A decade ago, a corporate employee, marching up the ladder. Confident and gaining experience, from AC car to AC office and never thought about that. No kids, life was all about doing well at work, and living a peaceful life.
Now, lying awake in a small town at mid night as the voltage is too low to run the AC.
I think..
No fancy corporate life, working towards building a school in a rural village, where there is no electricity most of the day, if at all the fans don't run well on low voltage. Back and forth travel of about 50 kms in a 7 seater car but sans the AC. With 2 children of my own and 135 children in my school, I spend time with them and try by best to put my life's learning of 40 years to optimum use.
I can't even imagine now what it was like to live in Gurugram, watch movies every weekend, meet my parents whenever I pleased.
Now I feel the city life was like living in a bubble, nothing was real, it was a wishful life. It was virtual reality. I never was exposed to this life, the life which starts from the outskirts of the metropolitan cities.
Nothing fascinated me more in life than the views of long villages and farms from the train windows on my ride from Trivandrum to Delhi. The 3 day train ride was long, for 10 years, every year. The fantasy of watching a 🛖 hut. Thinking what sort of people live there? What they wear? What they eat? Where are their proper houses? I saw a lot of farms and very few huts and houses. I wondered where their children studied. I wondered which festivals they celebrated.
I felt their life was so simple, uncomplicated, sleepy. I could almost feel their simplicity.
And universe made me land in the lap of this village. Where I dont feel culturally or socially fit. My attire, my language, i am trying to adapt, and the village is adapting to me.
But, I like challenges, I had mundane and same day after day. Corporate life was like carrot and stick. We do everything for an unknown MNC for a hefty package and annual bonus, and would spend it entirely on food and vacation.
Here nothing is mundane, no day is same. Never a day stops to me amaze me by meeting and knowing the culture deep. The ladies, the parents, their lives, their stories, their experiences, view points.
Delhiites always casually dismissed people from this belt as "up ka bhaiya" or "bihari". The simple village folk, no show off, speaking in a bhojpuri/binaries dialect, especially the people of purvanchal.
But there is a lot to observe. Very different from Delhi or city culture but almost stark opposite to the place where I lived first 20 years.. Trivandrum, Kerala.
This place is poles apart from Kerala. I find it challenging, sometimes tough.
I have no comparisons, nothing is better than the other. I am doing my work wholeheartedly, I am working towards making my kids tough, resilient, appreciating diversity, being kind and truthful.
Each place offers its uniqueness, travel makes you a rich person. I would love to travel and live and contribute to wherever I can.
I feel deeply connected here.
Now that voltage has stabilized and AC is working, it's time for a good night's sleep.
Comments