Manisha and Anita

Immaterial gifts are something which make a mark on your mind like permanent marker on a cloth. Being a Photog and a writer traveling comes as a package; on my travel I do come across out of the ordinary people who grant me reminiscences which last forever and get my eyes wet. Its shocker for me how few people in just a meet can change the way you look at things.
Had hit off for a shoot in kokan where I spend some real good time with the villagers in Karde gaav (Dapoli) with their finger licking fish and Slurppy Solkadi. On the way back took the route via Tamini Ghat.Visited the Ghatjai temple. Being an atheists and a more of an artist most of my time is spend in looking at how artistically the temples are made and what’s interesting to click around.While I was strolling I caught the attention of the sound of A B C D and took notice of two little girls practicing there studies. I was really touched for the way they practiced. With the help of a small wooden stick they carved the letters on the ground. As I observed them for some time one of them told the other girl a word and she tried writing that.


I took the opportunity and got talking to them and told them to write my name, they were both excited about the little favor I asked them to do and they wrote my name well on the ground. While they wrote my name I asked them there names, very neatly both of them spelled their names one after the other. They were crowned as Anita and Manisha and studied in a municipality school across the village where they barely had benches and were devoid of the simple comfort called Books and pencils and that’s the reason why they practiced there “Spellings” on the ground. I spoke to them and gave them pack of biscuit, books and pens.


After receiving this Manisha uttered very timidly “you gave me these things I don’t have anything to give you.” On that I told her that the best gift would be that you remember me when I come next. She immediately said she would carve my name on one of the barks so that she would never forget my name.
Our life is poles apart to these people. We meet so many people and with a type and click save their names on our cell phone, scribble the name on the back of our diary or pass on a visiting card but till date no one has ever taken down my contact in such a pretty way. I wish to write this story after I meet those girls again when I go there next.