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My name is Ruchi and I am 26 years old. I am about to share with you the most remarkable phase of my life.
***
It all started about a year ago when Rohit, my fiancée was got an admission from the Stanford University for doctoral studies. He had never expected to get a full scholarship be he did and so our wedding plans were put on hold. He left for USA and I was in Pune working in my dad’s company. Life without Rohit got boring and lonely and so when dad gave me an opportunity to go to Bangalore to head the branch of our company there, I jumped at it. New place, new people would have helped.
Since it was the first time I was living alone, I had a tough time managing the home. I lived in a 3room apartment quite close to the office. I used to go to the office at 9 in the morning and return at around8, exhausted, and would collapse in bed.
One day, Ms. Reddy, one of the senior employees was visiting me.
“Madam, you live alone, and do the entire house work yourself. Don’t you get tired?” she said.
“I do, but then, what can I do? I don’t have the time to look for a maid,” I replied.
“You don’t have to look. Why don’t you hire Suma? She works at my house too.”
Suma was a maid at the office and used to clean the floor I worked on. She was a very talkative and chirpy woman and was generally quite well known. I liked Ms. Reddy’s idea and next day asked Suma if she would work for me. She agreed and that reduced a lot of work load.
Suma and I developed a sort of a rapport. She used to tell me about her family. Her husband was a truck driver who used to be away for months together and she had two daughters.
“I keep telling my daughters to have you as a role model. If they study hard, they too will have a career like you and not be maids like me,” she used to say.
Suma came to my house everyday and 8:30 and I gave her a ride to the office after she had finished with my housework.
The company was doing well and Rohit and I used to talk on the phone every alternate day.
Then one day, Suma did not turn up. I waited for an hour and then went to work. She did not come for 2days, so I asked around. Another maid told me that Suma’s husband was back and so she would not come for a few more days.
Suma returned after 4 days, with bruises on her face. She looked like she had been beaten up. She also looked very tired. When I asked her about the bruises, she just said, “My husband came back from a 3 month long job.”
“You mean he beat you up?” I was shocked.
“It is not like that, he loves me, but this is his way. He can’t drink when he is on the job, so he drinks a lot when he comes home,” she tried to explain.
“So that gives him the right to beat you up? I thought you were a self respecting woman, Suma. This will affect your daughters badly.” I argued.
As we were arguing, someone started furiously banging on the door. Suma went to open it.
“Suma, come home at once,” I heard a man shout.
“Not now, I will come in the evening, please go,” she pleaded.
I went to the door to see what the problem was. A red eyed man was standing at the door shouting.
“You come home, or I’ll beat you to death,” he yelled again.
I had had enough of this.
“What are you doing? This is my house and how dare you talk like that here?” I yelled at him. He stared at me. I felt very conscious that something might happen.
“And what gives you the right to beat up your wife like this? You animal, I ought to report you to the police.” I continued.
“Madam, you stay out of this, it is my wife,” he mumbled.
***
It all started about a year ago when Rohit, my fiancée was got an admission from the Stanford University for doctoral studies. He had never expected to get a full scholarship be he did and so our wedding plans were put on hold. He left for USA and I was in Pune working in my dad’s company. Life without Rohit got boring and lonely and so when dad gave me an opportunity to go to Bangalore to head the branch of our company there, I jumped at it. New place, new people would have helped.
Since it was the first time I was living alone, I had a tough time managing the home. I lived in a 3room apartment quite close to the office. I used to go to the office at 9 in the morning and return at around8, exhausted, and would collapse in bed.
One day, Ms. Reddy, one of the senior employees was visiting me.
“Madam, you live alone, and do the entire house work yourself. Don’t you get tired?” she said.
“I do, but then, what can I do? I don’t have the time to look for a maid,” I replied.
“You don’t have to look. Why don’t you hire Suma? She works at my house too.”
Suma was a maid at the office and used to clean the floor I worked on. She was a very talkative and chirpy woman and was generally quite well known. I liked Ms. Reddy’s idea and next day asked Suma if she would work for me. She agreed and that reduced a lot of work load.
Suma and I developed a sort of a rapport. She used to tell me about her family. Her husband was a truck driver who used to be away for months together and she had two daughters.
“I keep telling my daughters to have you as a role model. If they study hard, they too will have a career like you and not be maids like me,” she used to say.
Suma came to my house everyday and 8:30 and I gave her a ride to the office after she had finished with my housework.
The company was doing well and Rohit and I used to talk on the phone every alternate day.
Then one day, Suma did not turn up. I waited for an hour and then went to work. She did not come for 2days, so I asked around. Another maid told me that Suma’s husband was back and so she would not come for a few more days.
Suma returned after 4 days, with bruises on her face. She looked like she had been beaten up. She also looked very tired. When I asked her about the bruises, she just said, “My husband came back from a 3 month long job.”
“You mean he beat you up?” I was shocked.
“It is not like that, he loves me, but this is his way. He can’t drink when he is on the job, so he drinks a lot when he comes home,” she tried to explain.
“So that gives him the right to beat you up? I thought you were a self respecting woman, Suma. This will affect your daughters badly.” I argued.
As we were arguing, someone started furiously banging on the door. Suma went to open it.
“Suma, come home at once,” I heard a man shout.
“Not now, I will come in the evening, please go,” she pleaded.
I went to the door to see what the problem was. A red eyed man was standing at the door shouting.
“You come home, or I’ll beat you to death,” he yelled again.
I had had enough of this.
“What are you doing? This is my house and how dare you talk like that here?” I yelled at him. He stared at me. I felt very conscious that something might happen.
“And what gives you the right to beat up your wife like this? You animal, I ought to report you to the police.” I continued.
“Madam, you stay out of this, it is my wife,” he mumbled.