Midlife Euphoria Day 33

Refreshing Interlude

We all enjoy holidays, visiting friends and family, taking time out to spend some days with children and so forth. Primarily, a digression from “normal” adds a lot of spice to our lives. But very often, we come back from an expedition feeling exhausted—especially if it is a sightseeing excursion, a walking tour or an animated trip involving hiking, skiing or cycling. Even if it is a celebration like a wedding, anniversary or just a lot of formal get-togethers, one is worn out in a couple of days.                          

The journey, be it on the road or a plane, always seems more excruciating when you go back than when you were venturing out. On return, the thought of a pile of clothes waiting to be washed, buying groceries, ensuring that there is milk, butter and bread in the refrigerator, resuming the help to start work and what not wears you out. In fact, restarting the old routine to “normal” takes a lot of effort. So, you wonder if the respite was really worth it.

While returning from our mountain abode back to our home in the plains, we were invited by our friends, CK Mahajan and his wife Savita, to spend some days with them at their ancestral house in their village Bhadwar. It is also located in the hills but at a lower altitude from Mashobra. We were a bit skeptical initially but gave in willingly due to their sincere bidding.

What followed was beyond belief. After an eight-hour road journey, we reached their charming property in the village. This place is in Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, tucked away between two busy towns, Pathankot and the popular hill station Dharamshala. If not looking for it purposefully, one can easily miss this tiny hamlet which has a meagre population of some 690 odd people.

The property is situated within five acres of land, and the house was built circa 1910 in ancient style—with rooms all around and a large courtyard in the centre. There are countless numbers of rooms with gardens at the back where vegetables like cauliflower, carrot, cabbage, spinach and turnips grow. Further, there are fruit trees of apple, pear, sweet lime, lemon, guava, papaya and kiwi. At the back, there are outhouses which the caretakers use, and there is even provision for keeping cattle such as cows and buffaloes.

Since it is not used most of the year by the family, the house is a little rundown but one look at it and one could imagine its erstwhile splendour. For all practical purposes, it was very liveable with all the comforts of modern living—running hot/cold water, Wi-Fi, television, fireplace for heating and so on. The kitchen, though built in the old style, is now equipped with all necessities like an oven, griller, cooking gas, electric kettle; and has all the pots, pans, crockery and cutlery required for functioning.

We had driven to our hosts’ home along with them from Mashobra. On reaching, we were greeted by a very amiable staff. They had dusted and cleaned our rooms, and the beds were ready for our welcome. After a refreshing drink, we were served a lovely hot meal. After an afternoon siesta, we had tea in the veranda and explored the sprawling grounds of this amazing place. There were several rooms, most of which were not being used. In the good old days, these were continually occupied by family and friends.

CK Mahajan’s grandfather, Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan, was the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India. Prior to that, he was the Prime Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir during the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh, and had played a key role in the accession of the state to India. He lived king size. This was his ancestral home where he continued to live like a king even after his retirement.

In the evening, we sat in the sitting room which looked enticing with a blaze of glowing wood in the fireplace. We were enveloped in the impending warmth around. This stately luxury matched the aura of the setting. Every now and then, a fresh log of wood was put in to carry on with the majestic ambience. One just wanted to sink deeper and deeper into the couches, not wanting to leave this milieu.

After the newness of the first day, we fell into a pattern. It was a routine without any agenda and completely at ease. It began with a leisurely breakfast in the sun and went on till noon with a break for tea and coffee. Thereafter, lunch would follow under the sun kissed porch. Since it was December, the warm sun was very welcome, especially after Mashobra’s bitter cold. After lunch, we would rest for an hour and venture out for a brisk walk in the village.

The Shivalik hills loom on one side of the village, remitting an ethereal feel. Subsequent to the walk and evening tea, we would plant ourselves in the sitting room in front of the blazing fire, enjoying the warmth of the room and our gracious hosts. We would watch television, chat, discuss politics and watch movies or popular soap operas. It may sound mundane, but it felt blissful to the core of our soul—no parties, no dolling up, no excursions, no schedule. I would knit, which I enjoy, and also made Savita indulge in my passion.

Coming back to our hosts. CK is a very caring person. His love for people is genuine, and he is always inviting people over to his house, starting with breakfast. Savita keeps up with his gregarious disposition. Her day starts with a walk in the morning, and then a couple of hours in the kitchen. She has very efficient staff but she puts in time in the morning cooking/baking/instructing and organising the day. She is a very accomplished person who has varied interests and doesn’t compromise on anything. She is known as the social queen of Mashobra. She and her husband are busy for all meals including breakfast. Either they are entertaining or being entertained. She makes it a point to ensure that anybody visiting Mashobra gets a hot meal or snack on arrival.

During the Covid times, she would send food to people’s homes when they arrived. Further, she is an intense bridge player. She would never miss a game in the afternoon, after which she would go for her customary walk in the evening. She is very conscientious about her husband’s nourishment, and ensures that he gets whatever he needs in time the way he likes it. She is a wonderful person with an excellent disposition, and is beautiful. How can one person have so many attributes? Her best quality is the way she organises her time. Never flustered, stressed or compromising on anything that she likes to do. To pack in so much in a day, day after day, and always with a smile on her face! How does she manage it? Hats off to her.                        

From a bohemian lifestyle of fancy eating, partying travelling abroad and entertaining lavishly they, slip into this rustic life naturally. They consume the local organic produce and make brief appearances at rural rituals like "dhams" where the entire village is invited. It is like being in an avant-garde naturopathic spa. The difference is that one is not paying through one’s nose. After a couple of months in this body and soul purification lacuna, knock on wood, they are glowing, healthy and spreading cheer for the rest of the year.    

There is enough to keep them constructively occupied. CK gets involved with the trust that his grandfather had started for the welfare of villagers, which involves education, health and general upliftment for the residents. There is always something to do around the humongous property, which keeps Savita busy. A drive on the meandering roads towards Dharmshala leads to water bodies formed by the river Beas that flows through the village. The greenery of the region’s natural flora is really rejuvenating and will be cherished by us forever.

One day, I made a pickle which my mom used to make. Till she was alive, I never ventured into territories which in my mind were her patent. Knitting is one of them. There was too much competition, and she was clearly the expert who had an edge. When you are younger, your confidence levels are low. There is fear of comparison; the notion of perfection kills the joy to strive. Also, you are scared to waste raw material if you fail. But when you get to our age, we are not bothered about any of the above. In fact, you even tweak recipes to your taste. We use less sugar than specified in desserts, less masala in the savouries and improvise if an ingredient is not available. This skill only comes with age and maturity. #midlifeuphoria. Knitting and making pickles….I was inadvertently turning into my mom.

Having said this, I remember I once baked a coco cake for my brother who has diabetes. In my endeavour to make a healthy cake, I didn’t put any sugar and garnished it with sugarless cream and chocolate flakes. It looked like a gourmet’s delight. But when my brother put it in his mouth, he almost choked. When I told him about my concern for his health, he had a hearty laugh which continued till he was almost rolling on the floor. I seriously thought he was having a heart attack. The cake tasted like sawdust. Nevertheless, we ate it with ice cream. So much for improvising.

I kept telling Savita that my time in Badhwar was very soothing to my nerves. It was almost a meditative experience, and extremely relaxing for my restless mind. I could not pinpoint the real perception till it dawned upon me one day. It was the same feeling that I would experience when I visited my parents after marriage. The sense of calm and nonchalance was similar. Minutes would diffuse into hours, and hours into days. I would simply drift with the flow. Sanjay also felt equally at ease just like when he would visit his parents. Our hosts are not that much older than us but their amenability had put us to ease—making our stay a very memorable one.

My take from this experience is that every holiday is not meant for “doing” things. You can make your guests comfortable only if you are not on pins and needles yourself. Your household can run smoothly on oiled wheels, if you organise and manage your time well. Lastly, the real test of a successful life is to have the ability to carry out arduous chores seamlessly while making them appear effortless.