When the whole world has been taken by surprise ,paralysing people with fear there in one corner of the planet sits a Lady smiling to herself as she sips into her evening cuppa tea..
Life in a developed world is moving at a supersonic pace ,goals & aspirations being the only stimuli ,humans have mutated into machines ,reaching the top with dead souls ,screeching and tearing the silence are the wails of the living dead, one slip up ….& suddenly it all stops !
Who is she I wonder ,oblivious to the wails n woes of the world around ?
As I move closer ,I am pushed back a 100 yrs into the times where humans lived with emotions pumping blood into their veins and hearts singing in glee!
I am pushed into nature ,untouched and pure.
I stand gazing into the vastness, watching life cohabiting with no threat from either sides. ..& there I see her !
Living in the most magnificent heritage bungalows ,reminiscent of the British love for grandiosity is the Chai Memsahab.
Tea having become an integral part of her being ,she has aced the art of living in harmony with nature.
Plantations being away from the mainland often call for “being prepared” for the rainy days. This art has been passed down for generations now that makes the Chai Memsahab’s Inventory , fully loaded and self sufficient!
Toiling at the fields,braving the harshest of weather, socked the man comes home smiling as the chimney whistles announcing his arrival. The pantry is all decked up for the evening with goodies lined up in order. There’s euphoria in the kitchen with the tongs and spoons and the staff crafting a yet another masterpiece for the evening.
“There’s a hearth in the home
There’s fire in my belly “…sings the Planter gleefully as he pours himself a drink .
Food and loads of food is what makes a planter happy.Homegrown, fresh ,organic food is what the Memsahab provides each day ,day after day.
Winters, the happiest and the busiest time for a Chai Memsahab and her fleet of helpers who grow,store and preserve for the coming months.The vegetables ,the sauces and the purees ,the juices,the squash and the fruits ,you name it …its there !
There is another aspect to a Chai Memsahab’s larger than life persona. Somewhere hidden beneath the perfectionist is a young girl learning to walk on the tight ropes of dustoor (norms) and duties and proving her mettle when the time comes.
Her home becoming her entire existence, merging into the four walls,she forgets her own identity.
As years pass by ,she masters the art to redifine her existence .Isolated ,miles away from the cities & the hustle and bustle she cushions her dreams in the solitude of her
gigantic home.She nurtures her thoughts and reignites the passion of her soul.The enigma around her creates the Chai Memsahab as a self reliant , steel willed woman who has braved a world that no longer existed for the world that did !
Quarantined she has been for years now,I understand.
As I get up to leave, I hear the love birds chirping , the geese in the impeccable whites escort me to the gate . The monkeys like a skillful trapeze artist wave holding on to a branch bidding me farewell.
As I drive through the canopy covering the driveway I am humbled by the richness of life that still exists in this part of the world.
The trumpet blows creating a symphony with the soft crumbling of the dried leaves ,the jumbos walk past swiftly,reinforcing in me the belief that life exists in harmony and we humans are just a tiny part of the vastness.
As the world struggles to maintain its sanity in isolation
the smile remains….unfazed.
Loved it
Thank you so much Aapi jaan…love ❤