Drive down far enough on NH7, and you will reach a border town deep on the western fringes of Punjab. Fazilka – once a trading spot known for its fine wool – was settled back in the mid-1800s. According to one story we heard, it was named after Fazil Khan, who sold the land to the East India Company on the condition that the town be named after him. Hence, Fazil-ka (or belonging to Fazil).
Fazilka is our last stop on a 10-day road trip through little-known pinds (villages) of Punjab. A place that nothing could have prepared us for because there is hardly any information about it. Google Fazilka and you will come across a few local news articles and official government websites that contain basic travel information. Then again, this isn't one of those places where you come armed with a To-do list. This is a place where you come to languish in the khets (fields) and wake up to the roosters crying.
Our farm stay here is in the village of Abohar – half an hour before the town of Fazilka. We are welcomed by Luvpreet (or, as we would start calling him later Luvpreet-ey), a young boy in his early 20s who takes care of guests at the property. Luvpreet-ey is happy to take us through all the available rooms so we can pick one of our choices. He tells us about the owners who live on the property, the 130-acre farm that grows everything from sarson to sugarcane and a variety of fruits, and the majestic ber tree at the edge of the fields, perfect at the moment for plucking. It's late at night, and we promise ourselves an early excursion into the khet the next morning.