After the January events at
Meanwhile in April, David Dabydeen arrived in Kolkata for vacation to promote his books and university courses . He got interested in the Gypsy story and offered me a fellowship to edit the footage and free accommodation and some stipend to meet the living expenses at
The IGNCA extended me paid leave to travel and I got my Serbian visa with the invitation of Dija. Travel plan was to go to
But British High commission refused to give me
But I was confused over how to start a film with such small money of 1200
When travel agent said if I want to travel tonight there is a possibility I did not think twice. Did small shopping for myself and for Dija and Paul and some money as cash for spending
The Aeroflot counter at
I could sense that there is something wrong with the whole affair. The girl sitting in the counter was very rude to all the Indians. She is a young
Now you have to move away from the queue and talk to my manager . We cannot issue boarding pass. She asked me whether I have any proof to show .
I calmed myself and explained to her that I am working for a Government of India’s cultural institution and I am going for a specific job . I showed her my invitation letter from Dija . The girl still not convinced repeated the same argument.
Do you have any paper ? I got suspicious about her attitude . I asked her whether she is looking at my passport. There are several visas from countries ranging from
Do you think I am going to abscond ? I lost my temper and demanded her to talk to her boss and said there is no way I am going to move away from the queue. In the meantime the officer appeared from somewhere and immediately issued me boarding pass..
While they were giving me this troubles I was checking at the weight of my baggage . It was around 39 Kgs. I decided to manipulate the confusion and started talking about the inability of airport staff to capture the culprits of human trafficking and instead terrorizing normal passengers. The poor girl just collected my baggage without ever mentioning about the excess and requested me to be pardon her.
By the time the whole affair was over I was extremely tired . I desperately wanted to have a beer and a smoke.
Unlike other cities in the world, the
I was curious to find out why the young Indian men were not allowed to board the flights. One person was literally crying to immigration officer to let him have boarding pass. From his body language I could understand that the officer is asking money and he does not have it.. The iron faced immigration officer is swinging his head right to left which means he wont be traveling today if he doesn’t pay..
But I why do they want money . Why these young men have to bribe officers to flee a over populated country? It’s a great joke . I wanted to find out more . But tiredness overcame and I went straight to the restaurant on the first floor and discovered the condemned area for smokers .
It’s a small corner where four tables and some 20 odd chairs were placed filling almost every inch of space, while the rest of the large restaurant is almost empty. When I walked into the corner to join the smokers club the waiter boy had a very contemptuous expression something similar to someone smoking marijuana or hash in
A group of rich Indians sitting and planning their summer holidays with blonds in
Migration is illegal in a overpopulated country
The young Punjabi lit his cigarette and in a very pensive mood. He must have lost some money to the officer to cross the immigration . I guessed it. I asked him
How much you paid?
500 dollars. He said in quick response to my question . He then showered all possible abuses and curses on the immigration officials who collected money from him ..
He said he is going to
He said he is a graduate from
He said this country with more than a billion people cannot provide him or for people a decent l life . Therefore if someone decided to get out from this place by hook or crook why should the government of
I agreed with him .
This young Indian like millions of others realize that more he stay in
The Aeroflot aircraft is like an on old warship. It’s a huge vessel which might have used once to transport Soviet soldiers to
The air hostess woke me up when the flight was nearing
The scenes in the airport was the same like when I passed through here for
Last time I met a number of people from
This time I did not get time to see more Still walked through the corridors where refugee passengers lying in rows on hard board and paper beds. Almost the same scene of people displaced from their native lands for various reasons trying to reach some safe places to build a new life .
Gypsies or Romany people also migrated from
The flight eventually arrived at
Dija was waiting outside the airport. We are meeting again after six months. She is the same No changes . She always evoked in me some kind of sisterly affection . Someone I knew for centuries, may be from previous generations . Who knows. I said to myself here comes another Gypsy from
Dija said Paul is not feeling well.
The bus took nearly three hours to reach the southern Serbian city of
Paul bought this new house a year ago up in the hill in a place called Knesse Sello or King’s village . It is 15 kilometers away from the city and is located at one of most beautiful spots among the low lying mountains of
Paul said Serbs are still largely medieval in their mental make ups, not only in farming but in nation building also. Till a decade ago they were controlling a huge nation called
The word Kosovo had a mixed reaction in Dija. She was very happy to see me . rather she was very proud . We reached home in 20 minutes drive across the farms of corn and wheat. There was a railway crossing without any gate. The vehicles which crosses this railway crossing has to stop and check on both sides.
It reminds of
During my three weeks of stay in
Paul had already made some food of grilled meat, vegetable and salad , He has an impressive collection different wines in his cellar. He buys from local farmers most of whim have their own vineyards in their home . The house is three storeyed overlooking vast expanse of vine yards stretching to sky. It’s a great scene and the wind is so refreshing Dija said this is one of the most expensive and most healthy area in the whole of
The house was build on a plot of nearly 50 cents land with a number of fruit trees like cherry, plums, apricots and vegetables like cucumber, green chillies, corn and green pilses. Dija’s parents looks after the garden whenever he comes from Kosovo. I felt so refreshing after such a long and tedious journey.
The house has three floors. The ground floor has a big living and dining room , kitchen and toilet. The first floor has two bed rooms and a study room where Paul’s collections are kept. The second floor is the guest apartment with a bed room, drawing room, dining space and small kitchen which are incomplete. I stayed on the second floor and from the small balcony I looked at the sun who refuses to disappear though the time is well past 9 at night . Days are longer and nights are shorter in this part of the world during these months. . Dija warn me that don’t get up at sunrise to spoil my sleep.
It was 31st May