Maid

I remember the first time the maid knocked on my door and I opened it. There she was, a typical village woman, little bit on the chubby side, maybe around 40 years old. Along with her, there was a younger skinny woman, supposedly her relative. She just barged in my apartment. As I was living alone, there were things scattered all over the place just like any other bachelor pad. I didn't have any intention to hire a maid. I was happy the way things were. Although it looked like the apartment is not properly arranged with things all over, I had some kind of systematic techniques to find my own things. But she came in, went to all the rooms without asking my permission and declared suddenly, "this is all scrap and you need a maid".

Although she said it in some local language which I didn't know much, I understood the meaning by watching her gestures. I didn't say anything, she just took over the apartment and cleaned it thoroughly with the help of her friend or relative whoever she was. After cleaning she just stood before me and said a lot of things. I guessed that she just wanted to finalize the deal. I called my friend who knew the local language and told him to talk to her. He talked with her on cellphone and then talked to me. I negotiated with her through my friend and decided the monthly salary and everyday cleaning time.

Once they left and I looked around, I think she was right, the apartment needed her. Both ladies started coming regularly. They wanted certain cleaning equipment which I understood through my friend and bought it. They were coming regularly and cleaning my apartment every day. Everything was going fine. Many times she used to chat with me and used to tell me many things in her local language. I always pretended to listen carefully. She used to think I understand it up to som

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e extent. 

Every festival she used to bring some kind of local sweets for me and also would ask something in return in the name of the festival. I wouldn't mind giving her a few Rupees for the festival. I always wondered, how she knew I needed a maid and how she forced me to hire her.

One year passed like that, things were going on as usual. One day her friend came alone to work, sometimes they used to do that. If one is busy with some personal work, the other will attend my work. The skinny friend of hers was very quiet and never used to say anything. She kept on coming alone for three days continuously, and then I got curious. I asked her where is your chubby friend or relative. She replied something in the local language which I did not understand. I asked her again and she couldn't make me understand. Finally, she showed signs of sleeping and pointed to God in the sky. I felt a little bit afraid and asked her do you mean, she is dead?? She nodded her head in agreement. I was shocked.

I again called my friend and tried to communicate with skinny one through the cellphone. I came to know that one day she had minor sickness and she just dropped dead while sleeping in the night. I felt so sad and couldn't sleep that night. I wonder how new people come in contact with us and suddenly leave when their time comes. It's like you are destined to spend some typical time with certain people and then you are never going to meet them again. I call them destined interactions. Both souls are destined to have certain interactions with each other and then they go away never to meet again. The question is, how should we utilize that time, and should we reach some kind of satisfactory ending to the interactions before going away forever? Otherwise, will this repeat again birth after birth?