Real Parsis

I was traveling from Bangalore to Goa via the Konkan Express for my annual Goa fix, to the other place I call home. Wearing a hand woven tie-and-dye dress I boarded the train and settled down comfortably beside the grilled window, next to an elderly couple.

I received pleasant smiles from them after which I heard the lady mumble a few words in broken English which I assumed were being addressed to me. After straining my ears I was barely able to pick up the word "Amreeka” and I requested her to repeat herself in my atrocious and most heavily accented bawa Hindi.

She was alarmed to learn that I was in fact Indian and assumed my fair skin meant I was from the U-S of A!

"Are you Punjabi? Or perhaps Sindhi?” she asked, and I let out a slight laugh and declared with utmost pride "Main Parsi hoon (I am a Parsi)!”

That bewildered, perplexed look on her face is imprinted in my mind as she hesitatingly asked me who a Parsi was.

For starters one would think it’s a rather straightforward question with an answer that would be but obvious; but well, think again!

Are we just a community? A race perhaps?

"We came from Iran over a thousand years ago and in fact have been in India even before the Muslims!” I proudly explained. "Our motto is good thoughts, good words and good deeds,” I chanted. Yes, these words ring a bell in each eccentric bawa head and in my opinion sum up the religion most beautifully in a nutshell!

"Aap Tata’s ko janté hain na (You must be knowing the Tatas)?” I asked. I’d have to say they’re probably the most prominent Parsis in the world. "Jamsetji Tata Parsi thé (Jamsetji Tata was a Parsi),” I continued, as though any toddler would have known.

The couple sat huddled up in their seats absorbing every word I said, marveling, or at least I chose to assume that!

We munched on rich, crumbly bhakhras that were freshly made that morning and lovingly wrapped in foil for the journey by my aunty Pervin. I must have gone on for another two hours about Parsis and their faith and still I felt I hadn’t done justice and wasn’t really able to bring out every aspect of the religion.

I invited the couple to my home in Bombay and promised them a greater in-depth view into the real household of a Parsi family over a home cooked meal of dhansak.

We Parsis are just like our "eedaas (eggs)!” From the exterior, like an eggshell, we may look rather normal, but just as the egg has a sunny yellow center we have within each of us a burning fire filled with hope, enthusiasm, vigor and zeal!

SIMONE CONTRACTOR

simonecontractor@hotmail.com