Contractor Saab

By Chinmayee Priyadarshini Dash

There is a construction work going on in the neighbourhood for around 6 months, and my shop is where

you will find most of the workers during the leisure time, lately it has become their hang out place. One

such worker is Chhabi; I can recollect the first time she came to my shop with her 8-year-old son, Ishan.

Can you keep a watch on Ishu for … 30mins? He will just be sitting on the bench and will not cause you

much trouble. She asked me politely with an amiable smile.

No problem at all, hey Ishu would you like a butter cookie, I asked. He immediately shook his head and

kept looking at his mother, come back soon he said with his innocent voice.

It has been a while knowing her, she visits my shop almost every week. It generally starts with a small talk,

and then she tells me to keep an eye on Ishu until she comes back.

Being a single mother is not easy and you have been of a great help to us Nattu bhai. She acknowledges,

and I just smile.

The contractor of the building under construction is an infamous big shot, many people know that he has a

skeleton in the cupboard, but people pretend to respect him when he is around because of his status.

I had a hint that the contractor was eyeing Chhabi and keeps calling her for one thing or the other , that is

when she leaves Ishu at my shop and disappears for 30-45 mins, but I never asked her about it because I

did not want to make her uncomfortable .

Have you met Contractor saab Nattu bhai !? he seems to be a good guy, he calls me to clean his office

every week, sometimes fortnightly and provides me a good pay for it and sometimes he even sends

chocolate for Ishu, isn’t it Ishu? He nodded while glaring at the road. I did not tell her the whole story that

I keep hearing about him, but I just told her to be cautious as you can never believe people from his

background.

One fine afternoon, Ishu was at my shop and playing with an old toy car that he found at the building.

Uncle!! see my car go bhrummm bhrumm… he was making his car sway on the bench’s surface. We are

kind of getting along by now. I asked him what do you want to be when you grow up?

He paused for a moment, looked up, moved his eyes from side to side acting like he is giving it a lot of

thought and finally said.… I want to be like Contractor Saab and went back playing. I kept gazing at him in

silence being surprised or shocked, I had a tough time figuring my reaction to his answer. After few

minutes I could see Chhabi getting off the bus and walking lackadaisically towards us, something was not

right about her, maybe it was her withered face…or her wrongly draped saree, oh wait…no it was the way

she was walking, her legs seemed closer to each other. As she got nearer, I was alarmed that something

vicious had happened and praying hard that do not let it be what I am thinking. She asked for a glass of

water as she staggered over to the bench. I, still maintaining the silence, brought her a glass of water and

asked in a whispering voice …are you okay!! She looked at me and her eyes welled up, I understood.

“Don’t tell anyone Nattu bhai,” she grabbed Ishu’s hand as she finishes speaking and started to leave. I

was standing still trying to comprehend what she just said.

Then I hear Ishu’s exuberant voice while making an exit, Maa I want to be like “Contractor Saab”, when I

grow up……

By Chinmayee Priyadarshini Dash