Tuesday 22 April 2014

The Letter

I often muse on the fact that a house never gets lifeless and very surprisingly,when humans leave it one by one;the greeny creatures creep in.I don’t know the names of the herbs my house now got surrounded by, but their roots are deep in.I feel peace to see the house,still breathing.


What would be the name of the mall you will make out of this house?See,I am here,sitting on your childhood study-chair.Did you notice it?Do you remember?How I longed to see, how you look like being a ‘man’!I am so happy today.Sometimes life can’t give you what death can.

Love-Baba


P.S.- Written for www.100wordstory.org for a 100 word story contest where this above picture was the prompt given for the story.

Thursday 10 April 2014

Glass

মুহুর্মুহু শঙ্খ আর উলুধ্বনি, লোকজন এর হৈচৈ ,রজনীগন্ধার গন্ধ  আর তার মধ্যেই শোলার মুকুট টা পরেই শেষবারের মত সে নিজেকে দেখে নিচ্ছে ছোট্ট গ্লাস -মিরর  এ। চন্দন, টিপ সব পারফেক্ট।
হঠাত  বিকট আওয়াজে সম্বিত ফিরলো পিয়ালীর। বিয়ের বেনারসী টা  হাথে নিয়ে কতক্ষণ যে কেটে গেছে  খেয়ালই নেই।  সামনে খোলা সুইট্কাসে, খালি ওই শাড়ী টাই  ঢোকানো  বাকি  ছিল।
পিয়ালী আওয়াজ টা পেয়ে দৌড়ে  গেল লিভিং রুমে। নতুন কেনা ক্রিস্টাল ফ্লাওয়ার ভাস টা মাটিতে পড়ে টুকরো টুকরো। পনেরো তলার উপরে থাকার এই এক সমস্যা; বারান্দার স্লাইডিং ডোর টা  খুলে  দিলে এত হাওয়া - পর্দার ঝাপটায় পরে গেছে হয়তো। সব ছেড়ে ভাঙ্গা কাঁচ গুলো পরিষ্কার করতে বসলো পিয়ালী এখন। বেশি সময় নেই হাথে। ফ্লাইট দুপুর ৩টে।
কাঁচ গুলো কুড়াতে কুড়াতে হঠাতই চোখ পড়ল বসার ঘরের বল-উনিটের উপর। নিজের কেয়েকটা ভীষণ পছন্দের বই সে দেখতে পাচ্ছে কাঁচের বাইরে থেকে। নিজের হাথের কাজ সেরে দেরী না করে বইগুলো বার করে নিল পিয়ালী। কোনরকমে চেপে চুপে সেগুলো ঢোকালো সুইট্কাসে।
স্নান সারা হয়ে গেছে। এবার খেতে বসবে। মাইক্রোওয়েভ প্রুফ কাঁচের বাটিতে খাবার গরম করতে ঢুকিয়ে পিয়ালী রিম ঝিম দের খাওয়াতে গেল- শেষবারের মত।
রিম ঝিম- সোফার ডান পাশের সাইড টেবিল এ কাঁচের জার এ রাখা দুটো গ্লাস ফিস। দু ' বছর আগে একটা অনিভের্সারীতে পিয়ালী রা বাড়িতে নিয়ে এসেছিল ওদের। ওদের খেতে দিয়ে কিছুক্ষণ দ্নারিয়ে রইলো জার তার সামনে। দেখছে ওদের অপলকে।  আর হয়ত কোনদিনই দেখতে পাবেনা ওদের। গলার কাছে কান্না এসে জমতেই নিজেকে ধমক লাগলো সে -বারবার নিজেকে বুঝিয়েছে যে আর কাঁদবেনা।
মাইক্রোওয়েভ সংকেত দিচ্ছে খাবার গরম হয়ে গেছে। এক গ্লাস জল নিয়ে খেতে বসেছে ও। কোনরকমে জল দিয়ে খাবারটা গিলল; চোখে ঘড়িতে-১২.৩০ বেজে গেছে। এবার বেরোনো দরকার।
সুইট্কাসে হাথে নিয়ে রেডি পিয়ালী। শেষবারের মত ঘুরে ঘুরে দেখছে বাড়িটাকে। ঘর,ঘরের পর্দা, বিছানা, ফার্নিচার, ফুলদানি, ক্রিস্টাল শো পিস্ , দেওয়ালে ঝোলানো তার ই বানানো গ্লাস পেইন্টিং, তাদের বসাল গালস-ফ্রামেদ বিয়ের ছবিটা- সব কিছুই ভিসন ভাবে তার নিজের, কাছের। তিল তিল করে এই দু'বছরে স্বপ্নের বাড়ি গড়েছিল পিয়ালী।
কোনো শাসনই মানছে এখন র চোখের জল।
১.১৫। হ্যান্ড ব্যাগ তা থেকে নিজের চাবিটা বের রেখে দিল কাঁচের সেন্টার টেবিল এর উপর।
দরজাটা আলতো করে টেনে বন্ধ করলো পিয়ালী বাইরে থেকে; আর তার সাথে সাথে নিঃসব্দেই ভেনেগে গেল তার স্বপ্নের কাঁচের বাড়ি।


    

Monday 7 April 2014

Small Wonders



"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open."-- I have a very weird habit of always search and read quotes about almost everything there could be. I found this one same way. 

Case 1
It was morning flight from Kolkata to Delhi. I usually have acute morning sickness and thus am sick to death of morning flights. Only 2hours of sleep and then the screeching sound of the alarm clock saying its 4 minutes past 4AM. This less-sleeping-business usually brings in migraine pain, followed by nauseated feeling all the time. I locked the door and stepped out of my flat premises.Believe me, it was the murkiest morning I have ever seen. I was taking brisk steps towards Gariahat More to get the cab. Waiting and looking for the cab here and there my eyes caught a story lying on the footpath. A small boy,may be 6-7years old covering her mother with a crummy saree ( saree used as blanket).The babyish hand took out another one to make sure his mother is warm enough!! The elder sister(not more than 8years) on the other hand is sitting near her mother and putting "Jolpotti" (cold water soaked cloth) on the forehead.

With the hard lump in my throat, I caught the cab, leaned over the cushioned seat and closed my eyes......Isn't my headache a bit lesser?? Isn't the breeze gushing over my face and hairs a bit more fresh?? And no......I am no more nauseatic...


Thus begins my Diwali -trip to Delhi.... :-)

Case 2

Flight was at 7:10 AM. I was done with my security check and was sitting on the sofa in front of Gate No.1. Something in between happened which was getting me very down. To shove off the blue mood, I thought to resort on 'Hemlock' music and thus searching for my earphone in my purse and suddenly "kotobar tor aayna bhenge chure, ghure takai....." from behind and then a male voice-" hello, hya ma, bolo..." I looked back and couldn't stopped myself giving out a smile.He smiled back.
"Here is a final call for Flight No:0673 going to Delhi" I pulled myself off from the sofa and to my awe, I realised I was smiling till then...relentlessly. 


Thus I was happy and don't remember exactly why I was not few minutes back.

Case 3

The Delhi Airport. Period.

Case 4


This time nobody is waiting outside to pick me up to home. I will be travelling all alone in a not-so-safe-for-ladies city. But I had hundred of butterflies in my stomach by this "all-alone-ness" both because I was nervous and excited. Sometimes, it feels so good to be alone, no??
As I came out of Airport and was giving cynical look here and there-" Madamji, kaha jana hai aapko?" A boy in his early 20s came in front of me.
I said-"Rohini, Sector-15"
I sat inside the car falteringly.
D- " Sector -15 mein kaha?"
Me- "Sachdeva School ke pass" (with an expression 'I am Queen of Delhi and I know every corner of the city')
D-"School jana hain?Mujhe to school pata nehin"
Me-"Koi baat nehin, mujhe to Ghar jana hain"
He laughed.
Me-"Yeh kaunsa jagah hain bhaiya?"
D-"Airport"
Me-"Wo to thik hain, lekin koi naam to hoga is jagah ka, jaise humare udhar, DumDum mein hain Airport"
D-"DumDum, ye kaisa naam hai?"(laughing)
Me-" Kyun, achcha nehin hain kya, has kyun rahe hain?...achcha abhi kaha aye?"
D-"Delhi Cantonment Area"
Me-"Ye kya South Delhi hain?"
D-"Nehin, South-West"
Me-"Tab to Rohini zyaada dur nehin hain, Rohini to West mein hain maine suna hain,aap bas south se niklo, West pahuch jayenge"
He laughed.Me too.
D-"Aap office ke kaam mein aayi hain?"
Me-"Nehin saasuural(double stress) aayi hun" (expression-Proud face)
D- "Madhuban chowk se jaun, raasta kaunsa lena hain?"
Me-"Na na Pitampura se jaana Wajirpur hoke" (no idea where these places are these are the two names I remembered,just a show off,you know)
Me-"Areey idhar to mela laga hua hai, kaunsa jagah hain?"
D-"Hmm, Diwali Mela"
Me-"Haan haan, pata hai har saalhi to lagta hain" (expression-I-know-all")
D-"Yeh Raja Garden hain"
Me-"Haan, Rajouri Garden bhi bolta hain, kaafi bar aa chuki hu idhar to" (trust me I was tehre just once for one day due to some office work and the only thing which I knew about the place was the name 'Rajouri Garden')
I finally reached Sachedeva and took a right turn and reached home.Way to home from airport was never ever so exciting as this and the city Delhi never been felt soo known and own before...
Me-"Bas, yehi pe rok do"
He came down and opened the door for me."Thank You, Bhaiya" I said. I took out 20 Rs. note from my purse.."Yeh aap rakkho".. He stepped back a little-"Nehin ji, baas...thank you"!!! He took his seat again and drove away..............
I kept on standing at the same place till I can take the last glimpse of the cab.
I crossed the road and walked towards home, persistent smile again on face.... Pure happiness!!!

Case 5

A lonesome morning. I was upset for some reason. I went to bathroom for a bath and switched on the geyser lackadaisically. The red light goes off in a minute and signaled the water is hot now. I reached out to put off the geyser and something caught my eye.....on the switchboard. I had a jolt. Few minutes of awstruckness!!! I found a big round maroon bindi sticked on the switched board. How would you feel in a forlorn morning, almost 1600km away from your home if u find "ma-er tip" remaining just the same way she had put it there randomly almost 5yrs back when she last came to this house??? I touched it once as if I have got her there as person.
Eyes burning, I opened the tap to its fullest as if that’s the only way to stop me from burst-out- loud!!............
I never knew tears can also be euphoric!!!!!......


Case 6

Flight from Delhi to Kolkata got delayed by 3 hours. Tired and exhausted I came out of Airport and the same old, known typical smell of my city (whichgives fthe samefeeling as 'ma-er gondho'-mother's smell) and happiness prevails all around! and then the 'dhaaker awaj' for the kalipujo bhashan...gloom has just no place in my life anymore!!

Case 7


I took the volvo bus from Airport to Gariahat and stretched myself in a window seat. I was bugged up with the nagging earphone which always has to get entwined in the most complex form.

After almost 5mins I finally got to switch on the radio and voila!!!!!!!!!!..... "Tor barir pothe juktir shoinyo"!!!!!! 

I started afresh from exactly where I left my city!!!!!............. :-)
The trip to Delhi comes to an end- Happy And Content!!!