NOIDA: Noidawallahs have moved beyond the usual sari and sweets as Diwali gifts for their domestic help - some by choice and some out of fear of losing their maids. This Diwali, Noida residents have decided to be a bit more generous than usual. And no, we're not talking about their shopping plans, which are usually grand and equally chaotic, anyway. This time, it's the domestic help who are enjoying their generosity, with big bonuses and costly gifts. While some have demanded particular things, others have received more than what they had asked for. Noidawallahs tell us how they've planned to make Diwali special for their maids. While some have given in to their maids' demands for the fear of losing them, others have readily decided to be bade dilwaale this festive season.
Induction stove and mixer-grinder for Diwali:
If you were thinking of giving your maid an old pressure cooker you no longer use this Diwali, drop the idea. She might leave you for another home where the owners are gifting home appliances. Shruti Mittal, founder member of NoidaMoms, says, "Now, you can't give just a box of sweets and a few hundred bucks as Diwali gifts. The maids don't settle for that much. So, I'm thinking of giving my maid a juicer and a mixer-grinder as her Diwali bonus. Of course, the demand will be of a more expensive gift next year. But does one really have a choice? We can't do without our maids and can't afford to lose them."
Vineeta, a senior manager at an MNC in Sector 58, adds, "I usually gift my maid some new clothes, such as a sari or a shawl. But I felt that I needed to do more in order to thank her. She has been working for us for almost a decade now. So, I decided to gift her an induction stove because she keeps saying she doesn't get the time to cook for her own family after working all day at our home."
Ritu Singh, a resident of Sector 26, says, "Both my husband and I are working, so we are almost entirely dependent on our maid. Naturally, I can't afford to lose her. So, this Diwali, all her demands for a bonus have to be met. She has asked for a gift and not cash. So, I'm going to gift her a dinner set along with some utensils."
Smartphones for the tech-savvy domestic help:
But it's not always the fear of losing the maid that is driving Noidawallahs to shower gifts on their maids. Ananya Sharma, a resident of Sector 50, says, "A few people in my building are pooling money and gifting our maid a smartphone this Diwali. Basically, we want her to have a WhatsApp-enabled phone so that we can reach her easily. It's a gift for her and a convenience for us as well."
Divyangana, a resident of Greater Noida, says, "In Noida, maids are your lifeline, particularly for working couples. So, giving just a little cash for Diwali doesn't seem very suitable. I plan to give our maid a month's salary as a bonus. In addition, whatever firecrackers I buy for my children, I will buy exactly the same amount for her kids. After all, everybody should have fun on Diwali."
Ekta Singh, a resident of Sector 120, says, "I'm giving my maid a cycle as a Diwali gift in addition to the usual bonus of cash and sweets. Our biggest issue with her is that she comes to our house late very often because she lives some place far from our home. To solve that problem, I guess a cycle would come in handy. Moreover, it's convenient for her as well. She won't have to walk all the way."
Induction stove and mixer-grinder for Diwali:
If you were thinking of giving your maid an old pressure cooker you no longer use this Diwali, drop the idea. She might leave you for another home where the owners are gifting home appliances. Shruti Mittal, founder member of NoidaMoms, says, "Now, you can't give just a box of sweets and a few hundred bucks as Diwali gifts. The maids don't settle for that much. So, I'm thinking of giving my maid a juicer and a mixer-grinder as her Diwali bonus. Of course, the demand will be of a more expensive gift next year. But does one really have a choice? We can't do without our maids and can't afford to lose them."
Vineeta, a senior manager at an MNC in Sector 58, adds, "I usually gift my maid some new clothes, such as a sari or a shawl. But I felt that I needed to do more in order to thank her. She has been working for us for almost a decade now. So, I decided to gift her an induction stove because she keeps saying she doesn't get the time to cook for her own family after working all day at our home."
Ritu Singh, a resident of Sector 26, says, "Both my husband and I are working, so we are almost entirely dependent on our maid. Naturally, I can't afford to lose her. So, this Diwali, all her demands for a bonus have to be met. She has asked for a gift and not cash. So, I'm going to gift her a dinner set along with some utensils."
Smartphones for the tech-savvy domestic help:
But it's not always the fear of losing the maid that is driving Noidawallahs to shower gifts on their maids. Ananya Sharma, a resident of Sector 50, says, "A few people in my building are pooling money and gifting our maid a smartphone this Diwali. Basically, we want her to have a WhatsApp-enabled phone so that we can reach her easily. It's a gift for her and a convenience for us as well."
Divyangana, a resident of Greater Noida, says, "In Noida, maids are your lifeline, particularly for working couples. So, giving just a little cash for Diwali doesn't seem very suitable. I plan to give our maid a month's salary as a bonus. In addition, whatever firecrackers I buy for my children, I will buy exactly the same amount for her kids. After all, everybody should have fun on Diwali."
Ekta Singh, a resident of Sector 120, says, "I'm giving my maid a cycle as a Diwali gift in addition to the usual bonus of cash and sweets. Our biggest issue with her is that she comes to our house late very often because she lives some place far from our home. To solve that problem, I guess a cycle would come in handy. Moreover, it's convenient for her as well. She won't have to walk all the way."
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