I thought of meeting Shilpa by stopping her car but it seemed to stop for no one. I couldn’t get a single glimpse of her since the day she visited my house. With nothing to do, I turned to Rani. I apologized to her while she was working in the kitchen but she kept on working and didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally she opened her mouth, “I don’t remember much of what happened.” I was relieved hearing that but she dropped a bomb when she said, “So, I can’t forgive you.”
Confused, I replied, “I don’t understand.” She looked me in the eye, probably the first time since that fated look of disgust, and said, “My first impression of you has been an unpleasant one. And you will always remain a pervy teen in my eyes.”
I was very disappointed, fell silent and went to my room. Back in my room, I tried to think of ways to make up to Rani. I thought of gifting something to her but couldn’t think of what ladies of her age might like. As it was about time for me to leave for college, I started getting dresseed up. Just when I was about to pick my bag and leave, Rani entered my room.
She walked slowly towards me, with her head raised and her face bearing a smirk, walked past me and started, “I was thinking about earlier,” I turned back to find her still continue her haughty walk, “and I want to give you a chance.” My eyes widened and I asked her, “Really?” She replied, “Sure. As a start,” she turned back and continued, looking into my eyes, “why don’t you come help me with the dishes?”
I was taken aback. She stood quite far, staring at me with a smirk, almost expecting me to say yes, while I was still processing the absurdity of her request. Actually, I was not sure if it was a request or an order. I meekly retaliated, “Why should I d-do the dishes? It is what y-you are p-paid for?”
Rani started walking towards me, not losing eye contact, and said, “See, the thing is I excuse bad behavior only from my friends. Now, Do you want to be my friend or not?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Is it wrong of friends to ask each other for help?”
“No.”
“Do you want to help me or not?” She stood inches close to me, her breasts heaving just in front of my mouth, and kept staring straight down at me.
“YES!”
When I entered the kitchen, I was astounded to see so many dishes. I said to Rani, “There are so many. I might miss my bus.”
She calmly replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll ask Ms.Shilpa to drop you off at college.” I was very excited on hearing Shilpa’s name and began scrubbing the dishes with new-found vigor. Rani, meanwhile had her breakfast standing beside me and instructed me from time to time. I felt extreme disgust when she handed over her plate to me for cleaning. To think that I was cleaning my maid servant’s freshly disposed plate. It was humiliating.
Rani took me to Shilpa’s office and I, once again, could not dare speak to her. I just stood there shyly and Rani did all the talking. A car was arranged for me and with a heavy heart, I took leave of Shilpa. I kept pondering on the day’s events on my way to college. Though, it was humiliating to clean dishes, I liked Rani at the end of it since she gave me a wonderful reward. I felt like I must be the only person in the community to see Shilpa twice.
*****
I decided on being ‘friends’ with Rani. It became a routine for me. My parents leave home before 9 AM and I would be ‘helping’ Rani anytime between them leaving and 9:45 AM, my leaving time. She took care not to make me help over my departure time. So, I was not able to meet Shilpa for a long time. Added to that is my increase in proficiency doing dishes. I became so accustomed to it that Rani’s plates no longer aroused disgust in me however clumsy she ate. Desperate to see Shilpa, I started deliberately slowing down my work to overshoot. That too didn’t work out as Rani used to cut me off at 9:45 AM sharp. I was frustated. Little did I know that those were my best days.
Soon, Rani upgraded me from dishes to cleaning the bathrooms. I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t understand why she was making me do all these disgusting things. Was she punishing me under the veil of being friends? I did not even make that big of a mistake. So, I confronted her, “Rani, Why are you making me do such a disgusting thing?”
She looked surprised and replied calmly, “What do you mean by disgusting? I do this everyday.”
I was ashamed and at a loss for words. Unable to argue with her any further, I quietly accepted her retribution. There were two bathrooms in our quarters- a master bathroom and a servant bathroom. My parents and I used the master bathroom, obviously, whereas Rani alone used the servant bathroom. However, the servant bathroom was the one which was stinkier. I threw up many a time while cleaning it and the stench combined with the fact that I was cleaning my maid’s bathroom for her, deeply embarassed me.
Thinking back upon it, I don’t know why I was so obedient towards her. I can’t fathom why I put up with all those tribulations when the reward also didn’t seem to be in sight. Anyway, I yielded to her will and soon I found myself doing all the housework while Rani just cooked. It was like we had two maids- I, the housekeeper and Rani, the cook. Still, I did not get my reward. Instead, she forced me to complete my pending work in the evening, before my parents returned home.
One day, before a festival, the housework was so enormous that I snapped, “Rani, I think you are exploiting me in the name of friendship.”
Rani turned grave and asked me angrily, “Why do you think so? I have been very happy with your help.”
I went close to her and said in a low tone, “Um… I am the one who is doing all the housework in m… my house. It does… It doesn’t feel right.”
Rani thought for a while, turned her back to me and said, “Hmm, if that is your problem, don’t worry. You can help me in other ways too.” She raised her voice and said, “Just leave whatever you are doing and go to your room. And don’t disturb me since my work just got doubled!”
I was intimidated and requested her, “Please Rani, let me help you just for today. There is an insane amount of work today.” She quipped, without moving, “I won’t repeat what I said!”
The next day, immediately after my parents left, Rani took me to her room in the Agency. That was the first time I was seeing the much talked about maids’ rooms. True to the rumors, the room was enormous- about two thirds of our home. There was a large window opposite the door and just by the window, a treadmill laid beside a Queen sized bed. Various gym equipment filled the room here and there and they formed quite a collage with her scattered clothes all over the room. There was also a huge mirror on the wall against the bed. All in all, the room was excellent but because of its poor maintenance and decoration, it barely emitted any lustre.
Rani laid a hand on my shoulder and said in a sarcastic tone, “Since I would be so busy with your house from today, I want your help keeping my room. Is that fine enough, princess?”
As I was about to speak, I heard somebody calling Rani. I was exhilarated to see that it was Shilpa. She smiled at me and I responded likewise. Rani went out to have a chat with her while I was jumping around in joy in my heart.