Pandharichi Wari : Part 4

 

Pune

Reorganize and Recover

June 13th

I was up by sunrise. Felt rested enough. Folded laundry that dried overnight. Went over to Ruchi nearby which has become my favorite snack/ breakfast spot. A plate of misal pav and a glass each of panha and amsul juice were great start to the day. I had a few things to shop for around the corner. Band aids, chewable candy and a few snacks for the road etc. Manisha came around noon with lunch for me and a few things for the wari. A flashlight, plastic rope to dry clothes, her mother-in-law’s nauwari saree and some electrolyte packets  The small spray bottle she got upon suggestion from Vikas Karmarkar( Abhay’s and her maternal cousin from Mangalvedhe who happened to visit her that week) proved to be one of the best things I carried in my backpack. 

As soon as I had my lunch and cleaned the tiffin, we left in her car to drop off my bedding and bag to the wari organizers in Narayanpeth. Their truck would transport these each day to the night destination while we walked the segment with minimal items on us.

 As we entered Kumthekar road we stopped to shop for a couple of nauwaris. We found a soft printed nauwari in one shop. There wasn’t much of a choice there. I recalled a shop further on the same road where I had bought a nauwari for Saubai, my other sister-in-law’s house help. Without much difficulty we found it. There I picked another cotton nauwari. Manisha persuaded me to get one more cotton Gadwal nauwari. I was hesitant because it looked a bit too dressy for wari but Manisha wouldn’t listen. We decided I would save it for Ashadhi Ekadashi, Panduranga’s darshan.

 Having more than completed saree shopping next we stopped to buy some compression stockings, dressing supplies etc from a surgical supply store. 

We packed the sarees and other goods into my suitcase and dropped it off to the organizers in nearby Narayanpeth. 

By then I was uneasy with thirst. Manisha’s driver seemed to know everything about the place. A few shops down from the bag drop off site was a dairy. I got refreshing cold buttermilk there to quench my thirst. 

All necessary things to do on the list were checked off. Manisha dropped me back home to rest. Next day was going to be the most difficult part of the wari. Pune to Saswad. I ate a leftover Methi thepla that night. Washed the cotton nauwari I had bought earlier and put it to dry before setting my alarm for 2:30 and going to bed. It was about 11 pm by then.