Scenes From Our Rural Backyard

We have a patch of farmland right behind our house, and so are able to view glimpses of rural life all day long. It feels so surreal that despite being so close, the life led by the farmer and his family is so completely different from ours... they are, literally, worlds apart.

The farmer and his family is up before the crack of dawn, tending to their cows and milking them.

Then the fellow waters his lush fields. My maid, who is a village lass herself, tells me that his crop is nothing fancy; just plain cattle feed. But as long as it keeps our backyard green, I'm not complaining.

As the day progresses, the children leave for school and the farmer and his wife go inside their thatched hut. In the evening, a bunch of women descend to cut the fodder.

First from the field using scythes, and then further chopping is done in the machine.

And of course, how can I forget the cowdung cakes? :) There are loads and piles of them, all over the place.

As my maid grumbled one morning, the farmer's wife sells them to the nearby village folk at a steep price. These cakes are used as fuel for traditional Indian choolahs (a mud stove that uses firewood) in rural areas.

Now you know how easy it is to while away time in our new home... by transporting yourself to another world altogether and virtually getting lost in it!

But at the end of the day, our shameless voyeurism only brings home the reality - that our world runs smoothly only because they do their bit in their own world. Can you imagine a world without crops and milk?