Rajwati di and Bala di live on the city's edge, at the semi-somewhat-city-like fringe. It is a haphazard colony that looks clumsy, like an absentminded accident. The building reminds me a little of the old jnu hostels, with a central corridor and small rooms on either side, a bit like a train bogey. They walk to my hostel every day, fifty minutes each way. I don’t know how they do it, that too after sweeping and mopping and cleaning for eight hours.
Rajwati has being calling me home for many months. Now she has lost all faith in my empty promises and never fails make a big show of it. Eyes role dramatically. Yeah yeah like I’m going to believe you. Today I am sad. I want the comfort and security that only home can provide. I want to be smothered in Rajwati’s unconditional maternal love. I want to whine and grumble and be looked after. At the doorstep I hesitate awkwardly for a fleeting moment. Rakesh-ke-papa is lying on the khat. She orders him to get up. Dekho mein kisko layi hoon. Dekho. He shuffles out of the room, smiling and nodding silently. I flop down. Too sleepy. Too hungry. But I get distracted by Shahid and Katrina's gaze. There is also a large poster of a big white baby which is quite frightening.
Chai is produced. A woman smiles at me from the doorway on the opposite side. It is Poonam. She comes in and shows Rajwati her bruised shoulder and the bump on her head. Last night her gharwala dragged her by her hair and beat her. By day he is rickshawallah and by night a drunk abusive husband. Last night Rajwati heard the commotion and came running and began screaming at him. Immediately he withdrew.
Poonam is tough and hard to break. They all are. Resilient and difficult to crush no matter how hard you hit. It is really good that you have people like Rajwati who intervene na, I ask to Poonam. No. she shakes her head. How much can I burden my padosan? yeh theek nahi hai. Later at Bala di's house I ask her why all of us can’t get together and beat up these husbands. She whispers mischievously in my ear, Mein to vapis de deti hoon. You should teach everyone one else how to hit back. We laugh. Marna sikhana chahiye.
Poonam's infant children come stumbling-bumbling inside. Sumit and Sonia are ragged and caked in dirt. Soggy shirts and bright eyes follow me around for the rest of the evening, twirling and tossing and covering them with emphatic kisses. but Rajwati does not approve. Dirty children. Bala di curses when they drop food. maroongi haramjada she shouts at the one year old. All the children love her. She always has food to give. Bala di, bala di, galiya dena sikhaon na. She laughes and tells me to shut up.
I drink some chai with Rakesh-ke-papa and and Sooraj. Rakesh is the son who is married and never visits. Rajwati only refers to the gharwalah as Rakesh ke papa. Sooraj also is a rickshawallah. He wants to know about Bangalore. Tumhare shehr mein kaam bahut milta hain. Mistri ka kaam. Mere log vahan hai. The next morning when he is forced by Rajwati to drop us to the main road I say, toh phir milege. I work around the university but you won’t recognise me he says. Now I scan every single rickshawallah that passes me just to prove him wrong.
Rajwati's daughter is eighteen. Her name is Arthi. I am nervous about meeting her. If some stranger walked into my house and acted as if my mother was hers I would be pretty pissed off. But Rajwati tells me to stop being stupid. Arthi comes back from work at eight thirty. She gives women facials and threads their eyebrows at a beauty parlor. For 10 hours of work she gets paid 1200 rupees. When I come out from Bala di’s house Arthi is waiting. Hi she says. Jao gale milo Rajwati snaps. So embarrassing.
She is eighteen and ready for the marriage market. Later that night we dissect two ladke ke photos. They stand stiffly and stare into the camera in front of fake waterfalls and lakes. What a hero I say! We make many hero jokes. She likes one of them and talks to him on the phone all the time much to her father's dismay. Who is your boyfriend rajwati asks me. Aaj kal sabka hota hai.
After dinner we go for a walk and I again bring up Poonam. Thank god Rakesh ke papa is not like that. Rajwati closes her eyes and looks up at the heavens with gratitude. You know when I come back after work he makes me chai. Nowadays he makes the sabji also. But sometimes when we fight he says - Kyon ki tum bahar kaam karti hoon, samjho nahi ki tum mere sir pe bath sakti ho. Just because you work, it doesn’t mean you are the boss of this house.
It is time to sleep. Rajwati is feeling bad that the mehman is sleeping on the floor. It is my turn to tell her to shut up. But those massive rats swinging from TV cables scare the shit out of me and I can’t help yelping every time I see one. I fall asleep finally. Limbs entwined amidst rat shadows on the walls.
