They all were Indian’s after all…!
Holi and Good Friday besotted us with two back-to-back long weekends. Grabbing the opportunity I made a quick sojourn to the abode of clouds — Meghalaya. It was my long-awaited, bucket list entity to visit the northeast. On the last but one day of my ultra-short trip, I was advised to visit the Dawki and Bangladesh border 3 hours from Cherrapunji. Well someone born and brought up 25 km from the Pakistan border, I was intrigued by the visit to sister concern too. Further, in a very touristy language, my driver had gloated about crystal clear waters and the world’s cleanest village on the way.
Well, we started from Sohra around noon and saw multiple groups of people coming out of chapels after the Sunday mass. These simple people were joking, laughing, and were quite full of themselves, away from the COVID world. Yes, I didn’t see anyone wearing a mask at least. The markets were all closed because people after the church want to relax and then gather for evening service again with family… It was hot, dusty and unlike the umpteen pictures of clouds and greenery, you envisage about the seven hilly sisters.
Finally, I reached the Bangladesh border. Let me tell you it was nothing like the Punjabi pomp and show of Wagah Border. It was very ordinary with a barricade only on both sides of no man’s land. Some hawkers were selling some fruit on both sides of the border and people were happy clicking pics at zero lines. A cow in the distance mooed and I felt she was mocking me for this gorgeous journey. Well, that was just the beginning of my plight …
I had a very disappointed driver when I told him that I didn’t find the crystal river water clean and was not interested in boating. Thanks to the Sunday siesta of the locals, I couldn’t find anything to eat. Between all this, the AC of the car broke… Par picture to Abhi Baki hai mere dost …
I ate this crappy rice chicken and dal at a roadside stall. After filling my stomach, we started our journey back to Shillong. I was daydreaming of a nice evening in a plush resort and even having the liberty to doze off ... and suddenly my car came to a screeching halt. Something was seriously wrong. I was stranded on a hill two hours away from any civilization. The car had broken down and luckily we escaped a major accident.
But my goods self was quite positive that a good Smartian will come and offer me a seat for my residual journey to Shillong. Well, that didn’t happen. Umpteen cars passed away. Nobody even looked at us. Finally, a friend of my driver stopped by to enquire about the issue but a person from a very respectable profession refused to lift me because his kid was sleeping on the seat which could have got me out of my stranded position.
Sunset was just a few minutes away. And then this godsend car driver took it on himself to ferry me to Shillong. The occupants, all young guys from North East were more than happy to accommodate. Humanity was still alive. My hope was still alive …. !!! They all were Indians after all …
