Two months into Prime Minister Modi’s demonetization move, here’s a glimpse into a housewife’s daily routine from the early days of the demonetization announcement.
November 15, 2016
6.30 AM
It’s not cold outside yet, but a sense of cold forbidding has been creeping over Mrs. Neeta. She’s up and about, clearing up the kitchen and brewing her daily cup of tea.
7.00 AM
With her chai in her hand (with two spoons of sugar), Mrs. Neeta opens her front door and picks up the newspaper.
“Demonetization move makes housewives reveal their savings” reads the headline.
7.30 AM
As the housewife and mother of two begins preparing breakfast for her family, she ponders over the news article she read, particularly remembering the interview by another housewife, Savita Pandey.
"It is a bold and appreciable move by our government and we are all happy about it. But as housewives, we have been saving money over the lifetime for crucial days and we would obviously not want our husbands to know about it. Since these currency notes are now obsolete hence we are bound to get them exchanged through our husbands. But, we are simply hoping that our better halves would respect the cause of our savings and dutifully return the exchanged money and forget about it,"
Huh, she thinks. You try it girl.
9.00 AM
With a family fed, bathed and sent off with hot tiffins, Mrs. Neeta brews her second cup of tea for the day, instructing her maid to not leave bits of washing powder on the dishes.
She has to make time to go stand in a queue today. She tells her maid to hurry up.
11.00 AM
It’s been 90 minutes and the queue is moving at a snail’s pace. Around her, people are clutching their jute and plastic bags. The housewives in their bright sarees and suits topped with mismatched sweaters are holding on to their handbags. Mrs. Neeta is slightly annoyed. One shouldn’t have to suffer through this for being a little prudent about saving money.
3.00 PM
Finally, Mrs. Neeta gets back home and straight up orders a pizza for lunch. There’s only so much a woman can suffer through in a day. There’s still all that paper money that needs to go in the bank or she’ll have to come clean to her husband about her magpie-like abilities to save a decent amount of cash.
6.00 PM
A walk around the park with her super-gossipy friend reveals to Mrs. Neeta the ingenious ways of making the best out of a hard situation.
8.30 PM
Setting the table for dinner, Mrs. Neeta smiles at her husband. He carefully asks if she needs more cash for groceries. She says yes and carefully puts the wad of cash in the kitchen drawer.
10.00 PM
Changing into her favourite nightie, Mrs. Neeta smiles. PM Modi got nothing on her. She has a plan.
November 16, 2016
10.00 AM
Mrs. Neeta pays a hawker Rs. 11,000 in the old currency and takes Rs. 10,000 back in 100-rupee denominations.
The housewives know it all; wriggling out of sticky situations is what they do best.
10.20 AM
Mrs. Neeta picks up her third cup of tea with three spoons of sugar. I deserve it, she smiles.
