What happens in India when a maid goes on leave...?

Time 9:40 AM . My wife was looking at the wall clock as the maid hadn't turned up yet. Just a week back I suggested to my wife,to replace her with another maid as she lacks time management and we had to call the maid often to know by what time she comes.Since my profession deals in Data Analytics , I am able to see a clear pattern of increase in the mobile recharges for my wife's phone after this maid starting coming to our house. During 2 days of Diwali the maid was very punctual  and placed her demands for Diwali bonus.We complied.Now that she had received some Diwali gifts+bonus , I was pretty sure , she will become complacent.Even the watchman,house keeping person of our society took Diwali tips from flat owners and the very next day I heard that it was their last day.Following their footsteps,as expected , the maid informed over phone that she can't come for that day.

            To add icing to the cake , our neighbours asked to take care of their 3 year old son for four hrs owing to the kids Diwali holidays at play school.They are very helpful people and often take care of my daughter when we stay out.The Kid's mom goes out for competitive exam coaching during that time.Our families are close and we sometimes ask their help to take care of our one-and-half yr old daughter .My office shift timing is from 1-10 pm.I thought it was easy because effort is the same to engage with one kid or two kids.I latter realized I was wrong. Effort multiplies.


  Now, since the maid went on sudden leave, my wife asked me to tell the watchman if any other maid can work for that single day. When I stepped out of our flat, kids ran up to me crying to take them along.I had to take them along as they danced in the lift ,pressing all the buttons of all the floors and shouting on their top of the voice.Luckily I found a house keeping maid who told that she can come at 2 pm to clean kitchen utensils. I was elated to say to my wife that I found someone to work for that day. When I told  it to my wife, she asked what's the need to wait till 2 pm and I should have convinced her to come right away  as cleaning kitchen utensils just take 10-15 mins and. I lost the sense of achievement for what I had done.
           
           In the four years of marriage, I rarely felt that I did something just the right way my wife expected.If I go an extra mile and do something more than what she told, I would be asked who told me to apply my own brain.So, I started doing only what I was told to do.Then I was told to use my common sense to do that extra thing which is implied in the statement provided. Ever since, I started doubting if I would ever be able to decode the correct depth of my wife's statements in my life time. Owing to this performance, she feels that she can do my office job single handedly and often wonders how I got promoted in the last appraisal. I shared it with my close friend from Bihar , Amit Kumar - who replied "Same Pinch". Even his wife feels exactly the same about him. I was bit relieved.But my happiest moment came when our family went to Bangalore for a get together. My childhood classmates from 1st-10th class meet once in 3-4 years at one city or the other. Now most of them are married and with little kids. During the Bangalore get together, there was a discussion, no a debate started between all the ladies. They started debating very seriously. And the topic is - "My husband is the dumbest of all". Each of them explained so funnily , so enthusiastically how dumb their husbands .And I am very happy that I hadn't topped the list at the end of debate, as other woman were able to dominate in explaining the dumbness of their husbands better.

Coming back to my current day care scene,the neighbours' naughty son arrived .He and my daughter started running around the house taking out the articles from shelves, scattering news papers etc. The neighbour's 3 yr kid was at his mischievous best.He just like to run around without looking at the sharp edges of the furniture.But the worst fear is that if the kids get into the balcony they can do dangerous things like standing on the stool and peeping down from 9th floor terrace.I locked the balcony doors. But still there is a danger looming in the form of sharp edges of shoe rack, TV stand etc. Now that the maid hasn't come , there are two options given to me - either clean the house or take care of the Kids. I choose the latter so that my wife can clean the house and prepare lunch.I had to take the kids out of the flat so that the cleaning can be done.I was confused how to engage them as they run hay-way and making a mess in the common corridor.

Finally , to my bliss , they found fun in running after me and catching me.I thought it was a brilliant idea to play cop and thief kind of game then. But running to escape from them after 10 mins took away my breath.But they wanted it more.I ran for a while and stopped looking for other innovative engagement techniques.My daughter took my size-10 shoes and happily started walking with them.The 3 year boy followed the suit taking my slippers. Thank God,I got a break for a while.When I was just able to relax, I got information that my daughter has thrown the plastic bat of our neighbours to the ground floor. While I was going down I thought that I should explain to our neighbours how tactful and patient I am in dealing with those heroic kids.


Meanwhile the mom of the 3 year Kid came to take her son back and told my wife that she is planning to put her kid in day care for next 5 days as his Diwali holidays got extended.My wife being kind enough , told that there is no such need and we (meaning "I"- the husband ) can take their kid during those 3-4 hours in the next five days.I was missing from the scene as I was searching the bat downstairs.Else I would have expalined my wife how difficult it would be to do a daddy day-care for our naughty baby alone.Once I returned, she told what she conveyed to the kid's mom.

  "Upset-Anger..Puzzled" were little words to describe my feelings then.On top of it, my wife also informed me that the maid may not return for next 2-3 days.Having read certain anger management tactics,I took deep breaths for next couple of minutes.To escape from the impending ordeal ,I then contemplated to change my office shift timings to morning if its feasible, else the company itself. !!! All this happened because of the maid taking a sudden leave and my wife getting busy with household work which left me with no choice but do a "Daddy-Day Care".In the hindsight, I left wondering  - Can a maid going on leave alter my career path ??