NIGHT GUARDS
BY SAURAV K. MISHRA
Fateh Singh
“Duty hai to kya kare karna to hoga” was the reply of Fateh Singh when I asked about the boredom aspect of his job. Fateh is a night guard who has been working here for one and a half year. He spends his time by taking 30 minutes walks through the colony.
Vijay Pandey
Vijay is 30 years old and is in his 1st year of B.A. (honors) Sanskrit from a local college in his village, Redigarapur, UP. He has a daughter who is in 2nd standard and a wife who works as a househelper. Vijay has been smoking cigarettes since he joined the job, he prefers smoking 'Liberty' cigarettes as it helps in stay awake. He earns ₹9,500 per month.
Around 2 AM, when the nearby tea shop opens, the guards meet for a break and chit chat.
Virendra Rai
Virendra was a frequent consumer of ‘bhaang’, which lead to a liver based disease for him. He got treated but side effects of the medication has changed the color of his skin. He now eats ‘khaini’. He is from Bhagalpur, Bihar.
