Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.
Lakshmi was always in a hurry. As she did housework for 4 houses in the apartment complex, life was like always being on the run. The afternoons are a bit quiet though. It is in the morning when everyone has to go for work that they wanted her to come in early and complete house work such as washing the vessels. Lakshmi was lucky to get work in two houses where the 'Didi's are not working women, meaning she can go there a little later after completing the other two houses.
Lakshmi's husband has been working in a public sector undertaking since many years as a contract labourer with the hope that one day he would be made permanent under the contract labour (Regulation & Abolition Act). But now all such hopes have vanished with the change in approach and policy of the Government to encourage more and more temporary workmen on the pretext of the country's requirement to be competitive in a globalized environment.
The expenses that are most visible to the management when they want to cut corners are the labour cost which is kept to as minimum as possible. With the earnings of both of them put together they could only manage a small sized house in a basti (overcrowded colony) in the city . Lakshmi lives here with her husband and a fourteen year old son and eight year old daughter.
Although she works for four of them. Lakshmi's favourite was "Sarla didi". She was very kind and understanding when she was delayed by the sickness of the children in their growing up years. Moreover, she allowed her to take the leftover food home. The others were very strict and would not allow food to be taken out. If food is available eat it yourself; not to be taken out was the rule. The relationship of Lakshmi with didi was reciprocal. Whenever she had guests visiting from the native place, Laksmi would always pitch in unmindful of the time.
Looking back , Lakshmi feels her association with the the 'Apartment' people helped in having a bigger vision. She did not hesitate to buy second hand fridge and washing machine when the opportunity presented itself for making her life comfortable at home on returning from a tiring day's work. Looking at the better lives of the 'Apartment people', she urges her children to aim high and not end up as someone doing other's house work for life.
Some children in the basti have enrolled for engineering and other promising courses. Laksmi however, does not have much hope with respect to her son Deepak who seems to be whiling away his time roaming around with the other boys of the basti. All her hopes are pinned on daughter Neeti who invariably comes first in her class.
Like a seesaw, the ups and downs continue in Lakshmi's life. Sometimes it is a raise that her husband got while at other time it is an unexpected hospitalization. Lakshmi accepts them all with equanimity. She has no time to stop and think. She has to keep running to be able to be in the same place. That about sums up the life and times of Lakshmi." Embracing 'Hope' for a better morrow, no matter whatever the present circumstances" is the motto she lives by.
NB: This post is a part of challenge #BlogchatterA2Z
No comments:
Post a Comment