A short , lady aged 55 with a wheatish complexion walked into my Boutique today.She was dressed in a Belgaum cotton saree, which is like a uniform for the lower class..These sarees are woven in Belgaum on looms practically in every house in the south of the city , are easily available n suit the lower class budget too.Clutching a nylon woven bag in her hand as if for moral support she looked a little reluctant to enter the glass door and get in.. I was so engrossed in my drawing on a kurtee that I had not looked up.I draw free hand n it has to be done at a stretch else it looses shape.With the Coorg exhibition coming up ....which Manisha the cool cat from Goa promised to accompany me to but backed out at the last minute, I have loads to do in very little time.
A meek voice calling out ""Madam" drew me away from my work long enough to look up. "Madam thoda kaam ahe....."..she spoke to me in marathi n came up with a very unusual request.She wanted me to come to the house that she worked in for 20 minutes she said.My Boutique is in a upmarket locality of Belgaum n has the best of Bungalows housing the rich n famous in the vicinity. I thought to myself its definitely not for a cup of coffee cuz I hardly ever sociolise or visit anyone's house.....neways on enquiring further I got to know that her Madam couldn't come to my Boutique n hence I would have to go there n take measurements for a night gown to be designed for her.Attitude from the idle/stinking rich is the last thing that I take ,although I do provide service like door delivery n prompt service at no extra cost n stuff but this was a lil too much I thought .
The fact that she was just working for them helped me keep my cool as I never blow my top or loose patience with staff .In the next five or so minutes I got to know that her madam wasn't well n was bed ridden.She was unable to shell out any further info.Her nervousness at making this strange request made me put down my white pencil , n walk out of my store acompanying her .A couple of houses down the line was a massive bungalow with a pretty lil garden which generally most of the houses in Belgaum have.Yes we are lovers of the green variety n we have ample space to indulge in this hobby.I walked towards the main entrance of the bungalow with her assuming her Madam would be inside but she took me behind the bungalow to the service entrance . As my inquisitiveness increased at the strange request n the ensuing events I took the stairs to the two rooms built over the garage.
What I saw there moved me beyond words.The drawing room consisted of a couple of plastic chairs n a white table to match..A pair of used n worn out chappals were lying in one corner.The other room consisted of two iron beds placed opposite each other.An old couple aged 65 n 70 were lying on the two beds .The old man was suffering from a paralytic stroke n the woman from arthritis.The look on their faces on seeing me was close to spotting a messiah on a deserted island .The lady Sheila who had come to fetch me got me a chair n requested me to sit.I was supposed to design a gown for the frail woman who was now looking at me with eyes full of delight n pleasure that someone had come visiting her.She hadn't stepped out of the house for the last 15 years.Initially she avoided going out due to her husband's bad health but now she herself was restrained due to her stiff fingers n toes disabling her to walk...eat...dress...cook...or do anything!!
Sheila worked for them for ten years now n took care of the cooking...cleaning...bathing..
The measurements over n done with, I spend about an hour with them .I was moved beyond words with their plight.Spoke to them about their health...my Boutique...so many other things...The one thing that I was dying to know was why were they at the mercy of just an ayah...where was their family?? Weren't they blessed with any children...??? relatives..??Imagine a life where you are restricted to your bed , depended on the ayah for every morsel of food...every sip of water...every word of comfort....companionship...n what did this old couple look forward to..? deteriorating health??? more suffering..???? Was trying to get the ans as to what made them tick??? how did they go from one day to another..?n where the hell was everybody else????
They had two children...daughter married to a software guy n settled abroad..whom they met just once a year,.son a Doctor with a flourishing practice n two children in college whom they met once a year too when ever the daughter came down..
I assumed the Doc lived abroad too but the most shocking thing was he lived in the huge Bungalow that I had entered . As his wife did not get along with his parents he stayed away from them n had hired the ayah who was paid from the Dad's pension money to take care of the old n unwell parents. His duties as a son were supposedly done with, with the annual visit to them n the finding of Sheila the ayah for them....
appalling but true!!!!!
A meek voice calling out ""Madam" drew me away from my work long enough to look up. "Madam thoda kaam ahe....."..she spoke to me in marathi n came up with a very unusual request.She wanted me to come to the house that she worked in for 20 minutes she said.My Boutique is in a upmarket locality of Belgaum n has the best of Bungalows housing the rich n famous in the vicinity. I thought to myself its definitely not for a cup of coffee cuz I hardly ever sociolise or visit anyone's house.....neways on enquiring further I got to know that her Madam couldn't come to my Boutique n hence I would have to go there n take measurements for a night gown to be designed for her.Attitude from the idle/stinking rich is the last thing that I take ,although I do provide service like door delivery n prompt service at no extra cost n stuff but this was a lil too much I thought .
The fact that she was just working for them helped me keep my cool as I never blow my top or loose patience with staff .In the next five or so minutes I got to know that her madam wasn't well n was bed ridden.She was unable to shell out any further info.Her nervousness at making this strange request made me put down my white pencil , n walk out of my store acompanying her .A couple of houses down the line was a massive bungalow with a pretty lil garden which generally most of the houses in Belgaum have.Yes we are lovers of the green variety n we have ample space to indulge in this hobby.I walked towards the main entrance of the bungalow with her assuming her Madam would be inside but she took me behind the bungalow to the service entrance . As my inquisitiveness increased at the strange request n the ensuing events I took the stairs to the two rooms built over the garage.
What I saw there moved me beyond words.The drawing room consisted of a couple of plastic chairs n a white table to match..A pair of used n worn out chappals were lying in one corner.The other room consisted of two iron beds placed opposite each other.An old couple aged 65 n 70 were lying on the two beds .The old man was suffering from a paralytic stroke n the woman from arthritis.The look on their faces on seeing me was close to spotting a messiah on a deserted island .The lady Sheila who had come to fetch me got me a chair n requested me to sit.I was supposed to design a gown for the frail woman who was now looking at me with eyes full of delight n pleasure that someone had come visiting her.She hadn't stepped out of the house for the last 15 years.Initially she avoided going out due to her husband's bad health but now she herself was restrained due to her stiff fingers n toes disabling her to walk...eat...dress...cook...or do anything!!
Sheila worked for them for ten years now n took care of the cooking...cleaning...bathing..
The measurements over n done with, I spend about an hour with them .I was moved beyond words with their plight.Spoke to them about their health...my Boutique...so many other things...The one thing that I was dying to know was why were they at the mercy of just an ayah...where was their family?? Weren't they blessed with any children...??? relatives..??Imagine a life where you are restricted to your bed , depended on the ayah for every morsel of food...every sip of water...every word of comfort....companionship...n what did this old couple look forward to..? deteriorating health??? more suffering..???? Was trying to get the ans as to what made them tick??? how did they go from one day to another..?n where the hell was everybody else????
They had two children...daughter married to a software guy n settled abroad..whom they met just once a year,.son a Doctor with a flourishing practice n two children in college whom they met once a year too when ever the daughter came down..
I assumed the Doc lived abroad too but the most shocking thing was he lived in the huge Bungalow that I had entered . As his wife did not get along with his parents he stayed away from them n had hired the ayah who was paid from the Dad's pension money to take care of the old n unwell parents. His duties as a son were supposedly done with, with the annual visit to them n the finding of Sheila the ayah for them....
appalling but true!!!!!
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