The unseasonal summer rains in Odisha brought back memories from few summers ago. One evening after a bout of fresh rains, my wife, son and I stepped out, waiting on the street right next to our house for our Uber ride. Three guys on a motorcycle started oggling at my wife. No sooner they saw my wife than their heads turned in unison by 90 degree towards her, like they hadn't seen a girl before. All of sudden their pillion stumbled a pothole filled with ankle deep water. Distracted, one of them fell on the muddy puddle, while the other two got busy extricating their buddy from the mess. We had a hearty laugh at the fallen Romeo's expense. Kalabaisakhi rains has its share of fun and joy.
A long day awaited me for the "Saata Karma" or the 7th Day "Kriya" (rituals). Sitting in open near fire in 110 degree heat plus humidity didn't seem very appealing. Fortunately the "Purohit" (priest) and "Barika" (Barber) needed for the occasion arrived on dot by 8 O'clock in morning. The long Puja (worship) session started at a podium near the Sukhmeswar Temple, a stone's throw distance from our house. Too much conditioned to the Air Conditioning I was apprehensive about the weather. But luckily the weather got lot milder for this time of the year. The cool southerly wind from Bay of Bengal meandering through the swaying tall and bushy "Krushnachuda" (Gol Mohar), Palm, Coconut, Mango, Jackfruit, Neem trees felt much more refreshing, beating any blast from the AC in an enclosed room any day.
During the 4 hour long "Kriya Karma" session, in between the breaks I took the opportunity to chit chat with the Priest and the Barber. The Priest was from Banapur, a small town near Chilika and the Barber was from local Dhauli, southern suburb of Bhubaneswar. He reiterated the recent fad of every one in Odisha hell bent on being a home owner in BHONSARA (Bhubaneswar). Both are confident that regardless of the hype created by BJP, BJD will come back to power in the ongoing election. Naveen Patnaik, who may not be liked by the armchair social media warriors, is simply loved by masses who take pain to go to the polling booth. "Tell us about any alternative" - both Priest and the Barber continued further, "BJP in Odisha is inept and corrupt, filled with discarded elements from BJD and Congress, who are hated by the general public. They are going to be the Albatross on BJP's neck for a long time".
The Barber asked me - "AMERICA RE LOKE KANA BHATA KHANTI" (Do they eat rice in America) ? "They certainly do" - I replied. Not so much in quantity or so frequently unlike us.
By noon the ordeal was over. My first urine in 4 hours of sitting in "Kriya Karma" resembled thick mustard oil, although I gulped down a big bottle of water. The heat and humidity was truly energy sapping, especially to those accustomed to the cooler, climate control environment. Walking barefoot for more than couple of hundred feet from the venue to my house was quite bit of a challenge on a midsummer day. But my mother in my mind was enough motivation for me to carry on.
Apart from the Purohit (Priest) and Barika (Barber), the "Mahaprasad Abadha" (the food offering from Sri Ananta Basudev) delivery guys of Old Town area was punctual, arriving on time. Unlike these guys, not registered professionals but were dutifully thorough and punctual, the "Tent House" we hired, who was supposed to be a pro whom we hired to put a tent on top of the home did a sloppy job. Following our classic IST (Indian Stretchable Time) they arrived late. After delivering, they left without arranging the chairs and tables in order at the right place. It was getting late and dark, the Electrical equipments still not installed. With guests starting to arrive for the "Mahaprasad Sevan", we panicked. Those working on the Electrical installation were reluctant to help in setting up the dining area. True to a Gandhian, I pushed a few shiny, color papers bearing face of our "Father of Nation" Mahatma Gandhi into the hands of the available workers to push my agenda of getting the job on time. Suddenly they got pumped up, switching into an action mode and finished their job in no time. Money is world's greatest motivator.
While dealing with most folks here, you are expected to be a mind reader to know the exact amount you need to pay. The guy may be expecting Rs.500, and you are ready to dish out Rs.1000, but he won't tell you know his mind. You are expected to be Clairvoyant and go deep inside his mind to figure it out. They are akin to women, who will never tell it straight, but rather tell it slant. You need to take hint at their gesture to know their wishes. Same here as far Public dealing goes, an art which gets matured with experience. Unfortunately we don't live here long enough to accentuate it. The old Adage - "Be Roman in Rome" still holds good.
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