Journey to Remember-I

I checked the time; two ticking brothers of my watch were about to meet at eleven. Train was already running late by thirty minutes. I was going to reach Warangal Station in fifteen minutes. I reminded myself the reasons and driving force to start this journey. I didn't have clear idea as to what I would be doing in the next week, though my friend kept me well informed through several mails and meeting me in person. The only thing I knew was that “the work” is a social internship program and HoneyBeeAP is organising it. After reaching Warangal we were told the program is named GYANSODH and it is jointly organised by HoneyBeeAP and National Innovation Foundation. After brief introduction and clear presentations giving a glimpse of the work that should be done, we were told about the Hachu Thanda trip the next day and my team mate was KG. “Thanda” means a group of houses in the local Lambada language. And our work in the Thanda was to go on scouting the village in search of evaporating knowledge and innovations.

We started at 9 AM from NIT warangal and reached Hanmakonda bus stand. We travelled to Thorrur which is 60 kms away from warangal and took an auto to go to Hachu Thanda.Slowly Pucca road has turned into a Mud road. After 10 mins of journey from Thorrur we reached Hachu Thanda, the village that we were going to stay for the next two days. As our sir has already made arrangements for us to stay in the village, I called the person who was to take the responsibility of our boarding and lodging.

Me: Sir is it Naik?

Villager on the other side: Yeah this is naik.

Me: Sir, We are coming from NIT warangal. We reached your village. Our Brigadier sir might have already told you about us. so where can we meet u?

Villager : Ha K. Who is your sir? Why do you need me?

Me and KG were shocked to hear this from Naik.

Me: Sir , We were sent to your village by Ganesham sir, and told that we will be provided accommodation in the school.

Villager: Okay,u wait near the school.

Me and KG walked back to the School. It had only one room, from 1st to fifth. We met the principal of the school and introduced ourselves. After knowing that we were going to stay for two days he suggested us to make our own arrangements. He said we could stay in the school and have food in any house by paying money. Hospitable invitations come from most of the villagers when an unknown enters into a remote village, unlike in the cities .Though the arrangements weren't made to us it wasn't a problem for us. In the conversation with head master we came to know that there are only 100 families in the village. This thanda has only three family names,; guglothu banothu and dharavatu. During the conversation, suddenly came a man with good physique, yellowish eyes and white beard running towards us and introduced himself. Later he told that the phone was lifted by his brother who is unaware of our purpose of coming here. He asked us to keep our bags in the school and join them for lunch. After lunch we were surrounded by children who kept on pouring questions about the purpose of our visit. To our surprise, they talk very confidently, even a 7 year old boy speaks like ripen expert. They never hang around with book like 'The monk who sold his Ferrari' to show the kind of, nature and their living conditions teach them. We placed our bags on one of the five benches of a small room. Maps of Andhra Pradesh and India were hanging on the wall and names of Student committee members were hanging opposite to each other. After lunch we thought of walking round the cross country to get acquainted with the village. Most of the houses were newly constructed and some were in the middle of construction, funded by INDIRAMMA Project of AP Govt.

Our Sir had already instructed us to meet the woman named Sony, who has gift of the gab. We decided to meet her in the evening. It was pleasured trip as we got company.. It was evening 5 30pm, though we had lunch, we were VERY hungry. It was the children of the village who were with us and they became our “Annadatas” and guess what we were served on the way to Sony’s house!! -Clustered tamarind leaves and the left out ground nuts on the ploughed fields. The most amusing that happened to us!

Coming back, the purpose of our visit couldn’t be accomplished as we aren't able to get more out of that loquacious person, Sony, as she was busy in household work. By sunset we are back to the school and had dinner at Naik's house. The time is 8:30 pm and it was time for bed! ( I never slept in my room before 12 a.m. :P :D). 14 year lad entertained us by singing folk songs. I couldn’t have found a better place to sleep neither in the polluted cities nor in my stinking Hostel-it’s on the roof top of the house with cool breeze overlooking the fields! I was there with all my senses under the beautifully decorated sky with the bright stars and an ever attracting full Moon. Sounds Heaven! Isn’t it?