5,000 mein yaha ghar kaise lu sir?
Yesterday afternoon, after the badminton session, a couple of us were sitting and having electrolytes. Conversation somehow moved towards our society security guards… why they keep changing so frequently, how difficult summers must be for them, and how at least we should provide proper shade.
One of my friends then shared something from his time in Mumbai.
One afternoon in their society, they noticed a security guard taking a nap during duty hours. Him and his friend casually woke him up and asked, “Bhai, duty time mein so rahe ho?”
The guard immediately got scared and said, “Sorry sir, dobara nahi hoga.”
But instead of getting angry, they just spoke to him normally. Asked him if he wanted water because it was extremely hot outside. Slowly the conversation opened up.
They asked where he lived, how he managed, how much he earned.
He said: “Society 8,000 deti hai sir… contractor cut ke mere haath mein 5,000 aata hai.”
Then he smiled awkwardly and said: “5,000 mein yaha ghar kaise lu sir?” He wasn’t even renting a room.
He said he worked two security shifts in different places. Sometimes he just stayed around the guard rooms, slept for a couple of hours wherever possible. He had only two pairs of clothes. Every morning he would wash one pair near a public tap, rush to a crowded public washroom before morning crowds built up, freshen up there and come back to work again.
My friend said they were completely shocked listening to this.
Then they asked him: “Summers mein kaise manage karte ho?”
He lifted his shirt. His entire back was filled with boils because of the heat. Honestly… that part stayed with me.
Most of the debate online whether 2 lakh/month or 3 lakh/month is enough to survive in cities like Mumbai or Pune.
But the ground reality for a huge section of people is completely different. For many, life is not about wealth creation, investing, vacations or work-life balance.
It is simply survival.
Sometimes we forget the invisible people who keep our lives running smoothly security guards, housekeeping staff, delivery workers, drivers.
This summer has been brutal.
If possible, let’s be a little more patient, a little kinder and a little more supportive towards the people around us. Small gestures matter more than we think.