Woman's Day

I missed out an issue in my previous post about women - Maid. How could i miss such an important topic? Its not exaggeration - Maids are major catalysts in all the gossip happening around. They do the important job of adding fuel to the fire. My last maid was just one of those types, i would try my best to avoid any conversation with her. That was not all. My watch, some lipsticks etc. started disappearing. She had two young daughters who would frequently come to fill in for her. Had a doubt about them. I spoke to her directly about this (am quite notoroius for all this direct talk.) She denied it vehemently, but i was convinced she was the culprit. Decided to give her another chance inspite of it all. but eventually, the late coming, staying-absent-without-informing got to my nerves, finally i fired her.

Replaced her with a new maid. This one was the opposite of the former. She would never speak a word, work quietly and leave. No remaining absent, comparable only to the sun which never fails to rise. I did boast to my female friends at times, "what a catch of a maid i got you see".

Its been almost a year and i have not had a single problem. After a few months though, her silence started disturbing me. She would come (on time, of course) and just go about her work. The same silence which i just loved before started getting uncomfortable. There seemed a deep-rooted trouble. Was really keen on talking to her, asking her about her family, her life. Restrained myself though. Its bad manners i have been taught, probing into someone's private life.

The ice was broken today, thanks to some laddoos. My mom had given me some laddoos, a little too many in fact. I don't like sweets, hubby is rarely at home to feast on them, and daughter is too small. Gave her a few laddoos for her children, thats when she said, 'I have no children'. The rest of the story came out real fast. The gist is 'She lived in Mumbai- Masjid Bandar in a slum with her husband. Corporation had promised them a rahabilition. A house in Mankhurd. She was pregnant with her first child at the same time. Dream come true- a pretty child in arms, a new house. (i didn't know corporation gave 1 BHK flats. thought it would be just a small room, at the most 2). She was admitted to JJ hospital in Mumbai for some complications in pregnancy. A recommended C-section was blown by a trainee doctor, it seems. She lost her son. Could never have another baby. Her husband left her (he wanted a child) and moved into the corporation-given-new-house with his new wife. She moved in with her mother, thats when the Mumbai riots happened. They moved to Pune to stay with her maternal aunt and have been here since then.'

She told me the whole story without a trace of any emotion on her face. Its been many years, but a samll tint of grief flashed in her eyes when she said, 'Aaj majha mulga asta tar 15 varshacha asta' (Had I had the son, he would have been 15 years old by now) I said, its good he never saw the world. With the useless father that he had, life would have been difficult for him. As soon as i said these words, i realised how hollow they were. Should have never said it. I am myself a mother. How could i say such a cruel thing?

Anyway, i quickly changed topic and brought her to the present. She goes home by 2 in the afternoon. Has time in the evenings. I suggested she learn something- may be stitching, embroidery etc. I can pay the fees for her. She might not be able to do all this hard-work after a few years. but she can definitely sit at home at stitch to earn a living. She just smiled.

This woman's day, the above conversation has got me thinking about the plight of women in India. I read "Chicken Soup for a Woman's soul" which has short stories about women's hardships. Have also been senti over a few of them. But those stories are just nothing. The Indian woman is much stronger, faces troubles unimaginable for the westerners, and still does not come up with a "Chicken Soup" series.