Life is easy kya karein

She came to my house to work. Her neighbour cum relative got her for the job. Neat in a well pinned saree, slim and a sweet genuine smile. We discussed work and pay. She said she is in need of money as the 2000 Rupees she earns is not enough. Her name was Lakshmi. She did not turn up for work the next day at the assigned time. She came later and said to give the job to her mother-in-law, so that the money will come within the family. The mother-in-law, Urmila ben, worked very well and gave me suggestions to do work more efficiently. I was really happy. In the afternoon, she told me to give all my house work to her daughter-in-law Lakshmi. I was more than happy as I liked her smile. I never knew that could be a criteria to keep a maid. Lakshmi came to work, was keen to learn and eager to please. She asked me if I had had a love marriage. Oh Boy! She sure had done her ground work on the company she was joining. She told me that she is a twelfth standard pass which means she has studi...

I had taken a taxi to go to fetch the child from a class. This was just before schools shut for  Diwali vacation. The cabbie said he will drop me but won't come back. In Bambaiyya language , he refused the 'return bhaada'.  In the narrow by lanes of Matunga, where cars are parked on both sides, a biker abused him. The cabbie tried to go ahead as he had to return the taxi for the next shift. The biker parked his vehicle ahead of the moving cab. He braked hard and stopped. The biker came to the driver and started slapping the driver. This was not someone holding the shirt collar and threatening. The biker was a huge man in his forties, grey eyes, fat in the belly and specs. We did not know what hit us. The cabbie tried opening his door so he could push the biker away and drive off. This angered the biker and he was now banging the taxi driver's head on the car window. I got off the taxi as I gathered my wits. I ran the other side to pull the man away from hitting my cab ...