Values Command Respect
There is one 76-year-old Tamilian widow living just one floor below to us. Her husband passed away two years ago. She has no issues. We came to the society just six months back. My husband is a Tamilian (20 years junior to her) while I am a Keralite. From the first day itself, she indicated her dislike for me. She loves interacting with my husband to the point of healthy flirting. I just laugh it off. She is all goody-goody and talks nicely with me when husband is present. All good advices. All praises for God. She showed me her puja room and it was indeed nice.
The tweeking: when my husband goes on tours, her sadistic attitude takes precedence. And all lies. And she is the Secretary of the society. Once she provoked a security guard to shout at me even when it was his mistake (she stopped the security to tell us about our electricity bill and out electricity got cut) and watched the fun with her gang member from another floor. Then she pretended to help me while always protecting the security. I made the security know his place (with help from my husband) and from that day, he knows what his status is. Mami (we call her that) gets irritated seeing me nowadays as I am no source for some masala in her life.
She helped us in giving us a servant while my husband was at home. As soon as he went on tour, she purposely made our maid to stop coming to our house (in fact telling everyone that we turned the maid out of the house). I got in touch with the maid and asked her the reason in front of another family. And she says neither does she have the time nor will any maid have time. They are all busy.
Once she planned for a trip to temple along with her gang member. I was new to the society and, being a straight-forward person, I did not know anything about how they functioned. She asked me to join. All along the way these two gang members were talking with each other. I was happy to be in silence. Inside the temple, I was immersed in praying and did not bother what these two gang members were upto. We came out and these two start their talk on all the gold worn by gods and goddesses. I don’t understand how one observes a deity’s jewellery when deep in prayers! I came to understand that they both are at a different wavelength altogether. Any person with silver hair does not deserve respect; values command respect.
Once the old lady made me sit in her house and started a sympathetic story with all tears in eyes. This is the second time I see her tears come out so easily. I lost any respect for her. All crocodile tears, gain sympathy and stab other people at the back!
The other gang member, a mallu. With a good height and equally high circumference she expects praises for her caked face with makeup, and I don’t give so easily. Her husband is made the President- a ‘maun’mohan. (‘maun’ means silent. Here it symbolizes our former PM Manmohan Singh under Sonia Gandhi.)
What is the problem with the old 76-year-old lady with me?
I feel it is better to be alone and in peace than with these two dirty mavericks.