More to D

Hey D,

How are you? I visited my place over this weekend. I saw the same house. I traveled by a traveler bus and then by a M&M Jeep.  Yes, going to Chandwad early morning is still a joy ride. The fast way to reach there at morning is to catch a truck. But this time I could afford a Jeep.

The pain of working out here is restrictions on mailbox and mailing sites. Internet availability is still not that common. You can of course get one at home. However I missed checking my emails first thing in morning.

I found same road conditions, same house. Nothing has changed. The board of my sis’s hospital is still around though she has not practiced at my place since last 2 yrs. There were few tiles which my father had bought to set up a small varanda around 3 yrs earlier. They are still lying around with no sign of varanda.

I shared my greetings with my parents. Aai was excited as expected and she did all aarti stuff that early morning. We talked abt various topics. My father had gathered questions from all his friends since I was not in Chandwad for long. He was acting as their representative as I could not meet them. I tried to answer each of those questions patiently. Then aai also had many questions. You would laugh at some of them. She had a question from a worker from one of her clothes shop. He wanted to ask me how much a cutting chai costs there?  Father’s questions were around education system, infrastructure and culture. Do they wear full clothes atleast in family meets? I had to clear out his pre biased views. I tried to explain to him that what we have heard of them is not whole truth. Could not convince him completely. Will do that next time around.

Afternoon, I wanted to visit my Granny’s place. So I took my dad’s Splendor to ride. It was difficult to ride it for first few minutes. I was riding a bike after 2+ yrs. I did not had a bike in Mumbai too. Besides his bike never have any mirrors, brakes. His usual explanation to me is If you need a brake you do not know how to ride Bike. I visited all my maternal uncles. Man, they all seemed old. May be I had not visited them for quite some time. May be the last I visited them was sometime 4-5 yrs ago.

Nothing really changed just that responsibilities have changed hands. Earlier my Grandpa used to bring fruits and vegetables from the farm, now its my uncle’s job. Earlier my uncle used to ride me everywhere explaining details of the farm and what is happening in all the relative’s life. It was being done by his son. Once again many questions. This time they were around farming and electricity, eating habits, weather. Famous one “Do I have a photograph with snow around? “ When I replied no, they were disappointed and said “ You have missed a golden opportunity.” My granny always used to worry about her sons and their life more than her daughters. So she always wanted to go back to her house no matter what happens. On very rare occasion she used to stay at her daughters’ place. One of the other reasons could also be my grandpa. But she volunteered to come with me on Bike. She wanted to spend as much time she could with me. You know why, because she was still intrans over the fact that I hugged her first in front of the whole crowd in Mumbai. 

I came back to Chandwad with my granny around 6:30. Oh! In the afternoon aai asked me what I would like to eat. Can you imagine what my response was? Barbat! It a one of delicious recipe. A curry made up of groundnut. Most simplistic food. My sisters had imagined that I would ask it first alongwith Khichadi ( Masale bhat).

My elder sister’s family came around 8:30 PM. Then I talked a lot with all of them showed them my coin collection. (It would be of my niece eventually.) Souvenirs that I had bought. Could not show them the photographs as my camera, laptop and other gazettes were in Mumbai. My younger sis was disappointed; she wanted to take a look at all of them. Then I gave them the gifts I had purchased.

At night, when I had just slept my friends called. We do not have separate bedroom wala funda at my place yet. So we all sleep in the living room. In Fact there is nothing called as room for specific purpose except kitchen and living. They are treated as just rooms. I was in at center of the place and my gang was enjoying Jack Daniel that I had bought for them in Pune. They had all the slang for me reserved and they started throwing it hurriedly on phone to me. Imagine all of them listening to it as my father usually keeps his cell volume full. Man, I had to cut the phone and switch it off. Had to make a long story to get aai convinced that it was some culprit.

The next day, I got up late and surprisingly nobody had any problem. You cannot imagine the scene when I used to get up late earlier. I was so happy that I went to US at that time. Man! I can sleep as I wish now. My father will nto be bothered much abt it. Wow! That is something. Then I visited my aunty and uncle in Nashik. My uncle’s questions were around cars, bikes, real estate as he runs a service station. Aunty were around shopping. She does that a lot. 

Then I visited my younger sis in Trambak. Spent some time there and came back to Nashik and then Mumbai.

When I was in Chandwad my mom told me a touching story abt my uncle. We usually share our old clothes among each other. He wears them at farm. Now a days as I moved to cities, even my old clothes look so expensive to him that he and his son uses them for outside visits. I was Ok till this pt as I did this as a kid. I used to use old clothes even at school. On one day, one the old trouser had to be switched to from good cloth to farm cloth. Reason being my aunty’s negligence while ironing uncle clothes. He was so unhappy abt it that he kept pestering her abt it for a wk. I was moved, do you ever thought abt something like this when we bought clothes in US. At least I did not. How much we care abt brands and looks. It is still basic need to someone. When I offered my help by buying some farm near his place and then he can use them, my granny & aai refused it. He has to get it right on his own. Can more money in US bring me something which can change my dear one’s life. Nope! Then hell with the money, I would rather be present there when he changes his life. To watch, witness it. So share the joy with him when he builds his world. I want to be there with him to share that joy, that fight. The only way I can accelerate it by changing something in India. That’s why, I think my decision to work here is correct. No matter, how much more money I would get in US, it will not be enough or it would be of no use to me where I want to use it.

I missed the big fight my jiju put up for their survival, when I was in US. Do not want to miss another one. Besides all this, they came to tell me they want me to study further.

Oh! Yes, I know what you are waiting for. The subject did pop up and I said not this year. If I am going to study then it will not be for next few yrs. 

Chal, Need to prepare for next trip to Phili.

Regards
- Bhuga

First Glimpse of India

Dear Captain D,

I reached India on 26 Feb afternoon. I was eager to get first glimpse of the land where it all started. This was where I could meet people who claim to have seen me growing as man from boy. This was where I was empowered to fly across oceans to reach the land people call dreamland.

Somehow, I am strange human being. Sometimes I wonder if I am human. Anyway, that is not the pt. I had not felt anything like awesome when I landed in JFK exactly a yr ago. May be because on my way I had seen Paris and got a glimpse of what a international airport should be.

Hence It amuses me how I felt ashamed when I landed in Mumbai. Our Airport does not even stand in comparison of any domestic airport. I felt as if we are way behind in infrastructure. All the talk of India shining that we used to have ( at least Ganya, Inzi bhai & I used to have) look distinct memory. How can our travel & tourism industry expect to flourish when we give such clumsy overlook of our country to foreign tourists.

My parents were at airport to see me. I was pleased to meet my sisters, Jijus and of course my mom. Not that I was pleased to meet my father, but we shared different kind of relationship. More often than not, we never get into emotional kind of stuff. Both of us can control our emotion. In fact whatever I have seen him bit emotional is in front of his children as they grew up and I heard a lot abt his crying from my mom. Can I refer to her as Aai? It just brings her more closer. :-))

So there she was, waiting for me at the airport crowd, as I also saw Somu's friend Raj and wanted to settle account with him by handing over his laptop. Aai was trying to tell me to grab younger sis's kid ( younger my elder sisters, I am the youngest in house) as to show my eagerness. I do not like to show off my emotion in public and hence wanted to get rid of Raj. Finally, I met my Granny first. She was one happy soul. You know why? She later told aai that she was glad I recognized her and hugged her. ( Typical of me, as a young kid my mom taught me to meet elders in house first and follow the hierarchy. It has grown into a habit.)

Meanwhile I heard my sis whispering to aai that she does mind and she has explained to my jiju that I do not like children until they have sense of their timings. ( Urination, case of bad experience with elder sis's kid. In fact I was so strict abt this one, that my eldest niece always used to ask me to accompany her despite the presence of her mother at that time. So u see I am same as office even at home. :-) ). Despite listening and I continued to greet people from oldest to youngest. My nephew had many stories to share with me. We continued talking till I said goodbye to them.

My sis wanted me to spend some time with them. But I knew they came early in morning. In fact they had reached around 7 AM in Mumbai. They went to Juhu choupati since we do not have any close relative. (Actually we might have, but aai knows I do not want to disturb people and since I was foreign return, my wishes were taken in account.) So I wanted them to go home early. Had to control all emotional stuff for practical reality. Those who are employed had taken a leave for next day, while self employed ones were ready for forfeit a day’s wages. I also had to go to office next day.

I found the rates have increased more rapidly in India. A simple breakfast costs around 15-20 bucks. I think we will loose the cost advantage very soon.

Everything else in India remains same. Chal, will write to you later.


- Bhuga

P.S. Did I mentioned to you abt my hairs. As I expected my father wanted me to trim them. Usually whenever he used to ask me something to do, the whole janata used to be with him. He had credentials. Though I still do not think that I did something great by working in US, everyone else thinks so. Hence my wishes were respected and my father was asked if “he had come to airport throughout his life earlier?” TO his negative answer there were assertive replies of “Jaisa desh waise bhesh, besides the long hairs look suit him.” Wow! This is something I earned by working for a yr in US.  Not that, I would have been forced to trim them , but yeah I would usually listened to him as the janata would have supported him.