AParade of Household Help

Now I could come home for lunch daily and be with Adit for a little while more than before. And I needed to do that all the more as Raji was still not responsible enough. So, I looked out for a cook-cum-nanny type and that was how we engaged Sharada. Raji was to help her, but how much she did is anybody's guess. Unfortunately she got into the habit of standing in the front doorway, all dolled up in the evenings. I had to reprimand her about the message this could have sent to passersby. After a few days I was relieved that she had got out of this habit till Pratima and I found she was flirting with Bhanu. In the Indian milieu, this was not done! Pratima had got Bhanu from his village with a promise that he would be looked after by her and her husband, Pramod, meaning that when he got hitched up, it would be with the approval of his parents. While in the case of Raji, I was under no such obligation, I was certain she was not yet mature enough to make adult decisions but that this was just a fling, having cut loose from the orphanage. Once this was nipped in the bud, she spent all her time in the servant quarters [actually a converted garage] that we had given Sharada, which by itself was okay except that she neglected her work, and soon took up with a driver who was a frequent visitor to that place. Finally, they both ran away! Luckily for her, we found that they had got married soon after. But years later, I met Raji one day on the street, and she ruefully confessed that the escapade was a mistake as her husband beat her and saddled her with a number of children.
I felt sorry for her but she had gone out of our orbit altogether. There was no way she would fit into our household again, nor did she want to. That was the last I saw of her. I have often felt guilty about all this and wondered whether matters would have been different if we had tried harder or through other tactics. One of those unresolved questions.

After a year or so, Sharada was diagnosed with TB and had to go to a sanatorium for treatment. We were truly sorry about this and to lose her – she was gentle with Adit and a good cook too. I wanted to keep her, while she was being treated but was warned that it was dangerous for Adit.


Ramu finally came back to Delhi towards the end of '75, having opted to take up a Public sector post. His new post was as Finance Director, Engineers, India, a Public Sector Undertaking of the Govt. of India. It was in fact considered not part of the govt. services, and he had to resign from govt. after a brief initial period. Anyway, he was back with the family in Delhi, and it was a good move for all, especially for Aditya.
Ramu's driver, Nair, was soon more than just a driver. He became Adit's friend – they would spend quite a lot of time together when he was waiting to take Ramu somewhere. He was instrumental in bringing us the soft-spoken, gentle Sharada [number 2], who was our cook-cum-caregiver for years in Delhi.