I waited anxiously ,my eyes on the road .This has to be finalized today .I had got the ultimatum from him when he(my L n M) had heard me grumbling. He had said ,”Why don’t you listen to me ?This house is too big for you .and you know how its going to be in the days to come .”It was then that I decided .I swallowed my pride and put in the ad .
Five of them had come and gone .But they were not happy .I guess my demands have been a bit unrealistic This time I was ready to lower my standards.I surveyed the room I stood in ..all my beautiful collections over the years ,My wooden ganeshas ,my brass lamps ,my blue pottery and my terracotta pots .They shone cause I cleaned them everyday but would the new person do the same for them ? Well beggars have no choice …….
And then there she was .I hadn’t heard her coming in as I was miles away musing .
Her appearance was pleasant .(hmmm …decent enough )I crossed my fingers and sent up a prayer (Lord may this be it )She toured round the house .I showed her every nook and cranny “Four bedrooms ?”she raised an eyebrow questioningly .I hummed and hawed apologetically , “ye..yes you see all four are not in use ,one is almost a storeroom .”(hope the answer satisfied her )
“How about the bathrooms ?’’
Running water all the time ..we have our own borewell”
“Okay ….any outside toilets ?”
“No …all built in”(thank God we have demolished the one outside )
“The tiles look a bit old, it wont be easy to clean ,you know”
“No, no they are mangalore tiles and only appears so .I use the best cleaner ad they clean very fast. one swab and the dirt is out” ( I should have had the carpet out )
She raised her eyes to the ceiling, “Hmmm ….plenty of cobwebs in the corners.” She made a profound observation.
“A swipe with a vacuum cleaner will rid of it ….I have one you know”I replied (resisting the temptation to bite my nails
“These curtains look heavy” Her eyed the heavy drapes and looked at me questioningly
‘Have you a washing machine or do you give it to the dhobi ?”
“I have a fully automatic for all washing and the curtains are also washed in that.” (I smile nervously )
She stood in the middle her eyes going over every detail .I stood, my heart in my mouth.
Well now it was my turn to speak .Taking a deep breath I put forward my demands.
(Deep silence) she cocked her head to one side calculating on her fingers and then she named her price .I gasped .My mouth fell open .Words failed me .As I stoop gasping she said , “Arre ..Madam ,I get four thousand for just sweeping and swabbing a house half the size of yours and you are telling me to clean all those dolls and pots of yours everyday So give me eight and I will think about it .I will need lunch too .
I blinked ….and still under shock blurted “Let me ask my husband …..”
“Okay you do that. Heres my mobile number .Call me when you have decided” Handing me a calling card she walked away without looking back
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Death in the family
Death is a finality and never a happy incident .Its inevitable – man or matter it’s the same .It has to be mourned Like the recent death in our family But guiltily let me admit that this death was a welcome one .With it, along with sadness came a sense of relief ---a freedom from bondage Secretly I thought it was more of a suicide than death .but I daren’t say it aloud .
I sighed with relief .No more would I have to wait and watch .I now had time on my hands whereas previously I had no time to call my own . The blissful silences in the evening, no more beckoning to the room where the dead body lay .A relief to my eyes and ears .The books I planned to read glowed at me ...my half done knitting smiled at me No more fights in the house as the bone of contention was dead- dead as a log and lying in peace .Now I knew why silence was called golden .This was pure bliss .I could now wash dishes and do my washing taking my own sweet time and did not have to hurry through it. I did not have to keep a ear cocked for the familiar sound from the room nor rush in with dough covered hands when I was urgently summoned .I was free ..free from sentimental sojourns and free from tensions ,free to go out, mindless of time and day and date .The only person who went around with a sad and tearful face was my daughter .She had lost her best companion .She sat with the dead body staring at it as though willing it to come alive We too were close … sometimes even our dinners were taken i n that room We had been slaves…mindlessly watching the play of emotions day in day out .Now we could sit together as a family and chit chat like we did ages ago .There had been no time for all that, nor for anything else …my flowers had wilted ,my paint brushes were covered in dust .
Better still ..no more shouts for tea and coffee to be delivered to that room and no cleaning up after dinner ..now I could invite over my friends for long chats with no thought of any interruptions .I don’t have to feel guilty of wanting them to leave soon especially if they deigned to visit on a Sunday .Fifteen long years I have lived under a spell which has now been broken
The autopsy revealed it was a natural death due to an overdose of voltage. You see it was my television that died
I sighed with relief .No more would I have to wait and watch .I now had time on my hands whereas previously I had no time to call my own . The blissful silences in the evening, no more beckoning to the room where the dead body lay .A relief to my eyes and ears .The books I planned to read glowed at me ...my half done knitting smiled at me No more fights in the house as the bone of contention was dead- dead as a log and lying in peace .Now I knew why silence was called golden .This was pure bliss .I could now wash dishes and do my washing taking my own sweet time and did not have to hurry through it. I did not have to keep a ear cocked for the familiar sound from the room nor rush in with dough covered hands when I was urgently summoned .I was free ..free from sentimental sojourns and free from tensions ,free to go out, mindless of time and day and date .The only person who went around with a sad and tearful face was my daughter .She had lost her best companion .She sat with the dead body staring at it as though willing it to come alive We too were close … sometimes even our dinners were taken i n that room We had been slaves…mindlessly watching the play of emotions day in day out .Now we could sit together as a family and chit chat like we did ages ago .There had been no time for all that, nor for anything else …my flowers had wilted ,my paint brushes were covered in dust .
Better still ..no more shouts for tea and coffee to be delivered to that room and no cleaning up after dinner ..now I could invite over my friends for long chats with no thought of any interruptions .I don’t have to feel guilty of wanting them to leave soon especially if they deigned to visit on a Sunday .Fifteen long years I have lived under a spell which has now been broken
The autopsy revealed it was a natural death due to an overdose of voltage. You see it was my television that died
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The dacoit and the sage
June 2 nd , the day my daughter turned 21 .We wanted to mark it as a special day .Suggestions poured from all over but I had a secret wish …I wanted to throw a party for the children at the local orphanage .The idea was welcomed by one and all .So I set out planning the menu and the goodies we would take there I got the phone number of the institution ..contacted the administrator and had the list of the number of children there .our excitement knew no bounds .Just a week more for the D day ….the morning newspaper had the headlines ,Food poisoning in the orphanage and many children had taken ill .Reading the headline my husband eyed me skeptically , “So what do you think we should do ?” In the wake of this if we went forward with our plan we would be eyed with suspicion as there is now a case charged .” My enthusiasm burst like a bubble .Who has done this to the poor mites ? Was it left overs from a feast ?Would they feed their own child such food ? .There were no details (covered up as usual as per my husband ) .The next two days carried even worse news .The orphanages were illegal and now it was being looked into .I couldn’t believe this .First the children are poisoned and now this .I suggested we pay some money so that the sick children get good treatment “.And get associated with their crimes?” The police are looking into this and if you donate anything now there might be an enquiry on us .” retorted my husband .I felt cornered and dejected and to my mind came the story from an old Hindi text of mine .Maybe some of you too have read it in your school days .
The story is of a sage who owned a beautiful horse The sage used this horse to visit the needy and the suffering in the village .This horse was coveted by a local dacoit chief .He made many attempts to steal it from the sage .Each time he stole it from the stable the horse found its way back .Then one day the sage was on his way to a nearby village on his horseback .He spied a traveler lying on the road side .The kind sage dismounted and went to attend to the man .Just as he reached him .the man threw away his blanket which covered him and revealed himself to be the chief .He had done this to steal the horse .The sage seeing the chief made only one request .He asked the chief to take the horse but on one condition that no one was to know how he came to have it .The sage said , “if people came to know that you took the horse from me by pretending to be sick ,no man will stop to help a genuinely sick man if he come across one, fearing that it might be a robber in disguise.”
The times have not changed .The situation is the same .The dacoits still live in the guise of different organizations and charities we hesitate to help fearing these dacoits in disguise ..We turn our faces away from the genuinely needy and poor fearing them to be shamming
To come back to our birth day celebration .we had a subdued one as my daughter decided she had to be mature about such things now . We used the money to buy some winter clothes for the children of the construction labourers who live in tin sheds adjacent to our compound .
The story is of a sage who owned a beautiful horse The sage used this horse to visit the needy and the suffering in the village .This horse was coveted by a local dacoit chief .He made many attempts to steal it from the sage .Each time he stole it from the stable the horse found its way back .Then one day the sage was on his way to a nearby village on his horseback .He spied a traveler lying on the road side .The kind sage dismounted and went to attend to the man .Just as he reached him .the man threw away his blanket which covered him and revealed himself to be the chief .He had done this to steal the horse .The sage seeing the chief made only one request .He asked the chief to take the horse but on one condition that no one was to know how he came to have it .The sage said , “if people came to know that you took the horse from me by pretending to be sick ,no man will stop to help a genuinely sick man if he come across one, fearing that it might be a robber in disguise.”
The times have not changed .The situation is the same .The dacoits still live in the guise of different organizations and charities we hesitate to help fearing these dacoits in disguise ..We turn our faces away from the genuinely needy and poor fearing them to be shamming
To come back to our birth day celebration .we had a subdued one as my daughter decided she had to be mature about such things now . We used the money to buy some winter clothes for the children of the construction labourers who live in tin sheds adjacent to our compound .
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Accused
I stand accused The word has got around
(“Are you sure ?”
“I am positive .she herself told me” ).
My reasons have been discussed
(“Why do you think she is like this ?How can she get away with it ?)
I have been envied
(‘Wish i was so lucky !!She must be a witch .I’ m sure “)
My husband has been blamed
(“How does he allow it ?Does’nt he mind ?)
He has been pitied
(“What a shame !Poor man .Must be his fate”)
He has been accused
(“Surely he is hen pecked .If it was me I’d have thrown her out long ago”)
My mother has been taken to task
(“This is all bad upbringing .Her mother has not seen to her education properly .”)
Young newly married women eyed me with wonder
(“Gosh how does she get away with it!!”)
Eyes follow me everywhere .People whisper behind my back .Some confronted me , not able to believe what they heard
(“What about your children …don’t they mind ?”What do you mean by you don’t do it
?”)
Some were skeptical
(“May be she has a reason .There must be something about her that we don’t know.”)
And there are others who openly admire me
(“Hey ,You are cool man .A true example of empowerment ,a free spirit.”)
I am praised by some ,especially by my friends.
(“Good for you,You are smart and lucky too”)
My reasons have been analysed (‘Must be lazy and irresponsible”)
And dissected .
My crime has been visited on my daughters too.( “I hope you are not like your mother .”)
………..and my crime
I don’t cook …….my husband is the one who does it .cause he loves cooking with a passion and I do not want to commit the crime of separating him from his love
(“Are you sure ?”
“I am positive .she herself told me” ).
My reasons have been discussed
(“Why do you think she is like this ?How can she get away with it ?)
I have been envied
(‘Wish i was so lucky !!She must be a witch .I’ m sure “)
My husband has been blamed
(“How does he allow it ?Does’nt he mind ?)
He has been pitied
(“What a shame !Poor man .Must be his fate”)
He has been accused
(“Surely he is hen pecked .If it was me I’d have thrown her out long ago”)
My mother has been taken to task
(“This is all bad upbringing .Her mother has not seen to her education properly .”)
Young newly married women eyed me with wonder
(“Gosh how does she get away with it!!”)
Eyes follow me everywhere .People whisper behind my back .Some confronted me , not able to believe what they heard
(“What about your children …don’t they mind ?”What do you mean by you don’t do it
?”)
Some were skeptical
(“May be she has a reason .There must be something about her that we don’t know.”)
And there are others who openly admire me
(“Hey ,You are cool man .A true example of empowerment ,a free spirit.”)
I am praised by some ,especially by my friends.
(“Good for you,You are smart and lucky too”)
My reasons have been analysed (‘Must be lazy and irresponsible”)
And dissected .
My crime has been visited on my daughters too.( “I hope you are not like your mother .”)
………..and my crime
I don’t cook …….my husband is the one who does it .cause he loves cooking with a passion and I do not want to commit the crime of separating him from his love
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Mother's Day
I was sitting in the idling car ,idly watching the evening crowd hurry home (or where ever they were hurrying to.)while my Lord and master had gone to his favourite place on earth …the hardware shop. Keeping a look out for the 'tow' as we were parked in a strictly no parking zone .(why is the shopping side always ‘ non parking ?’)The only interesting view on my side was the flower vendor’s cart .I’ve passed this cart a zillion times but never had had the time to stand and stare. So now be it ….
A young girl in her twenties was measuring out the strands to the waiting customer .My gaze shifted to the lady sitting next to the cart on a stool .She was around fifty ,frail ,clad in an old sari with patches and ,half dozing in her seat .Her huge nose ring glinted in the lights of the vehicles passing by .And then he appeared ,toddling to her ,he squatted by her side .She opened her lazy eyes and gave him one look and promptly shut them again .He began tugging at her sari .Without opening her eyes she swatted him off .His actions spoke louder than his words and so I could hear him .He gestured that he was thirsty ,he rubbed his stomach to show hunger, all the time he continued to tug at her sari
She opened her eyes and gave him a long look and turned away .She ignored his pleas and turned , her gaze towards the young girl .I took a good look at him .He was dirty ,unkempt and had not seen water for days .
Her ignoring him did not faze him even a bit ….after all she was his mother (of that I was sure now )He continued with his demands, all the time tugging more strongly at her sari .
The young girl seemed totally oblivious to the whole thing .She chatted with the customer as she measured out the strands expertly . .
Giving up, he suddenly stood up and toddled to the cart and stood watching the girl .As the customer handed out the fare he made a sudden grab for it The next thing I saw was a hand at his nape ,another twisting his hand behind and a saree clad leg connecting to his backside sending him sprawling to the ground .It was his mother in action.. all the while she was screaming at him ,”you good for nothing …smoking and drinking .thats all you do... ..not a penny you ll get from me ..28 years old and of no use to any one ..get lost ,you scoundrel .” with another kick on his back she went back to her stool and sat muttering to herself .
A young girl in her twenties was measuring out the strands to the waiting customer .My gaze shifted to the lady sitting next to the cart on a stool .She was around fifty ,frail ,clad in an old sari with patches and ,half dozing in her seat .Her huge nose ring glinted in the lights of the vehicles passing by .And then he appeared ,toddling to her ,he squatted by her side .She opened her lazy eyes and gave him one look and promptly shut them again .He began tugging at her sari .Without opening her eyes she swatted him off .His actions spoke louder than his words and so I could hear him .He gestured that he was thirsty ,he rubbed his stomach to show hunger, all the time he continued to tug at her sari
She opened her eyes and gave him a long look and turned away .She ignored his pleas and turned , her gaze towards the young girl .I took a good look at him .He was dirty ,unkempt and had not seen water for days .
Her ignoring him did not faze him even a bit ….after all she was his mother (of that I was sure now )He continued with his demands, all the time tugging more strongly at her sari .
The young girl seemed totally oblivious to the whole thing .She chatted with the customer as she measured out the strands expertly . .
Giving up, he suddenly stood up and toddled to the cart and stood watching the girl .As the customer handed out the fare he made a sudden grab for it The next thing I saw was a hand at his nape ,another twisting his hand behind and a saree clad leg connecting to his backside sending him sprawling to the ground .It was his mother in action.. all the while she was screaming at him ,”you good for nothing …smoking and drinking .thats all you do... ..not a penny you ll get from me ..28 years old and of no use to any one ..get lost ,you scoundrel .” with another kick on his back she went back to her stool and sat muttering to herself .
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