A day in the life of Chandru

A team of young surveyors was carrying out feasibility surveys across the district of Yavatmal, in central Maharashtra. Surveys were extensive and exhaustive. The main objective was to determine the sites where borewell's could be drilled so as to provide the villages with clean drinking water.
It involved walking close to 25-30 kilometers in a day. The dust and heat were unrelenting too. With temperatures regularly touching a high of around 45 degrees, it was a sweat bath for most of the day. The group of surveyors split up across the length and breadth of the district and worked tirelessly for days together. Each night they would assemble back at the camp and discuss about the day’s experiences over dinner.
Mapping a district is no small job. It also involves working with authorities like the Village Panchayat.
A newly promoted lad, Chandru with two of his colleagues was working in a village near Pusad taluka in Yavatmal. The day had been grueling enough with the sun showing the residents of the sleepy town how brightly he could shine. On finishing the day’s work the team went on to the village Panchayat office to give them the details of the scheme they were working on.
Chandru had joined the department 8 months ago. His sharp mind and an excellent work ethic had seen him being promoted to a sub-senior role quickly. It had been the fastest ever promotion in the department. Coming from a rural background, Chandru understood the ideology of the scheme facilitated by the government and hence had taken it upon himself to make it a success in jurisdiction.
The Sarpanch (head of the village) an old man of about 70, welcomed the group and patiently listened to what Chandru had to say. He was a lean man with a handle bar moustache. Wrapped in a loin cloth below his waist in traditional Maharashtrian style, he wore a shirt made of cotton. To save himself from the severe heat, he wore a pagadi. Sarpanch listened to Chandru and his team patiently, making a few inquiries about how soon will the project be completed and so on. Having understood the scheme completely, he thanked Chandru and his team on the good work they were doing. He called his grandson Nandu who had made his way into the Panchayat office trying to make sense of the sudden buzz around the place. Sarpanch asked Nandu to run along to the Tea stall across the road and order for 4 cups of special Tea and biscuits.
Nandu, dashed away to the Tea stall. He returned quickly with a long face and asked his grandfather to come aside.
“The tea stall owner wont serve us tea anymore. He says the Panchayat office owes him a lot of money and he won’t give anything on credit” said Nandu in a low tone.
“Arre, why does he not understand? We are not doing a party here. Did you tell him that the tea is for the touring party?” questioned Sarpanch.
“Yes ajoba. He won’t budge. He wants his dues to be cleared first. Even after we do that, he won’t give anything on credit”
“Oh god! This is bad. Those people are doing so much to help solve our drinking water problems and we are not in a position to offer them a cup of tea” he said in depressed voice.
“Let me go and speak to Mahadev (tea stall owner) maybe he will understand”
And Sarpanch walked towards the tea stall.
Chandru and his team were sitting in the small office space. Chandru got up from his seat to help himself to another glass of cool water from the earthen pot. He just happened to gaze outside the window and saw the Sarpanch speaking to the tea stall owner. The owner, Mahadev, was shaking his head and hands in dismissive manner. Intrigued by what was happening at the tea stall, Chandru stood still watching as the drama enfolded. After a long round of persuasion, the Sarpanch failing to convince Mahadev took off his pagadi and placed it near Mahadev’s feet asking him to relent. Chandru could not believe his eyes. Sarpanch, such an elderly man the head of the village was pleading with a Tea stall owner to relent and lend him 4 cups of tea on credit. Tears welled up in Chandru's eyes. He called out to Nandu and said,
”Nandu, we have to leave urgently. A lot of area is yet to be covered and we need to finish it before dusk today. Please thank Sarpanch sahib for his hospitality on our behalf and tell him that we will have tea the next time we come over. Also assure him that all of you will have clean drinking water very soon. We must leave now to finish our work for the day”
He gestured to his colleagues to make a quick move and they left the office silently from the other exit.
Sarpanch walked back dejectedly towards his office clearly embarrassed and crest fallen. Nandu was standing near the steps. In a bid to try and hide his emotions from his grandson he looked away.
“Ajoba, surveyor sahib said that they needed to leave urgently and will have tea the next time they are here. He also said that the village will soon have clean drinking water facilities” said Nandu.
Not knowing how to react, Sarpanch walked into the office. He picked up the glass and gazed out of the window. He closed the window and allowed himself a sarcastic smiled.
That night as he lay down on his bed, Chandru could not help but remember the sight he had seen from the window.
Lost in the same thoughts, he did not realize when he slipped into slumber. Chandru slept well that night thinking what he did was the best thing under the circumstances to do.