When 'Malti' was a Saviour! - My article in today's HT Middle column

When 'Malti' was a Savior!
My article in today's Hindustan times Editorial page.
Had to pen this down to help relieve my anxiety
Pour-in-feedback please!

Diversities in adversities

Last month, when my mother met with an accident and got her right cervical bone fractured, the Doctor advised her 6 weeks bed rest. The restricted movement of her right arm was enough to leave my mother in terror. For she is someone, who has always lead a vigorously active lifestyle throughout and considers asking help from others a blow to her own self-worth. Being the one-man-army, handling all kinds of chores, be it domestic or business, adds to her self reliance and empowerment.

As expected, this 6 weeks rest wasn’t as frightening for her as asking others’ help was! Stoically, it bothered her even more while seeking help from married daughters. We did our best to help her cope with the awkwardness and take it easy, but, it doesn’t come easy to a single mother. Knowing it wasn’t easy for us to juggle between work, society and our families; she decided to resort to a local housemaid’s help

.

Our toiling started with a persistent effort of fixing an appointment with ‘Malti’, the housemaid. We learnt from our neighborhood that she keeps busy the whole day and carries a Mobile phone for business queries. Finally, she showed up at our house late in the afternoon for a cup of tea.

Short heighted, far sighted, weary eyed, dark skinned with rough and patchy hands, she settled herself on the chair, not before she had placed her Nokia cell phone and bicycle keys on the adjoining dining table. It didn’t take my mother much time to break the ice and talk business. As demanded by her, we only had to explain the Whens, Whys, Whats, and Hows about the accident which were enough for her to dig into the gravity of need we had of her help and conducive enough for her to start with her terms and conditions.

‘Auntie ji, it’s the right arm and you need good amount of rest’, she exclaimed. ‘About the housework, you needn’t worry. I will start coming from tomorrow and then I won’t be there for next two days as it is Navratre Puja (Kanjken) at my home followed by a Sunday’, she declared.  Further, she even explained ’You know Auntie, in today’s time its ‘bahoot Jaroori (necessary)’ to keep a ‘Nigraani (check)’ on Husband and kids on Sunday’. Clearly, I and my mother were simply the mute listeners in this one-sided conversation. This wasn’t the end to this, she further reasoned ‘Auntie ji, since you are hurt, I don’t mind helping with the ‘Chai-paani (refreshments)’ of your visitors who would come to see you. Of course, you will take care of the ‘Hisab (extra pay)’ of additional working hours’. Having said this, she got up, had a close look at my mother’s hurt arm and excused herself.

As against my expectations, I found my mother nodding in agreement at the door while ‘Malti’ was leaving.  Apparently, my mother’s affirmation had taught me another life time lesson ‘Majboori mein gadhe ko bhi baap bnana padta hai!’ (Adversity makes a Boss out of an Ass).