Bhairu Singh

Finally I seem to have found the mason for my house. One of the laborer who comes here suggested that this guy (Bhairu Singh) is known for stone construction, stays in a village about 10 km away, but we didn’t have his contact number. Spent a day trying to get his number, but the one we got was apparently a wrong one. We learnt later that someone stole his phone and was continuing to use the SIM. Then I along with Bhura rode on a bike to his village. We just had to ask one person and reached his house. An old man, apparently quite poor was repairing his bicycle. He happened to be Bhairu Singh. He would be over 65 and moved quite slowly with a slight limp. The thought, which immediately crossed my mind was that someone in this condition, in a city would be confined to his room, surrounded by medicines, would need someone to take care of and here was this guy, almost mocking the city counterpart. I learnt that Bhairu Singh not only actively worked as a mason, but also in his 10 acre farm along with his 2 sons. One son also works as a mason with him. We persuaded him to visit our site and we rode triple seat on extremely bumpy roads. Bhairu Singh approved of the sand and stones I’d got and gave me the task of preparing two pits – one for soaking the lime and the other for making the lime mortar (with sand). Bhairu Singh said that he’d taken another contract, which will take him 15 days. I told him without hesitation that I will wait for him to finish. I hope he comes. Though there is no reason to believe otherwise, when you find exactly what you want, you keep your fingers crossed before getting it.

It is quite interesting and insightful to compare city life here. Bhairu Singh, if in a city, would probably have retired, let his sons earn, led a cautious life, mostly in front of the TV or on bed. Bhairu Singh does what Amitabh Bachchan is doing – keep working unto death. For some reason, in a city, most associate old age with inability to work, medical problems, no need to work and so on. We talk about Amitabh Bachchan with awe. I was (and am still) wondering how he will come here everyday. But Bhairu Singh casually said, “I’ll come, you don’t bother.”

Charges for the mason 350 per day. No charges for the insights & learning.

I wonder, “Don’t we keep feeding our already high egos by listening to, talking about and giving the heavy spiritual gyan, attending courses & discourses and stressing ourselves endlessly to find the meaning of life and THE purpose? I don’t have anything that I can ‘enlighten’ Bhairu Singh with. And he… is just doing his work, simple!”

There’s more, but I’ll wait a while and write it in the next blog.