A social media post by a Mumbai-based lawyer on the fees charged by her part-time cook has triggered netizens, who are having a hard time processing it, drawing opinions on everything from urban cost of living to household wage expectations. The entire conversation happened on X (formerly Twitter) after advocate Ayushi Doshi revealed that her cook charges Rs 18,000 per household for just 30 minutes of work each day.
Yes, you read that right!
Doshi, who referred to her cook as ‘Maharaj,’ mentioned that he cooks in 10–12 homes daily. His job comes with complimentary breakfast and tea at each location. In her now-viral post, she wrote, “Gets paid on time or leaves without a goodbye. Meanwhile I’m out here saying ‘gentle reminder’ with trembling hands with minimum salary.”
Check out her post here:
My Maharaj (Cook)
— Adv. Ayushi Doshi (@AyushiiDoshiii) July 29, 2025
•Charges ₹18k per house
•Max 30 mins per house
•10–12 houses daily
•Free food & free chai everywhere
•Gets paid on time or leaves without a goodbye 😭
Meanwhile I’m out here saying “gentle reminder” with trembling hands with minimum salary.🙂
The post quickly drew mixed reactions online. While some questioned if her claims were real, others used the post to highlight rising service costs in cities like Mumbai.
One user wrote, “18k for part-time cook is exaggerated. It’s 4-6k even in Gurgaon.” Another questioned the efficiency of such a schedule, commenting, “Can agree on 18k … but 30 mins? What does he cook in 30 mins? Paratha and sabzi from scratch take 45 mins at least.”
Others too shared their own experiences to draw comparisons. A Gurugram resident said, “I’ve paid between ₹6k and ₹12k to cooks here. They typically charge ₹2,500 per person, come twice a day for about an hour, and cover 4–5 houses, making ₹30k–₹60k a month.”
It was not all work talk though.There were a bunch of funny and sarcastic comments too.
“Either she’s extremely gullible to pay ₹18k for someone who spends 30 minutes on meals or this cook is a mix of chef, nutritionist, and Barry Allen,” wrote one user joked, while another wrote, “If he can finish cooking in 30 minutes across 12 homes, forget Maharaj, he’s Jadugar.”
Others outright dismissed the tweet as not true and unrealistic. “Nice clickbait. But no cook can make food in 30 mins,” one comment read. Another user suggested the story was “engagement farming.”
Doshi’s clarifictaion
As X exploded after her post, Doshi clarified that it was a reflection of real-life experiences in Mumbai, one of the most expensive cities in India. “The same cook charges ₹2.5k a day for a family of 12. It’s not overcharging, it’s just how things work here,” she said, adding that her intent was not to seek engagement but to share the reality of urban living.
Mumbai folks, back me up ! this is what good Maharajs charge in decent localities. The same cook charges ₹2.5k a day for a family of 12 isn’t overcharging, it’s just how things work here.
— Adv. Ayushi Doshi (@AyushiiDoshiii) July 30, 2025
If your state still runs on ₹5 thalis, that’s great for you , but don’t assume everyone…
Experts say that while charges for services like cooking vary widely based on locality, family size, and hours, they also reflect the value of skilled and reliable help in busy urban households.
