People in Our Lives

The Old Maid: She possesses a toothless grin, and sound knowledge of economics. The latter I found out from the way she negotiated her wages with me. She is well past 60 but is energetic and manages her cleaning and cooking chores with ease. There have been several days during the past four months when she has been the only visitor to my apartment. She is also an excellent source of local news.  She likes sweet – I can say this on evidence of diminishing stock of sugar in my house.

The Security Guard: He gives me a wide smile and a loud greeting whenever he sees me. Initially I thought, this was his mechanism to get frequent tips. I thought I had sufficient proof favouring my hypothesis when he asked me for a loan of Rs 1,000 one day. I gave him the money as he said it was for the treatment of his little daughter. He returned the money back to me in 10 days, as soon as he received his salary – which I found out, is quite meagre. His daughter has a hole in her heart and he has been getting her treated at AIIMS.

Office Bearers of the RWA: There has been bitter politicking among existing office bearers of the Residents Welfare Association and the aspiring ones. Allegations have been thrown regarding malpractices and bad accounting. All this, when the total contribution collected by the RWA is estimated to be a grand sum of Rs 100,000. Mails, marked to almost everybody on the planet are being sent frequently – some suggesting humongous fraud and others urging restraint. One particular mailer stands out – he has been sending his poetry in order to make his point.