REAL DURWAN

"Durwan"isawordcomprisedofUrdu,HindiandPersianroots.
AccordingtoOxfordDictionary,itmeansaporterordoorkeeper,yet
inmanycases,likeBooriMa's,durwansmayonlybecleaning
women.ThesesortsofdoorkeeperscanbefoundallaroundIndia,
wheretheyarecalleddurwans,aswellasalloverEurope,where
theyareoftencalled"concierges"(thisissimilartoyetverydifferent
fromtheconciergesfoundinhotels).Atthebestlevels,thissortof
porterordoorkeeperlivesinandoverseesorderinthebuildingand
cleansallthepublicareas.Inbuildingswhereonlyroomsarerented,
theycleanwaterclosets,bathingroomsandkitchens.InBooriMa's
case,intheoldbuildingwithcrampedquarters,sheistheretoclean
thepublicstairstothedifferentfloorsandthedifferentrenters'
dwellings.
"Iliveintwobrokenrooms,marriedtoamanwhosellstoiletparts."
Mrs.Dalalturnedaway...
Tobearealdurwaninthisscenarioonehastofulfillactualduties
andimpliedduties.TheactualdutyforBooriMaistosweepthe
stairsandkeepthepublicareasinorder.BooriMa'simpliedduties
arethesameasforhigherleveldurwanandforEuropean
concierges:theyensurenonebutresidentsandresidents'guestsenter
thebuilding.Thisisanimportantfunctionfordoorkeeper:theykeep
thesafetyofthepremisesbyrestrictingwhoentersthedoors.
Accordingtothis,BooriMaisa"real'durwan.Sheperformsactual
andimpliedherdutiesand,fordoingsocorrectly,sheisgivena
placetosleep"underneaththeletterboxeswhereshelived."
TroublecomestoBooriMawiththepromotionandvacationofthe
Dalalfamily.Everyoneinthebuildingisjealouslyinspiredtomake
improvementsbecauseoftheimprovementstheDalalsmade,even
addingapublicsinktothestairway.BooriMaisanxious"restless
ontheroof"becauseoftheDalalsabsence.Shebegins"circlingthe
neighborhood"goingfurthereachdayandincautiouslyspendingher
savingson"smalltreats"atthesurroundingshops(untilsheis
robbedattheBowBazaar).Thetroublecomesforherbecause,
whilesheisoutwandering,sheisnotbeingadiligentdurwansince
sheisnotinthebuildingguardingwhocomesinandoutofthegate
anddoors.Hadshebeenthere,itispresumedthatshewouldnot
haveallowedthethievestopass,therefore,theycouldnothave

stolen.TheresidentsareirateandblameBooriMafornotbeing
diligentandthinkingofherdutiesaboveherownpleasure.Infury,
theyalsoblameherforhelpingtherobbersbygivingthem
information.
Thisishardcriticismbecausealltheygiveherisaplaceforsleeping
inexchangeforsweepingthe"stairstoptobottom."Nonetheless,
sinceshewasawayfromthestairsandthegateandthedoor,and
sincethievesenteredthebuilding,robbinganddamagingit,Boori
Maisaccusedoffailingandofthereforenotbeinga"real"durwan
becausea"real"durwanwouldnothaveabandonedherduty.Thisis
acrueltwistofsituationallyironicfatebecause,afterallherservice
andherownrobbery,herrestless,aimlesswanderingleadsto
disasterandherloomingdestitution.Italsoleadstothefalse
accusationsofcomplicitywiththerobbers.Thus,totheresidents,
sheisnota"real"durwanbecausea"real"durwanwouldnever
sidestepdutyandthuswouldneverfallundersuspicionofhelping
robbers.
"Thisisallherdoing,"oneofthemhollered,pointingatBooriMa.
"Sheinformedtherobbers.Wherewasshewhenshewassupposed
toguardthegate?"
"Fordaysshehasbeenwanderingthestreets,speakingto
strangers,"anotherretorted.
"Wesharedourcoal,gaveheraplacetosleep.Howcouldshe
betrayusthisway?"athirdwantedtoknow.
..."Believeme,believeme.Ididnotinformtherobbers."