Khhaye.. khae ka-lheni? Thats what my reaction was when I heard this shocking news. It was about Neeraj Hyanki, who was one of upcoming rung contractors in dharchula. He had meteoric rise in recent times. There wasnt a single trip back home when I didnt hear something about him. Be it was his house or his gaadi or description of his wealth. In a way I was happy that someone was making a good life even sitting in place like Dharchula. This morning when i called home I was told that apparently Neeraj had left Dharchula in a hurry day before morning, leaving a letter stating that he was sorry and going abroad... and will be back after 10 years. This on the day when Maalaa was supposed to be taken to his sasuraal for his own wedding!! I couldnt believe as to why someone would do this on his own wedding day!!! Closest I can think of such a character was in George Orwell's novel razor's edge!! but that character did such a thing long after his wedding! I cant imagine what that girl must be going thru who was to get married to him. Such things had happened to few boys only in rung history when the girl they were supposed to get married to, would elope a few days or weeks prior to wedding!! I am still wondering!! Khong????

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Oh…Here it is my village Gunji… Even after a long gap of 17 years….every thing seems stand still…waiting for me…! Is it real or just a dream of my childhood memories… Every thing seemed to have been waiting for me so long….I thought I am 43 year now …. With all my habits and thoughts and beliefs changed…..I find no change in my village, not even its single inch…. The same typical smell of firewood smoke… the same old narrow pathways with RASAA and LANGEE... Same old primary school and the narrow pathway along the outskirts of the fields with blooming BAE/PALTI… leading to my school … same old playground….(of course it’s size including that of the school building and the whole of village for that matter, seems to have shrinked a lot)… but, there is something I find changed…. Is it it’s people… my villagers… my friends? No…no…! but there’s something I am not comfortable with… people don’t gather on a single round of high pitched voice call by LAREBAA…people now don’t waste time for the common cause…everybody seems to mind his own business… a sense of service and duty towards our villagers doesn’t seem to be a part of our character now…may be, the government’s liberalization policy has its real effect on us all… or, may be, as a visitor to my own village, I am expecting much more from my villagers as I was as a child…but, what is my contribution to my village….? What is my contribution to cherish my own childhood dreams…. I think I should really think doing something for my village… something to prevent it from becoming another GumiKang (if I remember the word correctly)…! But I really don’t know what way I can contribute to my village and my society… really nothing on my mind… something’s there in my mind…but what? …something about basic amenities?…. Better roads/pathways?... Water supply system? … electricity?... communication facilities? …. can I contribute on those things? .. is it really needed?...or is it the expectation of my villagers from me?....its confusing….! I am tensed….! Ok… Let me go there every year and find out something that I can contribute…! Can any one guide me please?....

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