It is very unusual in Kolkata to see men,women and children flock the roads at midnight. It is also odd to see shops open at midnight,selling their wares with the same fervor as they would during any other time of the day. The narrow lanes too are overflowing with people.The whole environment is electric.
Teenage girls and married women switch from one shop to another to find an accessory of their choice. Matching their shoes and earrings with their pied dresses they haggle with the shopkeepers on the price. The babies, not to be left behind, cry and scream at the top of their voice. Groups of teenagers huddle around each other.Their attention is more on the girls than the beautiful merchandise being sold on the street. This goes on till the wee hours of the morning.The crowd begins to wane as the clock heralds the beginning of a new dawn.
The street is almost deserted as the first rays of the sun pierces through the clouds.Out of nowhere, a bare footed child scampers across the street shouting,"Hurray!! Its Eid".
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Going...Going.....Gone
Everyone around me was going......taking quick steps out of the safety of their mother's arm and cosy homes. I waited for my turn to come. All my friends with whom I had become attached in the past four years of college life,were leaving with one by one. Soon all of them were gone,leaving me alone.I felt angry and cursed the company for not calling me early.
After everyone was gone,my call came.My heart beat at a rapid pace as the company's number flashed on my mobile.The world around me changed.People came to meet me and congratulate me.Everyone bought gifts for me. They advised me on what to do and what not to do.Regular visits to the market marked the preparation.
As the d-day came nearer,my heart did a U turn.I wanted to stay a few more days in the safe and protective custody of my parents.Time began to run faster with each passing day.I wanted to stay in my home.My mind was at war with my heart.My mind won.My heart wept.I had to leave like my other friends.The train hooted and soon I was gone.
After everyone was gone,my call came.My heart beat at a rapid pace as the company's number flashed on my mobile.The world around me changed.People came to meet me and congratulate me.Everyone bought gifts for me. They advised me on what to do and what not to do.Regular visits to the market marked the preparation.
As the d-day came nearer,my heart did a U turn.I wanted to stay a few more days in the safe and protective custody of my parents.Time began to run faster with each passing day.I wanted to stay in my home.My mind was at war with my heart.My mind won.My heart wept.I had to leave like my other friends.The train hooted and soon I was gone.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
The Excursion
It was the end of second year in college that we decided to arrange an excursion to get some practical experience.Two years of grueling theory classes had made us bored.It was a friend who arranged the trip to Patratu, a thermal power plant in the vicinity of Ranchi in Jharkhand.
The thought of living with friends for a whole month excited us.No one in our motley group had lived with friends for this long a time.On the designated day we boarded the train to our destination.It seemed as if a group of school kids were on a picnic.Each of us had bought in a small potli of eatables.A one night journey took us to Ranchi from where we hired a jeep to Patratu.
The jeep snaked its way through two hills giving us breath taking view of the thermal plant and the surrounding population.It was a pity no one had their cameras ready.The pristine air with the raw smell of earth wafted around us and soon we found ourselves humming to the tunes of 'Mere Desh ko dharti' from the famous movie,Upkar.In a matter of three hours we reached our boarding in the plant site.
The first day was spend trying to clean up the flat which we were given to stay for a month.A hard day's work left the rooms spanking.We ate an early dinner and retired for the night.The next day bought with it the excitement of visiting a real power plant which till now,we had seen only in text books.The plant was a fifteen minute walk from our aboard.
As we entered through the huge gates of the Patratu Thermal Power Plant, we looked in awe at the huge chimneys bellowing out smoke into the clear sky.We met the director who assigned us a teacher who would teach us the working of the plant.He took us to a big classroom and started sketching text book drawings on the blackboard.This reminded us of our college from where we had come here for a break from the mundane classes.The next day,however,we were the spared the monotony of the lecture when one us rose up and said that we wanted to see the 'real thing'.The teacher got the cue that we were least interested in his text book service and immediately handed us to a rather aged man who he said was the oldest member working in the plant.
The next few days were spend trying to correlate what we read in books and what we were actually seeing.We soon found them to be very different.A hard day's work at the power plant followed by an early dinner left us with little time to do anything else.Very soon we became tired of this and rushed through the rest of the training,finishing it ten days before schedule.
Now that we had ten days to spare we started looking for new avenues to entertain ourselves.To our amazement we found that there was not single movie theatre in the town.
The quaint town was dotted with hills and hillocks.One of our friends mooted the idea of climbing the tallest hill.Though many of us was opposed to the idea,he managed to coax three of us including me.The climb was nice and smooth till the first few metres but it soon turned to mounds of rocks with spiny plants.All of us got cuts and bruises all over our hands and legs.The climb became tougher every step.Finally we managed to get to the top which offered a panoramic view of the town.On our way down we lost our way and reached another village on the other side of the hill.Luckily, we had our mobile phones with us and so we informed our other friends that we will be late and told them not to worry.
We spend the rest of the days lazying around the house and meeting people around us.All of them were very interested on what we were doing there.10 days later we were on the train heading back to our sweet homes,loaded with memories.
The thought of living with friends for a whole month excited us.No one in our motley group had lived with friends for this long a time.On the designated day we boarded the train to our destination.It seemed as if a group of school kids were on a picnic.Each of us had bought in a small potli of eatables.A one night journey took us to Ranchi from where we hired a jeep to Patratu.
The jeep snaked its way through two hills giving us breath taking view of the thermal plant and the surrounding population.It was a pity no one had their cameras ready.The pristine air with the raw smell of earth wafted around us and soon we found ourselves humming to the tunes of 'Mere Desh ko dharti' from the famous movie,Upkar.In a matter of three hours we reached our boarding in the plant site.
The first day was spend trying to clean up the flat which we were given to stay for a month.A hard day's work left the rooms spanking.We ate an early dinner and retired for the night.The next day bought with it the excitement of visiting a real power plant which till now,we had seen only in text books.The plant was a fifteen minute walk from our aboard.
As we entered through the huge gates of the Patratu Thermal Power Plant, we looked in awe at the huge chimneys bellowing out smoke into the clear sky.We met the director who assigned us a teacher who would teach us the working of the plant.He took us to a big classroom and started sketching text book drawings on the blackboard.This reminded us of our college from where we had come here for a break from the mundane classes.The next day,however,we were the spared the monotony of the lecture when one us rose up and said that we wanted to see the 'real thing'.The teacher got the cue that we were least interested in his text book service and immediately handed us to a rather aged man who he said was the oldest member working in the plant.
The next few days were spend trying to correlate what we read in books and what we were actually seeing.We soon found them to be very different.A hard day's work at the power plant followed by an early dinner left us with little time to do anything else.Very soon we became tired of this and rushed through the rest of the training,finishing it ten days before schedule.
Now that we had ten days to spare we started looking for new avenues to entertain ourselves.To our amazement we found that there was not single movie theatre in the town.
The quaint town was dotted with hills and hillocks.One of our friends mooted the idea of climbing the tallest hill.Though many of us was opposed to the idea,he managed to coax three of us including me.The climb was nice and smooth till the first few metres but it soon turned to mounds of rocks with spiny plants.All of us got cuts and bruises all over our hands and legs.The climb became tougher every step.Finally we managed to get to the top which offered a panoramic view of the town.On our way down we lost our way and reached another village on the other side of the hill.Luckily, we had our mobile phones with us and so we informed our other friends that we will be late and told them not to worry.
We spend the rest of the days lazying around the house and meeting people around us.All of them were very interested on what we were doing there.10 days later we were on the train heading back to our sweet homes,loaded with memories.
Friday, October 5, 2007
From memories to dreams
College life has finally finished.These four years have been full of fun for me.Now that it has finished,it has given me loads of time to spend thinking what I will do in future.Big dreams gather in my head only to be blown away by even bigger dreams.
In my quest to achieve these myriad dreams,I should not forget my dear friends who have always stood by me.Perhaps my mind is now clogged......It is thinking of so many things all at the same time.It sways from memories to dreams.
My mind goes back to the first day in college where we, the first years, were "caught" and told to do inexplicable stupid things.It was a common sight to see a high school pass-out on a mission to propose a girl,to wear mismatched clothes and to run small errands for their seniors.I too was made to mug up gibberish nonsense and vomit it out it front of the whole class.Nonetheless,it was a good experience.
It was here that I met people.Some I liked and some I hated.Nevertheless, I talked to all of them.It was here that I met people who became my second "souls".Living apart from them for even a day made me feel miserable and sad.
In my quest to achieve these myriad dreams,I should not forget my dear friends who have always stood by me.Perhaps my mind is now clogged......It is thinking of so many things all at the same time.It sways from memories to dreams.
My mind goes back to the first day in college where we, the first years, were "caught" and told to do inexplicable stupid things.It was a common sight to see a high school pass-out on a mission to propose a girl,to wear mismatched clothes and to run small errands for their seniors.I too was made to mug up gibberish nonsense and vomit it out it front of the whole class.Nonetheless,it was a good experience.
It was here that I met people.Some I liked and some I hated.Nevertheless, I talked to all of them.It was here that I met people who became my second "souls".Living apart from them for even a day made me feel miserable and sad.
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