STRUGGLE FOR LIVING

STRUGGLE FOR LIVING is a common, significant and unusual fact or occurrence. It is started for job and it has become a common feature of everything in living as inevitable need and without struggle, nobody sleeps. For everything that man does before doing anything is struggle, as if without this there is no life. LIVING is just STRUGGLE and if you are not in Struggle for anything, it means no LIVING.

That Mansion is called ‘New Hope’. It is in the centre of the city of Mumbai. It is giving new hopes to so many young people coming to that city. There are good shops and bad shops, good flats and bad flats, good rooms and bad rooms like cells for rent in this mansion. This building never says “No” to anyone coming for a shelter. No room is needed advance or deposit. So it is easy to have a room to use for even a weeks and days too as night shelter. So the building is busy with outgoing and incoming tenants.

Every day, many people come searching jobs to that city. Some people get good jobs and some people get bad jobs. Some people get good hopes, the hopes for good jobs soon. Some people get bad hopes and bad thoughts of getting defeated and think to run back to home towns.
Her, all people are always struggle for jobs, here and there, or there and here. The pity is that those who are in jobs also need jobs, better jobs they say. Who knows who will get a comfortable placement in which place or satisfied job in which company. People often get jobs and quit jobs, quit jobs and get jobs. There is no scarcity or shortage for either jobs or job seekers in a city like Mumbai.

Miss Tangam is from Tamilnadu, Miss Kokila is from Kerala, Miss Ammalu is from Andhra and Miss Kailyn is from Karnataka. There are dozens of girls in this building called ‘New Hope’ who are working in different parts in Mumbai city. They work at department stores, cloth shops, small shops, big shops and so many other medium shops, no matter what you call them. What they earn is just barely enough for living with a lot of careful CARE in the adjustments.

Thangam is a girl of thirty years with more experience of the building as she is the senior most tenant in that building. She knows almost everyone living in the building and some will think her as the advisor of maintenance of the building on behalf of the tenants. She returned her room early in the evening and she wants something to eat. There is nothing, not even a bread piece to eat. There is Atta and she can prepare hot puris, soft and smooth. A little ten to fifteen minutes timer is enough to prepare.

The curry is needed for puris. Miss Thangam thought that Bombay Chutney is a good side dish for poori, chapathi, idli or Dosa. This Kadalai Maavu chutney is her favorite side dish. So she started preparation to make this chutney for puris. This chutney is generally preferred by a busy women and bachelor and for instance, Miss Thangam is both now, busy for she is more hungry and bachelor as natural. This Chutney is authentic recipe as good alternative for Poori Masala.

Miss Thangam needs some ingredients needed for making this side dish. Basin Flour, she searched and found it. Green chillies, she searched and did not find. Chilli Powder is there as substitute, no problem. Tomatos and onions are missing, Miss Thangam is thinking how to obtain these two ingradients. There is a late shop in the downstairs where she can get anything. But no money is there for a purchase. Last portion of the salary is spent two days back. So there is no way for a new purchase.

Ammalu is living in her adjacent room. Thangam patted the door. Ammalu opened and greeted her with faint voice.

“When did you come?” Thangam asked her with casual tone.

“Half an hour back.”

“I need two tomatos, do you have?”

“I have, but I can’t give you, Akka”

Thangam looked as if it is unnatural answer.

“I have to eat only these two tomatos, this night.”

“Why is so Thangachi?”

“I ate two last night and I have to eat these remaining two this night. I could not have lunch also today.”

Ammalu continued saying the story. “I pretend I am busy with my work in the shop and my manager orders for my lunch also. But today he did not order. I know he will bill for my lunch also in his billing.”

Thangam understood the situation.

“Don’t worry dear, I will give you puris and kadal Maavu chutney this night. Give me those two tomatos for chutney.”

“Thank you Akka. I need five puris.” Ammalu said.

“Okay. You will have.” Thangam said.

“Is today your birth day?” Ammalu asked her giving tomatos to her.

Thangam is silent for some time.

“Why? Don’t you know your birth day like me?” Ammalu asked.

“Yes, I don’t know my real birth day.”

“Why didn’t you ask your father?” Ammalu asked her.

“He is dead before my birth.” Thangam said with sad voice.

“Then you must have asked your mother.”

“She is dead immediately after I am born.”

Ammalu looked at Thangam with real sad feeling.

“Akka, so you are also grown up without parents like me.”

Saying this, Ammalu hugged Thangam. They are birds of same feather.

The tears of Thangam are dried inside long back. So she could not weep.

“It’s okay. I need two onions also.” Thangam said as usual in light tone.

Ammalu understoof. She also looked at Thangam with pale looks.

“Sorry Akka, I spent my last amount of my salary two days back, I cannot bring onions now.”

As Ammalu is saying this, Thangam got an idea.

“Be there is my room. I will come in ten minutes.”

Thangam said and she went towards the lift.

Bihari ladaka is in the fifth floor. He is called Pyaj Babu also as he purchases only onions in the groceries shop. He came to Mumbai for becoming a film writer. Before that, he is practicing to write to magazine in Mumbai. He is a budding writer in Hindi.

“Why you purchase only onions?” One day Thangam asked him.

“What is this question? Onions are for Just to eat?”

Thangam laughed and asked him.

“I know that, but nobody eats onion for eating as raw. You don’t cook food, I know, then why you bring onions?”

Pyaj Babu was caught as a thief, he answered the secret part of the onions.

He wants to feel anger and sorrow while writing his stories. Then he eats the raw onion and with its power he becomes angry and finishes his angry scenes. Then his eyes continuously weep, so that he can finish his sad scenes also. Thus onion is a compulsory ingredient in his writing activity.

Thangam knocked the door of Santosh kumar called Pyajbabu. He is called SK by some of his friends.

SK opened the door and there is an onion in his hand unpeeled. He wondered looking at Thangam.

“What happened madam?” SK asked with great wonder.

“Somebody has stolen two onions from my room. I am searching them” She said looking at the onion in his hand with greed.

“What madam, do you think I am a thief?”

Just he is answering when she took that one onion from his hand asked him, “Where is the other one?”

He showed the other one on his table and confessed, “Please don’t brand me a thief madam.”

Thangam took that onion also and asked him, “These are my onions. My name is written on these onions, can’t you read it?”

Bihari Babu is confused. He looked like a pale tale with no constructed plot.

“You look like Mumbai police madam, If I go downstairs for food, They search my pockets for bombs and they look at me with disgust for not keeping good amount in pocket. I thought to eat these two onions thinking as hot chapathis, but you have looted them, branding me a thief.” Pyaj Babu said.

“Are you not thief? There are so many words that are already used by other writers. You are branded thief in your writing career.” Thangam said with some unknown like towards him.

“No madam, all writers use like that, so do I used. There is no wrong in using same words of some other writer.” Pyaj Babu sincerely tried to support his right on the words he used.

“I will bring some Puris and Bombay chutney for you to eat as this night’s food, with your onions in my Bombay chutney.” Thangam said with some solace.

Now SK understood that he is not a thief, so he smiled like a child who won his first competition in his school.

“Thank you madam, you declared that I am not a thief.” Pyaj Babu said.

“I did not declare yet.” Thangam said and went away.

The side dish is ready.

Ammalu got a phone. She talked briefly and she is very happy.

“Akka, I am happy to say that I got a good job in Mumbai Super Market with very nice job. A friend is waiting for me downstairs with my appointment letter. It may be late today for returning, we are going to a night show.” Ammalu said as a bird with a sweet song chirping.

Ammalu vanished in a minute from the room.

The food is ready but somebody is needed to give her company. Thangam preferred Pyaj Babu.

She went upstairs and said to Santosh Kumar that night food id ready, “I am lonely. Come down and give me company. We both will eat hot puris along with new Bombay chutney”

As Thangam said and vanished, Santosh kumar stopped his new story in between and started to come down. He did not know that another new story is ready to start.

__END__