The economy and my bai

Prices all around are rising. Rising inflation numbers have smugly settled into double digits. The OPEC chairman grimly say's crude prices are going to rise further. World wide food and commodity prices are near crisis levels. Bush says its becuase Indians and Chinese are eating more. White collar salaries are rising in India, Hewitt say's so. 15% on an average, fastest in Asia. And it comes at the back of 20% growth last year. And it shows. On our roads. Like cholestrol accumulating on a prosperous heart tissue, SUV's accumulate in Mumbai roads. Town planners do a bypass by building flyovers but any doctor will tell you this is a lifestyle disease.
On our empty city spaces come up malignent malls. These are tissue which grow uncontrolably fast by sucking in all available resources. No-one minds becuase people have money to spend.

I was looking for a bai for housework, and had sounded off the security gaurds about it. In anticipation, i did speak with a few neighbours around about the going rate. Nothing more than 300, i was sternly told. (warned?) A month. Apparently building folks had done much to try and maintain it at this level 2 years now. For 2 hrs work. Even if she manages to work four houses it comes to 1200 a month. Of back-breaking jhaadu-poocha for 8 hrs a day. Her husband probably manages as much, so the household total comes to 2400. Price of a evening get together over dinner and drinks.

She comes knocking on my door. I ask if she can come in at 7 AM in the morning. She says yes. I ask about the pagaar. She hopefully says 700. I say 300. She say's OK.