90 hrs @ Rs10,000/- per Month

"Entry Not Allowed" was mentioned on a A4 size placard tied to the big iron grill barricade fixed to the periphery of the gallery. The barricade included a small gate fixed to the large iron grill. On the other side, the staircase was visible. Immediately after, the iron grill barricade was the lift. A person was standing close to the iron gate. He appeared to be security personnel.

I stopped.

I asked, "Is there something special?" addressing to the person and indicating towards the other side of the iron grill.

"There is a guest house of the temple," he said.

I nodded my head.

"Do they offer rooms on rent?" I asked.

"Only members are allowed," he said.

"Is it free for the members?"

"No, they have to pay Rs3000/- per night of stay," he said and added "food is also included in it."

"How many times?"

"Four times," he said.

"How much is the membership fees?"

"Rs45000/-," he said.

I did not ask him whether it was an annual or lifetime membership fee.

"Since how long have you been working here?"

"Three years," he said.

"What are your working hours?"

"9 AM to 9 PM," he said.

I did not find any sitting arrangement and from my experience of talking to workers of malls I asked, "Where do you sit?"

"I have to be in the standing position," he said.

"For 12 hours you keep standing!" I said with emphasis and with enough empathy.

He nodded his head in affirmation and with a very gentle smile.

"I also have to assist during the "Aarti", he said and added "after 15 minutes the Aarti will be performed."

While I was speaking to the person, music and chanting was going on unabated. There was a big hall and by the side of the wall musicians were playing instruments and a person was chanting on a mike. High fidelity speakers were creating an effect. A large gathering of people squatting on the marble floor were chanting along with the person. The people sitting on the ground were also following instructions of the musicians. "Now, raise your hands and clap", said the person on mike. Everybody obliged. The music was at crescendo and so was the clapping. The atmosphere was charged.

"Are you from outside?"

"No, I am a local. I live nearby," he said and informed me of his locality.

"Is this your first job?"

"No, I was working in Ludhiana. I used to operate a cloth shearing machine. I used to shear fabric in many layers marked with patterns," he said.

"How much did you earn there?"

"Rs 10,000/-," he said.

"Why did you leave that job?"

"I fell sick," he said.

"How much do you earn here?"

"Rs10,000/- per month," he said.

"It is room rent of three nights," I said.

He smiled.

"Is it enough?"

"No," he said with a reluctant smile.

"Are you married?"

"No," he said.

"You stay alone?"

"No, I live with my parents," he said and added "I do not have to pay rent, and I do not have to worry about food. Else, it would have been almost impossible to survive."

"Have you studied?"

"I have completed a BA in Psychology," he said.

"Don't tell me. I have huge respect for the Psychology discipline," I said with exclamation.

For a moment, on Friday evening, both of us were staring at each other.

"Sahi me Sir, Manovigyan me BA final kiye hain - Believe me Sir, I have completed BA final in Psychology," the person said with due seriousness and added, "I appeared for the Indian Army recruitment but could not make it. During the physical test, I was asked to perform pull-ups. They have a norm of asking the candidate to perform 10 pull ups. And, you have to remain in position till they ask you to be in that position. It was my 10th pull up. I went up and was in that position. The selector started talking to his friend standing nearby and forgot to instruct. It was getting difficult for me to hold the position. I released the bar. They disqualified me."

"When did you complete BA?"

"Around a decade back," he said.

"Do you recall the name of any psychologists or any theory you read in psychology?"

"No, I studied it a long time back," he said.

"In all these years you worked only in Ludhiana and here?"

"I was also working near my home in a shop. I worked there for two years," he said.

"How much were you earning there?"

"Rs12000/-," he said.

"It was paying you more," I said.

"Yes," he said and added, "the owner of the shop told me that he would engage his relative in my position. I had to leave the job. I was left with no option. In between I also fell sick."

"Are you able to save money?"

"No. The money I saved was spent when I fell sick and then you have to spend money in various family functions. Recently, one of my relatives died and I have to spend money in the rituals," he said.

The person on mike was announcing that "Tulsi Aarti" would be performed soon and then the beats of percussion increased to climax, and it stopped.

I said goodbye to the person and walked inside the hall casually. He approached the hall with alacrity.