homecoming

Life was going on. He was feeling like he was dragging it unnecessarily. He thought of ending his life once or twice but stopped thinking that no one will cry if he dies.

What’s the use of dying if it doesn’t impact anyone?

It was kinda cold. Actually chilling if one considers the city’ weather. There are three seasons in this city. Warm, warmer and warmest. People realises it’s winter when they turn their calendars to December. Moms bring out sweaters for their kids. Mufflers for the dads.

They sweat wearing that. Yet, it’s winter and woollen clothes are a must.

Winter is over when the calendar page is flipped to February. Warmer season starts.

Nothing happens in this crazy hectic city. Everything is, as if, pre-planned. People, without knowing why, run like crazy animals. They know for sure there’s a train just after two minutes and the probability is that it will be less crowded. But they will pack the train like a school of fish. Packed-like sardines compartments screech in pain and reluctantly carry a bellyful of disgraced people.

Nothing happens in the city except this mad crazy rush, for no reason or rhyme.

And he gets sick everytime he thinks that he has to spend a substantial portion of his life here. It not only impacts him mentally but gets feverish sometimes. This city’s weather doesn’t suit him at all.

Yet, strangely. Yes, strangely. He always wanted to come to this city. He always wanted to embrace this life. It’s like Sauron’s Mordor. You need to be strong willed to resist the lure of this city. And our boy is the weakest willed person known to this world.

Doctor told him to wrap a muffler around his neck, cause this cold might aggravate into a bad cough and might transform into pneumonia. So bought himself a new muffler. A blue-red semi-woollen thick muffler of a reputed textile company.

It’s strange weather. He was sweating profusely but then when he was taking it off he could feel the cold creeping in like a snake. It was disgusting!

Ah pneumonia! What a nice experience it would be!

While coming home, in the train, he stood near the door. The fresh, sort of chilling winter air was gushing in. His hands were getting hard. Lips were dry like a leaf. He had put the muffler long time back in his bag. Now he unbuttoned his shirt. He thought people were thinking he was crazy. But that’s OK. He told everyone … you don’t know the grand scheme! He hollered his message to everyone. No one took notice. He was hollering on his mind.

Wow!!! He never knew the fresh air can be so rejuvenating. He never knew taking risk intentionally could be so life-giving.

His room mate was quite surprised to see him. “Hey, did you fight with someone on your way? Shirt unbuttoned … hair so spiky? What happened?”

“Yes, it was a mighty battle.”
“Whom did you fight with? What did he do to you?”
“He was trying his best to stop me, but I was at my best! He didn’t have a chance”

“But who was he.”
“Myself”

“What? What do you mean? Explain.”
“Get lost bloody. I won’t explain anything to anyone. Get lost.”

He left his roommate bedazzled. He slipped in his room and started laughing loudly on his mind. His roommate could not hear the mockery.

He did this for two days more. On the third day, he could not move from his bed. He was having problem breathing.

“Bad case of pneumonia. Can you take care of him?” the doctor asked the roommate.
“Yes, I can. I mean I have an office to go. But I can take leave,” said the simple roommate.

But he didn’t want to disturb his simple friend. He took his mobile.

“Sir, I am suffering from pneumonia, I can’t move. Can I go to my native? Doctor says I need rest. Please talk to the doctor.”


The boss was concerned, the doctor’s last words were ringing in his ear, “ … he might die if proper care is not taken. At least it will affect the brain.”

The boss hung up. He rang his boss.

“Anyway, he can’t come to the office right? Let him go. Who cares. Don’t involve the office in it. We are running on a tight budget. Can’t take the burden of his treatment.”

His boss rang him up. “I am very sorry to hear that boy. Of course we are concerned. Go to your native. Book the flight now. Hurry. And take care and return when you are fully fit.”

“Thank you sir,” he laughed his trademark one.




Ah!!! His place on earth. Home!!!

“God!!! How you managed to get to such a state? My God! Son, what have you done,” his mother was sobbing.

“If you cry like this now what you will do when I am no more. If you want to see me alive, start doing what you are best at. Put your hands on my forehead. Let me sleep. I am tired.”

And he was fast asleep soon.

God!!!

if aamir khan's "tare zameen par" doesn't get the oscar for 'best foreign film' this year, i will lose my faith on the oscar committee.

aamir, i always wondered who is better, you or tom hanks. after watching forrest gump, i was convinced that hanks was better.

but "tare zameen par" again confused me.

i am so proud you are an Indian!

now you know who is your biggest fan.

you are the BEST. aamir, you are God!

THE AAMIR KHAN!!!

Q

i went to dakshineswar yesterday.

the last time i went there five years back, priyanka was with me. i was unemployed, a happy-go-lucky student. she was also a student, but very worried about her future.

i had a nice wallet, she had a nice purse. both were empty.

we were happy. we were in love.

i don't know if priyanka goes to dakshineswar or not. but, i never did. yesterday mom and dad pestered me to come with them to this famous kaali-temple. i was recovering from pox. and was bored to death staying at home for the last 10 days. i decided to come along with them. dad was driving the car. it's long since i didn't go with him anywhere.

i went to dakshineswar there half-heartedly.

and i was a 23-year old again.

dakshineswar is full of priyanka's fragrance! it was like a time capsule. en route, i crossed uttarpara. my first kiss! right there at the embankment!

shit, i shouldn't have come. all these years i avoided this route.

why didn't i come this way all these years? was i afraid of facing the truth? i was. let it not get published on a public forum. besides, it's of no use.

bengal is a strange place. bongs are a strange race. here people smile when they are poor. they frown when they have money.

it's a strange race. genetically engineered to remain poor all their lives.

i bet, they want to remain poor too. for us bongs, art of living is more important than posh living. you can turn even a scoundrel bong into an artist of his liking, i don't know why, but i have always believed so.

dakshineswar is like a time capsule. traditional india is fast fading. it comes to its true self only in its temples and religious places.

but was i missing priyanka? does she miss me? no, should not be. she has a boyfriend. a nice chap. i am happy for her.

but i really didn't go after any girl after her. i flirt with everyone. loved ... ummm ... may be, none.

she was a weird girl. weird girls always attract me. i found another priyanka in bangalore.
they say when you love someone truely, the other party also has to reciprocate. this girl didn't.
did i love her? must be no. it's very hard to cheat a woman in matters of love. they can see through. i must not have been serious.

besides, priyanka, when we parted, said, "no girl, in her sane mind, can ever love you."
priyanka learnt that after courting me for two years. this girl knew it from the very first go. it's hard to escape a girl's eyes. hmmm ...

we stood on a queue to see the idol. it was a long, serpentile Q.

but there's a shortcut way to see the idol and a sureshot fastrack way to interact with the supreme lady (for vincent: bengal is different than rest of india. others worship mostly Gods, we worship goddesses). i won't write the shortcut here, there's a serious breach. that would be sacrilege. but why i mentioned it here is because P showed it to me first.

and when in that secret corridor, i was interacting with Her, i found someone puling my elbow, just in that old fashioned way. P?

nope, illusion.

my parents and aunt was there in that line. i went back to join them. i always like the ambience of dakshineswar and this is the only Q which i actually enjoy standing.

"what happened? your eyes moist?" asked mom.
"must be the fever. i still didn't recover."
"yaa, you are looking sick."
"yes, i am."

i cried after ... after ... after ... i don't know. i genuinely cried ... may be after 20 years?