Shelby was waiting eagerly for her friend Vaanya at at the doorstep. Vaanya and her parents were traveling all the way from Bengaluru to meet Shelby in Mawlynnong, Meghalaya. The girls studied together in Bengaluru. Shelby stayed in the hostel while Vaanya was a day scholar. They became instant friends in Std. V when the sections were shuffled and they found themselves sitting together.
“We are Maggi noodle friends — instant and always yummy,” they giggled and told everyone who cared to listen. The two could be seen laughing and talking all the time. Shelby loved to describe her village; it was no ordinary one. It had been given the title of ‘Cleanest Village in Asia.’
“I don’t know why we use so much plastic in the cities,” moaned Shelby. “Come to my village. It is a plastic-free zone. We recycle everything. Even our dustbins, called khoh, are made of bamboo. All the people in my village ensure Mawlynnong stays clean. In fact, every Saturday morning, we have a cleaning drive. The people of Meghalaya — whether Khasi, Garo or Jaintia — pride ourselves on living with Nature without spoiling it.”
Vaanya was fascinated. No plastic? Everyone keeping the village clean? So, one day, after hearing about the cleanest village for the millionth time, Vaanya declared, “I want to come and visit! I want to see for myself!”
Shelby clapped her hands and twirled in delight, “Oh, what a great idea. You will love it! My parents have a homestay, so you have to stay with me. There is so much to see and do there.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Let me first talk to my parents,” laughed Vaanya.
“No biggie!” smiled Shelby. “I can convince your parents. After all, my village is a slice of paradise. Let me make a PowerPoint presentation for them.”
Preparing hard
The next week, Shelby could be seen clickity-clackity-ing in the computer lab. She ‘sssshhhed’ everyone who dared asked what was she working on.
One evening, she bounded up to Vaanya. “It’s ready! Let’s meet your parents,” she said.
Shelby took permission to stay with Vaanya for the weekend. After dinner, Vaanya said Shelby had a presentation to make for them. The parents were curious but decided to indulge the two friends. Shelby began with great pomp and show.
“Welcome, welcome. I am from the land of Meghalaya, which means the place of clouds. As the name suggests, we do get a lot of rainfall. In fact, our claim to fame is a little place called Cherrapunji, one of the wettest places in the world.”
“Yes,” smiled Vaanya’s mother. “I have read about it in Geography in school.”
Shelby nodded. “Quite right, ma’am.”
Vaanya tried hard not to giggle. Shelby was sounding so formal. Was this her friend? The one who was always up to monkey business in school?
“But there is more to Meghalaya than Cherrapunji,” said Shelby, continuing like a pro. “We have living root bridges, which is a natural wonder that has been added to the tentative UNESCO list. Imagine bridges to go across rivers built with roots over the years with no machinery. A true lesson of living in harmony with nature.”
Vaanya’s parents’ eyes lit up. They hadn’t heard about the living root bridges and were fascinated to know that there were many in Meghalaya. Some were even double deckered.
“Next, we have the serene crystal-clear waters of Shnongpdeng. Tell me, in how many rivers can you see the river bed? You can if you take a boat ride on the Umngot River…”
Vaanya watched her parents from the corner of her eye; they were very engaged. As the slides kept changing, they kept asking questions or just nodding along. Shelby had thought of everything. Places to stay, popular treks, sightseeing, local things to eat and shop.
“So finally, I want to end this presentation by inviting you to my beautiful village: Mawlynnong. As I have told so much about my home to Vaanya, she will be talking about it.”
Vaanya froze. Public speaking was not her strong point and Shelby had not prepped her. What was this surprise? But Vaanya really wanted to visit.
“Ahem, ahem,” she cleared her throat, wondering what to say. “Cleanliness is often taken for granted. It’s always someone else’s job. It’s a poster and slogan competition in school. I only clean my room when you shout at me. I have never participated in any cleanliness drive in our locality. But then I met Shelby, who takes such pride in talking about her village — the cleanest village of all — and how everyone collectively gets together and keeps it clean. I want to see this place for myself.”
She paused for dramatic effect. “Pappa and Mamma, I want to go to Mawlynnong.”
Vaanya’s parents were silent. They looked at each other and smiled. Then they looked back at the kids and grinned. “I wish I had such sales people in my office. Well done, girls!” said Mumma laughing.
“Okay! That’s it! Let’s pack our bags and go to Mawlynnong!” said Pappa.
That’s how Vaanya and her parents found themselves traveling from Bengaluru to Mawlynnong that summer, and Shelby waiting eagerly at her doorstep to receive them.
