Learnings from a driver @ Darjeeling

It would have been a normal drive of 3 hours in a SUV had it not been for the driver who kept 4 supposedly educated, professionals from metros engaged with his conversations. The verbal association included wise sayings, sharing of elite associations, life-changing experiences gained through travails and some unique perspectives of life in general and hill-life in particular. Some pearls of wisdom, some known, some fundamental, yet simple were thrown in. Each one of them demanding a public mention as an acknowledgement of the wisdom and a deep sense of my personal regards for the driver named Raj Rai (atleast that's what he called himself). Some excerpts:

a. A colleague casually mentioned: "Your Darjeeling is clean and good". Pat came the interjection that the town was as much his as much of all others. It was one Gandhi's nation, he commented.

We were all taken aback but we had some more coming up.

b. Its common to pass through clouds as one meanders through to the hilly roads. These clouds which one sees, possess some uniqueness. Though it might seem gloomy with no imminent chance of rain at the spot, it shall cause rainfall sonewhere else.

c. A gang of seemingly worshippers passed us ganged up in mini buses. From the signs we could make out that they were headed towards Ghum monastery. We were told that this is the typical practice in the hills to join together in a group prayer before the onstart of agriculture.

That was all right till the time we heard the next sentence coming in. In hills, people just do not pray for themselves but they pray for the welfare of all around. This was the primary reason of the colourful masts on the roofs of many houses.

d. A question was posed to him regarding ghosts (actually in Hindi, bhoot). The dimensions he gave to this otherwise ordinary question was unique:

1. Bhoot in Hindi also refers to past and hence they have nothing to with the present and
2. Nowadays, with the age being kal-yug, there are more ghosts of live people one has to actually bother about & deal with and hence these poor spirits do not get the attention.

e. All teas coming from Darjeeling are the same since they grow with the same sunlight, get the same air, are placed under the same temperature and they draw nutrients from the same soil. Hence the output (first leaves,  quality of buds et al) is almost similar. It is the marketing which decides the range of rates that are visible in the market.

f. Films are deceptive: theses  dialogue came when the point of Darjeeling being a film location was brought up. Basis his experience of handling (read driving from airport and local touring) actors, it came out that he saw them being mere puppets in the hands of directors and producers though onscreen we get to see them as demigods.  This revelation shook him so much that he decided not to see any movies.

g. By virtue of his job,  he gets to see and handle tourists from all across the country. Regarding tourism of Darjeeling,  he had one proud comment: I have seen people coming here but I have never seen people of Darjeeling going anywhere. Profund!

All these during the 3 hours journey from Darjeeling to Bagdogra. Have always believed that sources of learning / wisdom can be anyone and everywhere; probably today, he was destined to be the spark for me.