Ghost story: You killed me

Chapter 10
My world has changed​

"Oh my God!" I cried as loud as I could. By that time, I heard the sound some steps rushing upwards. They were our neighbours, who heard the sound of Sona's screaming. By fate or by design I didn't know, the electricity connection was restored. There were two more neighbours other than Sona's mother. Her father was at that moment in his shop. All of us were shuddered by the sight we just saw.

It was nothing but the deja vu of what I saw 3 years ago. The body of Sona seemed to have been torn by some sharp weapon, and she was lying in a pool of blood. The room was suddenly filled with loud cries of Sona's mother. She took me by the collar of my shirt, and yelled, " You have killed my daughter, you monster! Tell me what wrong she did to you?"

I was as helpless as a convict of gallows. Who would believe me that I had no hand in the cruel death of Sona?

Some more people had come upstairs. Agitated by her hysterical cries, many people of the crowd became highly suspicious of my hands in her murder. They were looking at me with disdain. An older woman shouted, "Did you kill her? Why?"

Looking at the sombre but highly aggressive grimaces of the crowd, a shiver went down my spine. I explained my position without any delay. I didn't take more than 5 minutes to describe the entire situation in detail. The disturbing clamour took a lull for while. They looked at each other with an expression of astonishment. Probably, the firmness of my voice was good enough to make them rethink me as the oppresssor. Suddenly, Mrs Biswas, the wife of the PDO, took notice of the bump that I got on my forehead. She made others look into that. I realized that the people began to change their opinion.

Within half an hour the police from the local police station arrived. They took control of the situation. Being the joint BDO of the block, I got the required respect that I deserved. Very soon, they came to the conclusion that I had no hand, whatsoever, in the entire ghastly episode. That might have taken the threat of noose from me, but I could not avert the speculation of people, who spread many rumours.

Some said that mine was the case of Dr Jackyll and Mr Hyde. I remained normal under the light, sunlight or artificial, but became a deadly monster in darkness. I heard a rumour that I raped Sona, and then strangulated her. Even the office was not spared from the nonstop rumour mill. I could notice that the young female office staff began to avoid me. They were often using insulting innuendos.

Very soon, it became impossible for me to tolerate all kinds of nasty rumours. I took a long leave, and requested for immediate special transfer. Fortunately, they heeded my plea, and transferred me to Amdanga in North 24 Parganas. My parents were extremely worried about me, and they thought a marriage would bring happiness to my life. They floated the proposal to me, but I was not mentally very stable at that moment.

Initially, I thought that the rumours were killing me from inside. But in Amdanga, I realised that it had nothing to do with the rumours. Whenever I closed my eyes, the scenes of those two ghastly killings popped up in front of my eyes, and I shuddered in fear. My age-old beliefs began to crumble, and that was very agonising. How could I believe in a ghost? Since childhood I believed that ghost or God didn't exist.

But, I could give no rational explanations to both the killings. First Sara and then Sona, the same type of murders; the supernatural existence of the foul smell, the absence of the murderer, and the appearance of some mysterious creatures (though not seen by me) were all beyond my comprehension.

Another mind-boggling point was that the evil-entity, if any, never tried to harm me. Why so? Why did it only target my fiancees? I never had any girl-friend, who died and became a ghost. So, what could it be? I pondered over these gruelling questions night after night, but could not come to any satisfactory answers whatsoever. Soon, my health began to fail, and my mind became very weak with suicidal tendencies.



Chapter 11
New job, new beginning ​

At this juncture, my baramama (elder maternal uncle) stepped in. He had various businesses all over Eastern and North-eastern India. He persuaded me and my parents to quit the job. He said job would not be a problem, as he had plenty of acquaintances in that region. He wanted me to join as the manager of a timber company of one of his friends in the North-East. He said the pristine ambience would help me to forget the scar in the earliest.

My condition was so bad that I literally grabbed his proposal in both hands. My parents didn't fret on this matter either. All they were concerned was about my life-partner. Baramama told them to have patience, as he believed that time would heal every thing, and I would again lead the life of a normal person.

Thus, I resigned from the government service showing medical reasons, which were not false either. Since, I had completed 10 years of continuous service, I was eligible for a paltry amount of pension. I also saved a good amount of money; being the son of a rich father, I didn't have to incur much cost so far. This current job would fetch me only 10 thousand rupees, but added with the pension and interest, I would not have any monetary problem. My father, also, assured me to send money, if required.

In this scenario, I came to this small hilly town in Sikkim. I was retelling Baramama the entire story of mine that night. He would leave next morning, as he was indeed a very busy man.
After listening the entire story with a very grave face, Baramama asked, "Are you sure you never ditched any girl?"

Laughingly I said, "And, I would not know that? What are you saying Mama? I have thought of the same question many times."

"Hmm!" He sighed, and nodding his head in disapproval, said, "Then why would an unearthly creature would behave in this way? Anyway, this place is safe, and if you have not harmed anybody, you don't have to worry about anything henceforth. This place is so bland that you would forget about your pain in a month."

Thus, Mama left very early in the next morning, and I was alone in this pristine place. Bahadur, my caretaker, came at seven in the morning. He was entrusted with a lot of responsibilities: marketing, cooking, cleaning the house, washing clothes, cleaning utensils etc. Mama was dead right about Bahadur, he was a robot sort of a guy with no expression on his face. He considered talking a deadly sin. But he worked at a brisk pace.

He brought his ramshackle bicycle, and he went quickly to the nearby market, and bought some vegetables, fruits and eggs. Then he cleaned the entire house in no time. Then he started cooking. He prepared rice, dal, a mixed vegetable item and egg curry. He cleaned the utensils, and finally he washed the clothes. I was surprised to observe that the grim-faced taciturn man took only two hours in doing all the chores. By that time, I had responded to nature's calls, and completed shaving. After he left, I quickly had my bath, and then had the lunch. The items were not as tasty as I would have loved to have, but they were not unpalatable either.

By 10 in the morning, I was ready to join my new job. I took the motorbike that Mama had arranged from his friend for me, and got down at the saw-mill. The owner of the mill, Mr Lakpat Bhutia, who was a business associate of my maternal uncle, was personally there to greet me. Briefly, he outlined my duties and responsibilities. The main office of his company was in Namchi, where I had to report when required.


Chapter 12
An unexpected event​

Soon, I realized that my duty was very easy. There would be two supervisors under me. One would take control of the raw woods that would be brought from various sources and the furniture that would be delivered to various destinations. The other one would take care of the entire manufacturing process.

I would have to check their works, oversee the works of the clerks, take calls from the clients and suppliers, deposit cash twice in a week to the bank and send report to the headquarter. Within a few days, I realized that the workload was very light. The entire process would end by 3-30 PM. I would wait for another 30 minutes in my chamber, and at 4 PM would leave the office for home.

After reaching home, I would have nothing to do. Even though the electricity would stay for 8 hours at night, there was no good programme on television or radio, and the internet was as good as non-existent. As I said earlier, there were few scattered houses, but the people lived there were not the ones whom I could interact with. So, I took to wine. No evening would pass without my consuming 6 pegs of Royal Stag whiskey.

But the days were so beautiful with colourful rhododendron, orchids, wildflowers, the chirping of birds, the milky white ice, the melodious flow of the thin stream I thought that I was living in paradise. I started writing in the evening. In my inebriated state, I wrote a lot of poems, and most importantly, for a change, I began to forget about the unfortunate incidents. The days were passing peacefully, and I forgot about the painful past within 6 months.

In May, the snow was beginning to melt, even though the place was still colourful with rhododendron. Just when I was almost settled in this lonely place, on one fine morning I got the bad news that Bahadur had suffered a massivs stroke, and would be indisposed for at least 6 months. I felt very sorry for him. Even though, he seldom talked, we had developed some kind of mental bond with each other.

He never missed a single day in my stay in that desolate place. He was concerned about my growing drinking habit. He could not tell me directly, but he indirectly hinted me several times that how bad excessive drinking could be. He gave examples of people fond of drinking, who suffered a lot because of it. But that morning, I learned that he himself was a habitual drinker, and that might have been the main reason behind the stroke. It was his good luck that he survived it. The doctor had said that he would lead a normal life, but he would have to undergo a rigourous course of physiotherapy for at least 6 months.

That being the second day of the month, I had the entire salary of ten thousand rupees with me. I went to visit Bahadur at the Namchi state hospital, where he was lying unconscious. His family consisted of his wife, who was around 40 years of age and two daughters, the elder was around 24 and the younger was around 16. I handed my entire salary to his wife, and assured more support in due time.

She had cried profusely, I could tell from her swollen eyes. She thanked me from her heart, and said she had a request for me. Did she want more money, I was a bit embarrassed at the thought as I didn't have much left with me at that moment. But, that was not the request, she said she wanted her elder daughter to continue the job. I instantly said a big "No". She didn't know that my experiences with girls, especially young ones, had been horrific. Bahadur got rupees 2000 per month from me. I promised her to pay the money for few more months, and then left the hospital in hurry.








To be continued ​

Picture taken form the Internet 

Ghost story: You killed me

Chapter 8
Falling for Sona​

At night, I tried to think rationally. The smell could have been figment of my imagination, or may be it came from some wild feline animal. It didn't last for more than few seconds. Also, there was no logic behind relating the doll incident to the smell. Somehow, someone must have thrown the doll in the veranda, and I stamped on it inadvertently.

Nothing happened in the next two months. I avoided Sona as much as possible. After that doll incident, she too seemed to have been shaken a bit. But, who can stop someone, who is destined to invite trouble? At last, the harrowing winter left, and there came the queen of seasons, spring. The spring not only brings colour to the environment, but also it paints beautiful hues in human mind.

Sona's higher secondary examination was approaching, and she started visiting my apartment regularly for solving maths problems. As a matter of fact, I had been a sort of wizard in solving math problems. I had a great ability of making one understand. I loved tutoring, too. Considering that higher secondary was a very important examination in one's life, I could not refuse help in the last few months before her finals. But, I always had a fear that Sona might do something silly.

But allaying my fear, she could maintain her focus on studies. But, as the days went by, I was getting soft on her. Previously, I used to come late in order to avoid her. But now I began to come early. I began to wait for her typical 3 knocks on my door and the call of "Akshar da" in her mellifluous voice. I could feel that the eye-contacts were no longer just between a student and her tutor. She would prepare a cup of tea for me, and I would praise her profusely. She seemed to have been wallowing in the attention that I was paying her.

One day Sona came with a heavy make up on her face. She used to have a thin eyeliner and a meagre amount of lip stick. The amount of scent she used was so scanty that it could heardly be smelt. But that day, her eyeliner was deep, she wore mascara, her lipstick was prominent, and the scent could be sensed from a distance of 1km. She was wearing a golden yellow Salwar kamiz.

"What's up Sona? Are you going somewhere?" I blurted as soon as she entered my apartment.

She smiled coyly, and said, "Today happens to be my 18th birthday, Akshar da."

"Oh my gosh! Why didn't you tell me yesterday? I would have bought a gift for you. By the way, you look so lovely today."

I tried to compensate my forgetfulness -- as by then I remembered that she actually had told me about it last evening -- by paying lavish praises on her looks.

For a brief moment I saw a shadow of gloom on her face, as she remembered that she had told me. But she didn't press on that point, and I saw her face brightened within seconds. With a pout she feigned some anger in her voice, "You are praising my looks. But have you ever looked at me?"

That was silly question, I knew! Sona never talked to me in that fashion previously. Out of guilt or whatever, I again blurted, "I have always found you beautiful. Now, can we start studying?"

There was a distinct expression of delight on Sona's face, and she agreed to study. Sona had been a good student in mathematics. It didn't take much efforts on my part to make her understand difficult problems. But today, I was having a great difficulty. Very soon I realized that that she had been lacking in focus today.



Chapter 9
Sona in big trouble ​

Flabbergasted after repeated attempts, I closed the book, and directly asked her, "What is your problem today? Are you bothered by something?"

Sona seemed to have been relieved by my act. She was very hesitant to speak. When I encouraged her to speak up, she said in a soft voice, "Actually, I want to tell you something."

I could see she could not look directly at me. She was looking downwards, and constantly fidgeting her fingers.

"Go ahead Sona, I am all ears." I again encouraged her.

Sona seemed to have garnered some courage, as I could hear slight increase in the intensity in her soft voice, " Akshar da, what I am going to tell you is a very difficult task for any girl. Since you are very reticent, and never open up, I have to do that."

At this moment, I got an inkling what she was going to say. When a girl treads in that line, she is bound to express her love. I could have easily hedged the topic. But as I wrote earlier, I, too, was very soft towards her.

For a moment, I got goosebumps. The resistance of morality that seemed to have worked as a bullwork against any inappropriate act started to melt like a frozen vanilla ice cream when kept in open. Instead of stopping her, I held her hand, for the first time, and stopped her, "You don't have to tell it Sona. I know it."

I myself became astonished to hear the deep romantic voice coming out of me. At that moment, a very strong wind blew, and the jambs of my window made a huge noice. I could hear the sound of breaking glasses of window panes.

"Oh my Gosh, is it a Norwester?", I cried.

Sona, too, seemed to have shaken by the violent acts of the wind. As I rushed towards the windows to close them, the light went off, and I could smell that fetid smell.

"Oh my God!", I shrieked instantly, and changed my direction to bring the torch. The entire room was filled by that putrid smell. I sensed something bad was going to happen. Fortunately, I got the torch on the dressing table in that room. I lit it, and searched throughout the room, but could not see anything. However, I needed to light up the candles. I told Sona to hold the torch, and not to switch it off. For a moment I seemed to have forgotten the freaky nature of my torch. The candles and the matchbox were kept in the drawing-cum-dining room.

As I was rushing in dark, I stumbled on something, and fell on the ground. As if that was not enough, my forehead hit the edge of a wooden chair. Since I was running, the impact was severe, and despite being a sportsman, I lost my consciousness for few moments.

But, within seconds I regained consciousness by the loud scream of Sona followed by a sound of a very weird hysterical laughter from an uncanny voice.

"Help me", Sona repeated the words few times with descending intensity, and suddenly her voice stopped. I garnered whatever strength I had to get back on my feet, and lumbered towards my bedroom.

To be continued ​

Picture taken form the Internet 

Ghost story: You killed me

Chapter 5
Transfer to Jamalpur​

We immediately brought Sara to a reputed nursing home in Kalyani. But, the doctors said it was too late. She died of excessive bleeding. The local police were clueless about the mishap. She could have fallen down from the stairs, but no body could explain the sharp cuts on her entire body. Some people thought it was a case of suicide. But neither a sharp object was found on Sara's room, nor any suicide note could be seen. I was thinking about the same fetid smell that I noticed on my house at Joynagar. Even being a science student, I could not give a satisfactory explanation to myself.

I became morose, and reticent for an entire year. I didn't change my house, but I remained very sceptical during my stay on the house. What did Sara actually see on the pond? I looked at that pond several times during a day, but could not find anything suspicious. I also saw the water monitor couple of times near my windows, but there was no fetid smell emanating from it.

Time passed by, and my grief subsided slowly. I could again concentrate on work, but never thought of involving in a relationship. Whenever my parents said that as a thirty years old eligible bachelor, I should seriously think about marriage, I just swatted the proposal, saying that I didn't recover from the shock.

I became very relieved when my tenure of 3 years came to an end, and I was eventually transferred to a new place of posting at Jamalpur, a nondescript village town in eastern Burdwan district. This time, I didn't get an entire building for rent, but I was allotted the entire 1st floor of a 2-storeyed building. The landlord, a local shop owner, aged around 55, lived with his wife, aged around 45, and a daughter, aged around 17 on the ground floor. The family was good, and the rent was cheap. So, I didn't hesitate to take the deal.

Jamalpur proved to be a cool place. During my tenure in Joynagar, I had been constantly bothered by political turmoils. Angry people used to barge into my chamber with various problems. They thought the more you shouted, the more powerful leader you were. That's why they exhibited the full strength of their lungs whenever they spoke to me. But here, the local politicians were polite, the incidents of violence were nominal. The water in Jamalpur was so healthy that my nagging problem of constipation vanished in thin air.

Cooking seemed to be the only headache, as no good cook was available there. I tried hotel food for few times, but the quality of oil and water was below standard, every time leading to loose motion. Though my landlord seemed to be very helpful, and wanted to make an arrangement with me regarding food, I didn't want to bother him. So, I decided to try my hand at cooking. It was not as if I would be cooking for the first time, as I had a fair bit of cooking experience. Being a gourmet, I had criticised a lot the food prepared by my mother and my sister. Flabbergasted by my constant criticism, once they challenged me to show them what good food meant. I took up the challenge, and even myself was surprised by the fact that the first item cooked by me, an egg curry, was a huge hit.

Chapter 6
How to avoid Sona​

Things had been going on pretty smoothly for the first 3 to 4 months. But, after that period, a nagging problem seemed to have cropped up. It was my landlord's 17 year old daughter Sona. She would visit my flat with some excuse or other. Initially, it didn't matter much to me, as I thought she was too young to take note of. She would enter my flat to enquire about trivial matters. After every two days she would bring some food items for my dinner. She would boast about her culinary skills. It was true that the items were very palatable, but I didn't praise much in fear of more food being offered.

She would occasionally come for help to solve some class 12 mathematical problems. It was my mistake that once I told her father that I was a science student. Her father had pressed me hard to tutor her. I told him firmly that since my job had no spefic timings for return, it wouldn't be possible for me to do that. Thus far, I was a bit irritated, but there was nothing more than that. But the problem began soon.

My rented building had a nice compound full of trees, bearing both fruits and flowers. There is an interesting fact about mofussil areas which many readers don't know; here people built toilets outside the main building, and not to forget about some poor people who did the job in fields as they had no toilet in their house. Out of curiosity, I asked some people about this strange custom. I must say the answer was pretty convincing. They said, "How do you city people tolerate the beautiful aroma of kitchen to mix with the awful smell from toilet?" Anyway, here also my toilet was in midway position between ground and first floor, and the toilet of my landlord was outside the main building. In my way to the gate I had to pass by their toilet.

It was out of design or not I didn't know, but everyday when I went to the market at 8 AM, Sona would come out of the bathroom after bathing, with a steel pail in her hand. She used to wash her clothes at the same time. The washed clothes were in the pail. She would bend down right in front of me to take the clothes for putting them on the rope tied from veranda to veranda for drying. There was nothing wrong in that, except the fact that the motion would reveal her cleavage.

Sona was around 5 ft 3 inches, on the taller side compared to the other girls in the village. She had a bright complexion, and a slim but beautifully-shaped body. She could melt the heart of any boy with her downturned hazel eyes. Whenever she looked at me, I could see a glint in her eyes. But, as I said, I thought she was too young for my liking. So, I never gave any indulgence to her. But, that act had toppled me a bit. Her kameez was so loose that I got a glimpse of the 50 percent of her C-cup breasts. I was embarrassed, and immediately turned down my eyes. She minutely observed my reaction, and laughingly stareded some trivial conversations with me. I thought it was a one-off incident, but to my dismay it became a routine.

Most of the times, I could avail a vehicle for my journeys related with work. But on certain days, due to more serious work, the cars had to be allotted somewhere else. One was such a day, when a lot of our employees had to be provided cars for election related work. But being the DDO of the block, I had to go to the Sub-division for some treasury related work.

Travelling in train was no big deal for me. The only problem was that most of the time, the train compartments used to be overcrowded. During my return journey, I found the train to be thronging with people. Since the journey from Burdwan to Jamalpur was not more than 30 minutes, I didn't go too deep inside the train.

In the next station, to my utter dismay, I saw Sona getting on my compartment. She was probably coming from attending her tuition classes. I tried to feign that I didn't see her. But within a few moments, she saw me, and came close to me. It was too close for my comfort. But since the train was crowded, I could not express my disgust. It felt very awkward when her small firm tits pressed against my body.









Chapter 7
The fetid smell comes back​

I could not believe that she was doing it intentionally. So, I tried to move back, but to my dismay I found my back firmly placed to the iron railing. She was smiling, but didn't speak as there was too much noise in the compartment. To my utter disgust there was surge of hormones in my body. I constricted my throat. She saw that, and again she smiled. There was a very clear wickedness in that smile.

I prayed to the train God to run quickly to my stoppage. I was sweating and breathing heavily even in winter. However, at last, our destination came. After alighting from the train, she wanted me to go with her in a rickshaw. I humbly lied that I had some marketing to do. She said she would accompany me. To that I had to firmly tell her, " No, thanks!" She seemed to be heart-broken, but trudged towards the rickshaw stand.

To avoid her, I went to the office, even though it was 6 PM. Our office generally remained open all the time. Majority of the staff used to go back home by 5-30 PM. The Headclerk and the BDO remained there up to 6-30 PM, and after that there was only the night guard. That day I didn't want to go home early. So, I did some official pending work, and then played a few computer games.

When I was done, it was 8 PM on the clock. Only our night guard Shyam was present. I told him to switch off the unnecessary lights, and walked towards home. The moment I left office, for a very brief period, I sensed the same putrid smell which I noticed in my previous residence Joynagar. Despite being a man of undisputed courage, I got instantaneous goosebumps. I always carried a torch in my bag. I immediately took it out, and frantically looked around me. But, there was nothing unusual there.

There was no street light in that mofussil area. It was completely dark in the road. Only light that was coming was from a few scattered houses. But it was not a densely populated area. So, most part of the road was dark. My only piece of hope was the flickering light from my age-old torch. Unfortunately, this torch could not be switched on continuously. So, I kept blinking it. The winter in mofussil had been severe. The cold was biting. But, I didn't pay any attention to it.

For the first time in my life, I became a triffle scared. This happened probably after the shocking accident of my colleague Sara a few years back. Even though I told myself that it was an accident, but somewhere in my sub-conscious mind, a sense of fear must have crept in! I walked at a brisk pace, and nothing happened in the journey. But, when I entered the building premises, I stumbled on something, and fell down.

"What the heck", I cried out in pain. When I got up on my feet, I knew I twisted my ankle. But, what was it that I stomped?

When I switched on my protesting, ramshackle torch, I was in a shock to see the barbie doll that I had seen on a shelf in Sona's house. Sona had told me that it was her most favourite doll since her childhood. In the meantime, Sona and father came out as they probably heard the swear words that came out of anguish, or maybe the thud of my falling. While enquring about my well being, they switched on the veranda's lights. I quickly explained the precarious situation I was in.

"How come it came outside?" Sona squealed, quickly grabbing her favourite doll.

"Oh my God! Somebody broke her neck!"

I could see tears in her eyes. I minutely observed the doll. It appeared to me that someone had forcefully twisted the neck. The neck was merely hanging from the body. "Could it happen due to my stomping", I asked myself. Maybe, was my answer. So, I apologized to Sona. But, Sona started crying, and her father was scolding her for her negligence. Somehow, I dragged myself to my room, and without eating retired for the day.







To be continued​

Picture taken form the Internet 

Ghost story: You killed me

Chapter 3
Eyes like fireball​

At that time, we were standing in the dining room; while Sara was near the northern side window, I was standing near the southern side window. I quickly went to that window to see why she became so excited! I looked at her her face. It was pale. Very feebly she was pointing her finger towards the pond. There was no street light in that area. The very dim light that was coming was from the headlight of a vehicle. That too had gone quickly. However, for the few seconds it was there, I could not see anything.

So, I tried to pacify her, "Calm down! There is nothing."

"Bring a torch immediately", clinging my shirt, she uttered those words in a quivering voice.

In this mofussil area, 2 to 3 hour of power cut was a routine affair. So, I always kept a couple of torches ready. I quickly handed one to her. She again clung my shirt, and focussed the torch outside.

"That's the middle of the pond Sara. Pray tell what did you see there?" I was surprised to see that she was pointing the torch to the pond.

"It has gone." Still fear was coming out from her voice.

"But, what has gone?" I was slightly impatient.

"I don't know. I could not see the body in dark. But, I saw its eyes. They were like fire balls, and it was looking directly at me. It was initially very close to the window. But when I went near the window, it moved towards the pond."

When I was thinking hard what it could be, I suddenly noticed that the foul smell had gone. But, by that time, Sara had enough of the foul smell, and she started to vomit. I felt so awkward that I didn't know what to do. I thought of putting my hand on her shoulder. But I balked, as I had never done so. As a second thought, I offered her a glass of water. But, Sara refused, as she was still too scared.

"What was that smelly thing Akshar?" She, too, noticed that the foul smell had vanished.

"I think you must have seen the big water monitor that lives in the pond."

"What! Water monitor?" I could clearly see signs of disbelief on her face.

"Yes! I forgot to tell you about the monster-sized water monitor living here. I have seen it on many occasions. You must have seen that."

For the next ten minutes, I tried hard to make her believe that she had seen the water-monitor. I was not sure how successful I was in convincing her! She didn't wait anymore, as she was not feeling well. I called the driver, and instructed him to drop her to her temporary residence at Sonarpur.

The sumptuous food that I purchased for dinner was lying on the table begging for attention. All through my life, I had been a foodie. No matter how grave the situation was, I has never ignored the little pleasure season of my tongue. So, by nature, I pounced on the mutton biryani and chicken rezala. Unfortunately, I didn't get any taste. I felt something was very wrong. It was true that there lived a monstrous water monitor in the pond. I saw it from a very close range on more than one occasion. Of course, it was smelly, but the smell had been completely different. It had a fishy smell. But the awful smell that spoiled the evening was like a dried fish. Also, the description she narrated about the eyes could never match the lizard's eyes. I tried to tell myself that since she was scared, she must have exaggerated about the eyes.


Chapter 4
Mishap at Kalyani ​

Sara was not beautiful from the traditional point of view. Her eyes were not as deep as Deepika's eyes; her nose didn't resemble Katrina's, or her lips were not as luscious as Amisha's lips. But, you couldn't find faults with any of them. However at best, she could be called good-looking. But, what was most charming about her was her killer body. She was 5 ft 5 inches tall, had a perfect shape, on the slim side though. To me she looked like a Barbie doll.

I felt an unbridled attraction towards her. So, despite that incident, I carried on with the relationship. We were colleagues in the same district. Though, we were posted at different block head quarters -- me at Joynagar 2, and she at Sonarpur -- we had a monthly district meeting, where we met. Also, as both of the blocks were at Baruipur sub-division, we occasionally met at the SDO office. Sometimes, I invented some works at Baruipur, and form there went to Sonarpur to meet her.

Life was going on smoothly, and within a few months the ugly incident was erased from our memory. There was pressure of marriages on both of us. Our parents were aware of our relationship. Her father was a renowned judge. On couple of occasions, when I went to her home, I met him. I had always feared a judge. But, her dad looked a perfect gentlemen to me. From his body language, I could understand, he accepted me as his future son-in-law. Though Sara didn't visit our house, from the picture I showed to my parents, my parents, also, seemed to have approved our relationship. But, the big question was when was I going to formally propose her. Suddenly, I got a news that new recruits like us would have to undergo a training programme at Kalyani for 1 month. This had to be the time, I thought, I would have to seal the deal.

After the hectic last day under a tight training schedule, I took a shower. I tried my best to groom myself. I wore a vintage finishing Denim jeans and a yellow Monte Carlo T-shirt. The mid-November autumn evening was neither hot nor cool. Training period was over, tomorrow would be valediction session, and after that we would head towards our respective work places. During the course, we met regularly. Everyone became aware of our relationship. But still I could not formally propose her. So, I chose the day before the valediction day to be my D-day. As I saw in movies, I bought a diamond ring. I chose a restaurant of repute in Kalyani, and invited some of our common friends.

I rang Sara to make sure she was ready for our 7-30 PM rendezvous. She said, " I am getting down within 5 minutes." Others had been waiting outside for us in the lounge. Happily, I locked my room, and got down. I joined friends, and we were waiting for Sara to join us. Ashoke, one of our common friend, said, " She must be dressing to look like Katrina. That's why she is taking so long." Priya, another friend said, "In that case will she ever come out, because she will never look like Katrina?" Ashoke reprimanded her, " You, jealous girl!" I knew Priya liked me, but she was a bit shy to show her feelings towards me. It was indeed taking a bit too long. So, I looked at my watch, and suddenly, we heard a very loud scream, and a dull sound of a falling object.

We all ran towards the building to see what happened, and what we saw was the most horrific seen that I had ever seen. Sara was lying unconscious on the entrance of the floor. Her entire body seemed to have been ripped by some sharp object. There was a pool of blood on the floor. And most strikingly I noticed that same fetid smell.






To be continued ​

Picture taken form the Internet 

Ghost story: You killed me

Chapter 1
Fleeing from life​

"Wow" was the sound that came out spontaneously from my mouth. I was stunned by the beauty of the place. My maternal uncle, whom I depended completely in buying the property, had told me that I wouldn't be dissatisfied. The small bungalow in the backdrop of beautiful mountainous range looked like a masterpiece painted by a heavenly artist. Adding to the beauty was the thin white stream of a local river, which was not more than 200 meter from the bungalow. There were few hamlets here and there, but not a single one near my house. The environment was pristine, and the lush greenery was so soothing to the eye that I thought I could look at it for hours without batting an eyelid.

"Are you sure you can stay in this desolate place, where even a ghost would not dare to come in fear of being killed by loneliness?"

My maternal uncle, Nandu mama, might have been instrumental in my acquiring this property, but from the very beginning he had been constantly raising questions about my staying here. It was true that the nearest hamlet, where a few tribal people lived, was 1 km away from this bungalow, and the small market place was 2 km away from here. Thankfully, the place was well connected by road, and the bungalow had a garage to park my sturdy Tata Sumo. There was electricity connection, but it didn't stay for more than 12 hours in a day, Nandu mama had informed me.

"Why should I feel lonely? You have appointed Bahadur for cooking and doing household chores." I tried to ward off Nandu mama's fears.

"Haha haha!" Nandu mama burst into laughter.

"That grumpy old fellow? He hardly talks. No luck if you count him as a company!"

"See Mama, I don't need any company. Had I been in search of that, I wouldn't have come here."

"Huh! I know you are acting like an absconder. But let me tell the truth my dear nephew. This is not the proper way to deal with problems in life. Instead of running like a fugitive, why don't you face the challenges like a brave man?"

"Oh mama ji, not again! I am very tired now, need to freshen myself."

I desperately tried to change the topic. It's true that for the last 10 years, I had not lived a moment in peace. In my professional life, it had been a story of grand success, but my personal life had been simply disastrous. Disgusted by steady torrents of problems in my personal life, I decided to quit the job, and flee from my house. This place was more than 200 km from my house. I could not directly buy the property, as it belonged to a tribal. So, unofficially I purchased it.

"We are done Saab!" Exhausted by the unpacking job, Bahadur, who was aided by 3 other tribal men, was breathing heavily. Short in stature, wrinkled face resembling a typical Nepali old man, he was around 55 years of age.

"Come early tomorrow!" Mama gave them a 500 rupees note as tip for the work. He would stay with me this night before going back to Kolkata tomorrow.


Chapter 2
That foul smell​

My grandparents and maternal uncles lived in Basirhat. Every time I visited there, I became disgusted with their prejudices, and lack of scientific attitude. They believed in all kind of rubbish in the world: Gods, ghosts, bad omens, black magic to name a few. If someone sneezed while you were leaving from house, it was considered a bad omen. The remedy was more interesting: you had to return, and then restart. Let me give one more hilarious example of my relative's foolishness. If a domestic lizard made sound three times like "tic tic tic" while you were talking, your uttered words would become true! I used to laugh my heart out at those illogical prejudices. Because of my arrogance and my propensity to quote scientific laws, they gave me an epithet "mini-Newton". As I grew up, I transformed into a mini-Hitler from a mini-Newton. Previously, I had laughed, but later on I began to excoriate them with chosen invectives.


When I took my girlfriend, whom I desired to make my life partner, to my rented house for the first time, the first thing she said made my blood boil.

"This is very ominous."

Trying to maintain my cool, I enquired, "What do find ominous here?"

Taking out the handkerchief, and putting it on her nose, she angrily said, "Can't you get the fetid smell? Do you eat dried fish?"

"Are you mad? I never eat dried fish".

Having said so, I also realized that indeed a very foul smell was coming from inside. I became very ashamed that the first time I took my girlfriend-cum-colleague to my house, and she was greeted with such an ugly smell! I quickly went inside, and tried to find where the foul smell was coming from. Meanwhile, Sara, my girlfriend, opened all the windows of the house.

I came back, and apologised to her, "Sorry, I searched hard, but couldn't find anything from where the smell is emanating."

She said, " If you don't mind, may I go inside"?

It was a small 2 bedroom rented flat. Besides two bedrooms, there was a small dining space, a small kitchen, and a small toilet. The veranda was at the entrance, where I tied a rope for drying my apparels. My landlord didn't live in Joynagar, my then place of posting. I had paid him 6 months rent in advance. I had been living here for the last 3 months, but never experienced any foul smell. So, I, too, was very curious, and immediately nodded my head in affirmation.

Sara checked the dustbin first. But it had only peels of some vegetables. Then she went to the kitchen, and then to the bathroom.

"No it's not coming from inside. What's outside?" She enquired impatiently. I could see big frowns on her face. The foul smell hadn't diminished a bit. In fact it had increased. I was flabbergasted to the core. Here in this mofussil area, there was no good restaurant, where I could take my girlfriend for a candle night dinner. That's why I arranged some delicious dinner for her at home. I thought of an enjoyable romantic evening. But the smell seemed to have dampened everything.

"Road on the eastern side, houses on western and southern side, and a pond and bamboo field on the northern side", I tried to quench her inquisitiveness.

"What's that Akshar? Who is standing there?" She shrieked.

To be continued​

 Picture taken form the Internet 

School Admission

Getting your kid admitted to a reputed school is as good as fighting enemies at the border, or maybe as hard as hitting a six to win on the last ball. At least, I had these kind of feelings when my elder daughter got admitted in a reputed school in Salt Lake. That time I took only 4 shots, but later on I realized that it was a kind of gamble. The first and the last shots were on target, while the other two resulted in failures. We admitted her in the fourth school, as it was better between the two. After getting her admitted, I took a sigh of relief, and told my wife that admitting the younger one two years later would be a cakewalk, as schools have quotas for siblings.

But, last year I was rudely awakened from my sense of complacency when I heard the news that no sisters were selected (at least 3 cases were cited by my wife). She pronounced that there was no such rule, at least in my elder daughter's school. So, we have been on alert, and have tried to be prepared for the battle. Two daughters at two different schools could be a real challenging task from the point of view of time-management. But as we could not take chances, we again filled up forms for 4 schools.

I had no tension regarding my 3 year 10 months old daughter's abilities. She knows alphabets, she can write both capital and small letters, she knows the names of domestic animals, wild animals, sea animals, vegetables, fruits, flowers etc. She knows all the colours and shapes. She can sing a lot of rhymes, she understands the questions put to her in English, and can come up with short and crisp answers. She knows numbers from 1 to 109. She hardly fails in writing after and before numbers in this range. She can do small additions and small subtractions. She is deft at counting. Most important part about her is that whoever sees her loves her.

Regarding myself, I am fluent in spoken English. My organisation has given me a respectable salary and a highly respectable designation. But, my real cause of concern was my wife, who is a product of Bengali-medium school, and hails from a very humble semi-urban background. From my previous experiences, I have noted that whenever she opened her mouth, we lost the match then and there. She was not asked any questions in the two schools where my elder daughter was selected. Like the last time, I gave her probable question-answer sheets for memorizing. Like an obedient student she said that she would remember them, but whenever I wanted her to appear for a mock interview, she evaded. So, I was very tensed.

The first interview, which was for a different school, went so hunky-dory that I thought we hit the bull's eye. My daughter fared very well, and my wife was asked a couple of questions about her qualification. The second interview was the interview that we aimed for over a year. This interview, too, went very smoothly. The Principal was very cordial, and she explained to us the circumstances when they didn't admit the sisters. She told me that my elder daughter's reports would be sought from class teachers. She asked me how did I evaluate the school. This was the question, I was well-prepared of. She also asked me about my job.

My daughter was again at her best, answering all the 6 questions asked to her correctly. The good news was that my wife didn't have to face a single question. The little hiccup occurred at the end. The Principal offered my daughter a toy camel and 2 toffees ( one for her and one for her elder sister). I had tutored her hard to thank the teacher after receiving such gifts, as I knew that they want to know whether the child is well-mannered or not. But, the toffees made little Rai so excited that she forgot to thank her. So, I told her in English that she forgot to thank, and she immediately complied. The Principal laughed, and said it was okay.

While returning home, I asked my wife about the performance of my elder daughter in the school. "Immaculate", was her answer. Tinni, my elder daughter, had 99% in attendance, only 1 B rating (in singing) among 25 categories, and most importantly the class teacher had praised her in the PTI. That was assuring, but still the incident of not thanking the Principal remained like a thorn in the flesh for me. When I told my elder daughter, who is not as bright as her sister, about her sister's performance in the interview, she quipped in a hushed tone to me, "Rai will not be selected. Because she didn't say thank you." Sibling rivalry at it's best, I thought.

These two interviews happened in Octocer. The other two would happen in November. The result of the 1st school would be out on 13th November, while the results of our choicest school would be announced by the end of November. There was a catch, though. The problem would be if my daughter got selected in the first school, I would have to admit her there as I could not take any chance, and if she was to be selected in her sister's school, I would have to cancel the first admission. That was cool, but what was not was the fact that I would have to lose the entire admission fee, which would be around 50000 rupees.

Should I or shouldn't I admit her in case she got selected? For me, the amount of 50000 rupees is not a small amount of money. But how would I take chance? What would happen if she failed in her sister's school? So, I was in a great dilemma. As far as my wife was concerned, she had no dilemma. She prayed hard to God for my daughter to be selected, and she would not blink in admitting her. The reason? She would not then have to appear in the remaining two interviews! Is this why it's said wives don't care anything about their husband's finances?

13th November appeared, as it had no other option. The result was to be declared at 5 PM in the afternoon. My wife said she would go. I was waiting for the phone call. But by 5-30 no phone call came. I didn't ring her. When it was 5-40 and she didn't ring me, I got a hint that my daughter wasn't selected. Within 5 minutes she rang me, and yes, I was right in my guess. Her name didn't appear in the names of 200 selected candidates. I was morose because my deserving daughter was rejected. My wife was shell-shocked, mainly because she would have to appear for the interviews again. I observed a sense of satisfaction in Tinni's face, though she didn't say anything.


This result made us go into the panic mode. I told them to prepare hard to appear at the interviews on 17th and 24th. Little Rai was promised a lot of gifts if she answered all the questions asked to her. Among the promised stuff were a toy guitar, a toy mobile phone, a bicycle and a few other things.

On 17th, I had to take a leave to appear at the 3rd interview. As usual my daughter came with flying colours. But here I was asked about my elder daughter, and they asked directly what I would do if my daughter got selected in her sister's school. I had no other option but to come up with the honest answer that this school was our second choice. So, the result of this interview, too, became a matter of grave concern. So, we had to go all out for the 4th interview on 24th.

On 22nd, I got a viral fever after so many years that I can't even recall. While returning from office, for a moment, I thought that I would go senseless in the train. The fever must have been as high as 103° F. Somehow, I managed to get back, but I was in a no mood to open the Internet.

At 10 PM, after taking medicine and sufficient rest, I got back some energy. Before going to sleep, I opened the Internet, and there popped up a mail. What was that? Out of curiosity I opened the mail, and boy, I got the best news of the year. My daughter has been selected among the 100 students. Everyone celebrated, but my wife became happier of the fact that she would not have to appear for the last interview.

My daughter was selected in the 3rd school, too.

 

Betrayal

You were stranded in dark
As you didn't know how to fly
I gave you the lift
Took you to the airport
Where you took your dream flight.
Now you accuse me of
Driving the car too fast
And putting a hand on your thigh?

You searched for a lattice too long
And you couldn't grow for
Want of a support
I gave you the support
And you crept all over me
You encircled me from bottom to top
To climb to your destination.
Now you accuse me of
Transgressing your modesty?

Fruitless endeavour

The perspiration and the pain
The hours of stress and strain.
There won't be accolades and wreaths
But plenty of warts and migraine.

Over there a field so lush green
Trees with guava so ripe.
A mirror like lake full of fish
The reason to descend isn't tripe.

There was the scarecrow
Hidden from my sight.
Popped up suddenly in front of me
To give me dread and fright.

"O Scarecrow don't frighten me
Can't I take a shelter here?
I see a few avian friends
Making merry over there."

"Go away," he said in a rude tone
"This place has no more space
Find your new vista, new avenue
In a new suitable place."

My search for a home
Which will be cosy and warm
With time for my reverie
Seems that will never come.

Overprotected

When you were born
I dunno if the God smiled!
But your mom cried in joy
And said a little angle's arrived.

When you started walking
I dunno if the Earth stopped!
But your dad hugged and kissed your mom
And said, it's the best moment in my life.

The first babble from your mouth
Sounded so sweet to your father.
He was in cloud nine, for the first time
when you called him as your sire.

When you came back crying from school
As you had a fight with your friend.
Your mom barged into her house
And flustered her like a storm.

When you were in sweet sixteen
You looked like a flower fully blossomed.
Time could have passed like a romantic voyage
Without your Dad being the spoilsport.

When you missed the medical exam
The cherished dream of your dad
You cried your heart out
But found solace in your Dad's consoling words.

He got you in a law school
As your grannies had connections galore.
You trudged through the rigour
And Grandpa put you in a lawfirm offshore.

Then came the time to marry you off
To the bestest groom in the world
Who would fulfil all your dreams
And treat you like a baby doll.

Everything was hunky-dory for a while
Until you found one fine morn
That a creature known as Mother-in-law
Existed in the world like a thorn.

You were shocked to find your hubby
Whom you thought would be your dream
Could take sides with his mom
And let you suffer and make you scream.

Before you could bat an eyelid
You decided to leave
In the open arms of your parents
You found peace and solace.

Now that your parents have died
You are alone in this world
You looked at your grey hair
And thought what if you were not overprotected?

Dog Eaters

Let me dish out an unpalatable 'mann ki baat' of mine, which I have never shared with anybody so far in fear of being branded as a racist. I have always looked down upon those who eat only vegetarian meals. I have always used a snide term 'ghaas phussh' to describe vegetarian dishes. In fact, I have a bizarre theory on the repeated defeats of Hindu kingdoms by the foreign invaders, or the lacklustre performance of our athletes in Olympics. By now you must have understood that I have attributed it to the eating habits. In my view, eating meat was the only gateway of having a strong body and an aggressive mindset. In short, I was a vainglorious meat-eater. A weekend without mutton biryani and chicken rezaala from a famous restaurant was simply unthinkable for me. But very recently, the shocking revelation of dumping ground meat has shattered the biryani-loving people like me.

A very minor incident had led to this shocking revelation. There was a starting problem of a car near the Budge Budge dumpyard. The driver wanted the help of the locals to push the car. While doing so, the local youths noticed that a very foul smell was emanating from the car. Getting curious, they found out that there was large amount of carcasses inside the car. They handed over the driver to the local police station. When he was grilled, he revealed that the meat was going to a cold storage in Rajabazar area in Kolkata. But, he didn't reveal the purpose. The police started investigation, and found that a well-organised racket, headed by Biswanath Ghorui, of adulterating meat had been operating for more than 10 years. Their modus operandi will simply shock you.

The local municipal staff would inform the linkman of this network of the new arrival of a dead animal in the dumpyard. The linkman would transport the animal by an ac car to a secret factory where a butcher would skin the animal and cut the meat. He would add preservatives to the meat. Another linkman would come and carry the meat to the cold storage, where it would be kept for sometime before finally despatched to the meat suppliers. These suppliers would sell the meat to various restaurants, hotels and fast-food factories across the entire country.

On investigation, the kingpin Biswanath, more popularly known as 'Bhagar Bishu' and 'Mangso Bishu', had revealed that every month he supplied 20 tons of such meat to the market. About 5 ton was required in West Bengal, while the rest went to the various parts of the country. He also disclosed that he purchased the meat at the rate of Rs 60 per kg, but sold it at Rs 240 per kg, that is with a hopping profit of 300%! Many reputed restaurants and hotels have been the buyers of this rotten meat. The name of a reputed manufacture of patties, which used this rotten meat, has popped up during the investigation. I can't name it here, but I am sure most of you, who are non-vegetarian, have tasted it's products. Bishu told the police that he collected carcasses from 25 dumpyards across the state.

Now, the big question is what did we actually eat, which we thought was mutton?  Cows, goats, lambs or pigs are not thrown at dumpyard. So, we are left with only dogs and cats. The number of cats is very insignificant compared to dogs. So, we can safely conclude that what we have been eating was nothing but rotten dog meat. We are all dog-eaters!

Eating dog is not a taboo in many parts of the world. In India, Nagas are well-known for eating dog meat. I have heard from a reliable source that the Naga soldiers, who were on election duty, had wiped out the local dog population in their brief stay. The tastes of dog meat and mutton are very similar. Unless you are trained, you can't distinguish between the two. Only on couple of occasions, I had a suspicion while eating mutton biryani.

Who were responsible for this gigantic amount of cheating? Surely, the evil-doers couldn't have done this without taking some important state functionaries into confidence! However, I don't think any big fish will be caught. Only a few minions will be punished for the satisfaction of public.



Now, what is the solution to prevent the repeatation of the crime? Various municipalities across the state  have been installing CCTVs in the dumpyards. Vacant posts of the food inspectors will be filled in near future. A board has been formed to inspect meat from time to time. However, I don't think any of these measures would stop the repeat of the incident in near future. The crime syndicate is too strong not to circumvent these measures. So, what is the solution? I think legalising selling of dog meat will be the solution. Bengalis are such people who can't live without meat. So, there will always be huge demand for meat. Bengalis, barring Muslims, don't eat beef. So, costly mutton won't be able to meet the demand. There will always be shortfall, and the dishonest businessman will always try to cheat. Therefore, legalise dog-eating, so that we don't have to eat rotten meat!

NB: The investigation is still going on, and everyday there has been a revelation. My blog is based on reports from a Bengali newspaper. Picture taken form the Internet.

My love for birds

Had imagination been the sky, then what would have your mind done to reach those fruits of forbidden desires? Of course, it would have flown like birds, and nibbled on those sweet fruits. Not only my mind flies like a bird, but also I had quite a few pet birds in my childhood. Some people may sniff at me for calling hen a bird. Well, they may be used as a poultry product, or they may not fly much, and their appearance may not be elegant, but they are definitely birds. I proudly announce that my first pets were hens, and I didn't eat them.


When I was around 6 years old, we kept 3 hens for supply of eggs. Throughout the day, they roamed in the backyard of our huge SDO bungalow, and before sunset, they themselves returned home. We kept them in a 3×3 wooden cubicle covered with lattice. They laid eggs there, and we locked the structure in evening. The three hens had three different colours. The biggest one was a white leghorn, while the other two were of local variety, one black and the other red. The leghorn was a prolific egg-layer, but the small black hen provided us the most tasteful eggs. Only on one occasion, we let the leghorn hatch her chicks. Generally, we utilized  the eggs for making omelettes.

My morning school ended at 10-30 AM. I didn't have many friends, and I used to spend a lot of time watching those hens. The gigantic SDO building, which was built by the British, had a huge compound which included servant quarters. Our watchman was a Nepali, and like every other Nepali his name was Bahadur. He lived in his small quarter with his large family. He, too, domesticated a flock of hens, and among them was a big, bad, red cock. You must have heard that in animal kingdom, the winner takes all. He was the winner by default,  because he was the only adult male in the flock. He took great pleasure in fecundating the entire female folk. No wonder, my 3 hens were not spared. But, as I said I was very young, I thought he was beating my hens when he was busy in the act. Unknowingly, I disturbed him, and shooed him away so many times. The love God for hens must have been very angry with me, I suspect.

During the same period, we were surrounded by a large number of pigeons. They were very fond of my father. They loved to eat biscuits from his hand. I was not enamoured with them, though, because of their habit of making their habitat extremely dirty.  Around 6 pigeons lived in a forlorn place on the stairs towards the roof. Since no body went there, it was a safe place. But occasionally, I went there out of curiosity to found the place full of poop.

My final tryst with birds came when I found Mithu. Mithu became my favourite parrot. He was long, had eye-soothing green feathers and beautiful red beak (he bit my fingers on few occasions in his early days). Red chilli was his favourite food. He could talk. I taught him several small sentences like, " Mithu bhat khabe". One well-wisher gifted him when he was just 1 month old. When he didn't learn the art of flying, he walked freely in our rooms.

He didn't die, but he left me when he became young. I became morose for almost a week. Before that final breakup, he had escaped the cage on three occasions, and had flown away. But his range had been within the vicinity of my neighbourhood. On each occasion, I could spot him, and had approached him with the cage in my hand. I had yelled at him, "Mithu come on, please enter the cage." Like an obedient boy, he obliged. Happily, we came back home.

But on that fateful day, he intermingled with a flock of parrots. Finding so many compatriots -- maybe he got his fiancee too in the flock -- he didn't look back, and left me for ever. But, after the incident, every time I saw a flock of parrots, I ran like a crazy boy, and cried his name in the hope that he would once again come back. But, that didn't happen.

After a long period, from 2004 to 2006, I had developed a love-hate kind of relationship with a pair of Indian mynah. Most of the time, it was love. The male bird was the bolder of the two. He did not hesitate to come near me to pick up the crumbs of biscuits that I offered. I had affectionately christened him Adi. I tried to learn his language. After getting acquainted with his simple language, I communicated with him in his language. For example, "P Q, P Q" in his language meant "Hello, Hello". When I mimicked him in his style, he always responded. When he became angry or tried to frighten his enemies, he would sound, "Keeeee, Keeeeee".

You might be astonished to know that he didn't like me sleeping late in the morning. If I woke at 6AM, he would be happy. He would spare me up to 7 AM. But, if I failed to wake up by that time, he would continuously call me till I responded. During noon time in holidays, he would sing songs for me. Those were very pleasing moments in my life.

Hate relationship came during their mating seasons. At that time, their first priority was to find a secured nest. They thought that the open cavity on the upper portion of the wall in my toilet, which was meant for placing an exhaust fan, was a good place to build their sweet home. Initially, I didn't object, as I loved them. But as they began to build their nest, a lot of waste materials such as dried twigs and leaves, broken comb, polythene bags etc used to fall in my toilet making it dirty. My mother strongly objected to it, and tried to shoo them away. But I prevented her, and tried to solve the problem by pasting a cardboard on the wall. Unfortunately, that didn't solve the problem, as they tried to push materials in order to expand the nest. So, I had to destroy the nest. I felt very sad, but I had no other options.

Pictures taken from the internet

What are you made of ?

Honey, what are you made of?
I threw stones at you.
I smeared you in black
But you never blinked an eye.

Honey, I am not an ordinary man
I am a man of honour.
Whoever I touch with my pen
Becomes my avid fan.

Honey, I must admit you are different
Have you fetish for only oldies?
They are so soft and meek
And don't have diamond cutters!

I admit you have the style
Panache, flamboyance and skill
I salute you from my heart
And promise not to bother again.




Pictures taken form the Internet 

Whom do you fool?

Whom do you cheat, Honey?
With two avatars at work
One very smart, the other dumb
Aren't you clever by half?

One makes us stumble
At every crooked sentence of her.
The other cosies up to you
And has a lovely demeanour.

One thinks obscurity is a virtue
And dishes up all the rubbish!
The other writes simple lines
Which you want to furbish!

One gives the oldies nicknames
And thinks herself as a Godess
The other is a simple lady
Who encourages you to progress.


Pictures taken form the Internet 

Salvation

Salvation, nirvana, hahaha
You want a piece of that?
Then relinquish all earthly pleasure
And make yourself a dumb fart.

Leave your lovely wife
Quit meat and all heavenly wine.
Sins! Leave those frigging sins
Every thing will be fine!

I am a cunning Brahmin
Don't worry about anything.
Your wife is my wife
And your treasure is all mine.

Greed is in my brain
Cheating is in my vein.
I promise your salvation
And I get my exaltation!

Picture taken form the Internet

Goodbye to a friend

In this shivering cold winter
You deserved the warmth of friendship.
In your world of emptiness
You needed a true courtship.

I knew from the days of yore
We were friends for centuries
You smelled like a jasmine
And you fulfilled my dreams.

The tears in your eyes
Broke my heart in seven.
The smile on your face
Would take me to heaven.

What a charming woman you were
Lovely and caring as a wife
How you understood every emotion
And prayed for my life?

We were getting closer
Binding our souls day by day 
The threshold of friendship and love
Was blurring in every way.

Maybe it was easy for you
To keep your mind pure
But I was the only one
To be blamed for my failure.


Picture taken from net

Padmaavat: film review

After the much hullabaloo in the media about the erotic dream of Alauddin, I was dying to watch the movie. My wife said the scene was trimmed, but I didn't believe it. When we went to see the movie on the Republic day, my heart was pumping hard to see how the petite beauty performed with the hunk in bed! But alas, not only that scene was pruned, but also there was no  skin show in the entire movie! Regarding the controversy, it is much ado about nothing. If some people's feelings were hurt, they had to be the Muslims, who have been shown in a very poor light by Bhansali. Alauddin is portrayed as a savage beast who showed no qualms about killing his close relatives and friends; treachery ran in his blood; lust was the prime mover for his invasions. On the other hand Rajputs have been shown as people of high moral values; not afraid of sacrificing life when they had to choose one between death and honour.

The character Alauddin in Padmavaat is a brainchild of Bhansali. It was non other than Bhansali who was, as Ranveer admitted in an interview, all over Alauddin's kohl-eyed, scar-faced, mane-haired rusty looks, his flamboyant dialogues, mannerisms etc. In one scene, the Sultan threw an entire bottle of scent to a slave woman and hugged her to get himself scented.  There were few sensual scenes, but the best was the scene when Malik Kafur was bathing Alauddin. Did you say homosexual? Yes, it was. As a typical trait of Bhansali films, you will be amazed by the magnificent sets, which can take you to the 1300 AD Rajputana. The war scene was also captivating.

Shova De found faults with Deepika's trainer bra and Ranveer's footwear. However, I am not that critical, and found the costumes apt. I am little disappointed with the music. Actingwise, Ranveer outdid others by miles. Shahid looked like a puny minion in comparison with him. Bhansali should have chosen a better actor who looked like a mighty Rajput! Deepika did her best, but Aditi's acting was also superb.

There is no justification for the film to be shot in 3D. In the recent version of Ben Hur, there was only one scene of chariot race which could be a lame justification for its being 3D ( I am told the original Ben Hur was also a 3D film)! But, I thought Bhansali wasted money without adding any value to the visual effects.

I am a great proponent of freedom of expression without any ifs and buts. India is a nation of composite cultures. Someone or other may always come up with hurt feelings for every creative expression of an artist. But if we are to move out of the medieval, barbaric mindset, and move towards a liberal, modern outlook, we have got to defend the right to freedom of expression doggedly. In other words, the rulers have to crush the violent agitations of loony, parochial organisations like Karni Sena. Unfortunately, we found the two major political parties keeping mum in fear of losing few votes!

I can't finish  without mentioning Swara Bhaskar's acerbic take on the film. She thought the film glorified self-immolation, and Bhansali denigrated women to the extent that made woman equivalent to vagina. Well, she has a point!
Picture taken form the Internet