My bachelor pad

My bachelor pad

As a bachelor staying in a company hostel, food was not a problem but once I was allotted a quarter organizing daily food became my biggest challenge in Barauni Refinery of IOC. For the last four years of my bachelorhood I kept servant who would cook food and maintain the house for me.

My very first servant was Hafiz , son of Haroon who was the helper in my electrical maintenance department of the refinery. He was an excellent cook of Moghlai dishes and South Indian delicacies like Idli,Dosa,Vada etc. Me being bachelor and with an excellent cook attracted all my friends to my flat, thus my dwelling was the natural choice for a place for adda. My brothers and sisters whoever had visited me those days still remember cooking of Hafiz. Hafiz was my longest serving cook ,he was with me for about two years.

For a short while I was without a cook when Hafiz left for a greener pasture. I was toggling between the  refinery guest house and a nearby Rajasthani restaurant for lunch and dinner, I was not happy with that arrangement so was in the lookout for a suitable servant.

It was a Sunday morning; I was in my drawing room when I heard the calling bell. I got up and opened the door.

“Namaste!” A well built young man older than me in shabby clothes greeted.

“Yes, what do you want?”

“Sir, I understand you are looking for a cook?”

“Yes.” I looked suspiciously at him because I was looking for someone younger and also he did not look servant type.

“Sir, I can cook and will keep the house clean. I need the job badly so please give me a chance.”

“Ok, I will try you for a month. Move in by evening, in the meanwhile I will do marketing for dinner.”

That was the entry of my second servant Raghav Singh. His cooking was no match to Hafiz’s cooking but at least his coming made my life smooth; I did not have to scrounge around for food. My life fell in old rhythm of refinery ,club, bachelor party and so on.

I was in the first floor and my ground floor neighbor was Yadav who was my batch mate but was the oldest in our trainee group, was married with a kid when he joined. His brothers were staying with him, they were ruffians. From my balcony I used to watch them play football in the ground in front of my flat. Very often both the brothers would pick up fight with other players, fights were pretty violent. I noticed Raghav too started playing football with them when I was away for work. When I first found him playing he was embarrassed, but I encouraged him to play. I did not mind as long as he did his duty. It was winter time so on Sundays they would play in the afternoon. Raghav after serving me lunch would join them. I found that Yadav duo was not meddling with Raghav much during the game. Raghav was a bully in the field and would dash forward with the ball by using his brute force. I could see the Yadav brothers got a taste of their own medicine from Raghav. Surprisingly they did not have the guts to complain against Raghav, I too felt happy that now instead of a good cook I had a tough guy in my house as my servant.

Life was going on like that for a while but then one day after return from my work I found Raghav was waiting for me with his luggage packed.

I thought he must have got some urgent message so leaving for his village temporarily.

He bent down to touch my feet, I stepped back. Outwardly he was looking radiant.

“Sir, I am leaving you.” He said with a bright smile.

“Did you get a better job? If you want we can consider a rise for you.”

“No sir during my difficult time you gave shelter, I had no place to go.”

“Then why are you leaving?”

“I did not want to tell you but as you are insisting so I must tell you.” He said conspiringly.

“I was absconding from police; some people lodged a false police case against me for robbery.”

“You mean there was a warrant against you?” I was shocked but did not show that.

“Yes, it is alright now, I got information that everything is taken care, it is safe for me to return. I must thank you again for providing shelter.” He picked up his luggage and left .

I was shell-shocked; I sat down in half stupor thinking about the whole affair. I never noticed any unnatural behavior in him during his stay; he did his duty diligently though his cooking was not of Hafiz’s standard. I was uneasy to think that he was masquerading as cook in my house when the police was looking out for him. Though he presented me with a story but where was the veracity of what he had said. I had unknowingly given shelter to a law breaker; he could have been a habitual one too though did not do any harm to me or indulge in any illegal activity during his stay with me. For a few weeks after his departure I was tense, waiting for a visit from the local thana. Fortunately nothing like that happened.

Begusarai ,the nearest town was a notorious area, the area was full of antisocial elements, looking back today I realize that it was foolhardy in my part to keep someone in my house about whom I knew nothing. Well that was the time of my bachelorhood; there was a streak of recklessness in me, many a time my seniors cautioned me about my carefree way of life.