The villager

The summer heat is becoming very harsh in Mumbai. Monsoons bring respite and a lot of cheer to the locals in the villages surrounding Mumbai.
I decided to enjoy the monsoons by venturing out to a small village called Parli located on the outskirts of Mumbai. To avoid rush in trains and enjoy the freshness of a morning after a late night drizzle I decided to catch an early morning local train to the nearest suburban district. A rickety bus took me to the nearest town to the village. The stench of fresh fish in the bus was nauseating, to say the least.
Jeeps carry local villagers for work from the village to the nearest town areas and back. I decided to ride along with these locals and had a tough time trying to fit in with seventeen people in a single jeep. A single house built in the middle of a lush green field with a thick grey cloud cover in the backdrop made for a perfect painting and this view brought some cheer. Little children were gathered by the road side and waiting to go to school posed for the camera and certainly made my day.
I reached the village after an hour and was overwhelmed by the pristine view with lush green surroundings. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for these villagers. The village also boasts of primary and secondary medium schools. The locals were quite surprised to see me roaming around the village with my camera and backpack. The villagers also had a handkerchief tied around the mouth. I showed a little curiosity to understand the reason behind it. The villagers speak a local language and hence communication became a little difficult. But I got to understand that Swine Flu is quite prevalent in the village and could be a major problem with the lack of proper medical infrastructure.
One of the villagers told me about the near by river called Vaitarna and the huge dam built over it. The villager offered to accompany me to the dam site. The humble old villager walked through the tough terrain with ease and I was left behind struggling to catch up with him. We walked through the thick forest fighting all the way with the mosquitoes and waded through a muddy river. After an hours walk we reached the dam. The fresh air and the magnificent dam offered the most breathtaking view. I was a little relieved to find very few houses in the nearby places and hence the pollution levels were at its minimal. Lachiman, the villager had bid goodbye and started walking the other way. I draw inspiration from such cheerful villagers and hope that these self sufficient villages can continue to prosper and spread joy in the future.