There are few people in our lives who impact us and a few instances about them make us laugh. Listing such 3 people below, for the way they have impacted my life.
Vandana - the corporate maid
Every evening when I step into the flat, I subconsciously start sniffing like the bomb squad dog, sniffing if any food has been cooked for the evening. This is the time I notice Vandana at my subconscious level.
Our association with Vandana (as maid!) has been for more than 7 years (technically 5 years as 2 years might have gone in as leave cum holidays!). She has been working mostly for 5 days a week, cooks as per her convenient time, any time paucity or she has to rush somewhere - expect only rice mixed with vegetables (technically veg biryani), all holidays applicable - she does not believe in any particular religion, avails bank holidays and on diwali her bonus has to be ensured.
Vandana has taught us the importance and the variety of relationships any human can have. Infact, even my mother never exemplified that I could have so many relatives. All these years, I have lost count to the incidents that might have happened to her relatives- happy, sad or whatever. We have uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, etc, etc. They get married, have children, divorced or could fall sick, hospitalised or worse pass away. She taught, that its humane and expected of you to make your presence felt. Thanks to her frequent absences, we command an amazing level of loyalty at our local joint, we just tell them the building with the order and the guy on the other side completes the entire address like an autofill. Even our orders have become standardised and we discuss only the vegetable to be ordered, rest - autofill.
Not that we have not her tried confronting - I had given up long time back but Nihar gave his best shot recently over her absence for a week. When Vandana stepped in, Nihar in a scornful tone did ask reason for her absence? In response -a box of sweets got opened, sweets offered to both- occasion being birth of baby boy to Vandana's cousin sister topped with a short description of all the events! We ate the sweets and went back to watch TV, no more questions asked.
I vouch for her honesty though. Somehow, Chai had confidence (overconfidence!) on Tom to deposit some cash (30k) at bank and kept the amount on the kitchen counter, disguised enough . As usual, Tom forgot and further (as usual) Vandana checked on the bag. That evening, Vandana came back with shiver to check if the money was still there and was correct. I was at home and only after being told I checked to find the cash in the bag (how concerned friends we were of each other!).
Nonetheless, a lesson learnt from Vandana- for all the damn reasons - your personal life is important to your job!
Jaya - ideal employee
If Vandana is the corporate maid, Jaya is the ideal employee that the employer would want to employ. Punctual, consistent and moreover- she likes her job.
Jaya helps our bachelor pad and our clothes clean (somehow, I know it sounds well off, which we are not - but our theory has been to outsource work at which we are not good or can be best done by others).
Now, when I say she keeps our flat and clothes clean, I mean she really keeps them clean. Over the past two years she has washed out few good shirts in a span of few months, so much so that I specifically told her to be kind hearted on them. I have started keeping all my loose clothes locked, if not, they go for washing. It does not matter if they were being washed a day before. A friend was on visit for 2 days, and he kept his socks in the shoes itself- whats wrong? Well, we realised the night he was leaving that they had been washed and wet! He went back without wearing socks.
Jaya has been asking for a pay cut now citing less work - well, ideal employee, I say.
Mhatre kaka - The AAM aadmi
Ah! if any one in our society could give Mr Kejriwal a run for his money, it has to Mhatre kaka. I believe he has held the broom more selflessly than Mr Kejriwal has and would be more famous not only in the adjacent 3 societies but also amongst the BMC ward officers of the area.
I think Mhatre kaka has retired, that is what I gather from the limited interactions I have had with him. I have mostly seen him in his baniyan and his blue coloured knee length short most often with the broom in hand. I didnt know there is something called as OCD - I know now it exists.
I hardly see BMC sweepers clean our society area. But, I have seen Mhatre kaka sweep the front side road, the backyard, clean the tree trunks, and if this not enough, I have spotted him help clean other society backyards! That's some commitment.
Vandana - the corporate maid
Every evening when I step into the flat, I subconsciously start sniffing like the bomb squad dog, sniffing if any food has been cooked for the evening. This is the time I notice Vandana at my subconscious level.
Our association with Vandana (as maid!) has been for more than 7 years (technically 5 years as 2 years might have gone in as leave cum holidays!). She has been working mostly for 5 days a week, cooks as per her convenient time, any time paucity or she has to rush somewhere - expect only rice mixed with vegetables (technically veg biryani), all holidays applicable - she does not believe in any particular religion, avails bank holidays and on diwali her bonus has to be ensured.
Vandana has taught us the importance and the variety of relationships any human can have. Infact, even my mother never exemplified that I could have so many relatives. All these years, I have lost count to the incidents that might have happened to her relatives- happy, sad or whatever. We have uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, etc, etc. They get married, have children, divorced or could fall sick, hospitalised or worse pass away. She taught, that its humane and expected of you to make your presence felt. Thanks to her frequent absences, we command an amazing level of loyalty at our local joint, we just tell them the building with the order and the guy on the other side completes the entire address like an autofill. Even our orders have become standardised and we discuss only the vegetable to be ordered, rest - autofill.
Not that we have not her tried confronting - I had given up long time back but Nihar gave his best shot recently over her absence for a week. When Vandana stepped in, Nihar in a scornful tone did ask reason for her absence? In response -a box of sweets got opened, sweets offered to both- occasion being birth of baby boy to Vandana's cousin sister topped with a short description of all the events! We ate the sweets and went back to watch TV, no more questions asked.
I vouch for her honesty though. Somehow, Chai had confidence (overconfidence!) on Tom to deposit some cash (30k) at bank and kept the amount on the kitchen counter, disguised enough . As usual, Tom forgot and further (as usual) Vandana checked on the bag. That evening, Vandana came back with shiver to check if the money was still there and was correct. I was at home and only after being told I checked to find the cash in the bag (how concerned friends we were of each other!).
Nonetheless, a lesson learnt from Vandana- for all the damn reasons - your personal life is important to your job!
Jaya - ideal employee
If Vandana is the corporate maid, Jaya is the ideal employee that the employer would want to employ. Punctual, consistent and moreover- she likes her job.
Jaya helps our bachelor pad and our clothes clean (somehow, I know it sounds well off, which we are not - but our theory has been to outsource work at which we are not good or can be best done by others).
Now, when I say she keeps our flat and clothes clean, I mean she really keeps them clean. Over the past two years she has washed out few good shirts in a span of few months, so much so that I specifically told her to be kind hearted on them. I have started keeping all my loose clothes locked, if not, they go for washing. It does not matter if they were being washed a day before. A friend was on visit for 2 days, and he kept his socks in the shoes itself- whats wrong? Well, we realised the night he was leaving that they had been washed and wet! He went back without wearing socks.
Jaya has been asking for a pay cut now citing less work - well, ideal employee, I say.
Mhatre kaka - The AAM aadmi
Ah! if any one in our society could give Mr Kejriwal a run for his money, it has to Mhatre kaka. I believe he has held the broom more selflessly than Mr Kejriwal has and would be more famous not only in the adjacent 3 societies but also amongst the BMC ward officers of the area.
I think Mhatre kaka has retired, that is what I gather from the limited interactions I have had with him. I have mostly seen him in his baniyan and his blue coloured knee length short most often with the broom in hand. I didnt know there is something called as OCD - I know now it exists.
I hardly see BMC sweepers clean our society area. But, I have seen Mhatre kaka sweep the front side road, the backyard, clean the tree trunks, and if this not enough, I have spotted him help clean other society backyards! That's some commitment.
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