Trading Smiles

The next morning, a ringing bell woke Vinish from his nap on the balcony chair. Hurriedly, he looked around to cover himself, realizing he wasn’t wearing anything on top.

The bell kept ringing. He spotted a white saree, which he initially thought was a towel since he was half asleep. Without much thought, he wrapped it around his body, over his little blue shorts. Even though he wondered why the towel was so long and smooth, he didn’t care at that moment and went to open the door.

It was 7 in the morning. As he unlocked the door, he wondered who it could be. When the door opened inward, he saw a girl standing there. She had almond-colored skin and a pixie haircut. She was tall around 5'10" definitely taller than him. She wore a plain blue saree with a matching blouse, her bra straps peeking out at the edges. For some reason, Vinish found himself staring at her.

“Good morning, sir... ma’am?” the girl broke the silence with her deep, husky voice.

Still half asleep, Vinish muttered, “Ma’am?!” He looked around and then down at the white cloth wrapped around him. It wasn’t a towel it was a long white cotton saree.

Immediately, he took it off and rushed to his bedroom to find a t-shirt, excusing himself with, “Sorry, just a minute, I’ll be right back.” The girl looked amused but stayed quiet.

He returned wearing a loose-fitting red t-shirt and sleepily started babbling about being asleep when the doorbell rang. He thought it was a towel but wasn’t sure where it had come from. “I’m definitely a sir,” he said to himself.

“Okay, okay, sir,” the girl smiled. “I’m here for the maid service you requested,” she said, handing him an ID card with her name: Arya.

“Maid service?” Vinish wondered. Then he remembered calling a maid service agency a week ago to inquire about their services. He had given some details but hadn’t confirmed anything.

“Ah, the Gokila Maid Service. Now I remember, but I didn’t confirm, right?” said Vinish.

“Yes, sir! You haven’t confirmed our services yet. I’m here to explain what we offer. If you like it, you can confirm the payment,” Arya replied.

“Oh, nice. Then please come in. I’m too lazy to tidy up, so the house is a mess,” Vinish said, glancing around the cluttered hall.

He invited her to sit on the sofa and offered her a glass of water, all the while stealing glances at her from across the room.

Arya noticed the stares but paid them no mind and began explaining the service details:

One maid will be assigned per house, and the working hours can be decided based on your requirements.

Timings can be scheduled, and a contract will be signed.

Payments should be made to the company, not directly to the maid.

Regular inspections ensure the work meets standards, and complaints can be raised if necessary.

“Sir, may I take a look around the house?” Arya asked.

“Sure, I’ll show you around,” Vinish said, giving her a tour of the cluttered apartment.

It was a two-bedroom apartment with a modular kitchen attached to the dining room, a huge hall, a study room, a big master bedroom, and an untouched guest room.

“Based on the size of your house, I’d say it would cost around Rs. 15,000 for a six-hour shift, including cleaning, cooking, and laundry,” Arya said, using the calculator on her small button phone.

“Sounds expensive,” Vinish said, looking puzzled.

“Yes, sir, I understand. But our company is one of the strictest and most organized in the city.” She showed the earrings in her right ear. “They have built-in GPS and are locked to protect our customers’ safety,” Arya added with a forced smile.

“Sounds illegal,” Vinish said with a worried face.

“Anything for the customer,” Arya replied, then laughed lightly to ease the tension.

“This is actually my first time coming to a client’s house for a demo, sir. I’ve always worked in big restaurants as a cleaner,” Arya explained.

“Oh, great then. I really need help maintaining this place. I guess I’ll book it,” Vinish said, extending his hand for a handshake.

Arya’s eyes welled up as vinish shook her hand.

“Did I do something wrong?” Vinish asked, worried.

“No, sir! Nothing wrong! It’s just that wherever I’ve been so far, people have treated maid badly. This is the first time someone has shaken my hand,” she said softly.

Vinish didn’t know what to say, so instead, he pulled her into a modest hug. After a while, she stopped sobbing. Vinish signed the agreement and made Arya a cup of tea. She exclaimed, “You make better tea than me, sir!”

They both laughed over a few things.

Arya left the house, telling Vinish she’d be there tomorrow at 8 a.m. and work until 2 p.m., leaving with a smile.

Vinish went to take a bath. He glanced at the saree on his bed, arranged it neatly, and put it inside his wardrobe. Then he sat down at his laptop to continue his work, wearing a newborn smile.