Maria Minj and Anita Tirkey, two housemaids who live with their employers at Khar, were felicitated by the Nirmala Niketan college for showing courage in crisis. Though greviously injured trying to prevent a housebreak at their employer's place, they managed to get the culprits arrested and put behind bars.

Maria and Anita have been employed as housemaids with Francis and Michelle D'Souza for the last three years. On January 4 this year the D'Souzas had gone out for a party leaving the maids to take care of the flat when the watchman of the building, along with an accomplice, sneaked into the flat after breaking open the bathroom grill.

``We were watching television after our dinner, when we were suddenly gagged by the two men from behind,'' said 24-year-old Maria, narrating the incident to a 200-strong audience comprising domestic workers from all over the city. The robbers asked the maids to showthem the cupboard but when they refused to comply, they stabbed both of them in the stomach.

The profusely bleeding maids were then dragged to the bedroom and watched with horror as the robbers emptied the cupboard. Then the duo fled leaving Maria and Anita to bleed to death. Though short of physical strength, the maids were not lacking in common sense.

Anita, barely into her teens, rolled Maria over and went to work at the rope that bound her hands. ``I have sharp teeth,'' said Anita, smiling shyly.

Once freed, Maria untied Anita's rope and then opened the window, screaming that the house had been burgled. Luckily, their employers, who had just returned, arrived at the scene within 10 minutes.

Based on their statements the Khar police arrested the watchman the next day and recovered the entire loot. Undergoing treatment for their wounds the maids spent eight days at Nanavati hospital. Though the function seemed ordinary, it meant celebration time for the participants. The men, dressed in T-shirts,jeans and leather shoes, and the women, wearing their best sarees maintained perfect decorum during the speeches and then boisterously clapped their appreciation of the efforts of the organisers for making their day.

``Even if for a few hours, we are going to savour the special treatment that we are getting here,'' said Rajesh, who works in Worli, showing off his leather belt.

The programme was organised by members of SETU, a project of the social sciences department of the college.