The Maid's Plate

" Rukku get me coffee".    "Yes, mam making it".  "Rukku is the tiffin and my lunch box is ready or not?".     " Yes, Sir it's ready".

"Rukku yesterday's leftover food is there if u want get your plate and have it".

Rukku replied, "OK mam".

                            

 

             Rukmini is a maid and a single mother. She works hard as a home maid and earns money. She works in an apartment. She has a 6-year-old sweet little girl dolly. Everyone calls Rukmini as Rukku while at work. She got abused by her husband and ran away with her kid. As she hadn't gone to school She joined as a maid in an apartment in a city. And joined her kid in a nearby government school.

One day dolly didn't go to school and went with her mother to work. Rukku went to Jaya's house to work. 

              Jaya is a strict and superstitious lady. She never treated Rukku with respect. While Rukku is busy with kitchen work, dolly got bored and ran around the house and started to touch fruits on the table and tried to eat. Jaya saw this and scolded her not to touch anything in the house and sit quietly. Dolly asked, "Why I should not eat your fruits aunty ?my hands are clean". Jaya didn't reply. After some time she asked her mother," Amma am hungry give me something to eat". Rukku took some food from Jaya and served it in an old plate. Dolly said," Amma, this plate is too old and not shining I want another one, you have just cleaned a small flowers plate na? give me that". 

     Hearing this Jaya screamed, " No dolly! You shouldn't use those plates that is my child's plate". Poor Dolly got scared was about to cry. Seeing all this Rukku felt sad and made dolly quiet and kept food in the old plate, which she usually uses at Jaya's house whenever they offer any food to eat.

                  Later she took a separate glass which differs from other glasses and gave water  in that glass to Dolly.

And told " Look at this glass beti, this glass is very beautiful and it's different from other glasses. take it. Leave about the plate take this glass and drink water.

Dolly asked Rukmini " Amma why I should not use that plate and this glass also doesn't have a handle like other glasses."

       Then Rukmini said, " You are just a small kid Dolly you couldn't understand all such things ". She saw a toy over the table and ran to play with it. Immediately her mother ran after her and stopped her to touch things and again said not to touch anything. 

           Innocent kid again asked her mother, " Why Amma? I won't break anything here. Then why you and Aunty are not allowing me to touch things, Why she grabbed that plate from me, Why you are using the old plate and broken glass. At home, we have good plates and, why can't we use the good plates of Jaya Aunty?". Hearing all these questions Rukku was shocked and couldn't speak a word. But Jaya came and told her " Yes. You should keep separate plate and glass from ours because it shouldn't mix with our utensils".

Dolly asked, " But why Aunty. At home Amma and I use good plates. Even for relatives we always serve in good plates. Don't you have good plates for us?".

       Jaya got irritated and said " We serve in good plates only to our guests and families but not for maids. You are the daughter of my maid, So you both should not use our plates. That's why you should keep your plate separately. Now Don't ask questions. Keep quiet and sit in a corner until your mom finishes her chores in my house". Even though Dolly didn't understand what Jaya meant she kept quiet and sat calmly for some time.

                                               

                                                     

       Rukmini has gone into Jaya's bedroom and cleaning up the mess over the room. In the same room, Jaya's 1-year kid was sleeping. Jaya was busy with a phone call.

Suddenly Dolly ran into the room. Jaya turned back to see what happened. Dolly was holding Jaya's kid. When Jaya was about to beat dolly, Rukku stopped her. " Enough mam, you never treated me normally. At least don't hurt my daughter. She is still small and doesn't understand why you are scolding her. Don't discriminate against her. She doesn't have that much maturity why we should use separate plates. Finally, I want to say one thing my child held your kid as that little one was about to fall from the bed. You are busy in a call and I didn't observe. Dolly saw and ran towards the baby and held her. And didn't let your kid fall from the bed". Saying this she took dolly and returned to their house.

            Jaya realized her mistake and thought , what might have happened to her kid if Dolly didn't see her falling from bed.

She felt ashamed of herself and how she ill-treated both Rukku and dolly.

 Next day Rukku didn't come to work. So Jaya along with her husband and baby went to Rukku's house.

" Rukku I just realized how badly I treated you, but you always kept calm and silent. The same good nature came to your daughter. I am really sorry for mistreating you ". Rukku just smiled and told " Mam no need to say sorry, I just want you all to treat maids as humans like you .that's it.

Jaya also smiled, and she hugged Dolly with a warm smile and gave her a new plate which she liked at her house. Dolly got excited and asked, " Wow! The flower plate, thank you, aunty. Can I hold the little baby and play for some time?", asked innocently.

                                                         

                                                

Jaya replied," Of course beti, you can come daily and play with my baby. She's just like your sister. Also, you can play with the toys too". She offered financial help and join her in a better school. Rukku felt very happy and tears rolled down.......

                                             -----💙💚💛💜-----

Hello Readers, I hope you like the narration in the view of a House Maid's daughter. Let us not insult others in terms of their work. Every human deserves respect. We should follow the dignity of labor. Please share with your loved ones and subscribe.

Thank you...

Arthi..💜(pen name)