Maid-hum

Have I said anything about our home helper? Everyone complains about her sloppy work and look down on her social problems but I see more...

She calls me maidum, sounds like she is aware I am recent transformation from maid to maidum!

She comes between 6 and 7 in the morning and comes with a big smile and fragrance of jasmine. Sometimes she brings me bunch of Jasud and mogra garland for ceramic pot for the lounge. And takes it upon herself to refine the position of flowers in the water by fingering gentle adjustments . I find her smile alone worth lot more than her salary but it is not just smile I take in. I make extra cuppa T for her every morning and feel great for myself but wait till I find what others can do.

Savitri as I call her is no more than skin and bones but overflowing with grace and feminity. She has got figure that size 0 enthusiast try hard to achieve (what a misery) while depriving themselves of food and depriving loved ones who cook for them of having any reward for serving them food sprinked with love/care. She has high school going kids. And a husband who drinks a lot and beats her. One day she was bruised and said she has summon her mother-in-law and asked her to take her son away to their village as she cant put up with this drinking and beating anymore. wow what a spirit! doing household work but has confidence (unlike me) to manage in costly city like Bangalore to raise 2 kids and aspire to give them best future (just like me). She has joyous excitement and anticipation on day of results of her kids. While I was away packing remnants of my sansaar in UK, she was also busy shifting as lot happened in her life. She came with bruises on neck and could not speak. My young neighbour lady could not tolerate this and she and her husband held savitri’s hand and put her in car mentioning about hospital treatment but went straight to her home. ‘Gentle’man neighbour beat her husband to heart’s content and they said it is actually savitri who should be doing rounds of beating him rather otherway round due to his irresponsible behaviour. What also came to light is that the lady she brought to us introduing as her sister was actually second wife of her husband. So my neighbour rented another affordable house near our area and shifted her with kids with everything including kitchen sink. (did I hear anyone say ‘social security’? Security is in having awake and involved society around, isn't it?) She appears in control, wakes up at 5 prepares tiffin for kids as outside meals are not good for their health. (kunjal, something to learn, what are you doing devouring those chaats from laariwala all the time?)

Whats missing since her relocation is her jasmin gajra from her tidyly comed hair! (guess why?)

Whats still there is genuine care for others. As I try to land a hand to squeeze water out of bedsheets, she vehmently throws me out of bathroom, its her job and she wont let me do any labour. Little on resources in kitchen when she is late I often have to clean some pots and pans for morning breakfast and servant lady on 7th floor talks to savitri working in my gallary ‘your maidum did all the burtans’!! And having growing kishori at home she has found another old rickshawalla who provides chartered services to drop and pick up her pride and joy, Daughter. No bheed-bhaad of buses or anyone brushing past her princess!!


How many of us ladies or mothers hear from our loved ones, kids and husbands included something similar to ‘urey, yeh tune kar liya? Kyoun? Merey liye intzaar ker leti’ (regretting when you are not fast enough to sort something before your loved one puts their efforts in doing same).

What I see is her BIG heart hiding between those skin and bones.

She is very happy to have doctor Keyur around complains often about headache to get feelgood of recieving those 'imported' medicine. (Now I am not taking trouble of explainging to her that those 'imported' places actually import generic medicine from her neighbourhood only).

I have admired my neighbour openly for her initiative to wake up her human soul to try and break life of anxiety, disgrace and money down the drain to satisfy her husband's liquor needs. And I said that may be we should start the NGO together and when in need her husband can do some pitaai and my husband can do some davaai for our clients!!