Date easier to find than a Maid in Noida
NOIDA: A high-paying job, a spacious apartment in a posh locality, and you've somehow managed to find compatible roommates, too. Working for long hours at work and then partying all night with friends - that's all one can imagine in the life of the young male office-goer in Noida. Yes, they party, but only if there's a maid to clean up the next morning. And getting a maid to agree to work in a ladkon wala ghar is a Herculean task for Noida's young crowd, who say it's easier to find a date than a maid. Read on to find out the struggles of bachelors in town, who are constantly on the lookout for a maid/cook.
Sorry honey, need to get back home, maid's waiting Praneet Mani, a project manager who lives in Sector 50, says, "Our parties are planned according to our maid's work schedule. We throw house parties only on weekdays because it's my maid's weekly off on Sundays. So, even though my off is on Sunday, I never invite my friends because I can't handle the cooking and cleaning myself."
For Shamim Khan, a software designer who lives in Sector 42, the number of hours he gets to spend with his girlfriend after office depends on his maid's timings. "There have been so many instances when I had to cut short my date with my girlfriend because of my maid. Whenever she has to take a chhutti, she comes early the previous evening. And I have no choice but to rush back home. Thankfully, my girlfriend understands my problem and hasn't thrown a fit yet."
Drink karte ho? party toh nahi karte? Be ready to answer to your maids Manish Sinha, a corporate employee who lives in Sector 56, says, "When I shifted to Noida, more than the hassle of getting a within-budget flat, I had to face the trauma of finding a maid. I was interviewed by around 10-12 maids. Akele rehte ho? Dost toh aayenge hi? Ghar pe party karoge? Drink karte ho? Yahan safety ka tension toh nahi hai? I felt like a criminal being interrogated by so many women. Finally, I quit looking for maids. One day, when I was discussing this problem at our society's shopping complex, my security guard told me that he could arrange a maid, but I'd have to pay Rs 500 to him, which I did. And finally, I got a maid that my guard referred."
Tarun Rajput, a bank employee living in Sector 15A, says, "If you are a guy and single, it's a deadly combination, especially if you are looking for a maid. When I had relocated here from Lucknow, I was rejected by five-six maids. I requested my landlord to help me find one, but he too gave up. So, I had to ask my mom to live with me for a month. She got me a maid, who's finally convinced ki main achhe ghar ka ladka hoon. In fact, before leaving, my mom gave her phone number to the maid just in case there's an issue."
We have to pay whatever amount they quote Durgesh Saxena, a footwear designer who lives in Sector 57, says, "These maids know that guys are not able to negotiate, and so they charge whatever they feel like. I pay Rs 4,000 to my maid, while she charges just Rs 2,500 for the same amount of work in another flat with two girls. I don't have a choice but to pay her. I can't work and then do household chores. The maid is really important to me."
But paying your maid almost double the regular amount doesn't mean you can dictate terms in the house you pay the rent for. Samaresh Chauhan, a web designer who lives in Sector 48, says, "Even after paying so much, I can't tell her how I would want a particular chore to be done. And nitpicking is forbidden - even if my clothes are not cleaned properly, I'm not supposed to point it out to her."
We have to adjust according to her whims Ashutosh Pal, a media manager who lives in Sector 72, says, "We have to adjust according to the timings of our maid. I stay with three other friends and even if we are back after a late-night shift, we have to wake up at 6 in the morning and go to the balcony or take a stroll outside until she finishes her work. That's because on Day 1 she had categorically told us that she isn't comfortable working in a house with guys around, especially when they are sleeping - whatever that means."
Ankit Bhagat, a mechanical engineer who lives in Sector 19, says, "I've become the butt of all maid jokes at office and with my fiancee. They laugh at my maid problems. But, do I have a choice? Kabhi boss se jaldi chhutti mangni padti hai, kabhi fiancee ke saath date cancel karni padti hai. But if we don't make it in time, the maid just leaves, saying 'main toh aayi thi, koi tha hi nahi'. My entire schedule revolves around my maid's timings - be it morning or evening."