I walk over the ground, an enormous plot of land that now belongs to me.

I can envision a complex. Five large buildings can easily fit here. I can arrange for a swimming pool, a club-house, tiny manicured gardens outside every building and an amphitheater where events can be conducted.

It would be a perfect oasis, a world away from the busy and chaotic world outside. It would be the ultimate culmination of a long-held dream as a builder.

Then why do I feel a sense of discontentment?

I walk around taking in the few trees left in the ground. Five to six benches have been arranged haphazardly at some of the edges. I see a girl sitting on one of the benches and reading a book. I smile thinking about my daughter who is a bookworm. I can easily imagine her sitting here, her nose buried in a book.

The picture unsettles me.

The benches will have to go, so will the trees. I will ensure to plant enough saplings and shrubs to maintain the greenery.

I see a couple sitting on a bench and soaking in the warmth of the setting sun. It is just 4 in the evening, and already there is a nip in the air. Within an hour the sun would start withdrawing its rays and it will start getting darker and colder.

On one side of the ground, some boys are playing cricket. I sit on a bench and watch them play, remembering my own days when I and my friends were crazy about cricket. The kids are shouting in infectious excitement and I grin as I watch the batsmen take a run.

During one particular over, the ball comes near where I am sitting. A boy comes running and manages to stop the ball before it hits the boundary.

“There is a cricket academy nearby.” I tell the boy. “You guys should give it a try.”

“It is too costly.” The boy tells me and runs towards the pitch.

Four words, and they suddenly clarify everything to me.

My dream of building a complex here is grand, but there are many who will get affected. I think about the girl reading the book. I think about the couple relaxing on the bench. I think about these kids who will lose their precious ground if a complex comes here.

I get up and walk purposefully towards the pitch.

“Can I play?” I ask the kids.

They welcome me with cheerful yells. Trust kids to find happiness in the simplest of things!

It feels wonderful to hold a bat in my hand. As the ball comes towards me and I swing it, I am blessed with another version – a huge grassy field where children can play for free, lots of benches where people can sit and read, or soak in the warmth of a setting sun.

I know what to do. The complex has to go, and a large park will take its place here.