I moved out of the main door, wore my archaic Birkenstock sandals and proceeded to take a left after opening the main gate. A couple of girls were running around playfully, one of them had a basketball in her hand which she hoisted above her, away from everybody’s reach while the others struggled to grab it by jumping and nudging her to lower it. She must have been the oldest in the group, I wondered. I walked another 100 m to notice my neighbour having erected a wooden fence around his house. A wooden fence for the tropical/humid weather of Goa was unheard of. What would happen to it during the monsoons? My pattern of thought was interrupted with his gregarious Hi! He was arranging logs of wood for the ‘Holika dehen’ for tonight - a festival with is celebrated with much pomp by North Indians. I noticed his twin daughters hover around him with excitement. I waved a goodbye to them and continued to walk ahead.
I saw two ‘indie’ dogs relaxing in the verandah of a house to my right. The owner was not to be seen today. He waves at me cheerfully every time i venture out for a walk and on many such occasions he has shared his lockdown ordeals with me. His wife had travelled to Australia to visit their grandson and all was well until the lockdown was announced. She is now stuck over there, unable to return. This man was immensely frustrated as he had to handle household chores and i sense he had grown to be lonely as well, looking for an opportunity to strike a conversation with every passerby. Which makes me wonder - too much of lone time has its downsides. Isn’t it?
I heard a shutter being pulled up as i descended the slope to enter a village - Savlem Pilerne. The friendly neighbourhood bar which was once notorious for serving local liquor now has built-up a small adjoining space which is open to all for meals. Well lit, with a couple of tables laid out and hand sanitizers placed on each of them, i made a mental note to visit this place on a sultry Sunday afternoon to indulge in some fried fish & chilled beer.
A barking dog sneered my attention after a couple of minutes. The barks were heavy and unlike the ones i have heard indie dogs emanate. I looked to my left to see a black Rottweiler ensconced against the window standing like a man with his arms against the window pane. I giggled and continued to walk. The village was getting urbanised for sure.
The evening bells sounds from the Hanuman temple on my left comforted me. I chanted a quick prayer in my mind. I heard a north-eastern girl ramble loudly on her cellphone to my right. I wondered what was she doing in a quaint Goan village like this only to realise that she may be working nearby and the village would serve as a means to find economical accommodation. Having grown weary of the ‘beach culture’ more and more outsiders are now resorting to explore the relatively secluded interiors of Goa.
I look straight and i see a bright orange ball against the vast expanse of a water body. It is filled with silt and lined with pink lotuses and white cranes and some buffaloes which are looking to cool themselves by dipping their bodies in the sludgy mud. When these buffaloes bend their necks, their horns form a heart which is hilarious to note - like the shape of hearts all over the social media which are made with your fingers and palms.
My neck refuses to straighten itself and i continue to admire this view and walk ahead. A SUV with blaring music and humungous tyres too big for the narrow village road zooms past me. This isn’t a highway you moron! I scream at him with a fist pump.
Murmuring to myself, i continue to walk to notice a bunch of kids playing football in the compound of a church. Aaah! The giggles of happy kids - music to my ears!
A small kirana store at the crossroad makes me smile - simple ways to make ends meet. After all, my grandfather too was a ‘Pasarkaar’(store owner). However, his sole ambition in life was to ensure his kids do not grow up to be one and do not encounter the hardships he did. Hence he always urged my father to study hard. According to him, this was the only way he could carve a better life for himself. Back then, Education was the only way to secure a better future for yourself. Unlike today where life offers myriad opportunities and one can succeed in any discipline if you have the passion and willingness to put in the hard work that it demands.
I reach the final lap of my walk when i descend a slope which opens to a vast expanse of fields. A narrow muddy walkway allows me to tread amidst the fields and a tiny cross at the end of the path comforts me that i am being looked after. I look at the sky and notice the sun has set, leaving a riot of colours for me to admire. A herd of birds are seen flying back to their nests. The cool wind hits my sweaty face as i wipe my forehead with my palm. Out of all the places in the world, how lucky am i to be born as a Goan?
3.5 kms - my Fitbit flashes as its display comes alive.The moment of gratitude is wiped out the moment i realise i need to walk this distance back!
I dust my hands and toughen my heart for the return. One day at a time, i remind myself.
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