Being Independent... Part 4

Next day the black lady called up fuming. She was receiving calls from people who wanted their parcels picked up from their doorsteps for just a pound! She fought with A. A was furious.

A - You handle this female whichever way you want.

The lady called up again. I spoke to her, apologized. She asked for a waiver of 100 pounds on the next ad. I consulted A. She walked straight to P's cabin. I could see my hopes sinking down. She came out of the cabin and asked me to go inside.

P - We kept you here thinking you could bring us business. And you are getting A into trouble.

Me - I have invested most of my time procuring payments from her clients. You can check with Akash bhai, I have got more then 3000 pounds back in about three weeks.

P - You were not hired for this. You had to bring business. You have not done your job. I am sorry, we can't keep you. You may leave. You'll be paid 100 pounds as promised.

I was angry, my mouth had gone dry and I dint give a damn.

Me - You promised a hundred and fifty.

P - Whatever it is. Akash will give you the check. You can take your stuff and go now. Thank you.

Me - Thank you.

I bid goodbye to everyone. Left the place. I cried again. I felt helpless. Sitting on a bench, outside Stratford station, in the rush hour, I called dad.

Dad - Nidha, bitia.. this is the advertising world. Aisa hota hai. You cannot afford mistakes in such a competitive place. You were unlucky to be under that female. And you did make a few mistakes. You are still very naive for being here. But its alright. Cheer up. Take this as a lesson and move forward. Try finding another job soon. And remember this is not the end of the world. We are always there for you. I spoke to ma after that. She cried. I managed to calm her down.

I went home, told S everything. He cheered me up and we went on our usual long walks after dinner. I was jobless now. I stayed home for the next few days. Only during these time I realised I was living with a bunch of males. Some really ridiculous, brainless gits. There was one who fought with me every morning for going to the loo. There was one that hated to see me make my chai every morning. There was another who smelled so horrible, even the pigs would faint and the rest were non-existent. Poor S texted me during his work hours and called me a few times in his break times. He started coming early because he knew I would get bored.

I spent my days working on my assignments. In the day time when all the boys went to work I sat downstairs in the TV room. On one such day, my landlord came home. He told me he'd got someone to repair the phone wires. The other guy stayed outside the house while we both chatted.

L - You dont work?

Me - Not right now. I am busy working on some assignments.

L - Dont you get bored being alone here.

Me - Not really. There is so much to do.

L - Vaise you must be having a boyfriend. You're so beautiful.

Me - Ugh uh.. He he..

I had no idea how it happened, but in a flip second he came really close to me and ran his fingers through my cheek. My reflexes were slow. Still I somehow managed to push him back. I shouted at him and asked him to leave. He laughed it off and said 'Why you getting so angry. I'm leaving.' I was trembling with rage. I felt stupid, miserable, horrible and lost. I decided there and then that I'd leave. I couldn't stay there any longer.

I moved into a new place with friends I knew from Ahmedabad. R, A and P. They were my age, all working. They went to work in the day time while I stayed back home, studied, completed my assignments and surfed the internet. In the evenings I spent time with them watching movies or simply chit chatting. I was enjoying myself there. I felt much better than I had in the last few months.

But my stay here was fated not to last long. The owner of the house wanted me out of the house for reasons I couldn't comprehend. He tried playing dirty politics with me and once again I couldn't tolerate shit. I confronted him and he denied everything he had said. It was me against the rest staying in that house. It was horrible. I locked myself inside the little room until I found myself another house. The house owner had given me 15 days notice to move out. I shifted within a week.

August 2008 - Sep 2008

The new place belonged to a patel family. A young girl, his husband who was a decade older to her and a foot shorter than her and their 14 month old kid. On the first morning, I was annoyed to see the female come inside my room and watch tv at 8 in the morning!! I wanted to tell her to go away but going by my previous days events, I wanted to take it slow. As time passed I noticed that this lady made nothing but dal dhokli, alu ki sabzi, khichdi and theplas. I helped her knead the dough even when I was not supposed to do it. She did not let me wash my clothes whenever I would wish. She would say the electricity bill soars if the machine is used too often. There were days when she dint make food. I would sleep hungry or just have biscuits and water.

This is where I got myself a job in Macdonalds. It had mostly Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Indians. Macdonalds was a great learning place. I worked for more than ten hours everyday. The pay was good and the money came in every fortnight. The people here had become friends. I remember one guy especially, Junaid. A very hard working, sincere looking boy. We spent alot of time on the till and were together during the closing hours. We talked about our lives back in our countries. It was great hanging out with him. The people in our shifts had even started doubting whether something was going on between us. I couldn't care less. I needed good company and he was a great one.

Because I spent more time at work and less time at home, I did not have to put up with my landlord. But she was a smart woman. She saw I worked long hours. And long hours meant more money. So one fine day when I came home she said she'd raise my rent.

Me - And why is that?

L - Because the electricity bill has doubled and we cant afford it.

Me - Then dont watch so much tv.

L - He he very funny. But if you are staying here you are paying me ten pounds more every week.

Me - And what for? For a bed and internet connection huh? More than half of my room is covered with your junk. When we finalised the deal, I was supposed to be living in the big room which now you have shifted in. You promised me food which you dont cook so many times and even if you do it is nothing different than khichdi. I do not pay you money for a bed, internet connection and khichdi.

L - The go find someother place!

Me - Yeah, why dont you find me one. Do whatever, I am not emptying this place.

I stormed out of the kitchen and banged my door shut. A few minutes later I went inside the kitchen to put my clothes to wash. After I had left I heard some clicks inside the kitchen again. I knew it was her. I went to check again. Yeah.. the bitch had thrown my clothes out and had put hers in. I was about to throw hers out and put my in when she barged in.

L - Don't you dare..

I threw her stuff out on the floor and looked at her sarcastically.

Me - I just did.

She called her husband for help. The loser did not have the required balls. He had expressions of someone who was stuck with the dame and had no option out. I pitied him but still continued screaming at his wife. By this time I was sitting at the fridge door, opening it to get some food. I was shouting back at her, opening the door and putting my hand inside the fridge to get my yoghurt out. I had been groping for it but because my hand dint land on it I turned a little to locate it.

In that split second something else happened which was more shocking than the ex-ex-landlord episode. The bitch slapped me. Her big stubby fingers hit hard on my right cheek and right side of the neck. Her nails gnaw under my lip, on my cheek and even a bit on the neck. I was bleeding. I was shocked but in my senses. I got up and hit her back. She was a hefty female. We were pawing at each other. Her husband came in then and pulled us apart. I ran to my room and called my dad up and on his suggestion, I called my aunt. Aunt was on her way to pick me up. I emptied the cupboards, packed my laptop, my vessels and my laundry clothes and put all of it my suitcase.

Meanwhile I waited, I called up the cops. I told them what happened. They said they would be there but it would take time. Aunt arrived and we left. The husband helped us get the luggage down. He apologized for his wife's behavior. I was too angry to forgive anyone then.

My life had come a full circle. I came back to where I had first left.