Full Moon at the Honeymoon Bungalow

by Aloke Mookerjee

Foreword: Before my transfer to Assam, I was in Ghatia T.E. (in the Nagrakata area of the Dooars) for five years, a long time for an assistant manager. In those years, I lived both in the Upper as well as the Lower Bungalow near the factory. I loved my time in Ghatia with its wonderful labour force and supervisors. The Burra Babu was extraordinary as were Mangra Driver, Tetra Munshi, Sethe Sirdar, Pulin Mistry (the only 'Mugh' I know of who deviated from his community's inborn gift in culinary arts to become a Mechanic!) and Roga Mistry who could strip and overhaul our Prime Movers as well as Ernie Lees the Crossley Engineer! Bill Hudson who was the Manager there (later to become the company VA) was revered by all the workers as their Mai, Baap and Bhagwan all rolled in one male white human form! I have already written of some of my expreriences there already. Wow, how I loved my time in tea!
 

The newly built Assistant Manager’s bungalow in the ‘Upper Division’ in Ghatia Tea Estate was popularly known as the ‘Honeymoon Bungalow’. Tucked away in an isolated spot at the edge of a promontory at the estate’s north-west, this bungalow, unlike its older counterparts, was compact and modern in design. Its spacious lawn in the front and sides and a ‘mali-bari’ behind created a sense of space despite its being hemmed in from three sides by acres of a thick bamboo grove and tall thatch grass. 

The fourth side, on the west of the bungalow, remained open - presenting a vast panorama of a deep and wide valley dipping down some two hundred feet with the stony ‘Ghatia Nadi’ flowing through its middle. Swathes of rice paddy on either side of the river lent an air of quaint country charm that contrasted with the turbulence (especially in the monsoons) of the stony river roaring down from the Himalayas. The river formed the boundary between Ghatia and Bhogotpore tea estates. With no evidence of tea anywhere nearby, the bungalow deservedly earned its reputation being a delightful retreat for newly-weds. 

A veranda enclosed by wire netting, as a protection against mosquitoes and other ‘creepy crawlies’, had been thoughtfully constructed on this open side. It was quite certainly the most charming feature of the bungalow; offering a grand view of the verdant valley and the towering blue mountains of the Himalayas.

Every evening, in the hush of the descending darkness, we would see from our ‘Jaali Kamra’, the lights of the Bhogotpore Manager’s bungalow, far on the other side of the valley, being turned on to blink and glow silently from across the shadowy void. It was a sight that never failed to attract and charm us. Added to it, the sound of the distant river crashing through the boulders on its downward journey made our moments in the ‘Jaali Kamra’ an incomparable experience.     

The far distance from the estate’s main complex made it necessary to provide this bungalow its own power supply unit in the form of a diesel engine (Lister, of course), coupled to an alternator located within the premises a short distance away. While the engine needed to be manually cranked up to start, a switch inside the bungalow conveniently allowed for it to be shut-down when not required. With its ‘estate designed’ concrete mufflers, the sound of the running ‘genset’ remained an un-disturbing distant drone. Its bright AC lights and smooth-running fans created a bright and contemporary ambience unlike the groaning DC powered fans and dim lights of the main estate complex.

From the main complex, the undulating road up to this bungalow wound through several sections of tea and at one point passed by a huge smooth rock about ten feet high. We named it the ‘Panther Point’ after a planter friend sighted a handsome, glossy jet-black beast in his prime gloriously basking atop the rock’s smooth surface in the bright mid-day sun of winter. Alas, that was the one and only time this animal ever decided to make its grand appearance.

Further up and closer to the bungalow, a deep ravine with steep sides carrying volumes of storm water from the copious monsoon rains cut across the road. A narrow concrete bridge without side railings, across it, connected the bungalow to the rest of the estate. The width of this otherwise sturdy structure was just enough for the plantation lorry or a tractor with trailer to cross over with only an inch or two to spare on either side. For us with cars, this was sufficient cause for a few tense moments when rolling down the steep gravel track to approach the bridge, particularly after an action filled night at the club!

A glimpse of the Nagrakata area  - from 'India Places Map Directory' ( http://indiaplacesmap.com/West-Bengal/Places/Nagrakata-99179 )

Sequestered among such wonderous surroundings, the ‘Ghatia Upper Bungalow’ was a perfect destination for lovestruck honeymooners! And indeed, there were the lucky few couples who did have the good fortune to spend their first few blissful years here together, delighting in its privacy and gorgeous setting. I was fortunate to have lived in that sublime wilderness on two separate occasions ( albeit as a bachelor the first time ) more than fifty years ago.   

The large windows in the north and east of the master bedroom allowed the cool fresh breeze to blow through and make it pleasantly comfortable.  The sounds that drifted in after dark with startling clarity kept me awake and often guessing their origins. As one city born and bred, many of the country sights and sounds were to me still as alien and esoteric as if from another planet.  

The month of November in particular was most delightful, with its pleasant days and crisp clear nights of a million dazzling stars that filled the sky. The garden would at times be invaded by swarms of flying glow worms blinking delightfully all around in the inky darkness. But when the glorious full moon appeared and draped the countryside with her brilliance, the glittering stars would fade out and the glow worms give way to leave the Queen of the Night, resplendent in her singular radiance. It was on one such dazzling moonlit night that I was fortunate enough to witness a rare and wondrous event.

It would have been well after midnight when I was suddenly woken from deep slumber by a strange unfamiliar sound of incessant honking wafting in from miles away. Bemused by the increasingly louder noise, I decided to forsake the warm comfort of my bed and go out to investigate.  

And soon I was rewarded with an extraordinary spectacle. High up in the bright moonlit sky were hundreds of wild geese honking while flying in ‘V’ formation with one great confident goose leading the way. With the ethereal silvery light of the full moon glowing gloriously on their wings, (quite like the song from the ‘Sound of Music’) the grand formation flew on boisterously with vigour, on their way to their benign and salubrious winter home somewhere down south. Transfixed, I watched this astoundingly beautiful tableau of their annual migration, till the amazing sight and sound faded away into the distance leaving behind a quiet night and a brilliant but empty sky.  

Even after more than fifty years, how could I ever forget such an extraordinarily fascinating moment of my life? 

Editor's Note:
Sirdar/Sardaar - supervisor, one who oversees workers in the garden ( please note, 'garden' and 'estate' are interchangeable terms)
Munshi - head supervisor
Mistri - craftsman, for example, carpenter, or a general term used to cover electricians, plumbers, mechanics and so on. 
Mugh - 'Mugh' cooks were the master chefs of the British Raj and for many years after. They belonged to Chittagong ( in Bangladesh )
Mai-Baap - literally, mother and father, used to signify 'benefactor' or 'provider': the Burra Saab is always called the worker's 'Mai Baap' - especially when the worker wants something from him!
Bhagwan - God
Jaali Kamra - a verandah enclosed with wire mesh
Nadi/Nuddy - river
Mali Bari - area for growing vegetables and fruits. Every tea bungalow has one


MEET THE WRITER:

Aloke Mookerjee

Here's what Aloke has to say about himself : 'Long retired from tea, but still active in business. Even after all these years, tea remains to live strongly in my thoughts; they were the best years of my life. Other interests? Always loved Jazz music - still do and have written about this incredible genre. Love vintage airplanes (thus my love for Dakotas!) and cars, and intend to make this my next focus.' Aloke's also written The Eager Beaver , A Spiritual Encounter, Gillanders and the Greenhorn and Unto the Unknown for Indian Chai Stories. Here is the link to all posts by Aloke - https://teastorytellers.blogspot.com/search?q=aloke

Is this your first visit here? Welcome to Indian Chai Stories! 
If you've ever visited a tea garden or lived in one, or if you have a good friend who did, you would have heard some absolutely improbable stories! You will meet many storytellers here at Indian Chai Stories, and they are almost all from the world of tea gardens: planters, memsaabs, baby and baba log. Each of our contributors has a really good story to tell - don't lose any time before you start reading them! 

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