Shillong has been a great escape always. I’ve regarded Shillong as my second home. Every summer right after the half yearly exams we would pack our bags (…Maa made sure I carry all my holiday home work too) and be away from the maddening heat of Guwahati.
Shillong Aita & Koka were not like my Aita & Koka at home. They were poles apart. The Shillong grand parents made sure I was doubly spoilt and never rebuked me nor encouraged Maa to do that!
Aita was a cuddly little thing! I loved to huddle & burrow close to her. She was an avid paan eater and the smell of the zarda is something that still reminds me of her.
The house in Shillong was quite similar to my house in Guwahati – the basics were similar – the big verandahs, the sitting area near the kitchen which was better to lounge around.
And the best thing about Shillong was perhaps walking on the wooden floor. How much I loved the reverberating sound that it made!
Next to it was the soft quilts. There could be no other place on earth better than Shillong to sleep…. that’s very me & my judgment.
Aita’s house was very nearby the Ward’s Lake. So taking long walks in the Lake, admiring the flowers in full bloom, feeding the fishes… (I still remember there was a big, fat, well sized fish and it was orange in colour.), relishing those noga tengas sprinkled with kola nimak was but natural!
Occasionally my mama would also take me on treks – not really treks but at that age it surely meant a hike to walk down to Golf Links.
And then there were the numerous rounds we did in Police Bazaar. Aita had some particulars shops – Radharani, Floury’s… there was this other old shop quite close to Radharani – I don’t recall the name now – Maa & me despised the very thought of going to that shop. But seemed Aita was quite friendly with everyone in that shop, so she would get all her stuff from that particular shop.
Besides these, Aita had one more favourite hang out zone. And it was the fish & veggie bazaar in the Jail Road! Now there again! Fish! I tagged along with her to this bazaar only because I loved watching those kongs cleaning & cutting the fish with such proficiency and fineness.
Well we also had rounds of social calls to make. Many a times I would invent a “me & my headache” and stay back chatting with Koka. Koka loved steamed corns with a little bit butter and he would prepare that soon after Aita & Maa would leave. We would chat for hours – Koka would tell me stories from books and his personal life and whatever he said was so interesting that I’ve treasured them so long. Or if Mama would be around we’d play ludo and how shamelessly Mama cheated!
Like Guwahati Aiat, even Shillong Aita had a whole bunch of Aitas who’d come for a game or two of cards – RUMMY?? Maa would be out with her friends at times and it was during those moments I’d take out my bald headed dolls.
But the same Shillong trips were different whenever Dity accompanied us. Many a times it has happened that he would take us to the bus terminus and then instead of dropping us there he would drive all the way to Shillong. But when he would be stuck up in Guwahati, he made it a point to join us later. And it would be always a surprise for me. I would be kept under dark about his plans!
With Dity around, I’d find myself in the billiards room of the Shillong club, or munching those lovely club sandwiches at the Golf club or maybe simply run around in the kitchen of Pine Wood!
And there would be the rides to the Elephant Falls, Shillong Peak or back track to Barapani for leisurely picnics.
Didn’t I love to gorge on those mutton singaras from EeeCee? And jalebis & chole bhature from Delhi Mistan. And perhaps buying shoes from Shillong has remained one constant in my life. The designs and shapes and the different heels can leave any shoe crazed mortal like me quite baffled!
If nothing else was there to keep me busy, there was Jimmy & Lama – the two dashing dare devils! Their loyalty could never be questioned as were their laziness! They looked massive and fearless – but it was just their looks. Besides that there wasn’t anything to be afraid of the duo and they made great pals too. They were the two hounds – the local breed of course!
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
The story begins from here…
I wasn’t able to comprehend why people were grief stricken and mourning. Koka rested in his bed, he was motionless and everyone paid their tributes by offering him flowers. Seeing this, I too ran outside and plucked a few flowers. I squirmed through the horde of people who made it quite impossible for me to go near the bed where Koka was resting with his eyes shut. I did manage to approach near Koka and like everyone else I too put the flowers on his body. Seeing this Aita went into hysteria and wept inconsolably. After some hours had passed and as the number of people augmented soon Koka was taken outside. I saw a Pandit chanting some verses and Dity was repeating those. I was more shocked to see Dity not in his usual attire but in dhoti and just sador. Things were happening too fast and too soon and no one seemed to have time for me to explain what was going on. Soon Koka was transferred to a sangi and he was carried away.
Everything happened in such a jiffy that I tried not to get too much into it. I thought once the people wouldleave us alone I’d ask Maa or Dity what actually was happening. But I never got a chance.
All that followed for the rest 15 days made me realize that Koka would never come back again. I could not see him nor talk to him ever. But why? No one had an answer to this.
Dity had shaved his head and the first time I saw him I gave a sharp cry! I didn’t like him this way. I wanted my Dity to be the way he was always – denim clad or in shorts or in kurta pajamas, not someone wearing dhotis and that too with his head shaved!
Soon the mourning days passed over. Things were back to normal –How much I missed my bed! (I had a bed to myself which Koka named it as “xoru khat”. It was basically a type of “charpoy”)
But something went terribly missing from our home. Something snapped. Something went wrong and all of a sudden happiness which was always around, now seemed to come in small packages.
But well, I had another set of Aita & Koka too…. So I knew at least there were people I could bank upon… and every summer I looked eagerly for my one month Shillong vacations….
Everything happened in such a jiffy that I tried not to get too much into it. I thought once the people wouldleave us alone I’d ask Maa or Dity what actually was happening. But I never got a chance.
All that followed for the rest 15 days made me realize that Koka would never come back again. I could not see him nor talk to him ever. But why? No one had an answer to this.
Dity had shaved his head and the first time I saw him I gave a sharp cry! I didn’t like him this way. I wanted my Dity to be the way he was always – denim clad or in shorts or in kurta pajamas, not someone wearing dhotis and that too with his head shaved!
Soon the mourning days passed over. Things were back to normal –How much I missed my bed! (I had a bed to myself which Koka named it as “xoru khat”. It was basically a type of “charpoy”)
But something went terribly missing from our home. Something snapped. Something went wrong and all of a sudden happiness which was always around, now seemed to come in small packages.
But well, I had another set of Aita & Koka too…. So I knew at least there were people I could bank upon… and every summer I looked eagerly for my one month Shillong vacations….
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
...and then it happened one fine day...
Life for me was too good to be true. I had the perfect surroundings… the perfect parents, the perfect grand parents, the perfect home…. And I thought it would go on like this forever.
Koka’s health started deteriorating. I don’t know what ailments he had. But I noticed that he had lost his energy. He would not read voraciously as he used to, he would not get frenzied easily. Most of the time he would sit in the jaali kamra or the verandah. His friends still kept coming. But the chess board was nowhere to be seen. The bridge games were not played. Every time I asked, Maa and Aita would pacify me by saying he is “sick”. Now how sick was sick I failed to decipher at that time.
Koka didn’t like the idea of hospitals and hence there were doctors and nurses round the clock monitoring him. Maa suddenly coined this idea that the doctors who came on their shift wise visits were not only meant for Koka. Those doctors came to check on me too. So there was one doctor who’d make me have bitter syrups if I did not eat my food, then there was this other doctor who’d tell me he’d apply a syringe on me if I did not do my homework. And there was this other doctor too who would be after me to use the syringe as well make me have bitter syrups if I did not behave! These docs! They were no better than Maa & Aita I thought!
Things were getting monotonous and I was a trifle bored.There were so many people coming and going. They took all of Koka’s time. I missed snuggling close to him. I noticed that now he would be in his bed only. He did not come to the jaali kamra nor lounged in the verandah. Deep inside me I wished things would become nice and pleasant again.
It was 10th of August. I was getting ready for school. Soon Maa came in and I was shocked to see that she wasn’t ready as yet! Before I could start repeating the line which she tells me when I laze, she asked me to change my uniform. She also said I need not go to school. This left me bewildered. Maa telling me to wear something else than my uniform and also not to go to school! Such things rarely Maa said.
But how was I to know that I would never see Koka again?
And many things changed forever….
Koka’s health started deteriorating. I don’t know what ailments he had. But I noticed that he had lost his energy. He would not read voraciously as he used to, he would not get frenzied easily. Most of the time he would sit in the jaali kamra or the verandah. His friends still kept coming. But the chess board was nowhere to be seen. The bridge games were not played. Every time I asked, Maa and Aita would pacify me by saying he is “sick”. Now how sick was sick I failed to decipher at that time.
Koka didn’t like the idea of hospitals and hence there were doctors and nurses round the clock monitoring him. Maa suddenly coined this idea that the doctors who came on their shift wise visits were not only meant for Koka. Those doctors came to check on me too. So there was one doctor who’d make me have bitter syrups if I did not eat my food, then there was this other doctor who’d tell me he’d apply a syringe on me if I did not do my homework. And there was this other doctor too who would be after me to use the syringe as well make me have bitter syrups if I did not behave! These docs! They were no better than Maa & Aita I thought!
Things were getting monotonous and I was a trifle bored.There were so many people coming and going. They took all of Koka’s time. I missed snuggling close to him. I noticed that now he would be in his bed only. He did not come to the jaali kamra nor lounged in the verandah. Deep inside me I wished things would become nice and pleasant again.
It was 10th of August. I was getting ready for school. Soon Maa came in and I was shocked to see that she wasn’t ready as yet! Before I could start repeating the line which she tells me when I laze, she asked me to change my uniform. She also said I need not go to school. This left me bewildered. Maa telling me to wear something else than my uniform and also not to go to school! Such things rarely Maa said.
But how was I to know that I would never see Koka again?
And many things changed forever….
My first day in school!
Naah! I don’t recall that. But my early school days have been horrifying to everyone in my family as well as my neighbours!
Baby, my neighbour and I were in the same school. So either Baby’s dad or Dity would take turns to drop us to school.
Getting ready for school was always the busiest time for me & Maa. And making me eat something prior going to school was another big task at hands Maa had. Somehow after nibbling whatever was served (was mostly bread & eggs – coz these two were something I ate without much mess), it was time for me to go to school, leaving Aita, Koka, my dolls, my treasure hunts in the cupboard of the living room. As Dity would switch on the ignition my “nakhras” would start. First I would hesitate to sit in the car and then as Koka & Aita would bid me adieu, I feel bad to leave them alone. After baby would hop in the car it would be my turn. Never was this so easy. I would start with a whimper and this would accelerate soon to state where I would yell that I would not go to school. And if you are wondering what followed with my shrills & cries, you are not wrong if you are remembering the spanks!
But things were not like this from the first day. I really don’t recall my first day. But I knew what a school was like because Maa at times would take me to her school. And hence that is where the problem was. I had a feeling that Maa would be by my side when I go to school. But little did I realize that my school and Maa’s school was different. That Maa would not be with me. This became so harrowing for me that the very thought of going to school made me coil inside my shell!
My class Nursery teacher was Miss Lobo. She has been my favourite teacher till date. Last I met her was some two years back while walking down through Dighalipukhuri. Miss Lobo was so much Maa like. Not look wise, but resembling Maa (be it mine or any others, because all the girls felt Miss Lobo was like their Maas too) because she was lovable, she was caring and at the same time like Maa she took proper care to see whether we ate our lunch.
I don’t know how a year passed and soon from Nursery I was in class KG. My cries and “nakhras” of not going to school also lessened in a year. Now we had Miss Molly as our class teacher. But I missed Miss Lobo lots! So many a times I would be in Class Nursery instead of Class KG!
The one friend who’d still in touch with me since those KG days is Manashi….
…but that’s again another chapter for some other time…………
Baby, my neighbour and I were in the same school. So either Baby’s dad or Dity would take turns to drop us to school.
Getting ready for school was always the busiest time for me & Maa. And making me eat something prior going to school was another big task at hands Maa had. Somehow after nibbling whatever was served (was mostly bread & eggs – coz these two were something I ate without much mess), it was time for me to go to school, leaving Aita, Koka, my dolls, my treasure hunts in the cupboard of the living room. As Dity would switch on the ignition my “nakhras” would start. First I would hesitate to sit in the car and then as Koka & Aita would bid me adieu, I feel bad to leave them alone. After baby would hop in the car it would be my turn. Never was this so easy. I would start with a whimper and this would accelerate soon to state where I would yell that I would not go to school. And if you are wondering what followed with my shrills & cries, you are not wrong if you are remembering the spanks!
But things were not like this from the first day. I really don’t recall my first day. But I knew what a school was like because Maa at times would take me to her school. And hence that is where the problem was. I had a feeling that Maa would be by my side when I go to school. But little did I realize that my school and Maa’s school was different. That Maa would not be with me. This became so harrowing for me that the very thought of going to school made me coil inside my shell!
My class Nursery teacher was Miss Lobo. She has been my favourite teacher till date. Last I met her was some two years back while walking down through Dighalipukhuri. Miss Lobo was so much Maa like. Not look wise, but resembling Maa (be it mine or any others, because all the girls felt Miss Lobo was like their Maas too) because she was lovable, she was caring and at the same time like Maa she took proper care to see whether we ate our lunch.
I don’t know how a year passed and soon from Nursery I was in class KG. My cries and “nakhras” of not going to school also lessened in a year. Now we had Miss Molly as our class teacher. But I missed Miss Lobo lots! So many a times I would be in Class Nursery instead of Class KG!
The one friend who’d still in touch with me since those KG days is Manashi….
…but that’s again another chapter for some other time…………
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Bald headed dolls & assortment of misadventures!
My monkey-ing around just didn’t end in mixing sugar with the chilly pickle! One incident I vividly recall is - I would be left enthralled every time the pressure cooker would go buzz! The steamy fog that swirled along would leave me perplexed. Perhaps one of my fetishes at that time was to try catching the vapour as the whistle blew off the pressure cooker. And so it happened one fine day, that having heard enough of my rants and agonies, Aita lifted me up and said she’ll let me touch the pressure cooker! I was so very happy for a fraction of a second. I felt my prayers were finally answered! It’s only after Aita kept her word and made me touch the wretched pressure cooker that I learnt the first practical lesson of my life – “EVERYTHING THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD”!
It took me three hours on average to finish off my lunch everyday. I would sit for lunch at twelve noon sharp and would be still there biting my food for the next three hours! How bad an eater I was…and even now after all these years I still am! So Aita, Maa or whoever would come to the kitchen to make the afternoon tea would still find me nibbling my food!
Fish is one stuff that has been in my “Things I don’t like” list ever since I can recall. I ate fish either because it had been accompanied by spanks, reprimand, force… and what not!
I finally found an answer to this one day when Bulee (our cat) was purring near me. I bent down and dropped a few morsel of my food and the smart cat gladly ate it. So this did it. From then on, if I was served fish I’d take it without any ranting! And it became routine for Bulee too. She now knew my timings and like an obedient disciple would come under my chair the moment I sat down to eat! This adventure of mine continued for quite sometime. But Maa was not convinced that I took to eating fish. Soon my tactics were unveiled and from that day onwards I wasn’t served fish no matter what! And Bulee too was not very happy to eat the pain “dal & rice” minus the large chunk of fish!
Like fish, the glass of milk has trickled through the kitchen sink and then streaming through the drain instead of going down my esophagus! And even this mischief of mine was exposed one day much to my disappointment. Dity was in the backyard and I don’t know for what reasons. As usual it was my “milk time” and I was in the dining hall alone with the glass of miserable milk staring at me. And straight I went towards the sink and with one skilled maneuver the glass was emptied. I opened the tap to wash away any blob of milk remaining in the sink. Little did I realize that Dity would be just across in the backyard and I was caught red handed of my naughtiness!
So it was flavoured milk that soon followed – be it Bournvita, Chocolate powder, Coffee… but nothing could make me gulp milk….
Finally it was decided that I should not be forced to eat fish and drink milk.
But my folks were staggered out of their wits when they realized that I loved fish bakes and pies, fish fingers (& yea…the tarter sauce!)… And I also loved gorging on “doi and payox”!
So fish in the shape of fish and milk in the form of milk was not appetizing as it was when otherwise.
I had an array of dolls. I loved mothering them. My dolls were my punching bags if truth be told. I used to scold, spank, cuddle, bathe, force them eat fish and gulp milk like the way Maa did to me everyday!
One amazing thing about my dolls was they were all bald! Little did I know that unlike us their tresses would not grow long! I tried different hair styles on my dolls. I went on chopping off their locks and remotely they all looked repulsive after the magic make over I always did!
Nevertheless they were all mine!
It took me three hours on average to finish off my lunch everyday. I would sit for lunch at twelve noon sharp and would be still there biting my food for the next three hours! How bad an eater I was…and even now after all these years I still am! So Aita, Maa or whoever would come to the kitchen to make the afternoon tea would still find me nibbling my food!
Fish is one stuff that has been in my “Things I don’t like” list ever since I can recall. I ate fish either because it had been accompanied by spanks, reprimand, force… and what not!
I finally found an answer to this one day when Bulee (our cat) was purring near me. I bent down and dropped a few morsel of my food and the smart cat gladly ate it. So this did it. From then on, if I was served fish I’d take it without any ranting! And it became routine for Bulee too. She now knew my timings and like an obedient disciple would come under my chair the moment I sat down to eat! This adventure of mine continued for quite sometime. But Maa was not convinced that I took to eating fish. Soon my tactics were unveiled and from that day onwards I wasn’t served fish no matter what! And Bulee too was not very happy to eat the pain “dal & rice” minus the large chunk of fish!
Like fish, the glass of milk has trickled through the kitchen sink and then streaming through the drain instead of going down my esophagus! And even this mischief of mine was exposed one day much to my disappointment. Dity was in the backyard and I don’t know for what reasons. As usual it was my “milk time” and I was in the dining hall alone with the glass of miserable milk staring at me. And straight I went towards the sink and with one skilled maneuver the glass was emptied. I opened the tap to wash away any blob of milk remaining in the sink. Little did I realize that Dity would be just across in the backyard and I was caught red handed of my naughtiness!
So it was flavoured milk that soon followed – be it Bournvita, Chocolate powder, Coffee… but nothing could make me gulp milk….
Finally it was decided that I should not be forced to eat fish and drink milk.
But my folks were staggered out of their wits when they realized that I loved fish bakes and pies, fish fingers (& yea…the tarter sauce!)… And I also loved gorging on “doi and payox”!
So fish in the shape of fish and milk in the form of milk was not appetizing as it was when otherwise.
I had an array of dolls. I loved mothering them. My dolls were my punching bags if truth be told. I used to scold, spank, cuddle, bathe, force them eat fish and gulp milk like the way Maa did to me everyday!
One amazing thing about my dolls was they were all bald! Little did I know that unlike us their tresses would not grow long! I tried different hair styles on my dolls. I went on chopping off their locks and remotely they all looked repulsive after the magic make over I always did!
Nevertheless they were all mine!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Sibling Rivalry
Growing up with cousins is great fun…eerr… if the catastrophes are to be kept under wraps. We as cousins were very close. We were friends first and cousins later. Niki, Vicky, Abhimanyu, Annu & me – made quite a team. We didn’t require other friends those days. We would meet so often, basically everyone would camp at ours. Aita was the baby siter. Niki was the eldest, followed by Vicky and then Abhi a year younger, then it was me two years younger and finally it was Annu another two years below me. Now, Annu had to be included in each and every game of our or else she would never let live anyone else in peace! So though Annu was basically included in all our games, most of the time she was left to the bits and pieces only!
It was the vacation time we enjoyed the most. Vacations meant a lot of fun. Our time table went something like this –
We would wake up in the morning by seven. We were served milk and because I was averse to drinking it, I’d always pour it in Niki’s or Abhi’s glass! Then it was our study time. The only one hitch we had was Maa’s vacation coincided with ours. So we five would be in the dining area where Aita & Maa would make us do our holiday homework, give us surprise test and dictations! This followed up-till breakfast. Soon after breakfast we were left to our own devises. It was one moment we always waited enthusiastically. Evenings Dity would take the five of us for drives. That was another high point of our other wise “mundane” lives!
Around this time of our vacation there would be one more cousins of ours who’d come to join us and we were usually reluctant to make her a part of our gang! Nirmali! She was the “apple” of Aita’s eyes! She stood always first in class, she was never monstrous like us, she would look too much immature for her age (she was same age as Vicky)…and for us she was too damn sweet. But nevertheless she was a part of us. But what we hated about her was no matter how much she would be a partner in our crimes she always got a fair deal! The reason because she always “stood first in class”! Many a times we have done things to make her life hell!
It was Abhi and me together who took the first puff! We asked Annu to steal a cig from Dity’s pack. Annu instead of just one cig marrowed the entire packet! She thought we might ask her repeatedly and so she stole the entire pack and would give us one after another as and when we ask!
I recall those times of our lives with so much fondness; it’s not easy to put across. Our dosage of fun was pure and undiluted. We didn’t have distractions like video games, play stations, mobile phones and also the television didn’t have so much to offer either!
I am talking about the early eighties – been a long long time!
Who’s where –
Majoni ba is a doc – residing in Boston – married & has a kid too
Vicky – shuttles between US & New Delhi often- got married recently.
It was the vacation time we enjoyed the most. Vacations meant a lot of fun. Our time table went something like this –
We would wake up in the morning by seven. We were served milk and because I was averse to drinking it, I’d always pour it in Niki’s or Abhi’s glass! Then it was our study time. The only one hitch we had was Maa’s vacation coincided with ours. So we five would be in the dining area where Aita & Maa would make us do our holiday homework, give us surprise test and dictations! This followed up-till breakfast. Soon after breakfast we were left to our own devises. It was one moment we always waited enthusiastically. Evenings Dity would take the five of us for drives. That was another high point of our other wise “mundane” lives!
Around this time of our vacation there would be one more cousins of ours who’d come to join us and we were usually reluctant to make her a part of our gang! Nirmali! She was the “apple” of Aita’s eyes! She stood always first in class, she was never monstrous like us, she would look too much immature for her age (she was same age as Vicky)…and for us she was too damn sweet. But nevertheless she was a part of us. But what we hated about her was no matter how much she would be a partner in our crimes she always got a fair deal! The reason because she always “stood first in class”! Many a times we have done things to make her life hell!
It was Abhi and me together who took the first puff! We asked Annu to steal a cig from Dity’s pack. Annu instead of just one cig marrowed the entire packet! She thought we might ask her repeatedly and so she stole the entire pack and would give us one after another as and when we ask!
I recall those times of our lives with so much fondness; it’s not easy to put across. Our dosage of fun was pure and undiluted. We didn’t have distractions like video games, play stations, mobile phones and also the television didn’t have so much to offer either!
I am talking about the early eighties – been a long long time!
Who’s where –
Majoni ba is a doc – residing in Boston – married & has a kid too
Vicky – shuttles between US & New Delhi often- got married recently.
Abhi is in Merchant Navy - nine months on the ship & 3 months home... married & has a one month old daughter now.
Annu is a physiotherapist – now in London – would prefer a live-in than a marriage.
Nirmali is in Dubai – she’s a doc too… & she’s still the same…., is married with a kid.
Niki is in Guwahati & we are at logger heads!
Annu is a physiotherapist – now in London – would prefer a live-in than a marriage.
Nirmali is in Dubai – she’s a doc too… & she’s still the same…., is married with a kid.
Niki is in Guwahati & we are at logger heads!
Monkey Business!
I was a wild child as far as I recall. And Koka & Dity left nothing unturned to spoil me even more. Both were of the opinion that raising a child should be with utmost love and care and not with the cane! Aita & Maa too agreed with it. But at the rate of my mischief it was the cane Maa always took as the final recourse!
Maa was a teacher. So I was left with Aita & Koka the whole day. I would snuggle up to Koka when he’d be reading the Reader’s Digest and keep asking one thing or the other and the old man would patiently reply to all my queries. I also would take magnets – I don’t know why he took magnets below his ear lobes… on his knees and palms but I love the magnets. Since I was not allowed to play with those I settled humbly by taking a therapy like Koka!
But Aita would not be like this. At times she would run out of patience and then she’d threaten me to either “behave” or “spank”! But she never did spank me once. She’d keep a track of all my mischief and when Maa would return home Aita would tell her all about my misdeeds!
My mischiefs were wide and varied. Sometimes I’d mix turmeric powder with the tea leaves – since the tea leaves looked so black I thought yellow would do some good! I’d sneak out of the house and run around in the compound when actually Aita would force me to sleep. Many a times I have fallen in dirty drains and Srikant would lift me up out of sheer disgust from there!
Maa would listen to all this and then would look at me sternly. She didn’t have to ask anything. Her looks frightened me enough for me to confess that “I DID”!
Maa, I knew would get mad listening to all my misadventures. At times she’d leave me with a warning or two and at times things would be worse. I would listen to her with my head bowed down. When she would be finished, I would get out of the room, run hurriedly through the corridor and look around for Koka. Wherever he would be, I’d rush to him and when asked “ki hol majoni?” … well … it’s the point when hell freezes over! My cry would be more than a cry… ! I’d explain him my sorry state and how Maa & Aita team up always to make my life miserable! Koka would cajole me and make me sit on his lap and then call Maa and lecture her about how much wrong she did! When Maa tried explaining about my monkey business he’d never buy a word of it!
Maa & Aita were quite at loss! After a lot of introspection and brooding over, Aita came up with this grand idea that I should be spanked only once a week i.e every Saturday! Since Maa had Saturdays off, she could make up for all the spanks which was due on me for the rest of the week too!
Aita somehow managed to get a thin and sleek cane for this purpose. And well! I was not the only one. I realized that she made two more similar slender canes. One would be sent to my youngest jethai, Ruby who stayed in the Air Force station near airport for Abhi & Annu and the other was sent to Purobi jethai meant for Niki & Vicky!
We were all little monsters! When we got together the whole house would turn into a boxing dome! Besides the five of us we had two more cousins. One was Majoni baa, who’s very senior than us, so she was never game with our ploys… and we were okay with this arrangement coz she was so nice to us monsters!
And there she was – we five hated her all the more when we realized that Aita had never sent a cane for her!
Maa was a teacher. So I was left with Aita & Koka the whole day. I would snuggle up to Koka when he’d be reading the Reader’s Digest and keep asking one thing or the other and the old man would patiently reply to all my queries. I also would take magnets – I don’t know why he took magnets below his ear lobes… on his knees and palms but I love the magnets. Since I was not allowed to play with those I settled humbly by taking a therapy like Koka!
But Aita would not be like this. At times she would run out of patience and then she’d threaten me to either “behave” or “spank”! But she never did spank me once. She’d keep a track of all my mischief and when Maa would return home Aita would tell her all about my misdeeds!
My mischiefs were wide and varied. Sometimes I’d mix turmeric powder with the tea leaves – since the tea leaves looked so black I thought yellow would do some good! I’d sneak out of the house and run around in the compound when actually Aita would force me to sleep. Many a times I have fallen in dirty drains and Srikant would lift me up out of sheer disgust from there!
Maa would listen to all this and then would look at me sternly. She didn’t have to ask anything. Her looks frightened me enough for me to confess that “I DID”!
Maa, I knew would get mad listening to all my misadventures. At times she’d leave me with a warning or two and at times things would be worse. I would listen to her with my head bowed down. When she would be finished, I would get out of the room, run hurriedly through the corridor and look around for Koka. Wherever he would be, I’d rush to him and when asked “ki hol majoni?” … well … it’s the point when hell freezes over! My cry would be more than a cry… ! I’d explain him my sorry state and how Maa & Aita team up always to make my life miserable! Koka would cajole me and make me sit on his lap and then call Maa and lecture her about how much wrong she did! When Maa tried explaining about my monkey business he’d never buy a word of it!
Maa & Aita were quite at loss! After a lot of introspection and brooding over, Aita came up with this grand idea that I should be spanked only once a week i.e every Saturday! Since Maa had Saturdays off, she could make up for all the spanks which was due on me for the rest of the week too!
Aita somehow managed to get a thin and sleek cane for this purpose. And well! I was not the only one. I realized that she made two more similar slender canes. One would be sent to my youngest jethai, Ruby who stayed in the Air Force station near airport for Abhi & Annu and the other was sent to Purobi jethai meant for Niki & Vicky!
We were all little monsters! When we got together the whole house would turn into a boxing dome! Besides the five of us we had two more cousins. One was Majoni baa, who’s very senior than us, so she was never game with our ploys… and we were okay with this arrangement coz she was so nice to us monsters!
And there she was – we five hated her all the more when we realized that Aita had never sent a cane for her!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
It used to be my playground!
My earliest recollections go back to the days when everything seemed fun, joyous and blissful minus the pain. Everything around me appeared dazzling. And I enjoyed every moment of it.
Ours was a big house. It was an Assam type house, with the touch of aristocracy. The verandahs were big enough for me to roller skate. The corridors seemed like tunnels. My favourite zone was the living space which ran parallel to the drawing room and was separated by a wall with a glass door which I used as a canvas and muddled it with crayons! And adjacent to it was the huge kitchen cum dining area. This living space was a make shift kind of room transformed form a verandah. In one corner was the strong wooden table kept permanently to iron clothes. Next to it was an old cupboard where there were numerous books, my Dity’s sports trophies, old magazines and all the junk which was my favourite treasure hunt.
This was perhaps the most lived in space of the entire house. Everyone who came would walk through the long corridors passing through the bedrooms and would automatically take the left turn to reach this living room. The old arm chairs, the cane sofa with its lopsided cushions were more comfortable than sitting in the drawing room. The living room would be full of people. Either there were Koka’s friends – Khela Koka (Koka chess partner)… the group of another two stylish Aitas & one Koka who’d come everyday except for Thursdays and Saturdays for a game of bridge in the late afternoons. Or there would be the innumerable friends of Maa and Dity lounging there… or there would be Aita’s gang of Aitas – either gossiping or exchanging recipes or better sometimes Hemi (the girl who baby sat me) eavesdropping all this and much more all the while ironing clothes!
This sit up area was more so like a jaali –kamra. It had windows with netted frames all over. The jaali karma didn’t have a ceiling fan. The thought never came to anyone while converting the verandah to a room. And being fixed with netted window frames the room was quite breezy all throughout. My favourite besides the junk filled cupboard was sitting on the stair of the door which led further to the kitchen garden. Aita was an avid gardener. We grew everything at this kitchen garden with a few exceptions like salt, oil and rice! I loved sitting on this stair and gazing to the vegetable garden. I loved to see the greenery and the different shapes and sizes of the vegetables.
Srikant was Aita’s Man-Friday. He would look after the veggies in the backyard and flowers in the front yard, mow the lawn, trim the hedges with utmost care and diligence. And it was watering the plants which gave me some sort of joy. Srikant would never let me water the plants. He treated the plants like his own kids, what if I poured more than the required amount? But I loved watering plants. So everyday it took quite a dose of emotional blackmailing for Srikant to finally give me the hose-pipe!
Every winter Srikant would make a bed for me too and would ask me to plants peas, carrots, tomatoes and cabbage. That would be my guarded zone and I hated anyone messing up with those!
Ours was a big house. It was an Assam type house, with the touch of aristocracy. The verandahs were big enough for me to roller skate. The corridors seemed like tunnels. My favourite zone was the living space which ran parallel to the drawing room and was separated by a wall with a glass door which I used as a canvas and muddled it with crayons! And adjacent to it was the huge kitchen cum dining area. This living space was a make shift kind of room transformed form a verandah. In one corner was the strong wooden table kept permanently to iron clothes. Next to it was an old cupboard where there were numerous books, my Dity’s sports trophies, old magazines and all the junk which was my favourite treasure hunt.
This was perhaps the most lived in space of the entire house. Everyone who came would walk through the long corridors passing through the bedrooms and would automatically take the left turn to reach this living room. The old arm chairs, the cane sofa with its lopsided cushions were more comfortable than sitting in the drawing room. The living room would be full of people. Either there were Koka’s friends – Khela Koka (Koka chess partner)… the group of another two stylish Aitas & one Koka who’d come everyday except for Thursdays and Saturdays for a game of bridge in the late afternoons. Or there would be the innumerable friends of Maa and Dity lounging there… or there would be Aita’s gang of Aitas – either gossiping or exchanging recipes or better sometimes Hemi (the girl who baby sat me) eavesdropping all this and much more all the while ironing clothes!
This sit up area was more so like a jaali –kamra. It had windows with netted frames all over. The jaali karma didn’t have a ceiling fan. The thought never came to anyone while converting the verandah to a room. And being fixed with netted window frames the room was quite breezy all throughout. My favourite besides the junk filled cupboard was sitting on the stair of the door which led further to the kitchen garden. Aita was an avid gardener. We grew everything at this kitchen garden with a few exceptions like salt, oil and rice! I loved sitting on this stair and gazing to the vegetable garden. I loved to see the greenery and the different shapes and sizes of the vegetables.
Srikant was Aita’s Man-Friday. He would look after the veggies in the backyard and flowers in the front yard, mow the lawn, trim the hedges with utmost care and diligence. And it was watering the plants which gave me some sort of joy. Srikant would never let me water the plants. He treated the plants like his own kids, what if I poured more than the required amount? But I loved watering plants. So everyday it took quite a dose of emotional blackmailing for Srikant to finally give me the hose-pipe!
Every winter Srikant would make a bed for me too and would ask me to plants peas, carrots, tomatoes and cabbage. That would be my guarded zone and I hated anyone messing up with those!
I grew up amidst these simpler things of life. Yet everyday was never monotony. TV was unheard of. I vividly remember listening to the All India Radio every afternoon, when Aita & I would have our afternoon siesta. On very hot days we would lay a straw mat in the corridor, put the radio just above our heads. Aita would snooze within minutes but sleep never was easy to me. My mind wandered about in the gardens, to run after the butterflies, to poke around the cauliflowers, to pluck a few bogories or go and explore that cupboard again!
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Day One
February 7th 1976. I was born precisely at 8.50 a.m. My birth has been significant to my immediate folks in one way or the other. Their personal experiences and stories gyrating at the time of my birth has been repeated time and again, so much so I can actually see how things could have been, how things were...
I was born premature. Nobody expected me to arrive on the 7th of Feb. Not even Maa in whose womb I was sheltered from the outside world. Aita & Koka were to catch the Indian Airlines flight to Calcutta on that day. The flight was early in the morning. It was Koka's usual check up time. So on the 6th evening they were having a quite close family time. Aita giving Maa handy hints how to take care of herslef when Aita would be not around. Aita also warned Maa to keep a check on Dity and his late nights.
I was born premature. Nobody expected me to arrive on the 7th of Feb. Not even Maa in whose womb I was sheltered from the outside world. Aita & Koka were to catch the Indian Airlines flight to Calcutta on that day. The flight was early in the morning. It was Koka's usual check up time. So on the 6th evening they were having a quite close family time. Aita giving Maa handy hints how to take care of herslef when Aita would be not around. Aita also warned Maa to keep a check on Dity and his late nights.
Dity being the only son was a thorough spoilt brat. Koka loved him a lot. Anyways he would, but as far as I felt, the love which Koka had for his son was more than usual. Dity was Koka's expectaion, his anticipation... Dity was the one Koka thought would paint his unfinished canvas.
It was in the wee hours of the 7th morning that Maa went into labour and she had to be rushed to the Hospital immediately. Aita and Koka immediately cancelled their trip and instead went to the Hospital in Panbazar. Purobi jethai and Mukti Bhindeo jethpaha, both being Gynecologist rushed to the hospital soon. (Guwahati at that time had only one hospital). Maa was rushed inside the operation/labour room.... conditions were deteriorating with Maa. Purobi jethai came out and told Dity that. She also added with caution, "Its either the mother or the baby we can save". I don't what was Dity's expression during that moment. But being his daughter I am sure for a moment or two he was left frozen. Dity actually had asked Purobi jethai to save Maa. And I have no qualms about it now!
But then as the old axiom goes - All that's well, ends well.... All's well that ends well... whatever... it be... Maa was out of danger and even I was able to make it to this world....
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