The Khasi people form the largest group of the population of Meghalaya.
They also live in a matriarchal society structure.
After a journey from Bangkok to Shillong, followed by a four-hour drive by jeep, we finally reached our destination: a small village in the Khasi Hills. The last light of the evening helped us find the right house, where we were expected by a village representative. Our journey had been far from easy. The relentless rain had turned the roads into mud, making the journey slow, exhausting and at times difficult. And still the rain poured down, harder than ever.
We were warmly welcomed into the house and each given a small low stool to sit on. Through our interpreter, we learned that the man we had come to meet was still out in the fields. They called him on his mobile phone, and he immediately set off to come and welcome us. By now, it was completely dark. Two small candles were placed in the room, just enough for us to make out one another’s faces. The minutes passed. Then the hours. The relentless sound of the rain seemed to amplify the passing of time, stretching it into one long, monotonous wait.
Hunger was beginning to gnaw at us, and still the hours passed inexorably. Then, after three hours, the door suddenly swung open. In the doorway stood a man, drenched from head to toe. Wrapped tightly in layers of cloth against his chest was a tiny baby. With immense warmth and joy, he called out to us:
“My heart is big, my heart is big when I see you!”
In an instant, all our fatigue and frustration disappeared. More candles were lit, and a delicious meal was served.
Only then did we learn that the man had been working in a neighbouring village. He had spent hours making his way to us, carrying his baby through the fields in the pouring rain. Over the following days, we experienced an extraordinarily warm and generous welcome, and formed a profound connection with the Khasi people.