It's a Mistry

One of the joys of teaching in a small village in India is getting to know the people in that village. We are welcomed into homes, and people are eager to learn about us, as well as tell us a little about themselves. It is usually done over a warm cup of tea, and laughter and smiling is inevitable. I was able to enjoy one of these such encounters just after arriving in Bajipura.

We were welcomed to go to the house of Sangita Mistry, a teacher at a local college, and she wished to introduce us to her parents. She led us to a sort of alley, and it was dusk. You could hear the soft whispers of conversations, music playing, and some pots gently banging with the cleanup after dinner. She came to a small cozy house along a row of very similar houses, and she knocked on the door. We could hear her father singing inside, so it took a couple of knocks to get his attention. When he did open the door, it was a rush of excitement to welcome us into his house and make us feel at home. He pulled out a shoebox from his dresser drawer, and it contained many old photos of when he was a child. He spread them out on the bed, and one could not help to wish that pictures could talk. He did a nice job of retelling the stories- of how he had gone to Dubai as a young man to help in the construction of various building projects. He showed us his passport form the 1950s, and it contained several stamps from his travels throughout the region. We enjoyed our visit together, and as the night got late, we excused ourselves, and we began our short walk back home.

While walking home, and passing several houses similar to the Mistry house, I could not help but wonder what stories lay behind each door. I thought the name, Mistry, was appropriate, as in India, it signifies the duties of a carpenter, but in English (mystery), it signifies something that we may never know or have yet to figure out. I thought this was especially true of all the doors that we pass in our lives, and we never take the time to open them. It does not take much effort to get to know those around us, but too often we get caught up in our own lives, and we do not make the effort to reach out and connect with other people. It was a good lesson for me, and I found that it was definitely a Mistry worth exploring.