“The sun went down and so did I. Night came again. Why again those haunting thoughts, those shattered dreams, those midnight screams...”
A shrill cry of the hyena woke me up and reminded me of my loneliness. When my eyes opened, the stars glistened in a distant sky. Here, I lay under a banyan tree by the side of the holy Ganges, whose water just flowed by in the stillness of the night.
A blasphemous wave hit the rock, trying to breach the boundary; the same gurgling sound. Not a blemish on the rock.
“These ripples live only to die,” I thought, as memories of the day flooded back to me.
*********
It was the last day of the Pujas – the nine day ceremony of worshipping Goddess Durga. Magic floated in the air as Kolkata drunk itself with joy.
“No Raag, I can’t love you. You know I am married. Our society does not allow this.”
“Why not Sheetal? I love you, and I know you love me too. Why must the society decide what's right...”
The drums had begun and my words got lost in the loud beats that rose to a crescendo just then. Sheetal walked away and did not look back.
*********
“Ah, the same beats, the same drums.”
A crowd had gathered at some distance. They had come to immerse the Goddess. For nine days they had worshipped her, decorated her, celebrated her, and now they would sink her in the water, for her earthen body to simply melt away.
Loudly, they chanted – Asche bochor aabar hobe – Next year, again.
Another wave hit the rock; the same gurgling sound, again. Not a blemish on the rock, still.
“If only to die, these ripples must live,” I thought as I got up to go back home.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Our first marriage anniversary
For those who have forgotten (and really I don’t blame anyone here, I am pretty bad at remember dates myself), Deepika and I celebrated our first marriage anniversary yesterday. Those who tried contacting us and couldn’t, I am sorry.
We were “out of coverage area” for most part of the day. I woke up at 5:30 am (before Deepika for the first time in last one year, I suppose). Deepika had already prepared on the night before the food for the day (some Puris and sabzi and Dahi Vada), some of which we heated in our newly acquired microwave oven (now you know!) and left home around 7 am. We went for a long (120 odd kms) drive to a place called Shivanasamudram. Deepika drove on the way for about half an hour. There are two waterfalls here – Gaganchukki and Barachukki. We bathed and swam in Barachukki, which was safe for swimming (bathing in Deepika’s case), though some part of the lake on near the waterfall was almost 200ft deep. At least that’s what the boatman told us. He took us around that lake in his circular boat (remember Dil Hai Choota Sa in Roja) and even did a spin in the middle of the lake. In the evening we went to another place nearby – Talakkadu. They have excavated some temples at here and have an interesting tale about its history (maybe in another post!). Later again, we went for boating in one of those round boats in still waters of Cauvery (I think) in the orange glow of a setting sun. The journey back was again through some jungles and we stopped by at several places just to see the clear sky so full of stars. We reached back home at about 10 in the night, yet neither of us could say that we were tired. On the whole, this last one year has been just like our journey yesterday – smooth and beautiful. I hope it continues that way for me (and for everyone else).
We were “out of coverage area” for most part of the day. I woke up at 5:30 am (before Deepika for the first time in last one year, I suppose). Deepika had already prepared on the night before the food for the day (some Puris and sabzi and Dahi Vada), some of which we heated in our newly acquired microwave oven (now you know!) and left home around 7 am. We went for a long (120 odd kms) drive to a place called Shivanasamudram. Deepika drove on the way for about half an hour. There are two waterfalls here – Gaganchukki and Barachukki. We bathed and swam in Barachukki, which was safe for swimming (bathing in Deepika’s case), though some part of the lake on near the waterfall was almost 200ft deep. At least that’s what the boatman told us. He took us around that lake in his circular boat (remember Dil Hai Choota Sa in Roja) and even did a spin in the middle of the lake. In the evening we went to another place nearby – Talakkadu. They have excavated some temples at here and have an interesting tale about its history (maybe in another post!). Later again, we went for boating in one of those round boats in still waters of Cauvery (I think) in the orange glow of a setting sun. The journey back was again through some jungles and we stopped by at several places just to see the clear sky so full of stars. We reached back home at about 10 in the night, yet neither of us could say that we were tired. On the whole, this last one year has been just like our journey yesterday – smooth and beautiful. I hope it continues that way for me (and for everyone else).
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Happy New Year
A friend sent me this story with new year wishes.
As a little child was walking on the beach, she noticed thousands of star fish finding it difficult to get back to water after being washed ashore by the rough seas. In a moment of inspiration, she started to collect as many star fish as possible in her tiny hands to throw them back into water. She was doing this for some time when an elderly gentleman who was noticing her came up and asked her. "It is nice to see what you are doing. But there are thousands of star fish dying here. What difference does it make?" The little girl looked at the gentleman in the eye, pointed to the star fish in her hand and told him "to this star fish, it makes a difference".
Wishing you all a fulfilling and joyous new year!
As a little child was walking on the beach, she noticed thousands of star fish finding it difficult to get back to water after being washed ashore by the rough seas. In a moment of inspiration, she started to collect as many star fish as possible in her tiny hands to throw them back into water. She was doing this for some time when an elderly gentleman who was noticing her came up and asked her. "It is nice to see what you are doing. But there are thousands of star fish dying here. What difference does it make?" The little girl looked at the gentleman in the eye, pointed to the star fish in her hand and told him "to this star fish, it makes a difference".
Wishing you all a fulfilling and joyous new year!
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