I was sitting there feeling the warmth of the wollen rug beneath me, and the lukewarm terracota tumbler with milk in my hand.
“Bhai, ye chatai kis cheez ki bani hai?”, I asked Jatan Bhai.
“kaun sa ye..? ye jungli gyag ke baal ka bana hai. meri miseej ne banaya hai.”, he said, smiling proudly.
“Gyag?..ye kaun sa janwar hai.”
“arey vo hota hai na gaay jaisa, bade sije vala. jiske lambe lambe baal hota hai”
“Yak..?”, I asked
“haan haan vahi. paltoo yak ke bhi baal milta hai. par ye jungli gyag ka hai.”
I was amazed. How did they find wool from a wild yak. I asked him.
“ye toh secret hai :D…”
“pleeeze bataiye na bhaaai….mein kisi ko nahi bataaunga.” puppy eyes and all ..
“Achha suno. Faalgun ke maheene mein hi hota hai. Us maheene mein hi ye gyag kafi thande hote hain. Inka saal ka poora chakkar chalta hai na. Ashwin ke maheene mein ye garm hote hain. Pichli baar toh mera ek dost hai Dhhuni. Uske shareer pe bahut baak hain. Ek baar davaai lene hum log oopar gaye they..toh ek gyag kahin se aake Dhhuni pe savaar ho gaya. HAA hAA hAa hAa.
aur fir 6 maheene baad phalgun mein bahut hi shant. Mein jab bacha thha tab toh jaake gyagni ke dood bhi pee leta thha.”
“Ye gyagni ka doodh hai?” I asked wondering at the sweet milk I was having.
“arey na na…ye toh vo sardaar apne bhains lekar aaye hain ludhiana se. Yahin milti hai na hari ghaans garmi mein.”
“Achha. haan toh vo phalgun mein…..?”
“Haan. Pehle toh hum log aisa gyag dhoondte hain jiska baal humey chahiye. Ye alag alag rang ke hote hain . kale , bhoore , laal, safed. Uske baad humse se jiska bhi gala sabse achha rehta hai..vo ye gana gate hain. aap ye youtube pe dekh sakte hain.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq-l1tuGwAE
“koi aisee sundar bandee nahi rehti vahan. bus hum teen char dost aur vo gyag.”
“aapke gane se kya hota hai? ” I asked wondering.
“Arey ye gana shayad gyag ko lori jaisa lagta hai. Humare purkon ne pata nahi ye kaise khoja. Kai peedhiyon se hum log yahi gana gate hain, gyag ko sulane ke liye.”
“Toh gyag so jaati hai?”
“Haan so jaati hai. khurrate maark ke. aur bus hum chakoo se uske baal kaat lete hain. Har 2 baal lene pe hum ke baal chhod dete hain. Usey nanga karna bhi sharafat nahi na.”
Jatan bhai is planning to soon start selling a couple of these rugs every year. Please keep an eye out for link to that rug selling on a superfurnish.com site, that I might soon share.
Nice read… pictures would be great but works for me