Trysts With Maid

      All the time-saving contraptions and home appliances in the world,
      Cannot take away the importance and luxury of a maid at all....

   Hmmm... the verses are not great, but thats the phase I am going through, for the last couple of months ever since we changed localities. Keeping a maid for house-hold chores may be a luxury for my friends settled abroad. Here, in India it is unthinkable to do without them.Many of us have had our share of anecdotes and interesting notes to share.
    It also reminds me of a show that was put up by the ladies at  DSSC Wellington. It was a showcase of all the important women who have contributed to our lives right from Gargi , Jhansi Ki Rani, Sarojini Naidu, Indira Gandhi etcAnd bringing up the tail of the show was the quintessential "lady with the broom" without whom none of them could have achieved what they did probably.
     I was fortunate in the past, to have been helped by a couple of genuine and sincere souls. And them, I can never forget. And then there are some, whom I can never forget for various other reasons!!! But the one I recently changed takes the cake...
    We mutually decided on 9.30am to begin work in my household. Everything was hunky-dory the first few days. Then timings shifted on its own          to   9.45.....10.00....10.45........11.00....11.30......12.00....11.45... Average arrival time hovered over 11.30- 12.30. And each day the dial of the clock moved beyond the decided timing, I'ld vacillate between picking up the broom and craning my neck out of the window or the balcony ( depending on which, I thought would give me a better view of Her arrival).I shared the same sentiments as Hamlet and he had much more serious issues in life....  And as the clock ticked away, unaware of the rising temperature, my family members would keep away from my path and seething silence.
    So I thought , Okay lets speak rationally instead of a verbal match. Keeping in mind the literacy levels of both the affected parties, I tried 'discussing' the issue of non- compliance with the Agreement. She had her share of problems ...she stayed awake till late trying to entertain herself after a hard day's work ...kid leaving for school early in the morning...household chores to be completed...So, I gave her a deal.
  " If you come on time for a month without delays, I'll give you an extra amount, your salary notwithstanding". I was trying to buy my sanity here, actually.She agreed.
   But domestic bliss was just not what the Horoscope had in store for me. She stuck to her 11.30- 12.30 window. So, yet again I tried the humane angle. " Alright, what exactly is your problem. Lets work this out and arrive at some solution..." So after much cajoling and talking heart to heart of woman's problems and the rest, she finally admitted sheepishly.
   She has a son who watches cricket matches on TV at night. This deprives her of her serials. And so she catches up on her serials after 10.00 in the morning and hence she comes in late! Finally, the reason was out but not that it helped solve the problem. She continued to be a defaulter. I decided I couldn't risk my sanity to her serials and so she has to be replaced.
   Today I am in a better frame of mind, as of now!