Ramblings

Of late it seems to me I have plenty of time on my hands. Classes are rolling off my back with no extra effort on my part – except a presentation here or a quiz there. In short, it seems sometimes that eternity hangs heavy on me.

And so I decided to do what makes sense – make the most of my time, and what better than books. I finally got my hands on the Life of Pi, something that I’d been intending to buy for ages and never got around to doing. Anyway, I’m glad I have it now.

I’m barely 40 pages or so into the book and I don’t think I wanna even keep it down for minute. I’m totally hooked onto it. Reminds me of Gerald Durrell – the books I’d absolutely been brought up on a child. As the descriptions of the Zoo fills my head with sights of places I’ve never been to, my mind can’t but help move into the familiar pictures I’d conjured in my head while reading of Gerry’s antics.

Actually that was what made me pause and wonder once again and marvel at how I’ve changed. There was a time I was so passionate about animals – I just wanted to grow up and work with the likes of People for Animals. And here I am now, in a B-school – childhood dreams peddled for “education” and ‘branding” …

I’d been down to Kolkata for the weekend about a fortnight ago. It was good to be back in a city where everything was you. As the sunshine grew stronger, beat upon my head and then faded gently behind the curtain of clouds, it was like a familiar scene being enacted before me – one that reminded me of childhood days, Kolkata Durga Pujas, the crazy bustle and the beats of the ‘dhak’ … I could smell the coming ‘dhuno’ and taste the ‘puchka’ I always have during the pujo from right across my house.

I wished so hard then that I wouldn’t be all alone in a Kolkata for Pujo – the idea seemed so alien and yet such a real possibility. Pujo has always been a time of frantic shopping at New Market with Dad – who would never do anything till the last minute. Of course, Mom would have taken us to the tailors and have some dresses stitched but the last minute shopping, followed by a roll from Nizam was ritual. And then of course – Pujo was synonymous to Maddox Square and Dima’s house. Cousins, dinners and late nights, eating out, pandal-hopping, staying up late night to watch the ‘bhashaan’ – all seem to have faded away.

And now everything has completely changed – especially now even more. I acutely miss the city – and yet I know it’ll never be the same. But somewhere I also know it’ll always be there in my mind – exactly the way it was!

"Amaar neshaye - Kolkata; Amaar peshaaye - Kolkata;
Rokte amaar alok bataash jaagaye Kolkata"