Chapter 1

'It better fits'

Shivay Singh Oberoi thought to himself as he added a dress pants in one size higher than he usually prefers to his online shopping cart. All the 'not leaving house unless the floor is below is flooded or the floor above is falling' has put on extra pounds here and there on his body. So, he hoped that the new clothes that his HR, Radhika was making him purchase for the 'not happening without the project head' meeting fits him well.

Grudgingly he made online payment for his shopping and sent the screenshot to Radhika as good humor. She replied with a smiling emoji, but Shivay knows she would be nothing close to smiling when it was about anything regarding him. Shivay and Radhika had mutual professional detestation for she, every month, filled his mail box with complains about his lack of physical office hours specified by company policies and he, relentlessly, played his most skillful employee who bagged the US clients card to his VP to get away with ridiculous work from home requests he keeps making. Well, eventually, it was always he who gets his way, thanks to all the hard work he put to this one company for the past twelve years since he graduated. Now, at 34, Shivay has earned the privilege of developing multi million dollar software from the comfort of his house wearing boy shorts and wife beater*.

When Radhika learned about the important meeting that the team is going to have with clients from the US, she took it upon herself to make everyone believe that the meeting isn't going to be successful with Shivay, the brain behind the entire project. Even ever supporting VP insisted that Shivay cannot get away with this one.

Personally, Shivay knew they couldn't do it without him. He was hired by a goose and he hired bunch of dolts. It is a surprise that everyone is working properly without him breathing down their neck. If rumors, that he keeps track about even though he has reduced his social life to nil, are to be believed, then Shivay might as well become VP by the end of next year. VP meant more money, influence and less office visit and, if he could manage to crack the deal with Chinese company, then complete goodbye to India. At least, then he wouldn't have to live a life confined to the four walls of his house.

Shivay, from time to time, wonders if he should leave the life of hermit that he has taken up on himself. Then, he would think about the high stakes he would be playing at for desiring something as trivial as social life and immediately curb into comfort of his couch and click on another episode of Breaking Bad. Not everything about staying home can be bad, you know. At least now he knows how the series that he always wanted to watch ends.

***

"And then what do you do at home?" asked Omkara who was best friend of Shivay once upon a time when Shivay reached the office first and left last. Now, for old time sake, Omkara kept him Shivay Company whenever the latter comes to office and also moonlights as gossip monger for Shivay.

Shivay sighed behind the coffee mug he was sipping from. It never ceased to amuse Omkara that Shivay stayed home most of the time.

"I do... stuff... you know... around the house." Shivay said. "Some work. Some hobbies. " he shrugged casually.

"That must be..." Omkara scrunched his nose. He was thinking something abrasive but was willing to say a polite word so that he doesn't appear rude.

"I know." Shivay prompted saving Omkara the effort of surfing his vocabulary.

For someone like Omkara, who couldn't help but exploit every opportunity to stay away from his house and over the top wife, Shivay's self infected house arrest seemed appallingly strange. Though Omkara knew the reason that lead to this eccentric behavior of Shivay, he couldn't understand the need for such harsh decision.

Sh*t happens in life and we cannot be taking sh*ittier routes to avoid those sh*ts.

More than once, Omkara has tried to convince Shivay to come out of his protective walls. Three out of five attempts that Shivay made for his family and Omkara's sake failed. So, eventually, his friends and family gave up coaxing him to return to living like a normal person. Now they all began to follow what Shivay once stated as a joke. "Reserve place for me in your heart, not beside you." They all loved him like one loves a celebrity. Unconditionally, but from far.

"Any new restaurants around that I should bother a takeaway from?" Shivay asked Omkara as they both made their way to the parking. The meeting went on till eleven at night and Shivay was too hungry to make do with just maggi noodles.

"Wouldn't Selvi amma have cooked for you?" Omkara asked remembering about Shivay's kind eyed house help who not only understood Shivay's need of solitary from world, but also proved excellent voice of reason when needed in the past one year.

"Oh!" Shivay's voice dulled. "She has left the city to go live with her son."

Shivay missed the old woman. For the past year, after Shivay put himself out of the social scene and began living in his house, Selvi amma has been his cook, maid, spiritual guru, chess partner and occasional therapist. He came to love her so much in few months he has known her that he couldn't deny when she wanted to leave him. She was exactly what he needed to face the life after what happened to him. Her leaving has not only made his house a mess, but also his head.

"I should be looking for new help."

Omkara's eyes brightened like he was personally being offered a job opportunity. He took out his phone, clicked few buttons and shoved it on Shivay's face.

" 'Hire a help' " Omkara said. "My wife created an app to help people to easily hire house help in this busy city. Background check has been already done. All you have to do is type in requirement and you will see your options." Omkara continued bragging about the app while Shivay was busy scrolling through it. " No registration fee. Only small percentage of first three months salary after help completes 30 day mark." What Omkara failed to mention was that if Shivay gets help from app then Omkara will be spared from paying for his wife's monthly shopping spree.

"I don't know, dude." Shivay said. "It seems impersonal."

"Either this or asking every person in your building if they are willing to share their house help with you."

Speaking to anyone who occupied one of the forty houses in his apartment was a definite nightmare and Shivay can any day part away from money than enduring that. So, the same night, he not only signed up for the app, but also fixed meeting with a prospective help for the next day afternoon.

***

Movies spoil us.

English movies only have a fifty plus wrinkled house help in a costume that belongs to Victorian era, while Hindi movies has typical, loud mouthed, gossipy bai going for them. No one prepared Shivay for a chic looking, mid twenties something, jeans and rib knit top wearing house help.

When Shivay opened the door to a young woman with bright smile, he was convinced she was here to sell something that he didn't need. He was about to close the door on her face when she introduced herself.

"Annika Sharma. Here for the interview."

And Shivay was (and still is) dumbstruck.

"Do you want something to drink?" asked Shivay as he fumbled his way to the tea bags he kept on the living room table. At least that could buy him some time to think what he should talk. He had no experience with hiring house help let alone someone who looked like she walked out of a corporate office. His mother did the needed last time and this time, unfortunately, he can't seek her help. His reclusive behavior doesn't sit well with his mother and she refuses to talk to him until it is about him taking professional help or moving back to their hometown.

"Shouldn't I be making something for us to drink so that you can validate my skill?" she smiled at him rather professionally.

"Is that how it works?" he can't help but ask."Should I give you some practical tests and see how you flare?"

Did they have rules for interviewing house help in the internet? Now, he regretted not checking those beforehand.

"Well, that is what my last employer did when she interviewed me. She made me iron and fold her clothes and also made me wash bunch of vessels. "

"Oh!" Shivay said thoughtfully.

He was wondering what he should ask her to do without sounding like an arse, while Annika took it upon herself to make their tea.

"Sugar?" she asked

"Yes, please one cube."

Shivay sipped tea slowly all the while avoiding Annika's smiling face. She seemed like one of those always smiling people and he wondered if he wanted that kind of condescending energy at this point in his life.

"I can make you tea with actual leaves or powder. Tea bags are not considered healthy."

"Are you going to be one of those preachy, looking down upon the employer kind of house help?"

She chuckled. "Not if you don't want me to."

"I like my tea bags. Thank you very much."

"Fair enough." She agreed.

Shivay thought he came a bit sharp with the tea bags thing so he decided to lighten the mood by asking about her previous employment.

"House of five. Husband, wife, two kids and a puppy. I have done from polishing high fashioned jewelry using vinegar to cleaning dog potty. So, I can pretty much do anything. I can cook Indian, continental and a bit of Chinese. I can clean house so well that it puts Monica Geller to shame and yeah, most importantly, I can wash clothes in a way that one's colour doesn't get on the other." She gave a lopsided smile.

"That's a divine skill. Puts you right up the ladder." Shivay mock saluted her

"I know." She nodded.

"Can I ask you why you quit the previous job?"

He noticed she bit her lips as if she was weighing if she should tell him or how she should tell him. Then she sighed deeply.

"Might sound a bit cliché." She said. "My employer made a pass at me."

Shivay winced and cursed the specimens of his gender that disgraced them all.

"I am sorry to hear that." He said genuinely.

"Thank you. Mrs.Bhatra is kind, untaught nevertheless. You can call her for reference. She has promised to be impartial."

"Annika, right?" he asked and she nodded. "You have to know that I live here alone and you will find me in this house most of the times. I work from home unless it is any emergency at office. I can assure you that you will be completely safe and I am no perv. But, I just want you to be informed."

Annika nodded in understanding.

"I am no safer in any other house than I will be here. I know how to take care of myself. Thank you for your concern, though. I appreciate it."

He had no doubts in her words though. She did seem like a strong willed woman.

"I have three things to tell you, Annika. One, I absolutely detest going out, so you will be required to run errands all the time. Of course, you can use my car. Two, I need biriyani four times a week and please no cardamom."

"Oh! that's blasphemy I cannot not add it." She looked at him like he was asking her to commit sin.

"Now, you are reducing your chances of getting hired, madam." He teased.

"What if I make sure there is no cardamom in your plate?" she asked

Shivay made a thoughtful face. "Fine, let's do a test run soon."

"Cool."

"So, then." He continued. "Three, punctuality."

"Easy. I can check all three." She nodded confidently. "I live nearby. So, I will be at your beck and call."

Shivay wondered if he should ask her about her family. Was it polite or presumptuous? He quickly decided to postpone it until their consecutive meetings.

"So?" asked Annika.

"Yes, you are hired."

Annika sighed so deeply that for a minute he thought she could cry. She passed a quick prayer to God looking above and faced him with big, toothy smile.

"You have no idea how relieved I feel." She said. "This is my fourth interview in two weeks. Women seem to unabashedly discriminate young woman for role of house help, you know. "

He didn't know, but he understood. She looked not only beautiful but intelligent. He could guess why other women should feel threatened by her at their own house.

"It's a good thing that it is just me then." Shivay said. "But, I can't promise I will be less demanding and make your work easier. I can be a pain in the neck."

"Not definitely more demanding than two five year olds who wanted ice cream from B&R in Patel road when it was raining cats and dogs."

Shivay held his hand above his chest in promise sign. "I will try be reasonable."

"Very generous."

"Is there anything else you want me to know?" Annika answered.

"Nothing that I have not disclosed in the app. Salary, incentives, leaves all that. You read that right?"

"Sure, I did."

Annika stood up and Shivay followed. She held her hand out and Shivay shook it briskly.

"It was nice to meet you and I am looking forward to work for you." Annika said

"Likewise. Not the work for you part." Shivay added awkwardly making Annika chuckle.

"I know."

Shivay was pleased with himself. It was his first independent decision relating something to his house and he was proud. Shivay finally felt like an actual grown up. Annika seemed complete opposite to kind, soft spoken Selvi amma. She seemed unmatching as a house help and he didn't say this just because of how she looked. There was something very erudite about her and he wondered if he should have been wary about choosing her. He reasoned that he did believe in Omkara's wife's app's background checks. So, was willing to take risk. Secretly, he did relish the energy Annika spread the few minutes she stayed and was tempted to hire her so that he can spend more time with her. Openly, he admitted only that he was in dire need of a house help else he is going to sink in the heap of pending laundry and stink that was coming from his bathroom. He badly needed someone to take care of his house and so was willing to throw caution out of window to hire first practical candidate.

***

So, how was it?

Speculations welcome.

Lack of participation will definitely affect the future of the story. Don't blame me later.

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wife beater*- a man's sleeveless vest or T-shirt.