Body and Mind

We were on a visit to a friend's farm. It was unlike anything else. Shailu and Usha bought the only land they could afford to buy. It happens to be on the edge of a forest area. For a couple of miles on all sides there isn't a soul to be seen. Nilgiri plantations flock on three sides while on the fourth end is the farm of their neighbour Narsanna, who sold them this land. In all these years of visiting, I never once met Narsanna. And so it was just these two - who build a home: piece by piece, using bamboo and thatch. Friends dropped by to help with the construction and mud plastering, making tools and helping in the farm work. A solar cooker, wood fired stove, a bicycle and a dog are the other inhabitants. Solar lamps give light at night, while a mechanically charged mobile phone keeps them in touch with the outside world. Mulching and composting a harsh barren land, without a water source the two women brought it to life in seven years. Narsanna shares some water from his borewell. But his assistant forgets to release the water time and again. And so it happened that on one of our visits there wasn't much water. We had to make do with whatever little was there. We went there to help them with some of their work. Not that it helped much. As we swept and heaped the fallen leaves in the forest to be used as mulch, my back hurt. By half past two, after just three hours of sweeping, sorting and carrying the sacks of leaves to the farm, the three of us, city bred women, were nearly exhausted and famished, when Usha's niece announced lunch. The sight of the meal of rice, beans, lentils and pickles, made us all the more hungry. As we ate, with good banter, my friend slurped on the food, "Ummm. This is so wonderful." "I now realise how those who do daily labour, must relish their food. They truly deserve to eat". It reminded me of another friend who while once driving me home in the city, commented, "I see these construction labourers; they have nothing. And yet they are able to smile and laugh so much. I have everything, career, money, car, a beautiful house, and yet I am not able to laugh like them!" She started seeking to find her happiness and peace in meditation courses and art of happiness classes, paying a ransom to new-age gurus.