were actually equated with slaves. A servant was a possession of another person known as his or her master and it was mandatory to do whatever the master demanded. Cruel masters misused their authority and abused the bad as well as the good servant while the kind masters were merciful to the disobedient servant who repented and rewarded the good servant.
Today the rich hire the workers and expect them to do everything. They enjoy the right to insult, abuse and even accuse them of stealing. Domestic worker is always the first suspect.
Basically, the sole aim of the workers is to appease their masters as they cope with a constant sense of insecurity and live with the fear of being fired for the smallest mistake.
But, Abhijeet Raichand proved it wrong. On that day in the hospital, when Darsh saved his and Malvika’s life he offered him some money as a token of gratitude which Darsh politely refused.
“Sahib, I don’t want money like this. If you really want to pay me, then give me a job. I will do your household work and everything you want,” he had said.
And Abhijeet took him as domestic help. Many Indian servants mostly youth from poverty-stricken states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, are paid as little as 1,200 rupees a month along with accommodation in the house. But, Abhijeet paid Darsh an exorbitant, 15,000 rupees.
The job was exhausting. Other morning duties included washing the car, buying groceries, setting the table, answering the phone and the door, and driving Abhijeet or Malvika to work. Abhijeet, who held him in great affection, also covered his health-care costs and his sister’s engineering fee; many in his position wouldn’t.
According to a study, 76 percent men believe that they should go down on one knee to propose. Many women find that appealing. The message behind the gesture can be that the man is offering himself wholeheartedly to the woman, without reservations, elevating her to an exalted position in their relationship, and offering her the choice to determine the course of their relationship.
There is no clear historical origin of the idea of proposing on a bent knee, but the gesture bears striking resemblance to many other ceremonial situations.
Kneeling is appropriate during prayers and other religious ceremonies, including wedding vows in some faiths. Kneeling is also done to genuflect when entering a church or temple. When proposing, kneeling can have the same spiritual connotation and can be seen as a sign of respect.
Knights kneel while being awarded honours from kings and queens. This can hold true for a proposal of marriage and can be seen as an honour.
Bowing is typically seen as a gesture of surrender. When proposing, a couple commits to one another and surrenders oneself to being part of a couple.
Regardless of the origin, the idea of asking for a loved one’s hand in marriage while partially kneeling is a highly symbolic gesture embodying the very essence of committing one’s life to another. The ideas of goodwill, honour and trust in that one person open themselves completely to another without shame or any physical defences.
But what a few people think is, ‘The practical reason behind a bent-knee-proposal is that it puts the engagement ring in an elevated position between the couple, letting the light hit it clearly without getting blocked by both individuals. This highlights the glitter of the ring as well as emphasizing the strength of the commitment.’
But, for Darsh all these proposals and bending down was fiction, part of those romantic movies and fairy tales, until today. Today, Abhijeet had instructed him to clean the place and call everyone including Aarti, home.
“What’s the occasion sahib ?” he asked.
“Am going to propose Malvika, dude!” exclaimed Abhijeet.
“Wow! Congrats sahib!”
Darsh had seen numerous romantic movies on Doordarshan where the hero used to hold the heroine in his arms, look into her eyes and say, “I love you,”