Fauziya was a petite lady who served the Sharma’s. She was a part of the outnumbered, yet she had a smile that was even more stele than a so called ‘millionaire’. Being a ‘bangladeshi muslim’, she had a very funny way of speaking Hindi as if chomping ras gulla in her cheeks. Her entry radiated a very subtle trail of ‘kattha’ and her smile glowed with a tinge from the ‘paan’. In all her presence was very well accepted and waited for.
The Sharma’s had a very young baby girl who had just graduated at ‘crawling’. The Bambi loved Fauziya, as she came daily and played with her…talked to her in gibberish and made her feel very important. The little girl would even get up from her nap just listening to her voice even while napping and also looked out for her, smelling the kattha in the air.
The Sharma’s lived in a nuclear family. Once Mr. Sharma’s mother was going to visit them and spend a good time with them. The Sharma’s were happy to have the fairly new Granma. They had always wanted their ‘sapling’ to grow under the nurturing shadow of their own ‘accomplished’ tree. However, “Houston, we had a PROBLEM!” Coming from a very standard Brahmin family, the grandma would not tolerate a lady who opens her hands while praying, she would not like the meat eating lady to sweep around her holy temple spot. No No No! She could not and she would not!
The Sharma’s were in a ‘dharamsankat’. They had an option to let go of Fauziya for the time the Grandma was visiting them. But they were so use to having Fauziya around, they did not want to accommodate a stranger just for that. Moreover they knew, that would financially maul the stomachs of her house. They thought what could be done? Finally they had a solution. They waited for her to come the next morning. As she entered they gave her some sweets and down with her to talk over a cup of tea. They asked her if she would not be a Muslim, which Hindu name would she like to be called. Immediately she answered ‘Jaya’. She entold, while growing up she had a very good friend with whom she had to depart when she got married and came to Delhi. Her fondness for the name ‘Jaya’ was proved by the love she had in her heart for long lost childhood friend. The Sharma’s gave her an explanation as to what was in store for her and gave her two options. One was that she had to adopt the name ‘Jaya’ and forget Fauziya for the next few months and continue working for them or leave the job until the Grandma stayed in their house. She had stomachs to feed, bills to pay…Fauziya decided to be ‘Jaya’.
Jaya use to come on time, clean the house before Gandma would start her daily ‘offerings’ to her almighty. Also Jaya was allowed to clean below and around the temple. Jaya was also given the the holy offerings as a very helpful Jaya used to get flowers and baby grass for Grandma’s ‘Puja’. And aptly so was she rewarded under the regime of Grandma.
Soon it was time for the Senior to leave. On her departure she gifted her beloved Jaya with cash and couple of her old sarees along with her old slippers. That was a bumper surprise for her. She was so happy that she touched the feet of her aider despite of her beliefs.
The next day we were happy to have Fauziya back in our lives. Fauziya entered and started doing her routine work. I called her out to help me pick up the mattress from the floor and store it inside the bed, she turned a deaf ear…I called her twice, then thrice… I surrendered and yelled ‘Jayaaaaa, yahaan aana’. Instantly she answered and came to my rescue. With Grandma’s shower of love, on her departure, ‘Fauziya’ departed and 'Jaya' arrived.
