It was a fun filled Diwali what with me staying in Elangadu for 10 days. Its a small village in Tanjavore, Tamil Nadu. With Nandan around, it was almost a fairy tale filled with goats (alive, of course), hens, cows in a picturesque canvas.
Mornings and evenings went with Nandan and me wandering through the dust and cow dung filled lanes of the village and the occasional trips to the riverside walk (which in India still means a 'restroom' for villagers). Nandan's routine usually is this: He will make me rest him on the parapet wall of the house and do a 'dikki dance' (shake his dikki with a rhythm :). Then, he will make me pluck a small piece of the banana leaf from the cluster of trees in front of the house. Whenever we step out of the house, from nowhere, will appear that brown goat (which I call as his 'friend' goat). Nandan will feed the goat properly leaning from my shoulder (all the while giving a peculiar grunt specially reserved for goats) and at the end will look at me in my eyes. Meaning: Go get some more leaves. :) Too bad that he does not know that his father was dreaming how good a biriyani that goat will make. he he....Everything's eventual, I guess.
Next, I take him to a Tractor (blazing red Mahindra). He will immediately want to perch on top of the hood and diagnose the air filter. Guess, some of my MIT and TAFE DNA got into him too. Next stop will be the panchayat school (till 5th std). Since I was there for 10 days, we got to see the school filled with kids. I make my trip to the school during the lunch time when the kids shout at the top of the voices and play around in the class. Nandan will give a bemused look at me. Meaning: what species inside? Next to the school is a shelter where a lot of cows will rest. I will be doing a small talk with a grandpa there while Nandan will be looking at one cow after the other and again giving some inane sounds.
In the evenings, I take him to the riverside. Its more of a stream and very less water seeps through it at this time of the year. But beyond the stream, acres and acres of agri lands stretch till the horizon dotted with those giant man-like electric transformers (I strongly believe that one day those will walk). Its a lovely sight filled with the birds chirping. Nandan cannot keep his head in one direction and keeps jumping here and there. Hard to hold him. By the time I return home, one puppy would visit the house barking ten times its size. Again, a puzzled look from junior.
When Ramya makes an appearance, everything is forgotten and he jumps to her as if I did not exist. My heart will just sink that one bit there till he suddenly will remember something and turn to my side and give a smile. That smile...is enough and makes my day all day!
At times, a leader should be 'possessed' and take the crowd with him. If he stops and starts hearing opinions and options, there will be no action. Depending on whether the leader is good or bad, the crowd exalts or suffers. These two states are better than no-state. If the crowd suffers, then the next leader is born out of the suffering. No better learning in this world than suffering.
