In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?

Iswaran cooked for Mahendra, washed his clothes, and chatted with him at night. He would narrate various stories on varied subjects. He also had an amazing ability to produce vegetables and cooking ingredients out of nowhere. He would miraculously cook the most delicious dishes made with fresh vegetables within an hour of arriving at the new workplace. Iswaran was quite attached to Mahendra and followed him to wherever he was posted. Hence, Iswaran was an asset to Mahendra in more ways than one.