An anecdote told to me by a Publisher about a researcher whose book her company had published

She was researching on the status of Indian women in the villages. She had already come with her baggage of preconceived notions. They were exploited, subdued and treated a little better than the farmer’s animals.

She wore the right clothes, a cotton salwaar kameez and rubber chappals . Sitting under the cool shade of the banyan tree she watched the farmer plough the land in the sultry heat with his oxen. He trudged patiently, spoke lovingly to his animals.

She watched the sun beat down on his lean, naked chest, sweat glimmered on his brows but he didn’t complain. She wanted to improve their lot, she had a lot of ideas she wanted to share with him.

Excitement bubbled in her throat- she would change his thinking. He would be a better husband and a better farmer.

A hand on her shoulder startled her and she stared at the smiling lips that peeked from the covered face. The farmer’s wife had come with lunch.

She called out to her husband. He smiled and removed the heavy plough from the oxen shoulders and sat with the two women in cool shade.

The couple offered the foreigner their simple food. She ate the dry roti and little subzi.

In her broken Hindi she asked him “why don’t you buy a tractor? Life would be easier.”

He smiled and responded “The crops had been good this season and I can finally afford one.”

“Well, in that case you should have one.”

He looked at his wife whose face was covered in purdah and asked her “Should we get one?”

She nodded.

His eyes twinkled and he said “It will be done.”

It was then that she understood that appearances can be deceptive. There was no exploitation here.