And the Bell rings!
It’s a lazy Saturday morning. Aditya(son) has a day off and so does his father. I decide to sleep in and get up late for once-and the doorbell rings…..Trrrrn…..trrrrnn…… Grumbling I get up to attend to the door……it’s the car attendant. He wants the car keys to wash and clean the car. I hand over the keys to come back to the bedroom. But now that my sleep has already been disturbed, I decide to start my housework as usual. I place the milk on the gas stove and wait there patiently to see it boil and rise up….I am awakened from my torpor and suddenly react to a loud screeching bell again…Trrrrn …….trrrrn……..
I am in a dilemma whether to attend to the boiling milk or to the ringing bell….I run to attend the door. Its the milkman. I get the milk, store in the fridge and run back to the kitchen just in time. I sometimes have a good mind to take part in the athletics of the Olympiad.
Its now time for breakfast. Today’s list has Dosa and sambar. I collect all the ingredients and just start to cut the drumsticks. I put the sambar on stove adding the necessary masala and leave it to boil.I then take out the batter and start making nice crispy golden dosas. As soon as I put the batter on the non-stick tawa the bell rings again……this time it’s the phone……trrrrrring……..trrrrring………… I run to get the cordless so that I can work while I talk…..oh Gawwwd where did I keep the cordless handset??Its difficult to locate it while I run hither and thither. Somehow when I find it I realise that the ringing sound is not emerging from this phone. Its from the intercom. I almost grab the handset and grind my teeth to a curt voice from the other side……” Lakshmi aa gayi kya”….I just have time to say “nahin aayi” and rush back to the kitchen only to see my beloved dosa burnt . I still have some vigour left. After all it’s a holiday and the dosa is being made for the husband who has waited patiently for this day to eat something decent after being handed over kaccha/pucca breakfast everyday in the name of jaldi-baazi.
I give another try to my labour lost. As soon as I spread the batter on the tawa,….it goes again…………a musical note….this time it’s the mobile phone and its from some company deciding to give me a loan for nothing. I reject the call and march back towards the kitchen. Somehow I finish my dosas and now its time for coffee when it goes again….Trrrrrrn Trrrrrrrn………Aditya has just got up from bed and he screams his usual mumma mumma…..I cock my head and decide to go towards the door first ,fearing that if it’s the maid she’ll give me the ditch if I don’t open on time. Nooo it’s the housekeeping staff from the township to handover the garbage bags. I almost snatch the bag from their hands and rush inside only to hear the bell again………..Trrrrrrrrrrrrrn………..trrrrrrn……….
OH WHAT NOW??? I almost shout and the housekeeping fellow hands me the pen and a sheet of paper…”maam aapne sign nahin kiya”……Oh Gaawd…I just make an artistic crest-trough like figure and get rid of the responsibility. Im almost panting by now. I used to wonder why I have I been feeling soooo tired nowadays and now I have the answer.I continue my sambar venture. But while I am at it, the bell rings again…..Trrrrrrrrrrrn Trrrrrrrrrn.
I have a temptation to hit my head against the wall. I go to attend the door again. This time it’s the Bathroom cleaner .I want to just bang the door on him but I have no option. If I let him go I’ll have to do the cleaning myself. The cleaning process is like a never ending ordeal. Only when he makes an exit can we have breakfast at leisure. After an hour long wait, he asks me to close the door.
The minute I turn my back………..goes the bell again……..This time its from all over………..Trrrrrrrrrrrrrn Trrrrrrrrrrrrn and Trrring trrrrrring…….I swirl myself not knowing which way to head. I run for the phone first……the BSNL….not ringing…..….the intercom……..not ringing…………….Its got to be the mobile……..I run to see who is on the line………….. It’s a reminder alarm reminding us of my birthday………….Now I run to the door to see a bouquet of flowers being delivered to me with a card attached…..Love you :your husband………… All my anger and irritability disappear and I equip myself with renewed energy to face the bells tomorrow…………again of the maid, of the milkman, of the newspaperman, of the laundry and so on…………..