THE LESSON

“So both of you are Ghati’s right?” asked the middle aged fair lady serving us water. Looking equally bewildered, i gave the blankest of the looks to my history teacher for bringing up a term i had never heard before. “Ghati, Maam?” I stammered looking still as expressionless as before. “arre you guys are Marathi na?” she put across with that expression of looking down at the common breed of human beings  found on the streets of the city which was  supposedly was meant to be their original breeding ground. “well yes maam, we both are , but what does Ghati mean ?”Answered Nikhil in a rebellious tone to the person who was responsible for teaching us the history and civics of India in an age where anything taught by the teachers meant the last word. “See Maharashtra is located in the Western Ghats, so the people staying here are called Ghati’s. My maid servant is also a Ghati. Actually she hasn’t come today so I have to do all the work here.” she answered in a sarcastic tone topping up with a smirk which evidently expressed looking down on two teenage boys not belonging to the same variety of humans she definitely did not want to be associated with and who probably were nowhere near the Race of people she belonged to.

As she went inside the kitchen, continuing to the pleasing host and doing the work to be done originally by a person belonging to the same breed as her guests, both of us looked at each other imbibing new lesson taught by our history teacher on the diversity of India. Picking up the cup of tea I asked “ Maam waise where do belong to ?” “Well originally from Punjab but have shifted to this city after marriage as my husband was working her, so basically we are Punjabis you know” she answered with pride in her tone on the mention of her original roots. “Oh so you Chose to be a Ghati, that is so great maam !!!?” said Nikhil with an animated excited expression. “Oh no no we are not, its just that we stay here, but not...!!” falling silent mid way and realising she had been taught a lesson by her student , whom she was accountable  to teach the basic tenets of egalitarianism and equality , giving us the friendly smile she said “Yes, I too am a Ghati and a proud one too!!”