, our lawyer was calm. “These things happen. If problems arise, we’ll fight them legally.” Very reassuring.

📍 The Big Day (or so we thought)

January 18, 2023. The day we were finally sealing the deal.

We all gathered at the lawyer’s office. Ganesh and Mahesh, not leaving anything to chance, personally picked up each family member and arranged transport. All 14 members assembled in one room. It felt surreal. Like meeting the cast of a very long-running soap opera… in real life.

Despite everything, there was a quiet irritation in my mind. These were the people who had delayed, debated, and derailed the process over and over again. But when I saw them in person—modest, simple, some even shy—that irritation softened.

I whispered to the lawyer, “It’s finally happening.”

He raised an eyebrow and said, “Never say it’s done until the last signature is on the paper.”

Right on cue, drama entered the chat.

Act I: Aai cha Tandav

Ganesh’s mother—who we thought was the most secure signature—suddenly stood up and declared she wouldn’t sign. Why? She didn’t trust her own son.

We were speechless.

She started a full-blown emotional scene, asking her daughters not to sign either. We watched, frozen, as what felt like months of planning started to crumble in real time.

But just as suddenly, her daughters calmed her down, reassured her, and after hours of coaxing, she agreed. Reluctantly, but still.

The final signatures were signed. Cheques were handed over. Breath was exhaled.

We had completed only Ganesh’s side of the land deal. Mahesh, wisely, had kept his part separate due to all the uncertainty.

Act II: The Smoother Sequel

Two days later, on January 20, we handled Mahesh’s property.

It went off with surprising ease—except for one tiny twist I forgot to mention in my earlier blog.

Turns out, Mahesh’s land had once been "pre-sold" by his brother, who had taken an advance but never followed through. And oh, he also hadn’t returned the money.

We had to contact this buyer and get an NOC. He agreed… but only for almost double the amount. Because why not, right?

Eventually, that too got sorted. We were finally ready for the 7/12 process and could almost hear a sigh of relief echo through the hills.

🌿 A Quiet Celebration

We celebrated in the most appropriate way possible: lunch with both Ganesh and Mahesh’s families.

Sitting around a big table, plates full, the tension dissolved into laughter and stories. For a brief moment, we weren’t buyers and sellers—but just people who had managed to do something incredibly difficult, together.

🔍 Key Learnings from Our Land Deal Saga

1. Never Assume You Know the Whole PictureWhat seemed like a straightforward land deal was actually a complex web of hidden negotiations, internal family politics, and step-sibling dynamics. Always dig deeper—there’s usually more under the surface.

2. Ask the Right Questions—EarlyWe assumed Ganesh was only coordinating signatures. Had we asked more probing questions in the beginning, we would’ve realized he was actually orchestrating a full-blown land redistribution scheme… with our money.

3. Keep a Lawyer Close—and Your Patience CloserOur lawyer was not just legal counsel—Having someone experienced and calm can make or break a complicated transaction.

4. Emotions Trump Logic—Especially in Family DealsWe underestimated how emotions, especially those of elder family members, could derail the most “rational” plans. Aai’s sudden refusal showed us how fragile trust can be—even within a single family.

5. Be Ready to Walk Away, But Also Know When to Stay InThere were moments when we wanted to quit. But after weighing the stakes and getting legal reassurance, we took a calculated risk—and it worked. Sometimes, the path forward isn’t clean, but it’s still worth taking.

6. Map Matters. Literally.Skipping the exact marking of the 15 guntha caused confusion later. Even a small vagueness on the map can snowball into legal ambiguity. Always map precisely, and leave no scope for "interpretation."

7. Celebrate the Small WinsWhether it was completing the easement or getting that last reluctant signature—each milestone mattered. And celebrating with a shared meal helped heal some of the tension. People remember kindness more than conflict.