Barapani Diary IV... We, the women!

As much as it was solitude and bliss, beautiful tranquil nature all around, it was lonely at times, specially without better half and without any restaurant or even a samosa shop nearby! The little TV with dish and the data card I had was my connection to the world with the city being a forty kilometres away with a bumpy road and unpredictable traffic and a toddler at toe. But I guess this was the year I had read maximum number of books, started blogging. There was a power cut at eleven o clock  every night when I put away my book and slid behind the mosquito net. But I longed for the city and some so called hustle bustle sometimes.

I enjoyed my little long holiday in Delhi given the boredom and missing spouse. It was a mixed bag holiday with health playing some tricks on me, my little one..but then life is something you have to squeeze out some happiness from and no perfection awaits us anywhere. Onset of Delhi chill, mall hopping, long rounds in SN Market, Karol Bagh in the foggy Delhi sun and yes...mouth watering Shawarmas at Defence colony Al Bakes, those crispy fried besan pakodas covered with muli and mint chutney at Lajpat Nagar (Ram laddoos) and the show stopper... sending my help for  Chole Bhature from INA footpath .. once husband steps out of the house 🤭..well he can't be blamed considering my non alcoholic fatty liver and high triglycerates (whatever that means). Speaking of Delhi, can't get over the taste of good food and good times... that hot cuppa at Barista with a warm almond muffin and a new found husband 😁, rediscovering same old relationship in Saket malls sharing a plate of Sushi..watching deer and peacocks with daughter at Hauz Khas in a leisurely warm sunday morning and of course Dilli Haat with its colorful bangles stoles and yes yes.. fried momos at Nagaland stall..with red hot chutney..and not to miss the sabudana vada at Maharashtra stall.. ah yes the foody in me is up, awake, hungry and relishing, savouring good times...

Colourful Dilli Haat

Christmas

Deer Park..Hauz Khas

Sushi at Sushiya.. Select City Mall Saket...

After the crests and troughs.. health problems in family, being stuck in a fog affected Rajdhani Express but toddler of my daughter keeping everyone busy in the compartment.. finally I was back and I was about to write back to where I belong..who knows where I belong to...that four lane clad, malls and flyover embellished city of Delhi where somehow I found my little space ( I know many would object to me occupying little space 😛), city of Guwahati where school college university days zoomed by in the bank of Brahmaputra.. or this place where I am supposed to spend one year more and had spent another year earlier in my first job. In Delhi I'd always feel I belong somewhere in Assam in Guwahati..while at Guwahati I just longed to see the world and while being in this place there's a sense of calm and peace, a feel of ' Shangri la ' where time stands till and whose inhabitants hardly venture out of this land..but this loneliness I wasn't much equipped to bear it all.

 

All said and done I know one thing I'd take with me from here is ( provided I leave in the right time) the memories of these girls here.. simple, smiling, hard working.. running small shops in one hand and large families in the other. Independent, struggling, smiling and when required they can tackle their menfolk in an enviable manner, give them a taste of their own medicine..! I have seen all the domestic helps wherever they are Delhi, Guwahati,  Kolkata one common thread binds them, one single story with one common character...a drunk violent jobless husband..here somehow the story has a twist... braveheart hardworking womenfolk...decision makers..and supporting men behind them..well things may not be so simple as they seem..but for a change this is interesting ..and I can't help admiring these women..

Iva, the beautiful young girl  with bright red lipstick in the days she is well and a nice flirty smile works in the office from eight to five thirty, has two sons at home, most of the days as I return from evening walk I see her standing in queue to collect water from the roadside tap, sometimes beating up her son and rarely sometimes her contagious sound of laughter catches my attention as I turn to see her sipping tea in the small tea shop with other folks, waving at me smiling with her kowai stained lips. There is Rani pale timid, three children at home, studying for her Class XII exams when she is not cleaning office and making tea, there is Meera smiling chatting , she lost her working husband of excessive drinking, left with five kids, no compensation from office yet. Meera runs a tea shop the lifeline of the airport.. provides poori for breakfast, simple rice sabji for lunch and roti for dinner. Sometimes I wonder without Meera's shop all the airlines staff, office staff, workers all would starve to death..even the passengers when flight is delayed because nothing edible is found inside the airport. Debo, Meera's helping hand, over worked, stressed out often sick with stomach ache and fever, sits in the shop from morning to night, without her pooris aren't fluffy enough, lunch isn't ready in time and when she is taking a break I have seen her carrying a pile of hay while returning from harvest. The pimpled, smiling girl..people say won't get married.. some failed love affair..who knows..

Peaceful the sweet fragile tiny office assistant whom everybody love to tease, Theresa hardworking shy office attendent..comes to office leaving her infant at home. And the numerous girls who run different shops, some sell Kowai the local betel nut, some pork and fish and in the local market day so many would flock around, some with a stoic expression, some using a smile to bypass the language barrier, oldies smiling and speaking in pure Khasi.. I hardly get the language barring a few stray words I have picked up..but the smile is infectious and the toil the hardship..my salutes to these women..

We, the women...

Hunky Dory

 

Forty two! At this juncture what would one want from life and to be precise what I want. The selfie camera popped the face I know so well, the face with a blunt nose, heard mom regretting since I was a kid, expressive eyes as some men had expressed in different times, slight eyes bags popping out, I rubbed my hands confirming, whole bunch of grey hair staring wide from the skull!

I shut the camera off, trying to cover the grey bunch. Thin hair stared back at me, is it time to accept? Slightly sagging breasts and the protruding stomach, I almost threw away the mobile! But that's not how I look, my Display pictures and Instagram pictures, even without much filters looked great most of the times, only you need to choose the right angle! I was shaken from my frustrating chain of thoughts, thrust mobile in my trouser pocket, stuffed earphones, switching on my playlist began to walk.

On one such walk, I had set eyes upon , let's call him hunk, almost two years ago.
My eyes scanned for him every day. Almost a hunk, salt pepper hair, those biceps and the stare! Did he stare at me really? I mean why me? Well, men do stare. There isn't anything surprising about it and nothing to be overwhelmed about, there are psychos, sick men. I caught his eyes just then, we looked away just in time, he with his jog, me with my walk now almost stumble. Would we talk one day but how? My romantic hopeless mind conjured some pictures. Would he smile some day? May be say ' Hi'!!

For those who think I'm completely out of my mind, it is necessary to inform that's how I've been all these years.. romantic, useless, weaving stories! With the daughter turning ten, hubby turning decent what was this madness about!  Few days back I had a hopeless crush on husband's boss, he too had paid me  all the attention I needed and then thankfully he went ahead with his corporate chores neglecting me and I was back in my senses! Had he been as intelligent as he looked, I shuddered! I'm gonna cross hunk again, I pulled my indifferent face, oh my side locks must be showing my greys , tried to push them aside. We crossed, of course nothing happened.  'Hunk I wouldn't be there tomorrow, my morning shift, my heart cried out.' You know hunks are dumb my sane mind argued.' But this one isn't ' my frivolous self whispered!

Hunk was stretching his limbs in the monkey bar. Chiseled body did not attract me, it's brains, I clenched my teeth, trying to convince myself, looking away from hunk, brains, humour, my kind of man! Some images flashed in my head in super sonic speed. Hunk in bed, like I saw Milind Soman in the web series! I swallowed hard,sex gets better when you know someone! I left the park with a heavy heart and more jumbled up thoughts!

It was a ritual..hunk and me, locking of our eyes. My hair brushed a tad bit tidy, my smartest jogging tee, light lip balm sort. But hunk likes me just as I am, my heart hummed! Wait what... since when he likes you, my head rebuked! You really think he likes you!! Supposing he does what are you expecting..head was glaring at heart!

What's app texts, coffee date may be, stare at his eyes more, smile coyly...uuuhh what not!

Ok then... head waited

'Then...then..oh then..his..'.heart blushed , ' His place may be'

Wonderful....then

' It can be steamy,  passionate...' my lips went dry , ' In his arms...he's so gentle..duniya dari holding him, his passion'

I crossed hunk just then, sweating almost
Next morning and day after , I was not there in the park , with hunk out of my mind as well, job, daughter, husband, maid. After that tsunamis called corona and lockdown happened, daughter began her online classes after a few hiccups and I stopped my morning walks. It was dropping her off to bus stand, waving her off to school then the morning walk ritual in the park where hunk happened. Well with online classes, my job was limited to waking daughter up, then waking my help, switching on wifi, then switch on laptop and drift off to bed!

Almost last two years daughter did not go to school and me no morning walks! Today I came to bus stand , felt a bit awkward waving daughter off now on the brink of her teens. Felt strange at the park, pulled my mask to let my nose breathe, set my watch and music felt so great, it was my head breathing!

Wait ....just wait.. wasn't that?....
I slowed my pace, hunk had slowed his too. He was looking at me, his lips curving in a smile. I wasn't sure what I was doing? I think my lips curved in smile too!

Hunk was approaching, today he was going to say ' Hi'! I knew he would!

The Leh Land

Tripping is in my veins! Nature with her flurry used to embrace me in my beautiful home town in northeast India. Hills, rivers, greens...so much in abundance, I never knew I had to seek nature living in a concrete jungle one day. My home was nestled between the hills, immensely green on all sides.



This write up is about the latest crazy trip I had. My travel buddy and I had almost wild adventurous trips while we set for our first abroad trip to Singapore, then all self arranged trip to Greece. Now that she's posted at an almost remote airport at Diu, with a three year old and the pandemic called covid engulfed our world, trips got fewer.



So this sudden unplanned trip materialised when we booked tickets the day before we travelled. Her family, work commitments and sheer distance made this trip next to impossible but we being hardcore travel freaks met at Delhi airport and with my favourite Salzburg blue coat hung over my shoulder, medicines and other essentials packed according to checklist, we were hugging and boarding the plane, catching up on office and spouse gossips!!

Both of us are well traveled, at least that's what we felt, with mountains by the window, we weren't excited, assuming we weren't missing anything. ' Oh I've had excellent views before landing at Srinagar' My friend too bragged about Alps, but then there was a commotion in the flight with maximum passengers huddling towards windows, we peaked outside and the barren Zanskar ranges caught us unaware and awestruck! The river was flowing between mountains, like few thousand years of year of civilization, we knew we were going to be transported in a different world in the week to come.

Leh airport was crowded, it was hot outside, contrary to AccuWeather prediction. We checked in to the super luxurious hotel my partner booked, way out of my budget. Day one as all suggest, stay put in room, at least rest for two/three hours to acclimatize before venturing out.

Evening we took a cab to visit the stupa, gobbled on some magnificent momos from the market, bought some local jackets, reasonably priced and warm and walked back to the hotel.

REAL DAY ONE: Leh can be daunting at times. My partner did not have a sound sleep, claustrophobia, breathing issues, high altitude syndromes. But travel freaks we are, sumptuous breakfast, photo session, we checked out from the luxury hotel, staying another night at this one would be ludicrous and we were set for the day. Glimpse of Indus nestled between the mountains, a river as old as civilization and the mountains out of picture, ancient, barren, wild and beautiful! Zanskar Indus Sangam was like someone flipped an ancient page from a lost civilization!

Breathtaking to say the least! Magnetic Hill was beautiful and rustic, though you need not comprehend magnetic theory for that! There was something about Leh and I understood it was #neverbefore for us! The landscapes, rugged terrains, clear blue sky..it was a gateway to Shangri-la I read about long back!

As it is with overworked drivers rushing everywhere even in my Shangri La, we checked into a very reasonable, almost sasta tikao hotel amidst his rush, almost one fifteenth of the price we paid the day before! Well that's the fun when two wanderlust wander merrily. Since travelling was our sole priority and also clicking pics like mad, we changed and went to visit Leh Palace after one round of average coffee and noodles.

DAY TWO:
We had planned for a hectic day, for Turtuk village and Nubra via Khardungla Pass and difficult to believe we were set at six thirty sharp. Well there wasn't any warm water, so we dispensed with necessary washroom antics, brushed, changed and checked out. I was wondering with family, a super lazy cribbing hubby, equally lazy child it's a mammoth task to awake them, plead them to get ready before breakfast clock ticks! Huh..here we reached Khardungla at eight in the morning, we might have been the first ones for the day!

We followed the pahadi Shyok river to Hunder, in between road closure due construction, we could sink in the sights slowly, feel the magic of the land we were in! I was awestruck by Leh, it's strategic location, Tibet , China, Pakistan, amazing place it had/has in history!

Food was basic, vegetarian to my surprise and disappointment!

Turtuk was our next stop after wild drive through ancient terrains, desert like arid mountains, I was transported to a different world, some where in the beginning of civilization, some where where nature was unscathed, somewhere where man has not been able to mercilessly rob nature of its abundance. After those rugged terrains, Turtuk was like an welcome oasis, tiny village with a lovely stream, lush green mountains and farmlands out of a Yash Chopra movie!

After some heated arguments with our driver, me playing peace mission agent, convincing him to stop for pictures, we drove towards Hunder.

Filmy poses in the filmy setting, we found our camp and slumped in bed after a warm dinner at the camp. Next day would be the drive to Pangong.

DAY THREE: We started for Pangong almost leisurely and our first stop was Diskit monastery. At our Nubra camp, the flow of stream echoed through the night, though I had a strong desire to view the source, we skipped it to save time. Diskit was a must as my father would quietly enquire...that large Buddha statue... would you go there!

Tried hard for the monastery shot and as with every travel..here the song echoing in my head was hunk John Abraham's ' Lagi tumse man ki lagan' 😀..well these are my travel inspirations, keeps me and my companions on toes always with craziness unplugged!

The Buddha pic for my Baba and many who were traveling through us, our wild spirit!

She wasn't as happy as us !!

Shyok and me ❤️...

Towards Pangong, driver Sahab was a bit cool today, given up on the crazy souls may be!

Pangong...we knew the hyped destinations normally disappoint specially with an overcast sky..let's see what the next day has in store.

It did look mundane, we suppressed our disappointment.

We retreated to our camp after an wild search without GPS...no signal works there. Camp was cold, power cut at night, no warm water at all. Solar power was supposed to give warm water in the morning, but overcast sky, bone chilling water, we stuck to basics. Over friendly guys in next camp, playing ' Manike maage hithe' , getting wide eyed as I declared we were traveling alone. Later I discussed with my buddy .... should we have said our hubbies are at Leh looking after our kids!!! I was hopeless at lies and with no lock in camps only zips, I tossed and turned in bed tensed, while I heard the heroes in next camp snoring off peacefully 😡. That was when I began to have a headache!

DAY FOUR:
We had plans like most women for a Pangong photoshoot. And we had a clear blue sky welcoming us, as I stumbled in the pebbles with headache gnawing at my forehead!

I did that too 😁

With driver Sahab getting furious at the photo shoots and the time we were taking, after argument and bargain he drove us to the main lake again brooding continuously. I perform worse with people breathing down my neck!

But wasn't it a dream what we just witnessed! Can I not be born for this again and also have the latest mobile for the pics!!

I am a non believer all right, but would have loved to believe in god, after the view we had in road.

We did not dare to ask driver Sahab to stop for the ethereal magic that was unfolding in front of us, I clicked from the car.

Chang La pass...we crossed the almost non existent road, high altitude headache drove me dizzy!

I have to mention here I was absolutely contact less with my family for almost twenty four hours. Husband was crazy without my whereabouts! I could message them after we descended from Chang La and surprisingly my headache disappeared at a sane altitude! ' Maa we thought, you were kidnapped' was my twelve year old's take with input from her Baba of course! ' Baba said China wale might have abducted you!'
The husband was murmuring , ' Leke rakh nahi paye, wapas kar diya!!'
Talk of a warm welcome from family after I emerged from the depth of ancient mountains!!

Driver Sahab rode like a supersonic and stopped at Thiksey monastery, his favorite one!

Driver Sahab got rid of us finally and we checked in a decent hotel, chilled , relaxed, reveled at the pics we have clicked.

DAY FIVE: We went to airport for our early flight to Delhi. As I read in blogs there's a grand finale not to be missed from flight window!

l

Ladakh is going to call me again, transport me to my Shangri La!! Till then...

May we remain as crazy as we are!!

PS : I caught covid five days after I returned ! With my finicky husband jumping when the thermometer ticked 99, I went for a test just for his sake and lo behold! I did wear N95 mask, avoided crowds..yet..but being double vaccinated it passed away mildly me being furiously bored in a room! So girls pack your bags, take your guards, set sail with your pal, yes I missed my family a lot but let's take that ' ja Simran ja' trip once. Bon voyage , live your life , it's a beautiful world and we live once. Our moms, aunts, took this trip through us and it is with their indomitable spirit, we would wander off again into a different world soon!