Winter melody

It is around  5 AM. Winter in north but here in Hyderabad not so cold. Checked the temperature on internet. At present temperature is 16 degree Celsius , humidity 52% and wind 11km/h. Yesterday , late night, I talked to my mother. She was sleeping in the room covering her body with two quilts. She revealed that in night, first time in her life she is covering her face too by the quilt.  She feels this year cold is creating a new level of record. Out of curiosity, checking the weather report of Bhagalpur on net. Low clouds and fog. Temperature 6 degree Celsius. Oh!  shivering cold indeed.  Being in Hyderabad, I miss winter season.

I have very sweet childhood memory of winter season. In Bihar, paddy crop is harvested in winter season. In daytime, farm laborers cut  the crop and gather in the field and then they bring it to the farmhouse/ farmer’s house. Generally, in night, the labourers who cut and bring the crops in the farmer’s house, beat the crops against the choky (wooden bed) to remove the grains from the straw. This work usually they start from midnight and try to finish it in the morning. Once this work is finished, grains are measured and share of grains are given to all the laborers. This whole process used to appear a festival for me. My grandfather would take special interest in farming. Even when he was serving Government, that time also he would take leave to look after the paddy harvesting. After retirement, he became a very enthusiastic farmer who loved traditional method of farming. In my house, paddy crop was prepared just outside the house. The country yard was made in such a way that my grandfather could monitor the work from his room. In winter, my grandfather would get the special bed made in his room. He would instruct the workers to spread  atleast 15-20 inch height padding of soft paddy straw in the room. After that, he would tell the workers to put two three carpets  over the straw padding in such a way that not a single piece of staw could be seen through naked eyes. Then he would tell them to put thick mattress, bed sheet and three to four big round pillows (bolster) on it. This was his ‘Winter gaddi (throne bed) and he used to take special pride on it. In evening, other fellow villagers would come and sit in that room. Because the thick layer of straw inside the bed, the bed and room used to be very warm. Whole winter I used to sleep with my grandfather in that ‘gaddi wala room’. It was the duty of my grandfather to tell everyday at least one story. He used to tell many stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata, history, Indian independence struggle.  Sometimes he would tell funny stories of his fellow villagers too. He was a very good storyteller and I used to enjoy his story thoroughly.

In Hyderabad, I have never experienced winter. Even when I was in north India, that time also I could not feel the real essence of winter in the cities.  In my opinion, winter has mellifluous melody and that melody can be felt and experienced optimally in village only.

~~~ Ramanuj Dubey