CREDIBLE FANTASIES

T. Vijayendra

Many years ago, I read a book by G. K Chesterton,

‘The Club of Queer Trades.’ In that book each story
had a character that was pursuing a trade that had
never been practiced before.
The central idea of the fantasies presented here
is, to imagine a future for my young friends with
‘Green Jobs’ that is, jobs that help in restoring ecology
and creating equity among humans. It is a very
difficult proposition under the present circumstances
and hence I refer to them as ‘fantasies’.
However, conditions are changing fast and soon
it will be possible for these fantasies to become real.
Hence, they are ‘credible’ or so I fondly imagine!
 CREDIBLE
FANTASIES

T. Vijayendra

ECOLOGISE HYDERABAD
 CREDIBLE FANTASIES
Author : T. Vijayendra
Editors : Bhashwati and Karnika Palwa
First Print : 2023
Price : Rs. 50/-
Copies : 1000
L Copy Left: All Rights Reversed

Publishers:
Ecologise Hyderabad
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +91 95916 05634

For Copies
Manchi Pustakam
12-13-439, St. No. 1
Tarnaka, Secunderabad - 500017
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +91 73822 97430

Layout and Printing

Deccan Press
Azamabad, Hyderabad - 500 020.
Phone : 27678411

2
 Preface
Today everyone is talking about environment. We
are all aware that our environment is in a very bad
shape and something has to be done about it urgently.
In the last two hundred years and more specifically
in the last fifty years, humans have over exploited
the environment and poisoned air, water and soil.
Global warming is one of the more visible results.
However water scarcity is also a huge problem
mankind is facing. Many species are endangered and
some have become extinct. Sea levels rising, forests
vanishing, ice melting, water bodies drying up and
land getting converted into deserts-all of this is
happening at various places on earth. We are facing
the very extinction of life on earth unless we take
corrective measures right away.
But what can we do? Actually we are also part of
the problem. No matter how frugal we are, we still
are consumers of products that destroy the
environment. What is worse, most of the jobs we do

3
are part of the system that is destroying our
environment.
What we need to do is to change our life including
our jobs towards green alternatives. The ultimate goal
at an individual level is not only to reduce one’s
carbon footprint, but also to earn one’s livelihood
exclusively from Green Jobs. We define Green Jobs
as those which involve in ‘Restoring Ecology through
Rebuilding Communities’ on the basis of ‘Equity and
Sustainability.’
These stories explore the possibilities of green jobs.
These stories about my young friends have been
written in the last few years. In some stories real
names and locations have been used. But readers
should keep in mind that this is fiction, no matter
how credible the situations sound.
I wish to thank all my young friends who are
‘characters’ in these stories. I am not naming them
because in some cases I have changed the names. I
also wish to thank Bhashwati and Karnika Palwa who
edited this little book and made it more readable.

Hyderabad Viju
June 30, 2023 (T. Vijayendra)

4
 Contents
Preface 3

1. Dr. Sadiq’s Bicycle Health

Check Up Camp 7

2. Priyanka Buys a Bicycle 14

3. The Vultures 22

4. Saint Salunkhe 26

5. Trupthi Teaches a Lesson 31

6. The Call Girl of Andheri 41

7. Number Two Nursery 57

8. Madhulica and Love Jihad 66

5
6
 Dr. Sadiq’s Bicycle
Health Check-Up Camp
It was April 30. The examinations were over and
summer vacations were to start the next day but that
was not the main excitement. Yajat was now in class
6 and according to school rules, he was now eligible
to commute on a cycle. After many pleas, his mother
had promised to get him a cycle once the vacation
begins.
Yajat was tired of borrowing his elder brother,
Harsh’s cycle and being refused half the time. He
was tired of the quarrels that ensued when he took it
without Harsh’s permission. Life is tough for an eleven
- year - old but happy days are here. Yippee!

7
 The whole family trooped to the cycle shop on
M. G. Road. They chose a BSA Hercules cycle. Then
there was the issue of accessories. Yajat insisted on
an old-fashioned stand, an extra strong and big carrier
on the back, a lamp and of course a bell. He had a
secret ambition of earning some extra money by
delivering newspapers in the morning.
Yajat wanted to ride home on his new cycle but
his mother put her foot down. The cycle was packed
into an auto rickshaw while Yajat and his mother sat
behind holding it firmly. His brother and uncle Mohit
came home in another rickshaw.
*****
In the apartments complex, there were several
children. Yajat’s classmate, Malini, lived on the floor
below and Rohit, another class mate, lived on the
same floor as Yajat. So, they often got together,
chatted about school, friends and a thousand other
things. Yajat’s cycle of course was a hit and all of
them came down to watch over the inaugural ride
next morning. Rohit and Malini did not know that
Yajat had learned to ride using his brother’s cycle.
They were very envious watching him ride round
the block. Yajat was ready to run any errand and he
plagued his mom asking if she needed eggs or bread
or butter. Soon he learned about every shop in the
area and learned what one can buy and where.
He also discovered Sadiq’s Cycle Hospital where
Dr. Sadiq, in all his 15 - year - old confidence, pimples

8
and an infectious smile, presided. Yajat loved to
watch him deftly looking at brake shoes, adjusting
them, hammering the chain cover in place so that it
does not clatter. He loved the special ring spanner
that was used to tighten the spokes. But best of all
was to watch the puncture repair in which the tube
was inserted in a tub of water and the air bubbles
would spot the puncture hole. After a few days of
observing Dr. Sadiq, Yajat was allowed to use the
pump for filling air, holding the tube under water
and look for the puncture. In return he got free air,
and got his cycle cleaned and oiled free of charge.
Yajat’s mom came to know about this and asked
Yajat to always carry some snacks in his tiffin box, to
share with Sadiq. The two boys became good friends.
*****
It was the school re-opening day. Morning assembly
started at 9 am but Yajat was ready by 8 am and was
rushing his mom. It was a 10-minute ride by cycle
but he was restless and left at 8:30 am and reached
school 20 minutes before time!
Rohit was dropped to school by his mother on
her scooter. She had a lot of chores to do and they
could only start at 8:55 am. They got stuck at the
traffic lights and by the time they reached school,
the assembly had already started. Rohit had to stand
facing all the children, which was the penalty for
coming late.
Something similar happened to Malini whose

9
father used to drop her in his car. He was very
punctual but he got an important call at 8:45 am. He
took the call; gestured Malini to go down, and
followed slowly while attending to the call. The call
continued even after Malini got in. It was past 9 am
by the time her father discontinued the call and took
the car out. They reached the school only by 9:20
am when children had already gone in to the class.
Malini began to cry. Her father took her to the class,
apologised to the teacher. In punishment, Malini was
made to sit on the back bench!
*****
School started in earnest with homework, tests, and
fights amongst children. One day, the teacher asked
the students to bring a drawing sheet to the class the
following day. In the evening, Yajat reached home,
changed his clothes, had his evening tiffin, and took
out Rs. 10 from his drawer. His mother always kept
some currency notes in his drawer for emergencies.
He rode on his cycle to purchase his drawing sheet.
In both Malini’s and Rohit’s home, the parents
reached home late. Both children waited till 8 pm
and then came to Yajat’s house to discuss how they
could arrange drawing sheets for the next day. Yajat
asked them to get Rs.10 to school the next day,
promising to fetch them the sheets on his cycle, during
break time.
Next day, Yajat took care that his cycle was
parked right in the front. In the 10-minute break, he

10
took the cycle out and raced out of the gate before
the gate keeper saw him. Within minutes he came
back with the two sheets. He also saved Rs. 4 in the
bargain.
*****
One evening, Soujanya came to Yajat’s house. She
told Yajat’s mother that she was organising a cycle
maintenance workshop in Yajat’s school on World
Environment Day on June 5. Soujanya had planned
to combine it with the 200th birthday of the cycle on
June 12. She was looking for a cycle mechanic near
the school. Yajat immediately told her about Dr.
Sadiq. They designed the workshop calling it Dr.
Sadiq’s Bicycle Health Check-Up Camp. Yajat, Rohit
and Malini were selected as assistants to Dr. Sadiq.
They trooped to Sadiq’s shop (sorry Hospital) and
spoke to him. Soujanya said that he will be paid Rs.
500 for the day and the assistants will be paid Rs.
200 each. Everyone was happy with the prospect of
earning. They would check a maximum of 20 cycles
and each check-up would cost Rs. 20. The check-up
would involve cleaning and oiling and an assessment
if further repairs are needed which would be done
at the Hospital.
The programme went off very well. It began with
Soujanya first telling them about the history of the
bicycle and its birth on June 12, 1817. She had
prepared beautiful slides on her presentation. She
also explained the beauties of the bicycle design and

11
its benefits in terms of fun, health, and its pollution-
free nature. She then explained the meaning of
maintenance, preventive maintenance, break-down
and repairs. She said it was a joy to ride a well-
maintained bicycle and very frustrating to ride a cycle
which went rattling. She then introduced the
mechanics and his assistants. There was loud cheer
when the children recognised the assistants in blue
overalls.
Children who had registered for the check-up
brought in their cycle one-by-one. The child and
Rohit and Malini checked it up, cleaned it, oiled it,
and sent it to Yajat. Yajat examined the brakes and
ran the cycle to either say it was alright or sent it to
Sadiq who further examined it. Quite often it was
either the brake or chain cover. Sometimes, a loose
chain was also taken care of. In a few cases, Sadiq
asked them to bring it to his shop. Yajat gave them
an estimate of expenses involved on a piece of paper.
The school principal was very happy with the
programme and declared that there would be one
period for cycle repair each day where different
classes would attend it on different days. Sadiq was
appointed a teacher for the class and was promised
100 rupees for a class of 40 minutes.
*****
After the camp, both Rohit and Malini wanted a
bicycle. They pestered their parents. Since they were
in the same building, the parents met on a Sunday

12
and decided that they would buy the bicycles. It so
happened that both Rohit and Malini had their
birthdays in the same week. So, it was agreed that
they will have a joint party and that the children will
get new bicycles. Rohit chose the same cycle as
Yajat’s except that he chose a maroon colour instead
of Yajat’s blue. Malini got a pink Lady Bird bicycle.
In the party a tall, dark, and handsome young man
walked in a light blue shirt and denims. Only when
he grinned, they realised it was Sadiq! Malini ran to
him and gave a warm hug. Sadiq was abashed. There
were loud cheers when he brought out his presents.
They were bicycle decorations – colourful brushes
for the hubs. He quickly fitted them on the new
bicycle and they looked pretty. Mohit Uncle who
ran the ‘Ecologise Bookshop’, brought copies of, ‘You
and your bicycle: a guide to maintenance’ by
Lavanya and Shamala and gifted a copy to every
child. It was a beautiful book full of photographs.
Viju Uncle also came as a special guest and he urged
the parents to buy bicycles for themselves too so
that all the three families can have a joint cycle picnic.
Every one cheered at the idea.

February 22, 2017

Chamrabad, Chandankiyari, Jharkhand

13
Priyanka Buys A Bicycle
Priyanka Jain is a nutritionist and a Marwari. This is
important to know to follow this story.
Priyanka read Viju’s World Bicycle Day
Resolution:

WORLD BICYCLE DAY

JUNE 3, 2022
RESOLUTION: TO REFURBISH AT
LEAST ONE BICYCLE
This is my personal resolution. I am making it
public so that if anyone else gets attracted to the
idea, s/he can follow it up.
1. Make friends with the local/neighbourhood
bicycle mechanic.
2. Find rates for overhauling and repainting.

14
 Depending on the size of the city the rates may
vary between Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 each for
overhauling and repainting.
3. Locate an old bicycle or a poor person whom
you know and whose bicycle needs
overhauling/refurbishing.
4. Get it done.
5. The whole project may cost you as little as Rs.
1000 or up to Rs. 2000. Recently I paid Rs.
1300 in a village in Odisha.’
Priyanka said to Viju: ‘Help me get a second-hand
bicycle.’
Viju: ‘I think Suresh at Manchi Pustakam has a
Ladies bicycle which is not in use.’
So, they went to Manchi Pustakam to ask Suresh.
Suresh said, ‘Yes, it is lying downstairs. It is in
working condition but you may want to put in air
and get it oiled and cleaned.’
Priyanka: ‘How much will it cost?’
Suresh: ‘It is free.’
Priyanka: ‘Thank you.’ (Thoughtfully) ‘Do you
have another free bicycle?’
Suresh looked a bit amazed and Viju started to
laugh.
Suresh: ‘Actually yes. There is Bhagya’s old bicycle
at home. It will need overhauling. If you want it, I
will send it across to your address.’
Priyanka: ‘How much will it cost to send?’

15
 Suresh: ‘Nothing. It is on the house.’
Priyanka: ‘But why? You will be paying actual
cash!’
Suresh: ‘I am paying fees to you for learning. I
learnt an important lesson in trade enquiry from you:
‘Always look for extra opportunities that may be
there.’
Viju again laughs.
Priyanka: (turning to Viju) ‘and why are you
laughing?’
Viju: ‘Sorry. I just remembered the old Marwari
joke. You know it of course, but I will repeat it for
Suresh’s benefit. It goes like this: A Marwari goes to
a shop in Kolkata and asks the price of a certain
item. The Bengali shopkeeper quotes, let us say
Rs. 10. The Marwari naturally asks if the shopkeeper
will sell it for Rs. 5. At this, the shopkeeper gets
irritated and offers it for free! The Marwari coolly
asks if he will give two items for free!’‘ But of course,
Priyanka must have some logic for asking for the
second bicycle.’
Priyanka: ‘Yes, it is like this! If I get one bicycle, I
spend about Rs. 1000 on its maintenance and get a
bicycle in working condition. So, it is not free.
However, if I get two, I spend Rs. 2000 and get two
bicycles in working condition. I can sell one of the
bicycles for Rs. 2000 and get one bicycle for free.
Even if I donate it to a poor person, I am donating
Rs. 2000 and still getting a bicycle free for myself!’

16
 Suresh: ‘I see.’
Priyanka: ‘By the way, the other day Viju brought
a nice diary and a few pads from you for us. Thanks.’
Then mischievously she added, ‘I asked him if there
was only one diary?’
Suresh: ‘As the Marwaris say, ‘the whole shop is
yours!’ He then added, ‘but I have only one shop!’
*****
Priyanka had heard from Viju about Dr. Sadiq’s
Cycle Hospital. She went to him to discuss about
restoring the cycles. He readily agreed. He said he
will charge reasonable rates as it will enhance his
business. Since the bicycles would have to be
repainted, each restored bicycle would cost anything
between Rs. 1000 and 1500, depending upon what
old parts are replaced with new ones. Then, he said
a bit diffidently that he would like to purchase a
paint sprayer and that it would cost around Rs. 2000
and that he wants to raise a loan for it. Priyanka
offered a no-interest loan with an EMI of Rs. 200 so
that the loan gets paid within a year. She then took
both the bicycles to his shop.
Now the problem was to find a buyer who would
buy the cycles and donate them to the needy. Viju
told her about Dhiraj Kaveri.

17
 The Bicycle Bandhu Programme of
Hyderabad
This is a programme to donate bicycles to needy
persons in the neighbourhood. The programme
was initiated in 2016 in a gated community by
Dhiraj Kaveri. He is a physiotherapist, a cyclist and
a health promoter. He is a very active bicycle
promoter and has slogans like:
#Cycling Connects
#Celebrate Cycling
#Pedal More Pollute Less
#Occupy All Streets
The Bicycle Bandhu Programme also has catchy
slogans like:
#Connect Collaborate Contribute
Promoting Active Transport in #Urban Settings…
With No Public Transport due to Covid19 Lock
Down: The Humble Bicycle has been ‘A Safer &
Cheaper Mode of Transport’.
The following ‘Question and Answer’ with
Dhiraj will enable like-minded people elsewhere
to initiate similar programmes.
Question: ‘Your Bicycle Bandhu programme is
great. How many cycles have you gifted so far and
in how many months?
I notice that you gift Roadster models to workers
and ‘fancy’ models to children. What is your
assessment of these fancy models? My gut feeling

18
 is, and I may be wrong, that they belong to the
‘use and throw’ culture that is, their life may be
only a few years whereas the roadster can last
decades.’
Dhiraj: ‘So far, we have distributed 51 bicycles
since 2018, though the program started in 2016.
The bicycles are given under various options
like donation, no-Interest EMI, second-hand and
similar.
Your observation about the type of bicycle given
is right. Adults prefer the Roadster as it is cheaper,
stronger, and durable. The younger students prefer
the Ranger models that definitely area bit costlier,
less strong with lesser durability as compared to a
Roadster.
If they are taking up cycling to their workplace,
it does not matter which type of bicycle they are
using. Plus, we also have a budget cut-off range
where we don’t gift bicycles worth Rs.7000 or
more.’

Concluding Remark
It is a humble unpretentious local programme. It is
something many of us in the cycle movement can
do and should do.

So, Viju arranged a meeting between Priyanka,

Dhiraj and Sadiq. Each had a clear responsibility-
Priyanka to get old bicycles, Sadiq to restore them

19
and Dhiraj to distribute them. Both Priyanka and
Dhiraj would raise money. Priyanka called her outfit
‘Kayakalp’ (meaning rejuvenation), since she was a
health professional and this was a common term in
Indian health practice.
The person who is gifted the bicycle, must go to
Sadiq’s shop with a letter from Dhiraj or Priyanka
and pick up the cycle. After that, Sadiq and the
bicycle recipient would individually confirm the
bicycle transaction and Rs. 2000 would be transferred
to Sadiq’s account immediately by phone. Sadiq
would pay Rs. 500 to Priyanka for every old bicycle
he gets. The Bicycle Bandhu Programme raises a
minimum of Rs. 3000 per gift. This way, everybody’s
overhead costs are covered.
Priyanka worked out a small notice about
Kayakalp which she printed and kept copies in her
office.
Kayakalp
This is a programme to restore old bicycles and
gift them to needy members of the working class.
Kindly donate your old bicycle (Ladies or Gents) if
you are not using it. Our cost of restoring is about
Rs. 2000. You can donate whatever amount you
can afford to this cause. It is an informal small
programme, so please do not expect invoice and
tax deductions. Please send the money to
Priyanka@(phone number).

20
 The programme has been working well. Sadiq has
been restoring two bicycles per week. If his stock
increases more than two, he is free to sell them as
second-hand bicycles to his own customers. He sells
them for Rs. 2500.
Sadiq also plans to set up his own assembly unit
for new bicycles. He plans to call it ‘Saathi’ and sell
the bicycles for Rs. 4000/-.

June 6, 2022

21
 The Vultures
Mala: Hi Viju! Meet Hanif Teltumbde, my partner.
Viju: Hi! What is this new business that you have
started? (Flustered) Oh! I get it! You mean he is your
lover!
M: (laughing uncontrollably) this is an
achievement! I have never seen you so flustered.
But you are right on both counts. Damn you! He is
my lover as well as my business partner.
V: So what is this business?
M: It is called ‘The Vultures’. It all started when
we saw a dog crushed by a truck in front of IIT
Hyderabad (IITH). I remembered what you had told
me about Venkat and how he would usually carry a
gunny sack to carry dead dogs to the Permaculture
Demonstration Farm at Pastapur near Zaheerabad.

22
Now, Hanif, You tell the rest.
Hanif Teltumbde: As Mala must have told you
already, we run a green initiative at IITH. So, we
negotiated with them to allot us a barren piece of
land and one gardener.
M: So this is what we do-we pick up the dead
dog, bury it in the allotted land and plant a tree.
V: And so, you call yourselves ‘The Vultures’
because the real vultures have all been killed. Great
idea!
M: Yes of course! It was you who told me about
Diclofenac, the pain killer for cattle and how it killed
the vultures who ate the carcasses of cattle injected
with Diclofenac.
V: O. K. Now Hanif, you must tell me the story
behind your curious name. I am a story teller and all
vulgar curiosities must be forgiven.
HT: Don’t worry. Almost everyone has asked me
this question. It is simple. My first name is Muslim
and the second name is Dalit. I am a follower of
Ambedkar to the extent that I will not die as a Hindu
untouchable. But I find Buddhism too tame. So, I
became a militant Dalit Muslim. Period.
V: How do you get information about dead dogs?
M: Up to 5 Km. either way from IITH gate, we
have put up notices near speed breakers, toll gates
etc.:
If you see a dead dog on the highway, call this
number. We will pick it up.

23
 When the call comes, we dispatch a volunteer on
a special bicycle. The cycle has a bag of small hand
tools-a spade, a rake and a couple of gunny sacks.
When the dog is picked up, we send a SMS to
the caller and also ask them if they would like to
give us a donation. A PAYTM number is given along
with it.
The dog is brought to a shed in our allotment
and if it is night, it is kept covered overnight. During
day time it is always buried as soon as possible. There
are always a couple of graves ready. And we have
ready plants in our nursery earmarked for each grave.
V: How do you get volunteers for these ‘dirty’
jobs?
M: Hanif has a brilliant idea. We have advertised
on hostel notice boards:
Part time jobs.
Reserved only for touchables.
Brahmins preferred.
V: (Laughing) That is really a fine touch! It was
Ambedkar who called the upper caste Hindus
‘touchables’.
V: Finally as Sucharita, our financial expert, would
ask, what is the money trail? Where does the money
come from and where does it go?
M: As Sucharita would say, handle as little money
as possible. The gardener is paid by IITH. SPCA
Hyderabad pays Rs. 200 per dog buried, to The
Vultures. Occasional donations trickle in. We handle

24
on an average 30 dogs per month. There are seven
of us - two of us and five volunteers. Everyone gets
Rs. 100 per day.
V: So a BOB a day! (BOB = Bottle of Beer)
Every one: (Raising an imaginary glass) Cheers!

September, 17, 2018

25
 Saint Salunkhe
Some call him Sant Salunkhe Maharaj and some,
especially children, call him Beej Baba. You can
recognize him easily by his appearance. He rides a
Ladies Bicycle and wears a long green dress like the
Christian priests. He wears a green skull cap over
which he carries a half earthen pot. He remains
barefoot. His bicycle has a sweet-sounding bell that
he rings as he approaches the village and listening to
which children run towards him.
He stops at the village square that has a Banyan
tree with a platform around it. Children surround
him as they watch the routine with great fascination.
His dress has a hundred pockets with buttons and
numbers. He takes out a bundle of bidis from his

26
top left pocket and a matchbox covered in plastic
from the top right pocket. He carefully lights a bidi
and sits down.
After his smoke, he removes a small broom from
a bag on his bicycle and sweeps the whole platform.
He then carefully removes his dress, keeps it on the
platform and opens his shop of seeds. Each pocket
has different seeds. Under the green cloak, he wears
cotton shorts with pockets and a vest with a front
side pocket. He transfers the bidi bundle and match
box to his shorts pocket. Then from another bag he
takes out a light iron stove. Children who have been
watching him spring into action and run to bring
twigs and small pieces of firewood. With a smile, he
lights the fire, takes off the earthen pot from his head
and puts it on the fire. Then from another bag comes
out a mixture of seeds. He puts a handful of them in
to the pot and roasts them.
From another small bag, he brings out two small
rum bottles. One is empty but with a strip of pasted
paper marking 30 ml doses. He pours 30 ml rum
into this bottle. He then brings out a bottle of water
and half fills the bottle containing his drink. He caps
the rum bottle, the water bottle carefully and they
go back into the bag. With his drink in hand, he
turns to the roasted seeds. He brings out a sheet of
newspaper, a wooden ladle and carefully takes out
seeds from the pot. Two little bottles containing salt
and pepper appear and he sprinkles from both on

27
to the seeds. He turns to the waiting children and
gives them some roasted seeds to eat. They run away
chewing happily. With a satisfied sigh, he turns to
his drink to sip and chews on a few seeds.
People start trickling in. There is a sheet of paper
which has names of seeds, their price and pocket
number in Marathi and English. People go through
the sheet to choose and pick the seeds they need
from the relevant pocket. They pay the money which
Salunkhe quietly puts away without counting. He
then proceeds to chat with them about their family,
the trees and the weather.
A little later, Deepthi approaches. She hails from
afar, ‘Namaste Salunkhe Maharaj!’ She is an
environment teacher at the school. She also helps
maintain the school garden with help of the children
and runs an eco-club.
Salunkhe asks her, ‘What is happening at the
school?’
Deepthi: ‘We have received a grant to maintain
the school garden. Now I can pay you for all the
seeds you gave us for free all these months. Please
give me a bill/receipt for thousand rupees and here
is the money for you.’
Salunkhe brings out a receipt book and one Xerox
copy of his catalogue. He writes a receipt for seeds
supplied as per enclosed sheet. He hands over the
receipt, a copy of the catalogue and tells her: ‘You
can mark what you have taken in the catalogue so

28
that it totals up to Rs. 1000/- and then attach it to my
receipt. That will do.’ He then asks for more news
from the school.
Deepthi: ‘Next week I am going to teach about
the Ficus group of trees – the Peepal and this Banyan
tree. I am very excited about it. They are so
fascinating.’
Salunkhe: ‘You know I can’t supply seeds for it.’
Deepthi: ‘Yes I know. They must be processed
through the stomach of the birds! There are so many
fascinating things about these trees, both botanically
and socially.’
The Panchayat Pradhan comes by. He says, ‘I am
so glad you are here. You must come again on August
15 to our village. We are honoring social workers.
Shree Kumar from Sangatya, Karkala and Usha from
Samaagama Thota, Shrirampura, Chikballapur are
also coming. You must come early in the morning!’
Deepthi: ‘After the village function, you must come
to our school and spend time with our children. They
are so fond of you. And do bring lots of seeds to
roast! We will have a big fire going!’
Then the school master appears. He says, ‘I am
so glad that you are here. I am dying of thirst. Let us
start the fire again and roast some more seeds and
here is a bottle of rum.’ And he takes out his bottle
with a flourish.
Salunkhe asks the Panchayat Pradhan and
Deepthi, ‘Will you join us?’

29
 Deepthi shyly brings out a bottle and says,
‘Actually I have brought a bottle of Mahua for you.’
Panchayat Pradhan: ‘Start the fire and I will get
some chicken Kebabs from home in 5 minutes.’
As the evening sets in and it starts getting darker,
a couple of more villagers join with fish fry and
Toddy.
So, the campfire goes on and old friends make
merry!

July 24, 2022

30
 Trupthi Teaches
A Lesson
Navin walked into this curious Dhaba (an inexpensive
roadside eatery), the board above which said, D. M.
Dhaba – Diabetes Mellitus Dhaba, Proprietor: Nora
D. W. The interiors were very ethnic looking; old
dark wooden tables and benches. On the right, there
was the usual payment counter and at the end of the
seating space there was the serving counter. An
attractive dark woman was serving the customers.
Towards the left centre, there was a table with a bench
against the wall. An old man was sitting on it, quietly
sipping toddy from a glass. There was an odd-looking
kettle on the table.
Navin went to the old man’s table and asked if he
could join him. The old man nodded. Then he spoke:
‘I believe you are a civil engineer from Dharwad

31
and have come to spend time at the local pottery
centre. (Louder) Trupthi, bring a glass for Navin
here.’
Trupthi came with a glass and said: ‘Hi! How are
you Viju?’ (Turning to Navin), ‘there is fresh Toddy
in the kettle. Anything else you would like?’
Viju: ‘Well! Bring us a plate of fried botai (small
fish.)’
Navin: ‘Thank you, Trupthi.’ (Turning to Viju),
‘News travels fast in a small town like Bilgram. Yes
to all of your comments! This kettle on the table
looks a bit unusual. What is special about it?’
Viju: ‘This is special because the cover does not
fall when you pour. It was invented by Nora’s father
at the pottery centre. In fact all the crockery – plates,
glasses, jugs, kettles being used here are from Nora’s
family collection and creations of her father.’
N: ‘Wow! Is there a patent? I would like to make
this kettle.’
Viju: ‘Let us ask Nora. (Louder), Nora! Can you
come here a bit?’
Nora: (after joining them), ‘Tell me.’
Viju: ‘This is Navin, at the pottery centre. He wants
to know if there is a patent on this kettle and he
wants to try making it.’
Nora: ‘I would not like to discourage you, but
you are learning pottery and do not have a family
background in pottery. It will take some time to get
the skill to attempt such a difficult thing. It will be

32
very frustrating if you try now. Spend about a year
starting with small lamps, glasses and plates!’
Navin: ‘Thanks. Another thing, I am curious about
the history of this Dhaba and its name.’
Nora: ‘Ask Viju here. He knows all about it and
about many more things. Sorry, I must return to the
counter. Bye!’
Navin (Turning to Viju): ‘So, tell me.’
A hot plate of fish arrived. Viju took a bite and
pushed the plate towards Navin, took a sip of the
Toddy, cleared his throat, and said:
‘This Dhaba is the brain-child of Nora after she
was detected with diabetes at 50. The menu includes
fried fish, fish curry with greens, tubers like yam/
potato/sweet potato and some wild fruits – mainly
seasonal and toddy. A diet fit for a Diabetes patient,
but also good for everyone else. There is a saying
that a Diabetes diet is nutritious and can appeal to
all palates.
Many customers do not understand Diabetes
Mellitus. So, they call it Daru Machhali Dhaba! And
what does D. W. In Nora D. W. mean? It is supposed
to mean Diploma in Wellness, (laughing) but our
wise people interpret it as Nora Daru Wali!’
Navin: (laughed heartily), ‘That is great!’
Viju took another bite and had another sip.
Navin asked: ‘What is Nora’s background that
enabled her to visualise such a fantastically great
idea?’

33
 Viju: ‘Nora was born in Bilgram, a walking distance
from the Bilgram Reserve Forest and the
Chinnaprabha River. Her mother was a biology
teacher at school and she did not mind Nora and
her dog going out to the forest or the river.
After school, Nora would fling her bags and
wander off to the forest with her dog Wolfie. She
and Wolfie would explore every corner of the
Bilgram Reserve Forest. They made friends with
forest people, toddy tappers, fishermen and farmers.
Everyone loved the pair and they often got to eat
choice bits of fried fish.
Nora finished school and a graduate degree in
biological sciences in Bilgram. She then went to Pune
for a M.Sc. in Zoology. She did not like the big city
and refused a fellowship for a Ph. D. Programme.
Back in Bilgram, she did various jobs – taught in a
school, became an important environmental activist,
very knowledgeable about the Western Ghats. She
was an honorary warden for the Bilgram Reserve
Forest, did a research project on wolves and so on
and on. One loses count.’
Navin: ‘When and how did the Dhaba come up?’
Viju: ‘After she got diabetes, she went through
the usual DABDA routine - Denial, Anger,
Bargaining, Depression and finally Acceptance. She
was in touch with me throughout and I helped her
through the course of medication and a life of physical
fitness. I sent her back to the forest to revive her

34
childhood and adult contacts with forest and nature.
Then, I sent her to Udupi to learn to climb coconut
trees and got her to bring a climbing harness. In that
climbing course, she met Trupthi. After coming back,
she learnt to climb local toddy trees and bring the
toddy pot down. Her childhood friends were
enormously pleased and then they began to have
regular breakfast meetings over fish, overnight
fermented rice, and toddy. Her health improved and
she forgot the misery of the days when she was first
detected with the disease. Then I sent her to Pune to
Holistic Health Education Centre to learn about the
Diabetic Diet. There she got the Diploma in Wellness
(D. W.) and came back with the idea of this Dhaba.
That is all!’
Navin: ‘Wow! What a great story! I must go now
but I will come again and catch up more on this.
May I take the bill?’
Viju: ‘(Loudly), Trupthi, Navin wants to pay.
(Turning to Navin), Ok then. See you again. Bye!’
Trupthi came and said: ‘Our system is you eat
what you want and pay what you can afford. You
can make the payment to Nora at the counter.’
So, Navin went to the counter. Nora was busy
reading a book, ‘H is for Hawk’ by Helen Macdonald.
She noticed Navin and pointed to the till indicating
that he put the money there and went back to the
book.
*****

35
A few days after, Navin came back and joined Viju.
Trupthi brought a glass and asked what else they
want. Viju asked for potato chips fried in coconut
oil and fish fry. Navin asked for the same.
Viju: ‘So, how is it going at the pottery centre?’
Navin: ‘Nora’s father is held in great respect and
they asked me to convey their love to Nora. I am
just getting around to learning the basics and
gathering legends of pottery.’
Viju: ‘Good. Don’t be in a hurry! The clay has to
soak into your being!’
Navin: ‘Thanks. Now how does this place run? I
was pleasantly surprised and a little shocked at the
‘pay as you can’ policy. How does it tick?’
Viju: ’There is no easy formula. It has to do with
Nora’s history, her wide circle of contacts among
the local fishermen, toddy tappers and forest people,
her environment consciousness, its ethics and so on.
It also grew organically step by step. Trupthi joining
here was the crucial last step.’
Navin: ‘So, what is special about Trupthi?’
Viju helped himself to some chips and had a long
draught of toddy. He pushed the plate towards Navin.
Viju: ‘Everything! Trupthi is from a fisherman’s
family in Udupi. She learned to swim before she
could talk properly. She knows a lot about fish –
breeds, catching, cleaning, dressing them, cooking,
pickling, and drying. Her father is an auto rickshaw
driver and an auto mechanic. Trupthi is a cyclist –

36
can easily do 50 kms in a day and has been to the
neighbouring towns and villages on her cycle. She is
also a good cycle mechanic. All this she achieved
before she finished school.
Navin: ‘Wow!’
Viju: ‘There is a lot more! She got a degree in
Naturopathy and so she is Doctor Trupthi though
she does not use the term. She practised in Bangalore
and then moved on to teach in a school because she
loved interacting with children. She spent several
months on organic farms in between and she has a
fair sense of permaculture.’
Navin: ‘She seems to be a superwoman!’
Viju: ‘You can say so. When Nora met Trupthi at
the tree climbing course, they clicked and later Nora
called Trupthi to join her.’
Navin: ‘Ok. I will come again for the next
instalment of the story. Bye!’
Navin went to the counter, paid Nora, and turned
around to flash a big smile and say bye to everyone
at the Dhaba.
*****
Navin turned up again and as usual went to Viju’s
table. After ordering food, Navin turned to Viju and
asked him: ‘Now tell me what Trupthi does apart
from what I see.’
Viju: ‘What you see is an insignificant part of her
work. You see the Dhaba has one fourth of an acre
of land at the back. On the land, there is a small

37
construction – a room upstairs and a hall on the
ground floor. Trupthi stays upstairs and the hall below
is for people who need to take a break or rest awhile
like they do on the cots in normal Dhabas. Here, it
is often a pit stop for the cyclists. Trupthi also takes
yoga classes there.’
Navin: ‘What happens on rest of the land?’
Viju: ‘That is Trupthi’s main work. It is an organic
farm to grow vegetables for the Dhaba. There are
also a few toddy palm trees and a small pond for
fish and ducks. And of course, there is a compost
pile for all the waste produced in the Dhaba including
dust.’
Navin: ‘What else?’
Viju: ‘In the mornings, she goes to the
Chinnaprabha River for a swim and to catch some
fish. Then, she does some online work in Naturopathy
consultations and she takes some Yoga classes for
children.’
Navin: ‘That sounds quite a handful.’
*****
A few days later, Navin turned up again. There was
a cheerful jaunty look on his face. He saw Trupthi
and called out: ‘Hi! Trupthi! (He went near her) I
have been hearing quite a bit about you. You are
quite accomplished. I must make friends with you.
Give me a hug.’
He moved forward and tried to put his arms
around her shoulder.

38
 Trupthi: (slips out under his arm and backs out)
‘No, thank you!’
Navin: (still very cheerful) ‘Come on. Be a sport.’
(And he moved forward again)
Trupthi backed out a little and closed her hands
in ‘Namaste’ mode. Suddenly there was a change of
atmosphere in the Dhaba. There was a palpable
silence. Nora sat up and Viju stiffened. As Navin’s
hands moved forward, Trupthi moved like lightening
and Navin was flat on the floor. Trupthi signalled to
Nora that she was taking off and Nora nodded.
Trupthi vanished into the back of the Dhaba.
Viju and Nora helped Navin to his feet and made
him sit at Viju’s table. Viju poured out a glass of
Toddy.
Navin: ‘What happened?’
Viju: ‘You have been given a short lesson!’
Navin: ‘But what did I do?’
Viju: ‘The first question is who are you? I will tell
you. You are an upper class, upper caste, man,
qualified as an engineer, speak English fluently and
have money of your own. That gives you the
confidence that you can do what you like. For
instance, you can afford to have a hobby to learn
pottery and live in Bilgram with your own money. It
was that confidence that allowed you to approach
Trupthi without hesitation and you have been taught
a lesson.’
Navin: ‘What should I do now?’

39
 Nora: ‘Nothing! The chapter is over. Hope you
have learned your lesson and next time you will have
some humility.’
Viju: ‘Go home. It will take time. I have been like
you almost all my life and have never fully learned!
Fortunately, women in my time did not know Judo
and I was not so publicly humiliated. Go now!’
*****
Navin went back to Dharwad. His parents were very
happy to have him back. They had already chosen
a girl for him and they married him off to a young
doctor. His father is a well-known doctor in Dharwad
and everything went smooth. They live in a two-
storied house. Parents live downstairs and Navin and
his wife live upstairs.
Navin works in an alternative school teaching
maths. The school also has a potter’s wheel and Navin
spends some time at it with the kids.

October 10, 2022

40
The Call Girl of Andheri
There was a gathering of seven naturalists at the
Conservation Education Centre (CEC) of BNHS
(Bombay Natural History Society) amidst lush green
cover at Goregaon, abutting the biodiverse forests
of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. All seven were
dressed in field clothes, that is, dull coloured clothes
of khaki or light ash colours. These were no ordinary
naturalists. All of them were experts in some fields
like birds, insects or butterflies or elephants or reptiles
and so on. Many of them were senior officials of
BNHS and some were bright young scientists. They
all came to meet a slip of a girl known as 'The Call
Girl of Andheri.' Why have these naturalists come
to meet a call girl? How come? Read on.
The girl in question is Madhulica, a post graduate

41
in English literature from the English and Foreign
Language University, Hyderabad. She is 22 and an
expert in bird calls. Hence, she got this sobriquet.
Madhulica said, 'You are all senior professionals
and you need no introduction to the subject. So, let
us go straight to the forest. We shall remain silent.
Only I will talk when necessary.'
`We will go to three spots one after another. At
each spot we will sit down quietly and listen. I will
identify a bird call, reproduce it, and give the bird's
name. You can take notes. After that, I will point the
direction where the bird can be spotted. I hardly
need to tell you that you must use the binoculars
sparingly, raise it very slowly and all that.'
'I will give the direction in terms of a clock and
the height in feet. My location is to be considered 6
o'clock and right opposite me will be zero or 12
o'clock. If the position of the bird is behind me, I
will refer to it as minus hours.'
'As you know the National Park has 275 species
of birds. Birds do not know borders and many of
them are in the CEC campus. One should be able
to spot some 50-80 species in one visit. Let us see.'
*****
In the next two hours the group identified some 70
birds. Names like Hornbills, Bulbul, Sunbird, Jungle
Owlets, Peacock, Woodpeckers, Golden orioles,
Racket-Tailed Drongo, Minivets, and Magpies were
spoken in hushed tones. Some migratory birds like

42
Swifts, Gulls, Egrets, Kingfishers, Paradise Flycatchers
and Herons were also mentioned. This was followed
by 2 o' clock 20 feet, 7 o'clock 33 feet etc. spoken in
hushed whispers. Then they all came back and
assembled in the hall. Tea and breakfast were served.
Then Madhulica asked, 'How many mistakes did
I make? Give me some feedback.'
One of the seniors spoke first. He said, 'First, I
must congratulate you. I had heard about you but
did not expect this level of expert performance from
a self-taught person. Yes, science and natural history
is full of such remarkable persons but it is also rare.'
Others also spoke. All of them praised her. Some
pointed out a few mistakes. The number of mistakes
ranged from 3 to 7, but they all said her performance
was remarkable and were curious to learn about how
she learnt. She said it was part natural aptitude and
mainly the app* she got on her phone. Of course,
now she rarely needs to use the app.
The next question to her was, 'How did you learn
to spot the direction?'
Madhulica grinned and asked back, 'You are the
experts. You tell me.'
One young scientist asked, 'Are you a night birder
also?'
The grin on Madhulica's face widened and she
said encouragingly, 'Yes. Go on.'

*The app is called 'BirdNet'.

43
 Scientist: 'There is nothing much to go on. You
have learnt it from the Owls.'
Madhulica: 'But how do the Owls do it?'
Scientist: 'Why don't you go first? I will add.'
Madhulica: 'Ok. The Owls hunt by night and
although they have good night vision, they also
depend on hearing. An Owl can hear a mouse
moving in the grass 30 feet below. Now, for a 3-point
direction finding, the two receptors must be big and
spread a little widely. The Owls have large ears but
their heads are small and their ears are too close.
For this, it seems that nature has spaced them a little
asymmetrically. One ear is at a slightly higher level.
This increases the distance between them. This is all
I know.'
Scientist: 'Well, you seem to have got the essentials.
More than this will be a bit technical. I will send you
some papers and can lend you a book on Owls. If
you come to the Hornbill House, the BNHS office,
we can spend some time together discussing it. Here
is my card. Well done!'
Then the senior person spoke: 'I would like you
to become a Life Member of BNHS. I know the fee
is a bit high for you. So, why don't you take a few
classes at CEC and we will arrange some fees so that
you can afford the membership? Over time, we will
work out a proper engagement between you and
BNHS. Thank you for coming here and giving us
this wonderful demonstration on identifying bird

44
calls.'
Madhulica: 'Thank you!'
*****

Madhulica Walks The Park

Madhulica was quite pleased with her performance
with the BNHS team where she gave a demonstration
of her ability to identify birds with their calls alone.
Her score of 63 out of 70 was quite satisfactory
although out of the seven, the two she missed were
great mimics of the bird world. However, there are
275 species of birds in Sanjay Gandhi National Park
(SGNP) and she felt she had to learn a lot more.
While parting, the BNHS team told her about the
coming Bird Count at SGNP on May 29 and asked
her to apply for volunteering. She told them that she
has no binoculars. They laughed and said that she
did not need one and that she can always borrow it
for a day from a friend.
*****
Viju had told her that Deepthi Amin recently bought
good binoculars at a reasonable price. She wrote to
Deepthi and Deepthi promptly replied:

Dear Madhulica,
The details of the binoculars that I use are:
Krevia Binocular for Long Distance | Telescopic
Durbin for Bird Watching Trekking Sports | Range
- 1000 Mts | Zoom-8x40 | Adjustable Lens For

45
 Clear Vision | Storage Bag with lens Cover |
Hanging Neck Strip (Black) I Rs. 1849/-
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B078MPTF2F/
ref=cm_sw_r_em_apan_i_38MKR4WZP4QS
H92TCC9X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

So Madhulica immediately ordered it.

Then she decided to find out a little about bird
surveys in forests. A Google search gave her this
link:
How to Conduct Bird Surveys in Forests:
https://birdcount.in/forest-bird-surveys/
Although she did not understand much, she
achieved a nodding acquaintance with the subject.
While filling the form for the survey, one had to
give one's preference of the meeting point out of the
five offered choices. She gave the following:
Haathi Gate, Waghoba Temple, Film City,
Goregaon East.
She hoped it meant CEC (Conservation Education
Centre of BNHS inside SGNP area), an area she
was already familiar with. Building on your existing
experience was the motto she believed in.
*****
Well, the D - Day arrived and she was very excited.
She got her preferred 'Transect' of the CEC area
and her bird expert was Gaitonde - person in-charge
of CEC. They had met before and they got on well
together. The Forest Officer, Mr. Gharpode, was also

46
very nice. Madhulica decided not to show off and
speak out only when asked even if she recognized
the bird immediately by the call.
It went off very well as Gaitonde was experienced
and had taken part in earlier surveys. For Madhulica,
it was a big new experience and she began to get
excited about a career in nature studies in general
and birding, in particular. Well, she already had a
part time job with CEC. She decided to do some
courses at BNHS starting with birding. She felt quite
comfortable working with Gaitonde.
*****
Madhulica began to go to CEC every Sunday
morning at 7 a. m. Gaitonde also had half day work
on Sundays. Monday was his off day of the week.
One day, she saw Gaitonde nursing a baby bird. He
told her it was a Baby Pariah Kite (Milvus migrans),
Known as Cheel in Hindi. It is thought to be the
world's most abundant species of Accipitridae (birds
of prey). The baby had fallen from its nest. He told
her that no bird can lift its baby and so the fate of
babies in such cases is that they are eaten by dogs or
cats.
He was trying to feed the baby with some crushed
insects and cooing some endearing words.
Madhulica, quite unconsciously, began to give the
Cheel call. Suddenly the baby perked up. Gaitonde
laughed. He said now you have become its mother.
He told her about Konrad Lorenz and his book 'King

47
Solomon's Ring.' Konrad Lorenz was a Nobel
Laureate and sort of father of ethology (study of
animal behaviour). The legend is that when King
Solomon wore his ring, he could understand animal
languages. Well, Konrad Lorentz understood many
animal languages and could communicate with them.
He is also responsible for the term 'imprinting'.
Famously described by him in the 1930s, imprinting
occurs when an animal forms an attachment to the
first thing it sees upon hatching. Madhulica found
that Gaitonde was a good teacher. He taught many
complex things casually and effortlessly.
So, Madhulica began to feed the baby. Soon the
baby went to sleep in her arms. Gaitode told her
that the kite is an Accipiter, a bird of prey and so its
beak and feet are meant to tear flesh and are quite
dangerous. People who tackle these birds, particularly
hawks, have special equipment - leather arm bands,
leather gloves, hoods for the head of the bird etc.
Then suddenly he turned around and said, 'You are
an English literature student, aren't you? Then you
must read H is for Hawk, a 2014 memoir by the
British author Helen Macdonald. Then and there,
Madhulica decided that she was going to study the
Accipitridae especially.
Madhulica ended up adopting this baby kite. She
brought it home to Jose's flat because it was relatively
empty and there was more freedom. She bought all
the equipment necessary one by one and came to

48
know many birders who specialised in Accipitridae.
This is quite a special group as they go out of town,
to nearby hills where these birds nest. One is required
to recognise the birds by the shape of their wings
and tails/silhouette as they fly far above in the sky.
*****
On Sundays, after her class with the children at CEC,
Madhulica would often explore other parts of SGNP.
The CEC is situated on 33 acres of forest land of the
BNHS Nature Reserve. This land was leased by the
Government of Maharashtra to BNHS in 1983 during
its centenary celebrations. The CEC was established
in 1993. The BNHS Nature Reserve lies between
the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Film City.
Lot of people would come on Sundays to the park.
It is a huge park - 87 km² of protected area in
Mumbai. It was established in 1969 with headquarters
in Borivali. The 2400 - year - old Kanheri caves
sculpted by monks out of the rocky cliffs lie within
the park. Many families come here for a picnic.
Tourists come to visit the caves. Small video
companies make films here after obtaining special
permission. But overall, it is clean and quiet.
No one usually disturbed Madhulica as she walked
around listening to the bird calls. However, one day
two young men accosted her. They were wearing
jeans, colourful shirts and sported modern haircuts.
One of them said, 'Hi! Darling, all alone?' The other
one said, 'Come with us. 'Madhulica said, 'Go away,

49
I am busy. 'The men persisted and followed her.
Madhulica put her hands around her mouth and
gave a shrill Cheel call. The men were surprised
and suddenly her own Cheel careened down in an
arc, came down and sat on her shoulder. The sight
unnerved the men and they backed away hastily.
After a few minutes, a woman and a man
approached Madhulica. The woman said, 'Sorry to
disturb you madam! I am Sharada and he is Praveen.
We belong to a small video company. We saw the
bird coming down and sitting on your shoulder. We
also accidentally filmed it. Of course, we will not use
it without consulting you and if you wish, we can
erase it right away. However, we would, with your
permission, like to keep it and may want to contact
you later. Here is our card and if you can kindly
give your phone number, we will be grateful. We
assure you we will not misuse it.'
Madhulica chatted with them for some time and
after feeling a bit reassured gave them her phone
number.

Madhulica Walks Down the Ramp

It was 10:30 in the morning. Madhulica's mother was
having her coffee and reading the newspaper.
Madhulica cautiously sat down opposite her.
Mother (without taking her eyes off the
newspaper): 'What is it?'
Madhulica: 'Mom, I must tell you what happened

50
in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park yesterday. Two
youths tried to harass me. I made a Cheel call and
suddenly my Cheel careened down and sat on my
shoulder. The youths of course backed away but a
pair of young people approached. They were a video
unit and they filmed the entire episode. They were
apologetic about it and ready to wipe it out if I wanted
but requested me to allow them to keep it. They
also said they would like to contact me and took my
number.'
Madhulica's phone rang. She picked up, listened,
spoke and said 'just a minute' on the phone. Turning
to her mother she said, 'it is the video couple and
they want to come and talk about a contract for
advertisement for a denim dress company and a shoe
company'. Her mother said, 'Tell them that your
mother is your business agent and ask them to come
at 6:30 in the evening' and she turned back to her
newspaper.
*****
In the evening, Sharada and Praveen turned up.
Madhulica's mother welcomed them and offered
refreshments - beer or wine or tea or coffee. She
added, 'I am going to have beer, Madhulica may
have a glass of wine and so you can choose.' After
some hesitation they chose beer. Madhulica's mother
beamed, 'That will break the ice fast!' Everyone
laughed and after cheering and emptying half a glass,
Madhulica's mother asked Sharada and Praveen to

51
tell a bit about themselves.
Sharada: 'We, both of us, have graduated from
Satyajit Ray Institute of Film and Television, Kolkata
two years ago. We are Bengalis; I am Sharada
Dasgupta and he is Praveen Mukherjee, but we are
not from Bengal. Praveen grew up in Bhagalpur and
I grew up in Ranchi. So, while we know Bengali, our
first language actually is Hindi. In the film industry,
the money is in Bombay and for newcomers it is ad
films.'
Madhulica's mother (MM): 'Ok! I am a CA and a
banker. My husband is also a CA and works in film
finance. Madhulica here has a postgraduate degree
in English literature from EFLU Hyderabad and is
working with the food industry on a sort of
copywriting job. So, we have some notion of your
business. What is your proposal?'
Praveen: 'We were excited about the kite landing
on Madhulica's shoulder and we thought that it has
good potential for ad films/campaigns for the denim
clothes industry and sport shoe industry. Sort of
'tough girls need tough clothes and shoes.' On the
screen, she comes across such an incredibly tough
woman. A bird of prey is somehow more frightening
than large mammals like tigers. Because the latter
live in far off places but this bird can come right up
to your window!'
Sharada: 'So we approached 'Ruff and Tuff' denim
clothes company and 'Hike' shoes and showed them

52
the video. They were also excited and wanted
proposals for pictures for print media ads, short
videos for TV and appearance on a show - a ramp
walk with their clothes and shoes and the kite on the
shoulder.'
Madhulica: 'A ramp walk with the bird in front of
people, noise and lights is risky, even if I use a hood
for the bird's head. The bird may get excited and fly
and then there will be chaos.'
MM: 'It may also be illegal under some act of
using wild animals for exhibition. What you may do
is to make a film of ramp walk in studio conditions -
like the hall is closed, no sounds, fixed camera and
just Madhulica walking down the ramp with no one
present. Or the shoot can take place in a lonely
location. The sounds can be added to the film later.
Just show the film and let Madhulica walk down the
ramp without the bird or with a stuffed bird!
Madhulica: You can take the stills in Sanjay
Gandhi National Park. It is a huge park and it can
be quite empty on weekdays. I think you can find
every kind of location in it. I can travel with Cheel
using the hood. Cheel is also comfortable there.
Praveen: Ok, we got an idea and we will work on
it. Now how do we go about fees, dates etc.?'
MM: I suggest you work on the proposal and make
a draft budget and then meet my husband. As I told
you, he works in film finance. He will guide you
about the budget and fees. We will not haggle or

53
negotiate - just work professionally on every aspect.
We will account everything properly - travel,
accessories, rentals, and all that, and work only with
90% advance payment based on the budget, otherwise
you will not be able to chase them for payment. And
hand over final copies only when the rest of the
payment comes.'
'Before you go and if you like, you may visit Cheel
and take some stills. Madhulica will take you there.
Bye!'
*****
Next week, Sharada and Praveen came several times
and were closeted with Madhulica's father. When
Madhulica asked them how it was coming along,
they said her father was really good, but they gave
her no other clue. So, Madhulica decided to
concentrate on her role. She decided to practice ramp
walk. She looked up on the net and found:
Five different walks by a ramp walk trainer Alesia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fhQ5WY-Pc
After studying all 5 walks - Attitude, Sexy, Happy,
Flirty and Indian, she chose 'Happy', as it seemed to
suit her personality. She walked in her apartment
and later on the ground beneath her apartment.
*****
Two weeks later, Sharada phoned Madhulica. She
said, 'we have transferred Rs. 90,000/- to your account.
We worked it out with your father and you can check
it out. On Sunday morning, after your session with

54
the CEC, we will have photo sessions with you at
various locations in SGNP. Bring your Cheel! Hope
it is all right.' After Madhulica agreed, Sharada added,
'I will pick you up tomorrow evening at 6:30 to get
your dresses and shoes'.
Next Sunday, they spent 3 hours in the car all
over SGNP. They had selected sites beforehand.
They took many stills and shot some videos, including
her calling Cheel and Cheel careening down on her
shoulder in an arc. The call, a shrill whinnying call,
was very effective and both Praveen and Sharada
said it will fix the deal!
*****
For the actual ramp, they got a stuffed kite from
BNHS Museum. A Museum employee came with it
in a box and a shoulder strap, to which the kite was
attached. On wearing it, the kite sat comfortably on
Madhulica's shoulder.
The show was jointly organized by 'Ruff and Tuff'
denims and 'Hike' shoes. The organizers explained
to the audience that it is dangerous and illegal to put
up a real kite on the show but they had a huge screen
on which the stills and video were repeatedly shown.
They carried pictures of Madhulica at various spots;
videos of the shrill whinnying call that Madhulica
made; the kite careening down in an arc on her
shoulder and Madhulica walking away and towards
the camera in a natural fashion in the forest. The
ramp walk was also casual, just like in the videos

55
with Madhulica talking with fellow trekkers dressed
in denims and shoes. The show was a huge success
and was covered in newspapers in their tabloid
supplements and fashion magazines.
*****
Over dinner next evening, Madhulica's father
informed that the contract was signed by his company
and he has Rs. 19, 10, 000/- in his bank for Madhulica.
Madhulica and her mother should work out about
what to do with the money. He also ordered a Biryani,
a bottle of wine and some beer for dinner.
*****

May 29, 2022

56
 Number Two Nursery
What is a Number Two Nursery? It is a nursery for
plants created from the seeds obtained from the shit/
excreta of birds and animals.
It all began when Deepthi was visiting the Bewda
Hill, which is a hill top hidden by green trees and
shrubs. In the late evenings/nights, the local drinkers
use it. They leave tell-tale signatures - empty bottles,
packets of junk food and fish bones. Deepthi
discovered the hill by chance and found it a good
place for birding. She also thought that she could
use the empty glass bottles for her seed library.
Deepthi had recently seen the Kannada film,
Kanthara, and was wondering if wild boars visited
this place. She immediately admonished herself, ‘You
want to be a naturalist. Look for the signature signs

57
of boars.’ She immediately found signs of boar
excreta. Continuing to want to be a naturalist, she
took a piece of small stick and unraveled the shit.
And Lo! Behold! There were seeds. She found
Triphala ( Terminalia chebula) - used in Indian
medicine, something she had been looking for, for a
decade. She took out old used milk packets that she
used to store samples, and a small hand trowel from
her bag. She carefully transferred the seed and some
dried shit into her sample packet. Then she wrote
time, date, place, name of the animal and name of
the seed on a piece of paper.
She also took a picture on her phone and sent it
to Viju and Madhulica. Madhulica and Deepthi are
doing an online course in Ornithology. The former
works for an organization in Mumbai that promotes
safe sanitation and she has been reading Jenkin’s
‘Humanure.’ So, her mind is full of shit!
Most people, who are even a little bit interested
in plants, know that some seeds need to be processed
before they are planted. Sometimes it is just about
putting them in water, sometimes in hot water and
sometimes some stronger chemicals are needed to
soften the hard outer shell of a seed for it to sprout.
In nature, such ‘hard nuts’ are cracked inside an
animal’s stomach which contains acid. It is well-
known that in nature, all Ficus trees, such as Banyan
and Peepal, germinate from seeds processed inside
a bird’s stomach.

58
 Madhulica quickly did a Google search and found
this:
Q. How can plant seeds - tomatoes, for example
- survive the digestive processes of birds and other
animals and thus are spread through their
droppings?
A. “Many seeds, including tomatoes, have an
impermeable outer layer that protects the seed and
allows the delicate embryo to survive the trip
through an animal’s digestive system,” said Kerry
Barringer, curator of the herbarium at the Brooklyn
Botanic Garden. “After eating a fruit, the animal
carries the seeds away from the parent plant,
helping that plant to spread,” Dr. Barringer said.
The animal then defecates, leaving the seeds in a
rich, moist medium that nourishes the growing
seedling. Another factor protecting tomato seeds,
he said, is that most will not germinate in the dark,
remaining dormant while inside an animal, so
“tomato seeds will not grow inside you, but they
germinate within a few days once they emerge into
the light.” Some seeds will not germinate at all
unless they pass through an animal, said Dr.
Barringer, an expert on local plant species. “The
hard seeds of our native raspberries and
blackberries need to be abraded (scraped) in a
bird’s gizzard or eroded by digestive acids before
water and air can enter the seed and germination
can begin,” he said. To grow these plants from seed,

59
 gardeners may soak the seeds in sulfuric acid or
scrape them with a file or sandpaper.
C. CLAIBORNE RAY (New York Times)
Dec. 26, 2011

Madhulica sent this information to Deepthi.

Deepthi decided to start a nursery exclusively from
seeds obtained from animal shit. This is how, the
Number Two Nursery; Prop: Deepthi Amin and
Madhulica Kallat, was born.
Now Deepthi’s forest walks acquired another
dimension. Previously she mainly looked above for
birds and around for other living things. She also
began to look at the ground – looking for dried ‘scat’
or shit.
Madhulica, who is confined to the big bad city,
began to do research on Indian plants that often get
planted in nature through their seeds passing through
bird or animal stomachs. But she found a bit more
about how the seed in such situation gets planted.

‘Animals provide seeds with the legs or wings they

need to survive, Rogers says. Plants’ future progeny
travel inside mouths, beaks and stomachs;
hitchhike on legs and fur; and are carried off,
dropped, regurgitated or excreted some distance
away from the parent plant. In new territory, there
are better odds that the seeds won’t sprout in big,
competitive clumps, be deprived of light, infected

60
 by pathogens or eaten by seed predators.’ These
natural systems are well designed: Digestion, for
example, offers power - washing services, with
acids stripping away pulp and neutralizing
compounds that attract fungus and pathogens, a
process that may improve germination. Animals
then defecate seeds, depositing them within their
own dung fertilizer packet.
As animal seed dispersers go the way of the
dodo, forest plants are at risk
by Sharon Guynup
on 28 April 2022
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/as-animal-
seed-dispersers-go-the-way-of-the-dodo-forest-
plants-are-at-risk/

Madhulica sent this too to Deepthi. Deepthi began

to plan her nursery seriously. Meanwhile kids, who
are never far away from Deepthi, began to ask her
why she is doing all this ‘chhi, chhi’ business. She
patiently explained the whole plant - animal
relationship. Soon, some of them were excited and
began to observe scats in the jungle. Slowly, Deepthi’s
‘scats with seeds’ collection began to increase and
she began to start planting them in nursery bags.
When the first seed sprouted, there was such
celebration!
Deepthi told all this to Viju on the phone. Viju
told her that some archeologists have found seeds in

61
scats thousands of years old and in some cases,
botanists managed to germinate them after thousands
of years. Deepthi was amazed and immediately
decided that she will look for them in archeological
sites in Karnataka.
Meanwhile Madhulica prepared a list of Indian
plant seeds that are germinated after going through
the stomach of animals.

Number Two Nursery Part II

Deepthi taught environment at the local school. It
was a part - time job and she had a lot of time to
interact with children and villagers outside of school
hours. She would wander around in the forest a lot
of times, watching birds, animals and their dried ‘scat’
or shit. She found valuable seeds in the scat of animals
and birds and they would go as inputs to her very
special Number Two Nursery.
There were some children in the village that did
not come to school and Deepthi was quite curious
about them. She often saw one girl, about 9 - year -
old, wandering in the forest. She was healthy but
poor. She wore one frock which was clean but old
and discoloured. She remained barefoot and her
hairs were a bit straggly. She collected various things
– firewood, fruits, and flowers. Deepthi once found
this little girl catch fish in a small piece of old sari in
a shallow pond! The girl also had a small dog, which
she called ‘Kitta’ who would follow her sometimes

62
or just wander around near her catching his meal
somehow. The girl also had a sling and some pebbles
in her pocket. She was an expert shot and got fruits
and birds from the trees. The dog of course was the
retriever and got them from the shrubs where they
would fall.
Deepthi found out that the girl was called Kusuma
and she lived with her grandmother in a hut on the
outskirts of the village. The neighbours helped the
old woman to get her ration from the government
ration shop but the rest – fuel, vegetables, fish, birds,
came from the forest through Kusuma who
conducted some informal barter for oil, salt and
masalas.
Kusuma of course, had noticed Deepthi and knew
what she did and where she lived. One day, she
came to Deepthi’s place and observed her from a
distance. Deepthi noticed her but said nothing.
Deepthi’s dog Kariyamma first barked at Kitta, then
went closer and smelt him. Kitta stayed close to
Kusuma. This went on and off for a few days. The
dogs got friendly and played together. Then one day,
Kusuma came inside and wandered all over the
nursery. She saw the packets of poo with seeds. Next
day, Kusuma came with a grin on her face. She came
straight to Deepthi and gave her a newspaper packet.
Inside there was some scat with seeds. Deepthi
laughed delightedly and grinned at Kusuma.
After that, whenever Deepthi was in the forest,

63
Kusuma would appear out of nowhere and drag
Deepthi to show some scat which had some seeds.
At first, to please her, Deepthi collected everything
that Kusuma showed, but after some time, she would
often tell her that she didn’t need it and that she
already had enough. This would make Kusuma sad
but soon, Kusuma began to understand what Deepthi
was looking for. It happened like this.
Kusuma began to come regularly in the morning
when Deepthi would be working in her nursery. She
soon learned making holes in the packet, filling them
with soil and compost, watering them and finally
putting the seed properly with its original bed of dried
scat. She began to share the thrill with Deepthi,
watching seeds sprouting and small shoots coming
out. Then Deepthi explained the tree’s life – seed –
plant – flowering — fruits and back to seed! Deepthi
showed her the great Tree Book that showed different
parts of the tree in one place. Kusuma was delighted
with the book and kept turning its pages.
One morning, Deepthi did not go to the forest.
She was planning to wash her hair and her clothes.
Kusuma came wandering. Deepthi told her about
her plans and asked if she would like to have her
hair washed too. She put some water to heat and
oiled Kusuma’s hair. Then she put Kusuma’s frock
to wash and after giving her a bath dressed her in
one of her long tee shirts. She then finished her own
bath and washed all the clothes. Then they cooked

64
some fish curry, rice and had a great meal together.
In the evening, Kusuma took Deepthi to her house
to meet her grandma. Grandma was very pleased
that Kusuma found Deepthi. Everyone in the village
knew Deepthi and respected her. Deepthi gifted some
vegetables from her farm.
Word spread about the nursery and people came
in cars from distant places to buy plants from her.
She charged them half the price that online
commercial outlets did. With the money, she bought
one more frock and some children’s books for
Kusuma.
They read the books aloud, together. Usually, each
poem had a picture. Whichever poem Kusuma liked,
she would open the page and ask Deepthi to read it.
Soon, she learned them by heart and began to ‘read’
them aloud herself. Deepthi bought a notebook for
her and began to write longer words in text in the
notebook. To her delight, Kusuma recognized many
of the words and read them. In a few months,
Kusuma was reading many small books aloud on
her own. Then finally Deepthi secured an old copy
of Bolwar Mahammad Kunhi’s “Tattu Chappale
Putta Magu”, a collection of over 100 poems; got it
photocopied, bound it and gifted it to Kusuma.

March 11, 2023

65
 Madhulica and Love
Jihad
Madhulica Tries to Marry!
It was 10:30 in the morning. Madhulica’s mother was
having her coffee and reading the newspaper.
Madhulica cautiously sat down opposite her.
Mom (without taking her eyes off the newspaper):
What is it?
Madhulica: Mom ... (clears her throat) Mom, I
want to get married.
Mom: Go ahead.
Madhulica: I want you to get me married.
Mom: Why? You are already living with Jose. Go
to the office of the Marriage Registrar. They will
explain everything. Get registered. And after a month
you can get married. We will come and sign. I
suppose Jose’s parents will also come and sign. Do it

66
in Mumbai. It will be easier. I can’t afford to travel.
Madhulica: (patiently) No Mom, I want a proper
marriage – dresses, reception, friends, dinner and
all that.
Mom: I can’t afford it.
Madhulica: But I am your only child!
Mom: And I have only one life! Do you realise
that the minimum budget for that kind of marriage
is Rs.10 lakhs! Think of how many bottles of beer I
can get, to say nothing of steaks, chicken, fish and
pastries! Nothing doing!
*****
Madhulica went to Jose’s flat and told him.
Madhulica: Now it is up to you to get your parents
to do it.
Jose: They are not interested. If we get married,
they will at the most bless us and have a family dinner.
That is all.
Madhulica: Oh dear! What shall we do?
Jose: Don’t worry. Something will come up.
Madhulica: (suddenly) what is the date today?
Jose: February 12. Why?
Madhulica: I have an idea. On February 14, let us
go to Shivaji Park in the morning – all in nice party
clothes. Let us buy love balloons and mooch around
on the benches. Soon the Bajrang Dal people will
come and get us married!
Jose: I am a bit scared, but let us try it out.
*****

67
February 13 evening,
Jose: Let’s have a party.
Madhulica: No, we will have it tomorrow evening.
Jose: Maybe we can fly a bit!
Madhulica: Ok. Why not!
*****
February 14, 10 am, Shivaji Park. Jose is dressed in a
blue and red batik T- shirt. Madhulica is wearing a
pink T - shirt. Both are carrying pink love balloons,
sitting on a bench and holding hands.
Jose: I am a bit nervous. No one is coming.
Madhulica: Hold on. It is only 10 in the morning.
Also, they may have a busy morning.
A young man, with shining moustache and hair
parted in the middle, in white Kurta Pajama and
wearing a red tilak on his forehead approaches them.
Young man: My name is Virendra Katiyal. May I
ask what you are doing here?
Madhulica: Why? It is a public garden. We are
free to sit.
Katiyal: But why the balloons and why holding
hands?
Madhulica: Don’t you know it is Valentine’s Day.
Don’t you have a girlfriend?
Katiyal: (Abashed) No, we are Hindus. It is against
our culture. And my grand uncle was head of VHP.
They will be horrified. They have sent me to stop
people like you. Why don’t you quietly go home?
Jose: We want to stay a bit longer. Also, it is our

68
right to stay as long as the park is open.
Katiyal: I will have to take action then.
Jose: What will you do?
Katiyal: I will call my party people and take you
to Arya Samaj Mandir and get you married.
Jose: But I am Christian! They can’t marry a
Christian in Arya Samaj Mandir!
Katiyal: Oh dear! (Turning to Madhulica) don’t
you have any shame? Why don’t you have at least a
Hindu boyfriend? It is ‘Love Jihad’! We will have to
convert him to Hinduism.
Madhulica: Ok. Go ahead. I will make him agree.
Suddenly Katiyal flops down on the lawn and takes
a big red handkerchief and mops his brows. A tea
vendor comes. Katiyal looks up to them and they
nod and he orders three cups. He pays for it. Then
after a little while he speaks:
Katiyal: What will I do? There are so few
volunteers. The party just orders and although they
have crores of rupees, they expect us to work for
free! Then there is such a crowd at Arya Samaj
Mandir. On top of it, conversion also! No, it can’t
happen today. There is a shortage of everything –
there are not enough priests to perform the wedding,
very few know how to convert, most of them are
very poor in Sanskrit. Oh! We Hindus have no pride!
Every Muslim child knows some Arabic but hardly
any Hindu knows any Sanskrit!
Jose: Why don’t you have any Madrasa kind of
school?

69
 Katiyal: No Hindu wants to open a school or send
his child to a Hindu school. They all want the English
medium St. John/Paul/Xavier school. I am telling you,
we Hindus have no pride in our religion. Although
Sanskrit is taught in schools, no one learns anything.
It is just a scoring paper and even if you fail, they
just give you pass marks (he starts sobbing).
Madhulica: There! There!! So, what do you want
us to do?
Katiyal: (clears his throat), I think you should go
to the Marriage Registrar’s office and register. They
will put up your names on the Notice Board. I will
tell our Party people not to object. Just let me have
your names and please go home quietly after some
time.
An ice cream vendor comes. Madhulica buys three
chocolate ice cream cones. Katiyal says thank you
and greedily licks it.
*****
Madhulica and Jose reach Jose’s flat. They pick a
couple of beers and some fried fish on the way.
Madhulica flops down and exclaims, ‘Ghar ke
buddhu lautke ghar ko wapas aye!’

MADHULICA MARRIES!
It was 10:30 in the morning. Madhulica’s mother was
having her coffee and reading the newspaper.
Madhulica cautiously sat down opposite her.
Mom (without taking her eyes off the newspaper):

70
What is it?
Madhulica: Mom ... (clears her throat) Mom, I
want to get married.
Mom: Go ahead.
Madhulica: I want you to get me married.
Mom: Why? You are already living with Jose. Go
to the Registrar of the Marriage office. They will
explain everything. Get registered. And after a month
you can get married. We will come and sign. I
suppose Jose’s parents will also come and sign. Do it
in Mumbai. It will be easier. Also I can’t afford to
travel. But we seem to have gone through this
dialogue in February. What is new?
Madhulica: (patiently) Yes Mom, we have
registered and after a month we can get married. I
want you to be involved a bit more.
Mom: So that you can splurge your money.
Madhulica: (in a hurt tone) No Mom. You haven’t
noticed but I am a changed person. With money
comes responsibility. Anyway, it is not exactly my
money. It is ours. It was you who spoke with Sharada
and Praveen and it was Dad who negotiated the deal
so professionally. Both Sharada and Praveen admire
him and he has got their account for the future.
(Madhulica has become a bird watching person and
has a Cheel as a pet. She did a photo essay with
Sharada and Praveen for advertising firm and earned
good money. But that is another story.)
You haven’t noticed that I have become an outdoor

71
person and tanned. And I am much healthier now. I
get up early and go birding in the morning. I eat
regularly and all my stomach problems have gone!
Mom: Good! So what do you want?
Madhulica: Well, on Sunday I want a party with
my close friends. We will go early in the morning to
Sanjay Gandhi National Park. I will show them my
Cheel and his famous response to my call. We will
wander around watching/listening to birds and other
wildlife. Then we will go and have a great breakfast.
After that we will decide by the mood of the group –
more parks or a noon show. Then, we will have a
late lunch. Yes, I do want to spend on this outing
and it will be thousands of rupees and not lakhs!
Secondly after the registration, I want you and
Dad to host a lunch for Jose’s parents and whosoever
comes with them from Kerala. You should include
your close friend/relative in Mumbai. Finally, Jose
and I will visit grandparents with boxes of sweets.
Later we will go to Kerala to visit Jose’s family. That
is all.
Mom: That sounds reasonable. I will arrange the
details after consulting your Dad. Yes, indeed you
have grown up. Do you need any money?
Madhulica: You are so sweet, Mom. (Gets up and
hugs her). No, I don’t need any money. I have
enough money from the advance and then I have
my salary.
*****

72
Everything went according to plan. However, at the
Registrar’s office, they had a surprise waiting for them.
They found a group of Hindu outfit waiting with
their red tilak on their head. They all felt a bit
apprehensive. Then a tall young man broke away
from them and approached Madhulica and Jose and
said smiling, ‘Pahachana (Do you recognise me)?’
Madhulica instantly recognised him and said, ‘Oh!
You are Virendra Katiyal. I was so scared. I hope
you have not come to stop our marriage!’
Virendra Katiyal: No, I came to give my good
wishes. My party people informed me. Also, I want
to tell you that our unit has changed our stand. Since
we are opposed to forcible conversion, how can we
force anyone to convert to Hinduism? Frankly
speaking, no one likes it. We find it uncomfortable
and difficult to organise. The registrar and local police
also find it unnecessarily irksome. So, we decided
that we will respect the law of the land. Since our
law permits inter-faith marriage through registration,
we will respect it. My best wishes for your marriage’.
He gave Madhulica a bouquet of flowers and a
box of sweets.
Both Madhulica and Jose said, ‘Thank you’; and
they all went away quietly.

*****

73
Valentine’s Day
It has been a few months since Madhulica and Jose
have been married. Jose has his job and Madhulica
still works mainly online. On Sundays, she goes to
CEC (Conservation Education Centre), BNHS
(Bombay Natural History Society) in SGNP (Sanjay
Gandhi National Park). She has become a Life
member at BNHS and once a year, she and Jose
join one of BNHS’s out of town camps in a far - off
place like the North East.
Spring had arrived. The colony garden was full of
flowers and Madhulica was happily listening to
flowerpeckers’ calls. The ads in papers started
announcing Valentine Day products. Madhulica said
to Jose: ‘Let us go to Shivaji Park again. After all, it
all began there. Jose agreed and said, ‘But there won’t
be your Jihadi outfits. I think they have realised that
it is a waste of time. Our friend, Virendra Katiyal,
also appeared a bit disillusioned. Anyway, let us go.
Spring in Shivaji Park will be just as good.’
They managed to sit on the same bench with
pink love balloons in their hands. Then a young
couple approached. The man was in jeans and T-
shirt and the woman was also in jeans and a pink
top. Suddenly Madhulica realised that it was their
old friend Virendra Katiyal!
Madhulica: ‘Hello! What a surprise! And
congratulations! You are, if I am not mistaken, with
your girlfriend on Valentine’s Day! And hello to you

74
also Miss Valentine!’
Virendra (a bit abashed): ‘Well, meeting you last
year changed my life completely. I realised that as a
young man, I ought to have a girlfriend instead of
harassing young couples. Let me introduce you to
Irene Fernandez from Goa. She lives in the same
building as ours and goes to the office also in the
same building as I go. Of course, I had noticed her
before but in those days, girls in pants and skirts
were the ‘other’. And Goans! Ram! Ram!!’
Irene: (Laughing), ‘I too noticed him and we girls
talked about him. He appeared to be a Hindu fanatic.
A few months ago when he said ‘Hello’, I was quite
surprised. Slowly his attire and attitude changed and
we began to talk.
Madhulica: But how did your parents agree to it?
Virendra: It was my grandmother who approached
Irene’s mother with a marriage proposal!
Madhulica: What?
Virendra: Yes, I was also surprised. I asked her.
She said she wanted a pant/skirt wife for me. I asked
why? She began to cry. She said, ‘you know, I hardly
ever saw your grandfather. We were in ghunghat.
When he was dying, he wanted to see me but I could
not go as he was surrounded by all the men. To this
day, I feel bad about it.’
Madhulica: Oh! My God! How awful!’
An ice cream vendor came and Virendra promptly
bought four cones. He said this was his turn.

75
 Then Irene said she will take all of them to a pork
Vindaloo meal. Everybody said yeah! Jose said he
would like to host but Irene vetoed. She said it was
her marriage and it became possible only due to
Jose and Madhulica.
At the restaurant, Madhulica asked Virendra what
he was doing these days as part of his party activities.
He said he was running an NGO called Civil
Marriage Society. Madhulica asked where he got the
idea.
Virendra: It seems there was someone in Bidar in
the nineties called T. Vijayendra, who started this
society. He started it as a reaction to Babri Masjid
demolition. He engaged with local BJP cadre and
said that if one wants UCC (Uniform Civil Code),
then first convert Hindu marriages into civil marriages
because they were the majority. Then, reformers in
other religions will also take initiatives. You should
not force your opinion on others. In any case,
Christian reformers are very much in support for it.
In Goa, registered marriage is compulsory for
everyone anyway.
There is a provision in the Special marriage Act
to register existing religious marriages. I see a lot of
Muslim couples going to West Asia going through
it. It makes their visa procedure easier. We should
try to register existing Hindu marriages in the Special
Marriage Act.
I liked the idea and we have a good connection

76
with all the officers of the department. And our office
is always crowded. We have made a lot of friends
and our office is full of sweets every day. We will all
become diabetic!’
Madhulica was smiling. She asked, ‘Have you met
T. Vijayendra?’
Virendra: ‘No. I don’t know whether he is still
alive. It was all so long ago.’
Jose and Madhulica began to laugh. Then
Madhulica said, ‘I talk with him every week. He is
not dead. But, yes, he is old, almost 79 years. He
often lives in Hyderabad.’
Virendra: ‘You must give me his phone number.
He has given me a new career.’
*****

February 14, 2023

77
 About The Author
T. Vijayendra (1943 - ) was born in Mysore, grew up
in Indore and went to IIT Kharagpur to get a B.
Tech. in Electronics (1966). After a year’s stint at the
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, he got
drawn into the political whirlwind of the late 60s.
Since then, he has always been some kind of
political - social activist. His brief for himself is the
education of Left - wing cadres and so he almost
exclusively publishes in the Left wing journal Frontier,
published from Kolkata and the online journal
Countercurrents.org. For the last thirteen years, he
has been active in the field of ‘Peak Oil’ and
Transition Town movement. He is a founder member
of Peak Oil India and Ecologise. Since 2015 he has
been involved in Ecologise! Camps and in 2016 he
initiated Ecologise Hyderabad. In 2017 he spent a
year celebrating the Bicentenary of the Bicycle.
Vijayendra has been a ‘dedicated’ cyclist all his life,
meaning, he neither took a driving license nor did

78
he ever drive a fossil fuel-based vehicle.
He divides his time between organic farms at
several places in India, watching birds, writing fiction
and staying at Hyderabad. He has published a book
dealing with resource depletion, three books of
essays, two collections of short stories, a novella, an
autobiography, a children’s science fiction about the
history of the bicycle and several booklets. His
booklet, Kabira Khada Bazar Mein: Call for Local
Action in the Wake of Global Emergency (2019,
https://archive.org/details/kabira-khada-bazaar-mein)
has been translated into Kannada, Bengali and
Marathi and is the basic text for the emerging
Transition Networks in these language regions. His
last book ‘Vijutopias: Dreams of Local Futures’,
which has 12 short stories, is an entertaining book
full of hope and energy in these dismal times.

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 95916 05634

79
80
 CREDIBLE FANTASIES
T. Vijayendra

Many years ago, I read a book by G. K Chesterton,

‘The Club of Queer Trades.’ In that book each story
had a character that was pursuing a trade that had
never been practiced before.
The central idea of the fantasies presented here
is, to imagine a future for my young friends with
‘Green Jobs’ that is, jobs that help in restoring ecology
and creating equity among humans. It is a very
difficult proposition under the present circumstances
and hence I refer to them as ‘fantasies’.
However, conditions are changing fast and soon
it will be possible for these fantasies to become real.
Hence, they are ‘credible’ or so I fondly imagine!