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