Awri's Story.....at last!

The first blow hit her just as she was bending down to pick up the broom! Stunned, she whirled around to see what or who had hit her and her sight rested on Awri! He was a good for nothing drunkard, did small works during the day and with the little money that he earned; he drank his day’s share of daru in the evening. She did not know how to react…..Awri regularly used to beat up his wife, but this was certainly the first time he had hit her!

Before she could fully stand erect…more blows landed all over her fragile body. “What the hell is wrong with you, why are you hitting me”, she shouted! But there was no relief….he now picked up the broom and started hitting her and abusing her! Her screams brought out the others of the family and they were stunned by the sight….“what the hell are you doing, have you gone mad?” shouted his mother!

He was taken aback.....no body had ever dared to shout at him, but today everybody were shouting at him, even his meek wife......what was happening?? He tried to focus on the people around him and figure out what the fuss was all about! After a few moments it hit him and hit him really hard, he almost reeled with the affect.....he was hitting his elder brother's wife instead of his wife...huh so much for trying to tame his wife while he was drunk!!!

Btw this is based on a real incident, the names have of course been changed!

Still reeling with disbelief!!

I was in the midst of one of those moments when words magically flow in your mind! I was in the middle of writing an incident about Awri that had cropped up in mind just a few moments ago, I was typing furiously…….did not want out to miss out on a single thought! And then the most unlikely thing happened to me…!!!

Suddenly I heard a sound ‘Plop!!’…..something accompanied with a foul smell (ughhhh) fell on the floor just next to me. Actually it has brushed my arm on its journey to the ground. Automatically my sight traveled towards the floor….initially I could not make out what it was. After sometime realized it was some kind of shit…….still I was not very sure. I mean what kind of shit hits you inside your room??!!!

Automatically I looked up and saw a lizard looking down at me with a grin and seemed to say ‘awrite it was me’. Instantly all thoughts flew out of my mind……actually for the next few minutes, not even a single thought or legible sentence about Awri came to my mind.

So, now here I am writing about lizard shit instead of the drunkard Awri about whom I had sat down to write in the first place! The so called “writer’s block” (not sure if it applies to lesser mortals like me…sigh!) had hit me many times….but lizard shit bringing about the proverbial writer’s block was certainly a first for me….huh! I still can’t believe it….done in by LIZARD SHIT!!!

PS……I guess Awri’s story will take some more time!!!

The Rickshaw Van!

At first sight I was not very sure how people could comfortably sit on it.....but as soon as I sat on one I fell in love with it! The 'Rickshaw Van' is such a delight to ride on when you are surrounded by beautiful greenery all around! The ride through Bakkhal village on a rickshaw van is a completely out of the world experience! I was wondering what is so different about this ride....I mean the landscapes are pretty similar to the ones I see back home in Assam? About 2 minutes into the ride I got the answer.....its the ride coupled with the gentle evening breeze in a distant land, with beautiful low roof huts, greenery all around, the pollution free air topped with of course great company!!

Just tuck in you legs or spread it out if you wish (there is more than enough space) or better still you can lie down if you wish and see the sky......it is a beautiful sight! The conversation with the Rickshaw Van wala about his livelihood, family, village, food and everything made it even more memorable. The people in Bakkhal are a hardworking lot....they are either out with their fishing trawlers catching fishes...or driving rickshaw van taking tourist on a sight seeing spree of the village.....during winter they collect dates (Khejur) and make gur (jagerry)...then they have the land to cultivate...build or repair their huts whenever needed.....they are busy throughout the year!

Bakkhal is such a pleasant and lovely place, that you will immediately fall in love with it. So if anyone happens to go there in their own vehicle.....I recommend they take a rickshaw van for seeing the village.....it is such a joy and you do not know what you are missing.....that is if you do not try it out! Watching the sunset from the beach is simply amazing.....you can just laze around in the beach or go and get completely drenched in the waters......it is such a stress buster, nothing like it!