Marathi Manus!

Imagine an Industrial area..brings to mind images of factories and sheds, all spewing smoke and effluents into bleak desolate areas, set far away from urban centers. Now cut to Paithan in Aurangabad.. its set far away all right, about two hours bus journey from the main city/town (call Abad what you will, after Mumbai, almost all other cities seem like towns, except maybe for Delhi and Kolkatta).. Got off the State Transport bus, and looked around, it was spooky..green fields, groves upon groves of eucalyptus trees, crisp air, none of the odors or sounds associated with such areas. No chemical smog trying insidiously to strangle you or take a few years off your life, maybe make you impotent or infertile(wot can I say I have a 'fertile' imagination).

So, scared and disoriented by my travel into 'Swades' land, I walk up to the Paan Shop that is bang opposite the stop and standing guard over the main junction leading into the Area. The guy actually smiles looking at me, not the smirk you usually associate with Paan wallahs in Mumbai, usually a cross between a leer and a frown,bespattered with red betel juice..This guy just lit up like I was ambani or something giving him the paan wala contract for the rest of his life for one of my factories or something. Well that smile made me lose my cynicism a little and I grinned back and asked him in Marathi about some of the companies I had to visit. His grin just got wider and he gave me detailed and precise details to all of the addresses. Then he added the score, good news that 4 paki wickets had fallen in the first fifteen overs of the match (India visiting Pak, in case you are out of touch). I just had to buy something then, so got a bottle of water and when I peered in the collect my change, he was actually raising his dabba and plonking it on the counter and asking me to dig into his breakfast! That was a first in a long long time. What can I say Maharashtra is just great! I declined, thanked him and walked on.

I visited the client and all, took me about two hours, so it was about 12 noon when I came out of the building. This is where it got really spooky... not a soul in sight. No rickshaws, no bikes, no nothing. So, what to do, but get walking. The sun was at its zenith, like it is wont at 12 . I shrug off the heat, the Iron man that I am and keep walking. I counted fifteen cows at this stage and keeping in mind my last encounter, I gave a friendly moo to them, to my utter delight they walked off. To really convince that my love affair with inquisitive cows had really ended, i went close to a male calf(do we genderify young cows?) and it skittered away. Hallelujah, bovine love lost. Can mo'oo've on with my life now as a city slicker.

Then I walked some more. The heat was not so easily shruggable now. It was like Helios was really not very pleased with my disdain for his Zenithed rays, so was sending them down with increased vengeance. Then I felt that the human body is made up of 70% or so of water, because I was feeling lighter and my steps were not landing with the same force on the ground. The scientist in me rationalised that about 60% must have turned in to steam and made me in to the human airship i was feeling like. The engineer in me rationalised that the only water evaporating was from my brain, cos I was letting the scientist do the thinking! Then, I hear bells tinkling behind me. Loudly and in tandem. I turn around and what do I see? Two bulls, just like the ones in our ninth grade Geography workbooks pulling a cart. The cart driver was a beturbaned son of the soil. I looked at him and he smiled, whats with these maharashtrians and their smiles, huh? They do it all the time out here. It is great to see. Then he asked me to hop in and asked where I wanted to go. I told him and he actually went out of his way to drop me there. We got talking, and he wanted to know all about the weather in Mumbai and was it any better than here. He was actually also interested in the score, so called mom long distance and updated him. Boy was he happy! He actually invited me home to lunch with him!!!! I was getting lucky with smiles and lunches today..never usually do. But, duty called and had to respectfully decline. Then the company gate came up. I got off the cart and walked up to the security cabin and you should have seen the expression on the gaurds face!

Well then to end it, I met the client. He was heading towards the junction, so dropped me off till the bus stop and what do I see, my paan wallah friend smiling and offering me tea and biscuits! Do wonders never cease? But then my trax came; it is a multi people carrier. We were fourteen in a vehicle supposed to carry eight. Got to the city all crushed. Had a lively discussion whether India would win the match or not, since none of us really knew the score, being patriotic and all, argued that India will win. If this keeps on, my marathi is sure going to improve.

The gods must be happy with me, because pretty soon came upto the hotel and turn the telly on and what do I see, Suresh Raina pulling Imran Farhat for four and cinching the match!!

Well do wonders never cease?