It has been about 5 years since Girish started working at this company, and because of his hard work he has already risen to a manager’s position. There’s only two people at home, him and I, his wife Sarita. We don’t even have any kids yet.

We have a maid at home to help me with the house work, and every morning I make breakfast with her help and we eat together as husband and wife. Girish goes to work and I lock the house and take the maid shopping or just out and about. When I don’t go out, I like to sit on the swing in the verandah and read. Even if I do go out, I like to be back home before my husband so that we can have tea together in the evening. After that, in the time Girish takes to shower and freshen up after work, the maid and I whip up dinner – it’s not much work for just the two of us anyway.

I know that the neighbours often talk behind my back about my life and how I have it easy, “sitting on the swing all day”. Perhaps this gossip had circulated and reached Mrs Chawla, a social worker living locally, because one day she decided to spontaneously pay me a visit at home.

I was sitting on the swing when she arrived. When I saw her, I got up and greeted her. After exchanging pleasantries, she asked me, “What are you reading, Sarita?”

. . .