“Where are going to stay tonight?”
“I don’t know. May be here in temple”
“If you wish you can come to my home”
His name was Vindo. He gave me a lift when I was on my way to Harne. I told him that I am here in Konkan to enjoy its scenic beauty. He was going to Tekadicha Ganpati (one of Famous temple) for delivering some construction material. He asked me join him. Since I had no plans, I joined him. After a few distances, he parked his bike in shed and then we got into a loading rickshaw carrying that construction material. We were sitting backside of rickshaw. It was open and we could enjoy the evening breeze. That road was parallel to sea. That evening I truly enjoyed the sunset sitting in rickshaw. There was no time to stop or else work would get delayed. I clicked many shots capturing the melting sun in Arabian Sea. During the journey, very enthusiastically he was telling me about beauty of Konkan, stories about temple and many such things. I was not a stranger for him anymore. It was dark when we reached temple.
I accepted his invitation. He called up his mother and told her that his friend his coming tonight at home. Around 9 O'clock we reached to his home. It was dark all around. There was no power due to load shedding. I could see a dim light coming from a distant lamp. His mother was waiting for us on a road holding a torch. He home was bit away from a road. We followed his mother who showed us the road in dim torch light. His home, a big hall & small kitchen attached to it. No furniture, no tiles & nothing else. A big kerosene lamp was enough for a light. I made myself comfortable on a mat. I was given a warm water to wash my hands. I was feeling fresh now. Soon dinner was served. Plates were new and seem not being used before and were taken out especially for me. So I was a guest there. After a dinner we talked for a while. He lost his father in his childhood only. He was forced to quit school after 10th. He did a vocational course in ITI and now was working as welder in a workshop in Dapoli. His elder brother was working in a in Mumbai. He stayed back home to take care of his mother and never wanted to go to Mumbai instead he was trying to open his own welding shop.
I was travelling with empty cup. No preconception about anything. So it was very easy for me to approach anybody. It was easy for me get mix up with them. A straight is the shortest distance between two points, I realised it there only. It was around 11O’clock when that big kerosene lamp was turned off. A small torch was given to me in case I need it in night. I laid myself on mat.
Where am I? I was asking to me. Which world is this? Back in Mahabaleshwar, there I was no room for a person travelling alone. They were much afraid about the intension of a person travelling alone. What I was telling them about myself, according to them was not truth. They were not ready to accept the truth. I produced my photo id, mobile number and even a land line number then only I got a room to stay. But here in Konkan, things were totally different. What I told them was my identity. They didn’t ask me for any kind of id. They welcomed me with open heart. I was feeling much secure and warm there at his home.
That night I felt the difference between two worlds. These two worlds were totally different from each other. One from where I came from was rational. Always try to find out relation between their act and their goals in life. The act without reason has no meaning. Then there is another world based on irrational thinking. Not every action has a meaning. Success, happiness is subjective and not bound to particular set of things.
What could be the reason for such difference in these worlds? I was too tired to think about the answer. But one thing for sure I was a lucky one!
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