Security or threat?

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Yesterday I got a mail, possibly by mistake, floating between my society's committee members. It seems one of the security guard chiefs (of Maratha Guards) threatened one of my committee member, threatening to `chop him into pieces.' The reason for his grouse seems to have been resistance from this member for a pay hike for his guards!! Now of course, the chief is denying it. But as the mails flying between committee members (coming to me, for some reason:) suggests that there is quite a bit of panic all around at such an atrocious, open attack. If these fellows can talk like that to society members (de facto divinity in any complex in Mumbai) then what of us simpler, humbler mortals??

This security guard business is getting rather tangled, as the above incident shows. One time, after my room burnt down and we were repairing it, we had to ferry cement sacks up...30 or so in all. While the property manager's office had no objection, one lone warrior security guard, Mondal, I recall, refused to let that poor teen carry the sack in the lift. When I returned home from my classes I saw this kid walking the eight-flight staircase with this huge load on his back.. I felt absolute pain. I went down to argue and then tried to reason with that old idiot, but he stuck to his ground -- My house, fellow is guarding!! Getting his salary from my maintenance fee and he refused something I needed to have done!! Can u imagine that cheek!! And even if it was just his ego(that affects his relationship with flat-owner), what of compassion in him (for somebody from his own home state, possibly, and his own economic background)? To make a young boy lug up those huge, heavy sacks of cements!! This is the state of security guards in this stupid, confused city... Then, though I felt rather sick, later, when there was festival, I tipped that silly old misguided old man because I felt that if continued to fume everytime I saw him, I am destined to have a future life with him in some corner of it! And ever after that tip he salaamed me. And that too bothered me a lot... That is all it takes for a guard to switch from a state of misguided, stiff-necked duty to misguided obsequiousness...

At Khar the other day, at my private class, again I witnessed a tussle between a flat-owner and a guard: the former must be a crorepati, but if anything the guard is very happy to be grappling with a rich man... The owner was saying that it was the guard's duty and that fellow was, shoulder held high, answering him right back... It bothered me, just because obviously most security guards hired here have a major chip on their shoulders about something. And can, if not handled properly, actually be security threats themselves... Remember the shoot-out in SRK's house?? Don't forget the recent incident at Nadiadwala's house, where he got neatly burgled by his security guard...

I recall, when we had the Knight Frank security earlier, one of those fellows assigned to our building used to scratch is crotch rather suggestively when women passed him by. Anybody bothers in this chalta hai city, except this silly me who wishes to change the world? Another fellow used to ogle at my little girl. I used to be so terrified that I will be pacing up and down half-an-hour before her school return timing, worried sick at the thought that she must pass him before entering the house. I confined my work so that whatever happened I was home for her since I felt threatened for her, by this man.

There are too many incidents like this. In the beginning of this year, while doing a private-general combo session in another Evershine complex closeby, I was entering the gate while the guard supervisor asked me to jot down my name. I am ok with that. But he indicated I must enter the tiny enclosure where he was seated. The other fellow, his junior, also nodded eagerly. The idea was that I get sandwiched between these two in a narrow space... As far as I recall, that is not the requirement, since the enclosure has a window through which we can reach our hands in, to write!! I told him to pass that notebook to me, so I can jot my name down. I thought if they tried that stunt with a young child or teen (when you are the mother of a young girl, you are either like me, paranoid. Or like most others, indifferent: - since the latter would be the only way to be sane under such circumstances) she may not have the presence of mind or confidence to say what I did to them... Sick fellows.... Later, at the class, I asked one of my students, a male, if he was asked to write his name at the entrance. He said, no!! Clearly, only us women are security threats to these guards..

Bored men can be dangerous...