On the Road Again

Even before I had unpacked completely after the trip to Guntur and got into my normal routine, I was told I had to march again. This time it was to Zaheerabad I was asked to go. While Guntur is in one corner of the world Zaheerabad falls in the other corner, right near Bidar in neighboring Karnataka. I had no option but to tag along one of my bosses. I admit I love to travel but not to places like Guntur and Zaheerabad. Not after I’ve started reading Conde Nast Traveler. The only saving grace was it was just a day trip though it was almost one a.m. when I got back home.

We were dispatched to Zaheerabad to look into something that came in the papers. We started a bit late and reached the town around lunch time. Lunch at a hotel called ‘Milan’ turned out to be a pretty nice affair. Not only the hotel was good but the food too was hot and tasty. After lunch we set off to a village in the interiors. We went around fields of a farmer who claimed to suffer some damage to his crop due to the pesticides that he had sprayed. It is tricky dealing with farmers. I know from experience because I have worked in rural areas for almost seven and half years. The villagers were taken aback that there was such prompt action from the Government. The local reporters came and took out pictures. Maybe we have already made news.

There was so much I thought I’d check out at Zaheerabad. Zaheerabad is where Deccan Development Society, an NGO is based. They have an ‘Ethnic Restaurant’ serving foods made from local grains. I wanted to check it out and also a ‘Millet Complex’ that I spotted on the way to the village. The streets were full of pushcarts filled with a variety of fresh vegetables- carrots, tomatoes, brinjals and even ginger. The place is well known for ginger and other spices. I was told they grow even potatoes which I wanted to see. There was a centuries old temple somewhere on the way I planned to visit. Besides it was the weekly shanty at Zaheerabad and the place was buzzing with activity. But we were so busy I couldn’t get the chance to do anything. The only thing I could do was sit in a hotel in a village- a sort of Country Café Coffee Day, and have tea. I also got a picture of the setting sun.

The visit to the village and the meeting with the farmers set off a longing to be in the rural areas and work among the farmers. The seven and half years I had worked in villages was a major learning experience. I learnt so much about life in the villages and the way our hard working farmers eke out their living. Incidentally some of the experiences and the friends I made in the place where I worked form a major part of my book. I feel like beginning the revision with renewed interest and finish it very soon.