Pressing Business

Azad is the greatest. I'd give him the shirt off my back. His business is one of the many,many little luxuries that India has to offer. Door to door laundry service!

My maidservant Dwatika had been doing it, even when I pleaded with her not too. We cannot understand each other to save our lives.I literally threw my body on top of a pile of dirty laundry in order to illustrate my directive. I wasn't clear enough.


I am never there when she arrives in the morning. I walk the boys to school and go over to my sister's house for coffee. By the time I get there, it is too late. All the clothes are soaking in this pasty blue chalky water. Every morning it was the same thing, I would try to take over, she would yell, "No Didi No". Then she would get to work. She is kind of a toughie. When she said, "No Didi No" she really meant it.

Her hand is still not right from that sugar caning press accident. I didn't want her doing my clothes, not only that, she did a horrible job. Owen was getting rashes, and I could see unwashed blue streaks running down pant legs. She was so afraid that I wasn't going to pay her the agreed upon monthly salary if she didn't do everything. Hilarious. She could do nothing at all (which is kind of what it looks like she does) and I would still pay her. She spends an hour every morning out in my yard burning things. That alone is worth the price of admission.

One night I was at my sister's house and Azad came by to pick up their laundry, and to drop off the washed and ironed ones. All those visions of amazingly pressed clothes came back to me! I loved sending my clothes out last time I was here! Azad would solve all my problems. Jo spoke to Dwatika, and assured her that her salary would not change.

For 5 rupees a garment (Jo gets hers done for 3 rupees because they are "Azad's family" somehow, I squeak in at 5, but most people are charged 10). I promise you, you would pay any price when you saw the condition that they are returned in.

He has a 25 pound iron! I send him off with a huge sheet full of rumpled clothes and he returns with a stack of neatly ironed garments the size of one thin dime. Everything. The first time I sent my stuff out, my underwear and socks came back pressed. That was embarrassing,and only happened once. I keep that stuff home now(hidden from Dwatika). I felt like an idiot getting the unmentionables ironed.

Azad took over the business from his father. I remember his father from 1992. I was saddened but not surprised to learn that Azad's father had been killed in a motorcycle accident. The load you see Azad with is a small one. I see him motorbiking all over Vasant Vihar Enclave pushing it to the limit with his massive hauls.

If I just need something pressed quickly, I can run down the street to the open air press wallah. Behind him is the chai stall so I can sit around and have a cup of tea while I wait. The whole thing usually sets me back 30 cents US.