Along the curvy roads on the outskirts of Shillong, there is a place called Cherrapunji. It is a beautiful place with steep hills, narrow and curvy roads, the hills covered by nothing but a blanket of fog during winters. The landscapes, the local people, the small shops filled with nothing but authenticity and rich culture, it is truly a heaven on earth!

 

 

Here, in this paradise, she ran her own stall of local and processed food, along with fabrics and attires that represented the culture of Meghalaya. Her local hats made of hay and strips of bamboo tree were famous and her style of cooking “Maggi” was unbelievable! She enjoyed serving people her small meals.

 

Every time I visited Cherrapunji or pass by the place, I always stopped at her shop for some great “Maggie”, hot black tea and her stories.

 

 

Two years ago, during the winter season, I was in Shillong for vacation. I decided to pay a visit to Mei Mei.

 

But what I saw there was devastating. I could not believe my eyes!

 

The entire area where the stalls were, had been emptied! Even worse, the hill had been cut! I pulled my car to the side of the road, got off and walked towards the place the where some construction was still going on. I asked the guards about the stalls and he replied, “lah shah pynpra lut ki dukan ban dut shna noh daka bah eh da u sorkar” in Khasi. It means that the shops had to be closed down and instead of that, there is now a whole new bigger place set up where tourists can relax and eat. I could only think about one thing! How can they justify building a bigger place for the benefit of the tourists at the cost of life and livelihood of the locals.

 

 

I drove a little ahead, hoping to see Mei Mei at least one time before I came back to Delhi. I felt it was necessary to talk to her and know how she was doing. I had a bad feeling in my gut and I was right. Instead of the local shops, now there were only two or three stalls of cultural attires and souvenirs and one big cafeteria, overly crowded. I went inside the cafeteria to ask for Mei Mei and with God’s grace, I found her.

 

But unlike before, she was serving people around the cafeteria. Seeing her this time was different. I could see that she wasn’t happy.

 

I walked towards her and gave her a big hug! She wasn’t expecting me, so she was surprised at first but on seeing me, she became very happy and hugged me back. I asked her if we could still get “Maggie” but no such luck. The cafeteria menu was now all food items that belonged to other places. Not even the local snacks were available. From a successful local business owner, she had become a waitress!

 

I asked and asked and finally she relented and told me the whole story. A year ago, to increase the roadside area, the stalls were removed and this cafeteria was built. Though the authorities promised that the cafeteria would provide the same amount of income, but what use was it. It killed the local flavor and provided the tourists with a typical menu. And what’s more, she told me that none of the promises made by the authorities were met and the compensation for destroying the stalls was very small.

 

She added, most of the women had gone back to their villages and some of them even gave up on their lives. As saddening as it was, the authorities did nothing about it; not even considering to allow the women to set up stalls somewhere else. And the income was not even enough to run her family.

 

Seeing her face then, I noticed the glow she had was gone. I didn’t realize that she was looking dull and tired throughout the conversation, only then I understood how much she must have suffered through this change. I felt so helpless! What more could do I do except console her.

 

 

As she walked me back to the parking area, she told me that they would fight this injustice. All of the local stall owners including her were petitioning to the authorities to let them set up their individual stalls again around the place. All she asked was for me to pray that this petition will open up their gates again.

 

 

At that moment, I couldn’t hold myself any longer so I just shed my tears and she was there too, doing the same. We both didn’t say anything else because we knew; we already knew that the situation was such, that to change it back was harder than it looked. Mei Mei gave me a hug and made the sign of the cross on my forehead as the sign of blessing as I entered my car. I smiled at her as I drove back and she did the same, despite her plight. In that moment I saw a glimpse of my old Mei Mei, but it vanished just as she did in the distance.