The things you miss when you're in a foreign land are really quite little. People ask if you miss your city and you agree the holy trinity of family, friends and food is a perpetual void (but really you just miss the food). However, the city itself? God no.
And then little things start to sneak up on you. Last time I spoke about the cool relief that was the reliable power cut. Today I've been reminded of another sensory staple - the chowkidar's seeti.
I don't really know why I miss this one since I barely heard it. It only chirped when I was at my father's house too long like a reminder to start pushing him to take me home so mum could go to bed. Mum's not a night owl like me she's the opposite kind of crazy. Wakes up at 6 am willingly and calls it a sleep-in.
I also heard it at my father's mother's house which was bang in the middle of South Delhi and so needed the reassuring whistle of the security guard to act as some sort of pacifier. No crooks here, guys, you can all sleep peacefully.
Now I don't know how effective the seeti was at keeping the bad guys away, and I've never heard of a chowkidar ever having to DO anything security-y. Who knows, maybe he did when we were all fast asleep and I'm just being unreasonably cynical. I don't know how many of us even know what he looked like. We only know the silhouette on a bicycle, wrapped in a beige shawl in the depth of winter, gliding around keeping us safe. I think that was his purpose. No, really - what do chowkidars do? I've only ever heard them whistle.
5 comments:
Our chowkidar screamed like a banshee when a snake visited us one night. Then our maid picked it up and threw it away.
He does come open the gate for us when we get back home late at night though. If he's awake, that is.
My fodder's was very persistently knocking on the door one night. Concerned he'd left his car unlocked.
GE doesn't have chowkidars as such, tho.
There's a lot that I miss on being away--the chowkidar's seeti is one of them. The other--the maulvi's call at the mosque nearby. Even at 4.45 am, it left me amazed and peaceful.
That too, I could only hear it from my study room. It only reached the back of the house. but it was very soothing in its familiarity.
My chowkidar is dumb, I guess. Sigh....
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