Bazaar at the Back of Beyond

Astonished to see her husband dressed in a peculiar style for the office, she stood next to the chest of drawers in the large bedroom of the British style bungalow. Her husband was dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He wore sports shoes and socks and held a cap in his hand. His wife tried to hand over his wallet, handkerchief and wristwatch to him. Chuckling, he refused and was amused to see the dazed expression on her fair face. This is the "kaamjari attire" he stated.

A few hours back the newly-wed couple drove on the highway from Alipurduar railway station. Through the smudged headlights of the car, the new bride looked out, mesmerized by the fireflies glittering as if the stars from the heaven above were suspended in midair. She felt that it was a promise of life in the darkness all around and the twinkling fireflies brought a sense of warmth springing from the cold December breeze. She wrapped her coral shawl tight around her shoulders. Her husband leaned towards her to roll up the window of the car and silently admired the ochre hued tinge on his bride's cheeks.

Shade trees comforting the tea bushes

When the vehicle entered Sankos tea garden, the verdant tea bushes stretched endlessly. It was as if the night and the day had become one beautiful moment. Dawn had come. So had the new bride. She set foot into her new “tea life”. The darkness surrendered; every colour changed from charcoal to rainbow hues. It was as if nature’s divine magic had cast a spell to welcome her.

The Factory of Sankos Tea Garden

Soon, she began settling down in no.16 chota bungalow. Her mornings before lunch were spent listening to the ghazals on the gramophone. Her favourite spot was the jaali kamra next to the bedroom. She would sit on the wicker chair and admire the Bhutan mountains which would be shrouded by grey mist as the sun went down.

Not even a week had passed by when one morning the bearer of the bungalow handed a long list of groceries to be procured. She added on to the list and mentally planned a Sunday shopping spree with her husband. But her husband took the list and said that he would get the items delivered at home. In the year 1986, it was an unfathomable concept even for her – having come from the planned and advanced city of Chandigarh.

She had begun to feel at home in this environment of well-organized chaos. In the evening, she snipped open the carton and was pleasantly surprised to see each and every item on the list was delivered to her doorstep. So much so that even the particular hairbrush and her face cream, hangers and buckets were in it. Voila! The Ruby Stores of Alipurduar was discovered by the memsaab. She unpacked the boxes and with the help of the staff sent everything to its place.

Suman and Sanjay Ghai in the early days

The bungalow staff too gradually took a liking to her and would guide her with the new ways of life. One evening, the bungalow chowkidaar invited the memsaab and saab to grace the occasion of his daughter’s wedding the following Sunday. The young and petite Suman dressed up in her fineries. Her huge jhumkas brought out her tremendous vital personality.

The chowkidaar knew that the memsaab was a vegetarian and went out of his way to make them comfortable. Suman relished the fresh khes – a local delicacy prepared with the milk of new mother cows. During the conversation with the family, she came to know about the two cows they reared and wanted to see them. She was interested in everything and everybody around her. The chowkidaar took her to the barn in the backyard and called out to his cows. “Laxmi… Gauri… meet the memsaab.”

Suman gazed into their eyes and felt a sort of peace and gentleness. She even noticed the playful calves with large expressive eyes. She patted the cow’s head and the cow mooed. Precisely at that moment, a connection was formed. On their way back, she expressed her desire to rear a cow to her husband – Sanjay. “I’ll think about it and let you know,” he replied.

The next evening, she sat in her room, brushing her long tresses with intense concentration when she heard a knock. “Aayega,” she ushered in the maid, who informed her that Somra gwala was here to meet her. Plaiting her long waist-length hair and securing it with a rubber band, she made her way towards the verandah. Lo and behold!

In the verandah, atop the four steps stood a light brown cow and her calf. Beside them, Somra, with a steel bucket, a measuring mug and a white cloth slung over his shoulder. Before Suman could put two and two together, the gwala squatted and began milking the cow in the verandah itself. Suman’s intelligent expression was replaced by a bemused look.

“What’s going on?” she looked askance at them.

A cowherd with his cow and calf

Heedlessly, he carried on with his task. Suman looked on, perplexed. Once done, the gwala diligently measured the milk and handed her the bucket. “Paanch litre hai memsaab,” he held up his open palm and quoted the price of the cow, simultaneously praising the qualities of the desi cow.

That’s when Suman realized with awe that not only retail products but also a cow could be delivered at the doorstep!

Sanjay's quest for "permanent lovely si madam" ended on 7th of December 1986

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Glossary:

Kaamjaari: Daily supervision of work

Chota bungalow: Assistant manager's bungalow

Ghazals: Lyrical poem in form of a song

Chowkidaar: Sentinel

Jhumkas: Ear danglers

Gwala: Cowherd

Aayega: Come in

Paanch: Five