I was a holiday for dad and he had promised to help me with my shopping. I had only two more days to go back to Satara boarding school. I was ready with my list and after some thinking; we decided to go Bandra where we have the most up-to-date shops. At about 10 o’clock the door bell rang. A couple with a young child was at the door asking for Raju Kaka (my father). I had never seen them, though my parents seemed to know them. They entered bag and baggage, tired and hungry.

The child was cranky. The first thing the lady spoke was, where can we get fresh cow’s milk? ‘I had to inquire to find out. I had already walked more than a kilometer from home in the search. I managed to come home with half a liter of the liquid. By the time they freshened up, my mother got some heavy breakfast ready. As they were eating, they happened to mention that had intended to visit Manu Mama’s house, but since their door was locked, we were the next target. My parents had to make the visitors ‘at home’ by listening to their stories. Much news about various relatives and their welfare was exchanged. It was thoroughly vexed, but just helpless. I forced myself to read a book. I was already afternoon, rather too late to begin cooking for our visitors. To relieve my mother, my father suggested that we all eat outside or at least order some food and eat it at home.

Our visitors were not agreeable to that suggestion, as they longed for home food. So, you can imagine my mother’s plight! It was almost 4 p.m. when we sat to have lunch. We had no idea how long we would have to tolerate this friendly, unpleasant pressure. In the evening, we were told that our ‘chief’ guest had an interview on Monday. Our house was booked for two more days. My mother was pressed and could not give me the usual special attention on my last day in Mumbai. On those three days our home had been converted into a P.C.O. Just imagine our shock when we received the next telephone bill. They had made six STD calls at our expense. I thought to myself that Manu Mama was fortunate! Many families must be facing such situations, but for the sake of decency, they quietly suffer the inconvenience. However, I think it is very unfair to demand so much hospitality from others, and that too without previous intimation.