Dear Readers,

Presented herewith is one story from the Book Raindrops.

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Together in Separation

Maya was a housemaid from Nepal, working in Doha, Qatar for a prosperous native Qatari family. Shadaab was a technician from Pakistan and worked for a private construction firm in Qatar.

She was a dark, short young girl—very warm and loving. He was a generous, though a little short-tempered young man. During those days, Shadaab was deployed as the Supervisor on a road construction project and for a week, work had been going on just outside the Qatari villa where Maya was employed. Every day, Maya regularly came outside in the mid-afternoon to offer water, tea etc to the workers working on the road. Her Madam had instructed her to do that work of Sabab*.

After about a week since Maya came out every afternoon with the beverages, they cast a serious look at each other and very soon, they were exchanging flirtatious smiles. The work on that stretch of the road was completed in a month’s time. They were in love, by then. They had spoken to each other on several occasions during the tea-breaks and shared their details of family, work, and life in Doha. She was a Christian and was unmarried. Maya had lost both her parents at an early age, and following her other siblings she had landed in the Gulf nation to do menial jobs from a tender age. She had attended school for just five years, before being transported to Qatar. He was a Muslim and had a family in Pakistan—with a wife, three children and parents. Shadaab loved his wife and children but had not met them since four years. He felt lonely most of the times and struggled to sustain himself in the strange land.

Not many could understand their kind of love? Was it merely a set of needs manifesting as love? Life as an expatriate, particularly when one is at the lowest rung of the social ladder, is not easy. There is a whole range of physical, security, financial, mental and emotional issues that one finds oneself persistently grappling with. It is but so very natural to seek solace, companionship and convenience. Thousands of miles away from the comfort of one’s own world, men seek the convenience of company and home-cooked food; while women seek companionship and security. And, of course, who would not be happier with a little care and affection too. Those few, who came to know of their affair, reacted differently. Some expressed outrage; while some others thought it was a silly temporary affair, nothing more than a bubble. For most, it was just yet another mutually convenient arrangement meant to last till either did not go back home, for good.

Maya’s Madam adopted a patronising attitude and decided to bless the affair. Maya and Shadaab were both married in Qatar in the presence of two witnesses.. She was twenty one years old when her marriage took place with Shadaab. Despite the hard work, she had not yet lost the spark; the mischief and the twinkle in her eyes. With Shadaab in her life, all the struggles and hard work seemed further worthwhile. They rented a very small mulhaq* for themselves and though she was legally required to stay in the house of the Qatari household, her Madam had allowed her to complete her work and leave by late evening and report early next day.

Although Shadaab could not let anyone in his country know of this second marriage, he had decided to give his best to it and take good care of Maya for as long as they were going to be together in Qatar. He had a generous heart that was sensitive to everyone’s needs and concerns. She maintained her faith, despite the technicalities on paper, and continued her Friday visits to the Church.

Both did not know what future held for them. She could not take a husband from a different religious faith to her own folks in Nepal. And he too could not let his family or friends know of this marriage. They decided to love and live, in and for the present. While she cooked delicacies for him, he shopped for her and brought her little trinkets, clips, and many other things. Over their meals, they both spent hours sharing their dreams and fears; joys and little troubles.

Years flew by, and they lived happily together…

Twenty years have passed since Shadaab and Maya had entered into wedlock. Maya has taken up a part-time job with another Indian family residing in Doha. She continues to take care of her Madam’s family though after her Madam’s death a year ago, the grown-up children do not need her for the entire day.

At the end of the first week with the Indian family, her new Madam asked her: “Maya, are you married?”

“Yes Madam,” Maya replied softly, after a brief pause.

“And kids?”

“No Madam, no kids”.

“Did you get married here, after coming to Doha or he came with you from Nepal?”

Maya smiled shyly. “Madam, he is from Pakistan and we met here”.

Maya’s Madam shot a quizzical expression at her, obviously not expecting such an alliance between two nationalities.

“What are you saying? Really…?”

“Yes, Madam…”Maya replied with an amused look on her face.

“Is he good?” Maya’s new Madam was concerned.

“Yes Madam, very much so... He is very good and is unlike other men”.

“Does he take good care of you?”

“Yes, Madam… He does”.

Maya’s Madam recollected all of a sudden that Maya got a call every day in the morning at 9 am, and she assured the caller every day that she was fine and had eaten her breakfast. Must be him-- Madam told herself.

She asked Maya: “How many years now since your marriage?”

“Twenty years, Madam”.