BY ANIL SWAMY 

 

 

ONE summer night last year, lightening and unseasonal rains accounted for the power outage. Brooding in dark, my mind strolled back sixty years to fun filled summer holidays year after year, with my Nine cousins, at Ajoba’s one room Govt quarter with no fans. Huge family under a tiny roof had it’s own comic thrills and funny problems like daily scheduling the toilet visits, limited participants in Carom, Ludo or any other games. A wet gunny bag curtain would be hung daily on main door to ward off blistering afternoon heat. At night, everyone slept on terrace listening to Ajji’s stories. None ever complained as we loved being together, but almost impossible to imagine that life now. My disturbed sleep was interrupted at 6 am, next morning by my youngest cousin from Pune. Screaming with excitement, ‘Arre Dada? Still sleeping? All well’? ‘Yes’ I said but her excitement had pinched me hard. ‘Dada how about visiting Sunanda Tai at Vadodara for ten days? What? Now I screamed and jumped off the bed. Tai lives all alone in an ecofriendly village with some like-minded people, practicing austerity for the sake conserving ‘Nature’, using power only for agriculture and night lights.

 

After a summer night without power, planning for fan-less ten days wasn’t exciting. Unwillingly we agreed. After a tiring drive, we had to fetch water from the well. We were quite embarrassed to bathe in open. My biggest worry was solved as fortunately, clean ‘toilets’ were suitable for us. Next day, Tai woke us before daybreak, to bathe in privacy in chilled well water and by seven after breakfast, had some tasks lined up for all. I had to replace the bearings of the water pump. I needed helpers for assistance but there weren’t any and I was made to slug and sweat my heart out as it was ages since I repaired a technical item with my own hands. Later, I accompanied my wife with the lunch packed for all at the farm. Busy day had tired me and I wanted a nap after lunch, but only place was under a tree without any pillow or mattress, forget a fan or an AC. We plucked veggies from the farm for supper. I took charge of kitchen to make vegetable and dal. At night, everyone carried a mattress(shatranji) onto terrace for sleeping. Surprisingly there weren’t any mosquitoes.

 

As taught by Ajoba, we started gazing to locate ‘Sapt rishi mandal’ and other identifiable stars and reminisced many stories told by Ajji and Ajoba till midnight. I had totally forgotten that how a ‘sleep’ in unpolluted and natural breeze invigorates and freshens you by morning. I rushed out to get some vegetables for my last kitchen duty, as we were to return back. All the cousins were miffed at my plan. On breakfast, Tai suggested a visit to a nearby temple to pray for our Ajji and Ajoba. To evaluate their success, Tai is an accomplished and highly respected figure in literary world, two sisters had their own successful carriers and their spouses retired as very Senior Defense officers, four became Engineers, another late brother was an Army Officer and youngest sister a Doctor. All nurtured by Ajji and Ajoba, two have nots, who selflessly dreamt, shaped the careers, future and entire life for Nine of us. Tai questioned ‘Have we done anything for our younger generation or community’?