The lush green Paddy makes an awesome background. Growing paddy fills up my cup of contentment. So green, so dense and so healthy!The kids are visiting Punjab and have camped with Masi Shruti family in Ludhiana. Our village Badbar in District Barnala (earstwhile Sangrur) is about 95 Km towards south-east of Ludhiana.
On their way to Badbar via Malerkotla, Dhuri, they first halted at Sangrur Anaj Mandi and met our Agent Mr Pawan Kumar in his office.
As they reached the Nehri part of the land, they walked on the same very footpath 'Pahee' where my Dad used to walk and command his small empire. It is a proud moment for me to record the event. Harvinder reminds me, it is also the same path where my Mom Savitri Devi and Grandma Karam Devi used to walk occasionally while on impromptu arranged picnics in the fields. The Mom and the Grandma would travel a distance of 2 Km by the bullock cart while sitting on a big bundle of fodder wrapped in a jute cloth sheet. We the men would cycle it down the road to the field. The drinking water from the hand pump was cold and sweet and all of us felt, it's taste was better than that of Coca Cola. Men would love to have Tubewell shower, a unique experience to get the 4 inches thrust of cold water on your warm body. Sudden gush of water on your spine would give you a shocking pleasure and thrill to your body. We city guys would be scared and take half shower instead.
In the later stages of Dad's life, when we took him to his farms in Badbar, he was frail and weak with dreaded Parkinson. As he got out of the car and stepped on the footpath, Dad started issuing instructions to his staff in his usual way. At this, my accompanying sister Bhagwant remarked, "Papa Ji, you have become young once again". Was it the fresh and unpolluted air or the strong inbuilt will-power which infused in him to show his youthfulness.
Gobind on phone with me sounded thrilled. He has grown big to remark that our rice fields are pretty vast and big. Shilpy told us that It was very humid and hot to the extant unbearable. Both Jania and Gobind were also scared of insects and above all from the snakes moving around at this time of the year. They did not come across any though.
They enjoyed 'Pranthas' at our favorite Deepak Dhaba. Jania purchased a souvenir at the toy shop at the Dhaba out of the goody money she received from our Agent. Gobind on other hand has invested in buying some books from his share. Both have been told to keep the accounts and show me on their return.
Shruti Massi also joins
Our worker Balwinder and the driver in the back ground.
Having a ride to Badbar
The humidity is writ large on Balwinder's shirt partially wet with sweat. But Balwinder is still very happy in the company of the Kids of Sardar. His sweat has converted the land into lush green paddy fields.
A Selfie over looking the green Paddy fields. Geet is enjoying too.
Posing proudly
There is a good news, Jania is bringing some seeds for our kitchen garden here like Kaddu, Tori and Bhindi. Harvinder is fixing up the vegetable patch here and we are excited to have Punjabi vegetables at home by next year. The seeds given to us by our worker Mohammad last time have been played this summer and have sprouted into healthy plants with flowers to pave way for fruits. We are awaiting excitingly for the fresh vegetables soon.
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