The Band wallahs and cold winter nights
As privileged as a lot of us are and no matter how much ever kindness a lot us might practice, once in a while there comes along an incident that once again humbles you and makes you realise how lucky you are.
It was one of those really cold winter nights and we were driving back home after a party. The car heater was on so we weren’t really feeling the chill outside. The roads were empty and the street lights had that blurry glow about them that a light fog causes. As the car cruised along I saw a few men walking in the distance hunched against the cold. They were dressed in a garish one-size-fits-all uniform of thin red velvet and cheap golden buttons. They were each carrying different musical instruments like the trumpet etc. Evidently they were our typical band ‘wallahs’ that enliven every wedding . Trudging along with them were others carrying now darkened gaslights, thick coiled wires and other such ‘lighting’ paraphernalia. Ahead of them were more young men pushing along a fancy thing which was a cross between a cart and a carriage without a horse. It was decorated with little lights that weren’t illuminated. Emblazoned across the side was, ‘DJ Chand’.
The scene brought a myriad of thoughts. These were people we never gave a thought to at a wedding. They were just ‘there’. Without them our ‘baraats’ would be dull and boring. These are the people who uphold a living tradition. I was only wondering if they enjoy their job as much as we do because given a choice who would like to brave the chilly cold of a late winter night to walk all the way home huddled in threadbare coats?
It brought home the realisation once again of how lucky some of us are because earning a living isn’t the easiest thing.
