ME , MY MAID AND VIVIDH BHARATI

Yesterday evening I was sitting at this very same spot looking out of the window and generally not thinking of anything. I happened to glance up and saw the fan in the room. It had blackened at the edges due to dust and moisture.I decided that the next day that is today I would be cleaning it before my help-the zadu-katkawali came for cleaning.

 Today I got up early ,finished most of my work-breakfast and cooking and then began cleaning my room.I finished the roof and fan and the shelves.The floor now had a lot of dirt on it which my maid would clean.

Suddenly I realised it was already five days in a row that my maid had come and done the work-she would probably not come today.I called her up.The phone was busy.I turned and walked towards my bedroom when the phone rang.I rushed towards it with hope in my heart and also a little doubt-it was the maid-her son was sick, she was taking him to the doctor and could not come. 

All thoughts crossed my mind.The doctor -delayed [ his maid had'nt come?] and hence a long queue at the doctors and therefore my maid could not come.She had already told me so! 

 Yesterday Aai had come back from her sisters' place .Her unwashed clothes,our clothes and a few extra pieces were already washed and sitting in the basket waiting to be put for drying.The scene at the kitchen sink was no different.All the food had been transferred to small vessels and the big ones were waiting to be cleaned.

 I calmed myself and decided to think of all this differently-no anger -I could afford to be calm -I was a retired person sitting at home-nowhere to rush off.

I remembered that some of my colleagues (I was a teacher in a college) would take leave without any hesitation.The reason being that one had to be at a temple on an auspiciuos day [Thursday] to receive the Almighty's blessings! Another was just tired and felt like not going to work[tired doing housework or teaching?]

My maid had a sick child -she definitely needed to take leave.Thinking of the conditions in which they live, the different responsibilities they handle and the superstitions that surround them they are still doing a good job! 

 Looking at all the work piled up I smiled and turned to the transistor radio.I am fond of listening to the radio[inherited from my parents]I switched it on and kept it next to me. To the lilting voice of Lata Mangeshkar-"Woh bhuli dastaan phir yaad aa gayi"and "Bairan neend na aaye" each cloth was put up on the line for drying.I was singing along with Latadidi-would she have ever dreamed that her singing would ease a very tedious job considerably? The clothes hanging was over in a jiffy -I thought.

 Then I turned to the vessels .Vividh bharati had Mohd. Rafi singing "jaroorat hai jaroorat hai ek shrimati ki kalavati ki-jo seva kare pati ki"-wah! how appropriate-they had to play something so apt.The songs were accompanied by some talk-this time it was about eating Karela and its numerous benefits.It was about how joint pains were relieved by eating karela. I realised I didn't need to eat karela -my mouth had already had the kadva taste,and the joints all creaking.Then a song- "dil hai ke manata nahin"-I wash ,clean,sing ,wash clean sing. Then I turned to my room where it all began . I took the broom and cleaned up the mess I had created.

 I also remembered "Hallo Farmaish" on Vividh bharati where people call in and ask them to play their favourite songs.The compere then talks to these people who say that "mein din bhar Vividh bharati soonta/soonti hoon kaam karte karte-tailoring,working in a garage, or a sipahi at the border-now I was one of them .I quite liked it all.

 The clothes were hung to dry,vessels were now washed and the room was cleaned up

   My thoughts could now be put into words

Thanks Vividh Bharati!

aaghat

This film directed by Mr. Vikram Gokhale[his first directorial venture]is a must see!

The film is sleek -that is ,there are no extra frills ,not a tear jerker or a comic riot but absolutely brilliant!

The actors have given a marvelous performance-each one of them and the credit goes to the director for keeping a tight leash on the acting -just as much as required by the script.The script is very good and it shows how a common person can be duped easily.The Hippocratic oath at the begining and the comment at the end were masterstrokes.

Thank you all for this great film and we would love to see more of Mr. Vikram Gokhale-both as an actor and a director.His faith in Ms. Mukta Barve is justified completely.All the actors have done a great job even in the smallest roles.Congratulations!

There is though one drawback- not many theaters are running the film and then those that are running it do so at odd times like 11.30 am or 12 noon.Still I could catch it and be happy that I have seen a great film!