Neighbors

Two years ago, a new family moved into our society complex. Their home was on the same floor as ours. The new family, Joshi family, had one major setback though. Mr Joshi was working with merchant navy, who would be away for months. Mrs Joshi and their 2 year old daughter would stay back while Mr Joshi was on duty.

After moving into the neighborhood, it was the first time, Mr Joshi was leaving. Before leaving, he knocked on our door. I opened the door and saw my new neighbor in his officer's uniform. I was impressed.

"Ma'am I am leaving. Please assist my wife and daughter if they need anything," he requested politely.

"Sure," I replied. The trouble started the very next day.

I was leaving for the office. Mrs Joshi called me, "are you going out?"

"I am leaving for my office. My parents are home, if you need anything they will help you out," I was in hurry and I realised that I was rude to say all this so quickly.

"When will you be back?" She asked again.

"By 8 maybe," I replied.

"What will you do after that?" She asked me again without realising that it was the rush hour.

"I have not thought about it. I need to leave, I am getting late," I was annoyed by her questions. I made a narrow escape.

When I returned home, she was waiting in the corridor. She smiled and said, "I need to ask you a favor".

I had not even stepped in my home and she already had something to ask. I was about to lose my patience. Yet I smiled and said, "Let me freshen up and see. I will come to your home in 15 minutes," I was walking towards my home.

"Actually, I need something urgently. Will you help?" She almost pleaded.

I stopped and thought, "maybe she is not well or maybe her daughter is unwell and she needs medicines. I should leave my frustration and fatigue aside to help her."

I turned around and asked, "what happened? Are you okay? Is your daughter okay?" I was really worried, thinking that a woman taking care of a child while husband away at the sea must be so difficult.

She smiled and said, "I am okay. Rashi is fine too. I needed something else."

I felt relieved after hearing that both of them were fine. I thought to myself, "it is not an emergency in that case," but still I decided to hear her out.

I asked her, "what do you need so urgently," my feelings were taking me over and I felt bad for sounding sarcastic.

"Well I was making pizza for Rashi. I realised that I did not have onions and tomatoes. So I was thinking if you could bring them from the market," she said while keeping her head down, looking at my shoes.

I was baffled by the audacity of this woman who considered absence of onions and tomatoes as an "urgent need". Not just that she expected a person who had returned from office after 10 hours to go out and fetch them for her. My blood was boiling. But I had to keep myself composed and I replied, "why don't you download the quick delivery app? They literally deliver in 10 minutes. Big basket is my favourite by the way. Hope you will have a good experience with them". Having said that I just ran towards my home and shut the door instantly.

Note: I was willing to help my neighbour but her demands were unreasonable. Being a woman working in IT I expected her to know to order online instead of waiting for the neighbor and expecting them to run her errands.