Work took me here - The lush green village in West Bengal!

This girl loves to write, loves life! back to blog!

Well, first of all I owe a warm hug to my writing world after a long time! With my love for writing being intact it was procrastination that kept me away for years now! Over these years of self exploration, there are two important things that I took up. The long due MBA and the bigger blessing I received. The birth of my heart child - Des Rangeela. My business to be professional and my dream to be honest! Why not get back from where I left, travel diaries for Des Rangeela work!

I am currently working on a project which has its production units at West Bengal's village - Sarta where my artisans live. For a capacity report of my Madur grass handwoven products I personally needed to be there. After a good discussion with Akhil dada (my artisan from Sarta) we planned a one day return, because that's all I could afford :D (trip date: 18th April 2019).

The picture speaks for itself!

MBA was more than a degree! The best human I ever met on earth! Sister for life!

I literally never have space in my phone ever! so I might as well be the only millennial  who barely has 2 apps in the phone and using play store also happens to be a rare annual occasion. This occasion this time was for downloading Make My Trip for ticket bookings. (I want to mention the love for make my trip because later in Kolkata it was such a savior! ) Note that this was the first time I booked my own flight tickets and trust me first times are usually lessons to remember in my case! (pun intended!). You'll soon know what I'm talking about because I really did a silly mistake that costed me 24 hours extra in the trip!

                                 

I have observed that God likes it more when he sees me rushing around and multi tasking, so my flying dates clashed with my final semester's Viva. Without giving that I wouldn't clear my MBA. Dissertation, have you heard of that? I wasn't really worried about marks, I have always been confident about my exams scores, however  it took formalities and time and I had to catch the flight. Back home, bags packed, checklist all OK and there we were, Mom and me ready to go and dad ready to drop us by. <3 as always <3 

I am not a frequent flyer so even if it takes some extra time at the airport (I am recalling my nights spend at Bangalore and Indore airport for my business competition boot-camp back in January 2019). I enjoy visiting the shops and observing people,products and interiors at the airport, so it's never been boring for me so far! In fact one must checkout the stores at airports because it's usually exclusive stuff (recalling the silver studded and oxidized watch I loved! enough that I remember every single intricate detail about it) Also, while chit chatting with a cleaning incharge at Pune airport, I found out that they are BVG employees and found out how Hanumant Gaikwad the founder of this hospitality and beyond company has been a great support to each employee at different levels and how he tries to personally meet them all! (I really like to learn about good people around, it strengthens my belief in good in the world )  The journey was nice too! Mom being my travel partner and the magazine in the flight had an amazing Virat - Anushka picture (My favorite power couple! <3)

The Legend of Indian literature at Kolkata Airport

Akhil Dada had come to pick us up from airport to take us to his production unit at his village.(How sweet Dada! He actually left from his villlage at 3am to pick us up in time!) I have been working with Akhil Dada for 2 years and had only met him once for barely 15mins!!!! We left  for a short journey of 3.30 hrs from Kolkata airport to Sarta. We were blessed that it was neither sunny nor rainly climate! just pure cold breezes and mild sunlight!! There were so many bamboo trees all over the sides!! A halt at a Dhaba at around 8am is always going to be remembered! FOR CLEAN TOILETS :D I mean I really have an eye for clean places, clean minds!! and I literally save them in my memory! As we continue the drive to Sarta, Dada's friend was slightly more talkative, but I think people from our villages are usually warmer to the guests than we city people are? well, not sure about that but the journey was full of views and talks! Mom - Dada - me- Dada's friend who was driving and talking about West Bengal, art, politics, food and so on!

Madur Grass weaving artisans at Akhil Dada's Unit

And here we are! At Dada's Unit!!! The place I came for all the way from  Pune! The place where the 4000 year old tradition of Madur grass hand weaving has been kept alive! Where the product orders are placed over a call or text and they reach Des Rangeela! The artisans working on their loom surrounded with lush green farms and Bengali music on their not so smart phone's radio! One of the artisan being as old as 65 and still regularly working! What a sight! To see these "Professionally skilled National Assets" working to preserve the art of India and making a living out of it from generations and generations! I saw my mom being so happy to be travelling with me, equally excited as me and very much non verbally loving my work and being proud of my choice of work!

Homemade traditional Bengali meal (I loved the badi (Vadi))

And, it's lunch time at dada's home with gifts and conversation exchange with their family! Dada showing his home and beautiful backyard and farm with his mom being so proud of him and his wife, super shy! The conversations were so different as they were talking in Bengali and me and mom were half guessing and half taking dada's help to translate it in Hindi. Dada and his family had one specific point of disappointment with me - I don't eat fish :D literally everyone in the family were shocked that there are humans living on this planet who don't eat non veg - especially fish at all :D I was so happy to walk around the little homes with huge farms and little farm of each home!! So clean!!! What a prosperous beautiful village in India! The cold breezes and warm welcome and smiles all around me made me feel I knew this is all I want to do all my life! work for keeping our artisans doing indigenous traditional products of India, living and earning through their skills in blood! Smiling through the journey I have had through the decision, research, personal combat and professional change in directions including leaving my job and field of events and working for revival of Indian art with a strong business model. With some videos and pictures for Des Rangeela's records and  conversations and smiles for have met each other, it was time to go back to the airport and flyback to where my strings of heart are attached.. Pune!

On my way back to airport I just happened to check my tickets AND boom!!!! I realized I did the AM PM mistake that we all have done once in life!!! The ticket was of the next day and not the very same evening!! I was more worried about my mom's reaction. I knew she was proud of me and happy and I knew that was changing to " I made  stupid production on earth" BUT! to my surprise all she said was OK lets check out the airport or just stay in a hotel! simple!! Sigh!! As we reached, the security incharge denied us such an early entry and said I'll arrange a taxi for you, you and aunty can stay in a hotel near by. Now this oldie taxi driver uncle took us there and I checked out the hotel, I didn't like it at all right on it's exterior. And I have this thing called good vibes and comfort both of which I do not like to compromise. I mean I am generous and down to earth and my value structure is quite basic but as for living I prefer cleanliness, comfort and luxury. Usually you see a lot of hotels around airports so I thought of looking around for other options. Also it was around 5pm by then, so I wanted mom to relax because she was tired and thus wanted to check in  my comfortable hotel as early as possible. But this oldie uncle kept on insisting which I just did not like and after one polite way I had to go rude with him as I only do what I'm convinced with! I checked out another other with good exterior but didn't really like the rooms but I still wanted to get rid of this oldie uncle so i let him go and then entered the savior! Make My Trip! A great offer on Holiday Inn Kolkata  which was just 10 minutes away! some clicks and our room was booked in a couple of minutes!

TOTO time!! This was my and mom's first Toto ride, but I didn't know there are manual and motor totos. This was a manual Toto ride. As per Google maps it was only 10 minutes. BUT these 10 minutes felt never ending long for me and mom because for us the travel started from our home - Pune airport - Kolkata airport - Dada's village - Kolkata airport - hotel exploration. But why was it so tiring and long journey to this Toto rider dada? It was technically 20 minutes and we still hadn't reached. He kept saying madam kidhar hai aapka hotel and all  I could say bass dada aagaya 2 minutes hi dikha raha hai GPS mei.  It continued for some more time and there we were!! Reached!! phew!! (even that Toto rider dada was relaxed by the arrival of the Hotel :D ) Just as we reached our room after a bit of formality at the reception, me and mom turn by turn went for a hour long shower  and that's it !!! Work day over !! 

My gorgeous travel Partner - AAI

Mumma and me decided that we were anyway going to have our breakfast at the Hotel so why not just walk around and have dinner somewhere else? We took a walk around, went to a restaurant, had our dinner, came back to our room, chit chatted a bit and I was done for the day! ( baba ji boring bana doh ji ab iss din ko feels)  Our return flight was at night so we had a entire day to hangout and more than me mom was excited for some new Kolkata handlooms adding on to her wardrobe next day! God knows where she had the energy to watch The Kapil sharma show, I just dozed off while talking to her. 

Done with the day!

I wake up to these beautiful sunrays around me! The room naturally lit up! just when I was enjoying it, a thought passed my mind .. Did we just miss the breakfast buffet?!! oh noooo!! I checked the clock and what??? It's JUST 5:15 am???? Sooraj ji are you kidding me?! I don't see this sun at this time at my home! But I was really rejuvenated enough to happily take over the day! We had an hour long buffet breakfast and set to check out the local handloom market. Back to the Toto (this time the motor one where the rider doesn't exhaust himself) we took a route with little homes, narrow lanes and ponds all around after every 2kms. But it went on and on but the market did not come, and on our heads was a the clock hands going tik tik as we had to checkout from the hotel in time. Clearly we weren't interested in going the to the market anymore and he still kept telling us 5 min 5 mins 5 min. 

We told him to take us back to the hotel and he still continued taking us through small lanes, which wasn't a comfortable situation. But just when I was losing my cool. I saw sarees all around me!! We made it to the market! 

I am smiling while writing this part of my Kolkata blog - as we reached the market, Toto rider dada stopped, got down and I saw a small green flag and something written in Arabic/ Urdu, near the front side - while I was noticing it Dada said - " madamji humko pata hai aap ladies log thoda darr gaye honge ye choti galiyan dekh kar - par madamji hum waisa aadmi nahi hai - aap hamare Kolkata ke mehmaan hai, hum aapko saree ke market tak leke aana chahte theyy aur aise hi rukte hai, aap shopping karke ayiye hum aapko time mei aapke hotel tak pohcha denge." A man of values and strong character is a man of wealth! Such kind humans keep the world a better place, don't they? <3

Mom wanted to buy the handloom saree for herself and some close relatives, which she did! But it was me who was in love. In love with a pastel orange floral handwoven saree totally out of my dressing requirements and budget both!! Leaving her back to the shop keeper made my feet and heart so heavy (well, i am not dramatizing this episode, it was one of the most beautiful sarees I had seen, ever <3 Someday ill end up buying something like that, for sure!!) On our way back to the hotel, I had already requested the hotel management for extending our check out time, and they were kind enough to do that complimentary, making us a happy customer!

Time to bid a bye bye to the Mishti land! We were 5hrs early at the airport hanging out each store especially because I was looking for made in West Bengal stuff for my dad, Pratiksha who worked for Des Rangeela for a month and she being someone who is ever ready to work for us and ofcourse for some more close friends who always buy me gifts everywhere they go. Store to store, confusion to confusion, beautiful sovereigns everywhere, infact we also found a shop that had handloom Kolkata sarees in the same prices as in the local markets. Found all that we wanted, we were hungry and tired after the shopping spree. We realised now we are hungry but its time to board in. so we just got some food packed for us, only to realise that there were more cafes and restaurants in the lounge :D infact better options too. All we wanted now was to just go back home! This was going to be my first experience with Air Asia and trust me its the last time too (hopefully) because the leg room was too small as compared to Kingfisher, Jet airways, Spicejet, Indigo and Vistara.(I know since I have previously traveled by these airlines) And just the over all experience was not so great mainly because there was a kid just next to my and mom's seat crying through the entire journey. Mom kept telling me to play with him because I have a great equation with kids, but this one felt like he would not listen to me at all so I just kept away. 

This little fellow finally stopped crying when the flight landed (THANK GOD!) but man, each and every passenger ensured they saw his face. (with not much love :D but dekhna tha kaisa dikhta hai woh :D ) 

With the last round of coffee and tea at the airport, waiting for dad to pick us up, mom and me were simply happy to have completed the work in time! The first production Unit visit of Des Rangeela - The lush green Sarta, Dada and his warm family and first visit to the Mishti land added to the memory album! Also, the shirt I got for dad, did fit him perfect! He makes sure I notice when he wears it! and tells mom - "bagh mazhya leki ne aanlay" (look my daughter got this for me !).The 80 minutes long hunt for a perfect shirt for him had it's rewards! Thanks to Biswa Bangla an amazing emporium at Kolkata airport!

To end this one, how about leaving you with a thought? When we hear "trip" or "hangout" we all usually think of fun time with friends and partner. But this Kolkata short but rewarding trip felt more special as I saw my mom becomes this fun little child while travelling and shopping around. Even while dad was driving us back from airport to home, mom telling him about Sarta, Kolkata, Dada, my work with such happiness and dad listening to her with man and father of happy women type of feels! I felt that parents devote all their time for us children and when we grow up, can we add them as our travel buddy preferences! It does ensure we too share some time and conversations with them? Well I surely want to sponsor trips for my parents, what do you think?