A Tour of Guman's Village

 

I went home during the summer vacation of the first year. My routine was completely changed. Even I need not worry about 8.30 classes, I still woke up before sunrise. My mother used to wake me up early in the morning. I often used to go for a walk around the village. In the morning time, I went to farms and help my father with some agriculture work. My elder sister came over as well. I spent the afternoon time watching TV with her. In the evening I used to hang out with my friends. In one sentence, I was chilling at home. 

One day, Guman called me. He said that there is a village tournament, and his team needs an away player. They needed a bowler and he thought I was a perfect choice. I live a hundred and fifty kilometers from his home, at the first sight, it didn't make much sense for me to travel that far for a tournament. But he assured me that he would keep me in his house. He told me that as a player I should be adaptive to different conditions. It didn't take him much to convince me that I should visit him.  As always, I requested my sister to ask my uncle about it. And as always she convinced him. 

My journey started on Monday, one day before the tournament is to start. I packed my dresses for a week. A pair of matchday wears and left my home at afternoon. I had an idea that the temperature in Rajasthan is usually high so I preferred that I should reach there in the evening. Evenings are relatively less hot. I called Guman a day before to confirm the root beforehand. It was from Fazilka to Hanumangarh then Hanumangrah to Suratgarh. He said he would come to pick me up from Suratgarh bus station. 

I am an observer kind of person, I used to enjoy the view of green fields. People coming in and going out of the bus, have a different purpose, some stay for a while some others are on a long journey like myself. I don't talk with strangers on the bus, I just like to look outside and enjoy the situation. As the bus progressed into Rajasthan, the Jio network sent me a message reminding me that I have changed the state and now roaming is on. I had officially entered Rajasthan.

When the bus reached Hanumangrah, the day had started to cool, I needed to change the bus from there. I didn't know the Roadways buses of Rajasthan, I asked the shopkeeper there and he pointed to an old bus and I got into that straightaway. The bus was empty then, it started twenty minutes later. I had to say I was very bored by then, I had already checked my messages and checked all the status updates. But the bus never looked like it is going to start. When it started, I found the pace and my life was on the road once again. 

I thought I am going to reach my destination in one or two hours but it didn't happen. Twenty minutes after we left the city Ganganagar, the bus suddenly stopped with a loud 'fussss' sound, the tire had punctured. The driver stepped down and took a look at the situation; it was not a matter of minutes and we got to know that we need to look for another bus because it is not going to go anywhere. 

The situation was beautiful. The green fields were on both sides of the road, the dusk had fallen, the red sun has created a very great environment around there. I didn't have much luggage with me, I had just a bag on my shoulders, so I didn't mind starting to walk. As always I was humming a song, it was Qasseda by Satinder Sartaaj. It had recently become my favorite. The plants of cotton were in their childhood and their guardians, the farmers were taking care of them very parently. They were removing the extra plants carefully not wanting to harm the plant. I smiled. A motorbike stopped near me, the driver was young and he looked like a newly appointed employee. He asked me where was I going and I answered Suratgarh. He offered me a ride. 

While riding the bike, I was enjoying the wind striking my face. The heat had gone away, dusk had fallen. I was having a small conversation with the young man. He asked me about my studies and he seemed very surprised by the fact that I was at St. Stephen's College. We reached Suratgarh, he dropped me at the bus station and took his way home. I dialed Gunman's number. I have still saved his name by Simi with a heart smiley. It's so funny!!

"Hello, I am currently at the bus station when will you come to pick me up?"

"Hey, Why are you so late? I waited for you, and then I thought you're not coming today, so I came home."

"Oh no! the bus got punctured. It's not my fault."

"I don't think there are any buses available right there."

"Please don't say that, I don't want to spend the night here."

"Look for an Oontgadi (camel cart). Is it still there?"

"There is one, I am not sure it is the one you are talking about!"

"It is the one, ride on that, it will take you here."

It was getting dark. The sun had already set. I sat on the cart, it started to go on five minutes after that. It rolled slowly toward the target. Slowly as it went on, I thought about my past, I thought about my future, I thought about my Riya, I thought about Mohit, I thought about the time we had, I thought about the time we were having. From being so close, from being called 'best friend' to not even texting. from playing the best shots of my life to failing to see the ball. I have come so far in my life but something in my heart was telling me that it is going to change. Something big is going to happen in my life. And In all this thought process I didn't realize when I reached the destination. When the caravan stopped and I stepped out, Guman had already reached there to pick me up. 

And the moment he saw me, he shouted out my name and came to hug me. The journey was long, the journey was tiring but I think it is going to be worth it. 

To be continued...

Hey, I hope you liked the post, if you like you might like the other posts as well, please read my other posts as well. Read this story in the format of a poem. 

https://www.iashyam.in/2021/08/ek-safar.html