I have an annoying neighbour

It was a casual visit to get to know us, so we welcomed her. But it's a month now and she is turning to be one irritating neighbour. She keeps borrowing stuff like milk, curd, lemons and sugar often. Also, despite my utter lack of interest in knowing who is doing what in our building, she gossips, nonetheless. Her kids are mannerless just like her and when they are in my house, the environment is barely bearable. And to add to my thinning patience, she doesn't say a word to correct them. I can write on and on about her and how she is sucking away my peace of mind.
- Liva

Illustration/ Amit Bandre

Dear Liva,
You are living with one pesky neighbour. May be she misunderstood your initial friendliness as you were new to the place, and now she is taking you for granted. She does not have anything to do, so she feels it is okay to drop in and borrow stuff. You need to tell her that you are busy and prefer to be on your own. It's important to be on friendly terms with a neighbour because in times of emergency they are the first to come to your rescue even before family members. The next time she comes to borrow, tell her politely you don't have it. Hopefully she will get the hint. If not, you need to explain to her your need for privacy and that you are not keen to be part of the building gossip.u00a0