To live and let live

My one-day sojourn at upper Samsing in Dooars two years ago is fraught with memories very pleasant and unusual.We had put up at a 'homestay'-TEMPULA INN-in the residence of Mr.Kamal Giri--a politically influential and affluent person, running a business in drift wood. His home is aesthetically pleasing with pieces of antique furniture and numerous soft toys made by his wife.Apart from their residential quarters there are two well- appointed rooms on the ground floor of their two-storied house and two separate cottages on the adjoining ground.It was a delight having lip-smacking meals at their own dining room, served by the mistress of the house.A great cook herself,Mrs.Giri personally cooked,served and supervised the breakfast,lunch and dinner of the guests....a gesture that exuded warm hospitality. The pleasant afternoon was spent walking in the sprawling compound which ended as if on a precipice which went down to the Murti river.The garden with a huge variety of trees and shrubs could be a botanist's delight.We loved the evening at the balcony of Mr.Giri talking to us over cups of steaming hot tea and crispy pakoras straight from Mrs.Giri's kitchen.Talking to him was enlightening as we could have a peek into the lives of the common people of that region--so very close to my heart.

 Coming to his immediate family we found it to be quite a big one.Along with three sons( two of them adopted) there was an old mother and an even older aunt who suffered from severe dementia, four dogs, numerous cats,scores of  cocks,hens and chicks and  pigeons and a tank full of fish(not to be consumed,for sure)! But more than all this something quite unusual suddenly attracted my eyes.It was a bird's nest jutting out of a corner of the ceiling above the entrance to the  impeccably maintained,spic and span living room.On being asked what it was,the lady,with a disarming smile,said that it was a swallow's nest which existed there long before the ground floor was renovated and thrown open to the tourists.They had taken extra care to keep the nest as it was,without destroying it and plastering that particular corner.What was even more surprising was the fact that they had kept four glass panes open without glass so that the birds wouldn't face any hindrance flying in and out of the nest and the house.The swallows fly off to some unknown destination for five months every year but come back again,without fail.We were witness to the flurry of activities of the swallows--flying out and flying in with twigs and leaves and food for the young ones.I was touched by this apparently 'small' and inconsequential gesture and was left wondering how deeply they have ingrained this bonding with nature.When the world is rent by violence, cruelty and exclusion of every kind,this family stands apart with its philosophy of inclusiveness. 'Live and let live' is the motto they have imbibed and profess through their lifestyle.We city-bred wretched souls who suffocate and run after lifestyle mantras and inner peace may take some lessons in simplicity in life and harmony with nature from this remarkable family.