Biased load-shedding

Biased load-shedding

No, this one does not reiterate the fact that Mumbai is exempted from a torture called load shedding, the regularity of which is commendable!! It throws light ( and not power, as we are deprived of it ) on a different subject for contemplation.
Thane and the stations that follow ( lesser known to most of the Mumbaities ) and Navi Mumbai are subjected to a daily ritual of “load-shedding”. It is a fancy term coined for the power cuts which are executed at a frequency which is greater than that of a peculiar novel song played as a “fresh hit” on Zoom. Interestingly, Mulund ( the princess of suburbs – as per the claims ) and Bhandup are conveniently set apart from Mumbai when it comes to power cuts. So, these localities are not excused even though they belong to the island city. Now, I’m done with the geographical details.
Let me come to the point. The duration of power cuts can be anywhere between 3 hours to 9 hours depending on the closeness of the location to Mumbai: eg. If thane has it for 5 hrs, then Kalyan will endure it for about 7-8 hrs on a daily basis. But still, this is not the bias about which I want to complain. I believe that the power cuts are chauvinistic in nature, their target victims being the ‘housewives’. The husband leaves for his work-place by 7, the children are off to school or college and our dear housewife ( victim of male chauvinism )is busy arranging hot water for everyone’s bath. With all the appliances running on electricity, how is she expected to grill, toast or knead the dough when the power is gone at, as early as 6 in the morning??? It is widely proclaimed that Science and Technology have paced up the life of a housewife. I’m sure that she would take this with a pinch of salt. Next, in the afternoon, when the October heat scorches and pierces into every household, the lady is left sweating and struggling in an effort to beat the heat. The exhausted soul cannot even peacefully take a nap for an hour or two, as the rising mercury makes it grossly uncomfortable. Now, with the refrigerator disconnected for 3 running hrs, she has to re-heat the cooked food to avoid the dismay over the spoilt food in the following evening. Imagine the piteous plight of the female standing in front of the burner, facing the flaming sun and no fans ( exhaust or ceiling ) to move the heated air particles…. To top it all, if you house lies facing the east-west direction ( believed to be miraculously beneficial to your health and wealth, as per Vaastu-Shaastra ), then the intensity of the incoming sunlight can be strong enough to shrivel you down.
Business failures, and financial losses seem to be the only complaints that always surface everytime the concept of load-shedding is argued upon. No one really bothers to consider the plight of the housewife who has sworn to refrain from whining…
So, thank your stars if you are a student ( attending colleges in Mumbai ONLY ) or a husband who can relish his lunch in the air-conditioned room. The contents of this lunch are wrapped in aluminium foils…with tender care and concern of the diligent woman who has been preparing it in the blinding darkness ( as there is no blinding light, or any kind of light at that point of time in the morning!!)..in anticipation of a cool breeze to soothe her soul…..