The word maasi means an aunt or a mother’s sister in Punjab. The word is also used reverentially to address elderly women in some families. But the word maasi has now come to be applied specifically to poor, illiterate, women compelled to take up doing household chores to earn a living for themselves, their small children and/or a husband who is usually invalid or an addict. The ultimate aim of every maasi is that her son(s) somehow receive education or learn a trade to earn and put together the dowry of their sisters.
In recent years and due to the rising cost of living, maasi culture has found a great favour and become more lucrative. The wages of a maasi can differ from Rs2,000 to Rs3,000 per month. Maasis hired to look after invalid lady patients may charge from Rs3,000 to Rs4,000 per month, plus residential place, food and breakfast included. Maasis are usually able-bodied, Muslim or the Christian women coming from the slum areas of the city. In the morning, one can see small batches of young and middle-aged maasis alighting from public transport and heading towards their places of work in posh areas or residential apartments in certain localities of the city.
Maasis are a real boon for invalids and working women, who help them with their daily household chores. Jobs such doing the dishes, laundry and ironing can be very demanding. Women who work in schools, hospitals, banks or offices can hardly manage these jobs themselves. Therefore, they simply cannot do without a maasi.
Some maasis are accompanied by their daughters to help them with the chores. Things such as cosmetics, jewellry or a wrist-watch often go missing. This can be very disturbing, as neither you can interrogate your maasi, nor dispense with her services on mere suspicion. If the matter is reported to the police, it becomes much worse. Some maasis are very overbearing and try to be chummy. They often wear one’s personal items in one’s absence, switch on the TV, make tea for themselves or leave the TV, ceiling fan and electric lights on after they have cleaned a room. Some maasis are in the habit of wasting water or leave the bathroom taps dripping.
Maasi culture has flourished so much in Karachi that even women whose husbands earn meagre salaries demand a helping hand. Some maasis are paid extra to work even on off-days to clean the house. The washing of bathrooms, dusting of the drawing room or vacuuming the carpets are always unwelcome to the sahibs as they cannot enjoy their morning cup of tea while reading the newspapers.
Maasis are good gossipmongers and spread news in the neighbourhood. They are also fully aware of your social or anti-social activities and some are also in cahoots with the negative elements in society.
Some maasis do not accept hand-me-downs or stale food. Others who are needy thankfully accept what is given to them. Some maasis, if treated well and helped in times of need prove that they are indeed worth their salt.
An old, widow whom we called Bua helped my working mother to look after us when we were young. She never wanted to leave us, but times changed and she had to go away. You would be lucky to get a Bua-like woman these days.
The word maasi means an aunt or a mother’s sister in Punjab. The word is also used reverentially to address elderly women in some families. But the word maasi has now come to be applied specifically to poor, illiterate, women compelled to take up doing household chores to earn a living for themselves, their small children and/or a husband who is usually invalid or an addict. The ultimate aim of every maasi is that her son(s) somehow receive education or learn a trade to earn and put together the dowry of their sisters.
