A day in Pune

 

This was posted in a saree group on November 16 th. 

Getting a solo shot on the streets of Pune is no mean feat ! Yesterday I managed just that in the midst of a busy week day. And walked away with a smile on my face that no one could understand 😃 

Of course if I continue this practice people will be convinced they have a looney woman in their neighborhood. 

Yesterday some neighbors came over to chat as they wanted to hear about my experience with redevelopment of a bungalow. They too were in the USA for several years before moving back to India to be with aging parents. Now their kids are abroad and they have concerns about their home here. It was an interesting conversation we had. I felt a bit envious that they returned to India for a good part of their lives and they were trying to reassure me that I avoided a lot of challenges by staying away. In my heart I compared everything I have in USA to how life is here and deep down to flesh, bones and blood I wished to mingle in the soil here. I don’t know what pulls me here. I got plenty of love from people even in the USA but here there are no words for the love. Earth is the same everywhere but the fragrance of the soil and the heartbeat of the people resonates more naturally here. Even in a moment of frustration a cuss word sounds more effective in the mother tongue 😂 

Anyways. As my current trip is coming to a close I am feeling more and more emotional here. Trying to capture as many interactions as possible with people, both known and new, in the remaining time.

Yesterday we took a rickshaw ride home from a friend’s place. The meter reading was 79 rupees. I pulled out a 100 rupees bill and the rickshaw driver  gave me 20 rupees back. I was getting down and he stopped me because he had found one rupee to give me. I smiled and said you don’t need to give me that. “There is no problem giving when we have the change” he replied. I told him “sometimes you take a couple of rupees less from customers when they don’t have the change”. He said” ho, pan bai, saglyaanna te samjat nahi”( not all people understand that). 

It is these simple and honest people I carry in my heart when I leave from here. And boy, do I miss them !! 

Nabhi nakshatre bahut ek pari pyaara 

Maja Bharat bhoomichaa taaraa 

Praasaad ithe bhavya pari maja bhaari 

Aai chi zopdi pyaari 

The sky is shining with innumerable bright stars but the star of India is the dearest to me.

There are big mansions everywhere but my mother’s small hut is what I love.

With emotions, poetry arises in the mind and with the poetry automatically thoughts shift to the poets like Savarkar that loved India immensely and saints that loved God dearly. 

I feel like God held me by the finger and showed me around the world. I am hoping HE will bring me back home ……but then all that matters is He holds my hand wherever I am. 

Saree for the day yesterday was a mulberry silk with an unusual ikat pattern in steel gray. It has a half and half design. A more busy pattern in two tiers up to the pleats and then sparse motifs on remaining half that covers the chest and the pallu. 

The pictures don’t do it full justice. I may have to do another post for this one another time.