Wednesday 28 May 2014

Reign of the Rains.


There’s something about the bin-mausam-barsaats. These boys are very moody and need a huge amount of cajoling to make them pay us a visit. Saturday evening saw the Calcuttans looking upwards and recreating the ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra moment from Lagaan. And thankfully, unlike the movie, the boys obliged. Sunday morning I opened my eyes to find that, after flaunting her flaming orange gown for quite some time, my city had finally changed into a soothing grey and green chiffon. 

Out came the DSLR. Out came the umbrella. Could I miss capturing her looking so pretty? The terrace became my studio. She is such a wild model. Have a look.

“Dance with me, make me sway...”
“Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket...”
 “I would fly to the moon and back...”
  “It’s not easy being green...”
         “And I’m free fallin’...”
“I walk a lonely road…”
    “Knockin’ on heaven’s door...”
“Mama, I’m coming home...”
 
In all these years I still haven’t figured out whether I like or detest the rains. There is nothing more disgusting than walking into the air conditioned office with damp hair and specks of mud on your toes. There is nothing more amazing than getting drenched in the first rains of the season followed by a hot bath and oversized t-shirts. Shyat-shyate feeling in the house. Hate. Taking a Sunday nap under the blanket with the pitter patter in your ears. Love. Abhor wading through waterlogged streets and ruining churidaar elasticity. Adore making paper boats and sailing them in the same flooded lane.  Lack of transport/higher fares/traffic jams cause severe amounts of loathing. Khichuri/alubhaja/omelet bring obscene amount of happiness. Calcutta rains are my Dilli ki sardi.

Just the other day, we were discussing rain songs in office and it dawned on me that Bollywood has successfully made rain and romance synonymous.
Scene 1: Girl and Boy hate each other and are stranded in desolate place. First lightning strikes. She holds his hand in fear. Second lightning strikes. She pounces on him in utmost terror. Scene change. It is raining cats and dogs AND music. The two are dancing and proclaiming their love for each other.
Scene 2: Girl is of high class. Boy is of low class. It starts raining. Boy tries to control mad girl who wants to dance in rain. But fails. She prances around with her sparkly dupatta in the air.  Then suddenly she comes and kisses the Boy. Boy is thrilled. Girl is flabbergasted at her own actions and runs away crying. Thus begins the wooing.
Scene 3: Girl and Boy are best friends. Girl is dating someone else. Suddenly it starts pouring. Boyfriend is busy dancing and flirting with others. Girl is feeling alone and soaked and trying to save herself from getting wet. Boy graciously takes off his own jacket and covers her. Girl has moment of realization that the best friend is her love. Girl and Boy leave the party to waltz in an empty street.
Scene 4: Girl and Boy are strangers who meet every day at bus stand. First five days shy smiles are exchanged. Sixth day, it’s raining and the boy offers his umbrella to her. Girl forgets handkerchief and gets onto the bus. Boy picks up handkerchief like a piece of diamond.  Song begins with boy smelling handkerchief and girl hugging umbrella.
Scene 5: Girl and Boy are married. Tremendous fight going on. The sky turns dark. Girl runs up to terrace to bring the clothes. Boy follows her. Wind is so strong that the girl is almost falling. Boy runs up to help her. She looks away. He hums the song that he first sang for her. Girl melts. Chorus begins. Who cares about the clothes?
Scene 6: Oh just turn on a Hindi movie channel! You’re bound to find more!

So, yes, although I don’t personally believe this, we all know that the weather turning dark, cloudy and windy is directly proportional to a rise in the business of the telephone companies as well as the sale of red roses on the streets. However for me, rain s bring out a much bigger variety of emotions. Have you ever noticed that wherever you are and whatever you are doing, whenever the sky begins to thunder you automatically look outside or upwards in anticipation? Be it at school, where the children huddle around that window to get an inch of space to point out the portion of the sky that has turned jet black, be it at college, where the laid back youth bunk lectures and sit on the rock, taking a drag and waiting for the rains to drench their adda, or be it at office where all sophistication is forgotten and eyes keep shuffling rapidly between the office desktop and the window. Such is the childlike excitement that is evoked! And once the drops actually start falling, there’ll be comments like “Dekh, ki boro boro fota hoye porche!” or “Aaj toh mone hocche bhashiye I debe” or “Ebaba, amar ranna ghorer janla ta khola royeche”. Minutes seem like seconds, when you stare ceaselessly at the water ballet dancing on the roads combined with mental planning to grab the window seat in the bus, anyhow!

Temperatures take a nosedive. There is a slight nip in the air and as one heads home the excitement shifts gear to the culinary mode. Those who can whip up magic in the kitchen, can’t wait to get started on the patent bristi din er dishes, and for people like me who are born to just devour, can’t wait to pile the dinner plate with gorom gorom khichudi with aloo bhajas begun bhajas decorating the side and garnished with the aroma of gondho lebu. If the feeling of bliss ever became tangible, this would be how it would look.

“Bondhu tomay e gaan shonabo bikelbela”. Whenever I hear  this song, I can visualize a drizzly evening in a small town and a group of young boys with their hair wet from the bicycle ride, sitting casually in a courtyard sipping intoxication purchased with money saved up for such a day. Rain and friendships are like a crisp white shirt and ink blue denims. I remember getting a Whatsapp text from my group of besties saying “Aaj chaa aar piyaji ta jome jaabe, please office theke ferot aaye”. At these moments you feel immense hatred for employment and you want to pick up your bag and run back to the bohemian days spent having steaming maggi and staring out the foggy hostel bay window. Speaking of employment, the rains pay a hefty sum to nostalgia to do their job.

When I take out those earphones and pull up my quilt to my nose, an immense sense of being blessed overlaps me. We are privileged to enjoy the rain, appreciate it, and make indulgences. But for those, who call the streets their home, do they love the rains the way we do? The sight of a thin man arranging for a big blue piece of plastic to cover himself and his family of five still haunts me. I read a story where a boy was selling matchsticks and they all got wet due to the downpour and he was scared to go back to his employer as he would be beaten. Being a staunch animal lover, I feel so helpless when I see a puppy trying to find a shelter to prevent his little frail body from being cold. The domestic helps who travel long to come to the city lament on their one room house being flooded. My happiness at the rain consumes me with guilt. Is it right to be pleased at a thing which can cause such plight?

This weather makes my creative self go into turbo mode. From making patterns on the frosted window of the car, to making paper boats with shiny wrapping paper, from finding patterns in the dark clouds to carrying a stylish newspaper print umbrella, from making collages of moments spent with friends to downloading a rainfall live wallpaper for my Smartphone, from putting my DSLR to good use to writing this piece with Rim jhim gire sawaan playing on loop. Aah! Rains, you lovely lovely source of inspiration.

Didn’t I already tell you that rains make me very confused? I frown, smile, mentally smile, curse, cuddle, fight, sulk, beam, withdraw, hug, miss, be sad, be lazy, be hungry and a lot more. It makes me bipolar or maybe multipolar, if there is such a thing. To put it in a nutshell, Calcutta rains, I hate you like I love you.

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Pune Wala Pyaar.


I was randomly scrolling down my Facebook timeline and opened the 2007 -2011 tabs. I laughed and cried at the same time. Statuses giving out detailed descriptions of food consumed followed by string of comments demanding treats further followed by comments claiming inadequacy of funds. Multiple posts reading “I love you bitch” with triple doses of the black hearts. Sharing the lamest lines of the crappiest Hindi songs ever made and making plans to dance on it soon. Pictures with bushy eyebrows, weird expressions and psychedelic clothes. Sms language all over the place. Atrocious captions. Vindictive tagging. Then I stumbled upon the note I had written on our lives in Pune and why I loved it. It was like a gust of wind on a hot sultry day. Sharing it here: 

1. Sharda Niketan Girls Hostel. It gave me the best 5 years of my life with some of the most amazing people ever.
2. Symbiosis law School. Loved it. Loathed it. Laughed at it. Now longing for it :(
3. Lohegaon Airport. The varied and wide emotions that I felt while arriving and departing from it.
4. Mess food. The everyday anticipation, guesses and prayers as we walked down the stairs.
5. Sunny Side up & Cold Bournvita. Cafeteria rules. Period! And of course the bhaiya’s unique pronunciation.
6. Hostel benches near the gate. A concoction of gossip, rumors, time pass and the wait for food to be delivered.
7. Fluorescent light bulbs. Cursing the hostel when it got fused. Blessing the hostel while stealing one from the corridor.
8. Maru shop/ Baniya shop. Never returning change and giving chocolate instead. And never ever giving stuff on udhari!
9. Liquid Hand wash. Lifebuoy. Dettol. And the best, Oriflame. Thank you Neha for pampering us: D
10. Internet. Trying to make own dongle work. Failure. Waiting in line for someone else's. Then chatting with a person sitting across the room: P
11. Electricity wala dabba. Prayer while putting in plug. Abusing when it fuses. The chair. The danda which always got stolen by Room 311. Keys or scissors. A tall person (read Rutujadi!). Mobile torch. One person keeping watch. And voila!
12. Bharadwaj bird. Vidya singing out its name while looking for one. Sonakshi witnessing some of its obscene moments.
13. Auto. Nupur saying Karve Nagar to the auto while standing in Karve Nagar! Meter faster that P.T Usha. Attempting to fight depending on size of autowallah. Getting abused in Marathi in return. Throwing money and running away for life.
14. Miami. Convincing President Bhushan to come along. Dressing up and giving the rectors a heart attack. Mesmerizing music. And of course lots of liquid, laughter and a love story.
15. Creepy texts and creepier stalkers. Tension and discussion. I think Rutujadi takes the cake here.
16. Make up. Hours spent in trial, teaching, application, removal, alteration, drying and asking opinions. And yes, Rucha & Neha. My potential victims!
17. Hot Water at 8.30. Filling bucket while half asleep on college days. Rest of the days, Rutujadi coming to the rescue!
18. Earthquake. Pandemonium. Girls screeching either due to fear or for forgetting to put their favorite lipstick in their runaway survival kit.
19. Walks. Literally dragged into going by one or the other. Always ended in Big Bazaar window shopping or rum ball at Copperchocs!
20. Zara. *big dreamy gleeful smile*. I think that says it all.
21. ATM Centers. Going in for the AC. Making faces at CCTV camera. Tension whether friend's card will be eaten by machine.
22. The Balcony. Spying on neighbors’ activities. Being closely attacked by bats. Talking on phone. Random staring at Girija Shankar Society.
23. Roll Call. Am laughing while writing this. Hiding the food while going to rectors. Making lame excuses. Showing teeth when blasted. Walking away giggling. Repeating the same the next day. Oh yes, almost dying if the bell rings while you’re standing under it!
24. Soup, maggi, munchies. Desire post 1.30 am. All making puppy dog faces so that the other goes and makes it. Searching out and washing bowls and spoons. Totally joyous overlooking the fact that it’s undercooked or has clumps of masala everywhere.
25. Stuti Bansal. You feature in almost every reason. Roomie. Best Friend. Sister. Shoulder to sulk on. Pillow to punch. Hoarder of my secrets. OCD partner. And much more.
26. Crossing Senapati   Bapat Road. The cycles dying to run over your foot. Drivers staring and taking it slow. Seeing others cross over smoothly. Getting dragged across by Alekhya amidst prayers and screams.
27. ESquare. Never being able to decide what to eat in the food court. Seeing Harry Potter, the final part. For giving me the most restless minutes of waiting followed by happiness beyond explanation.
28. Monsoon. Dreaded going out. Loved sitting on the bed and looking out the balcony. Shared umbrellas. Cursed the college for being downhill. Only season I had chai.
29. M.G. Road. Marzorin sandwiches and coolers :). Bombay Store. The pet shop. Discovering Body Shop for the first time. Clover Centre's pocket friendliness.
30. Ganesh chaturthi & Visarjan. For doing the ethnic style. Modak. Mithai. Aarti. Fervour. Crazy dancing during visarjan and returning at 10.30 pm.
31. Wednesday. Non veg day. 2 pieces of chicken to unlimited chicken. Stealing eggs in pocket. Taking cold drinks on udhaari. A happy happy day for me and rutujadi specially.
32. Charles & Keith. For my two pairs of killer heels. Devyani for picking out the same for me.
33. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. For becoming a part of us in every way. Saying the dialogues before they were actually delivered. Mood up lifter. Boredom killer for me and neha in the room. Ross playing the piano. Unagi. Apartment Switch. the weddings. How you doin. The list will never end.
34. Sheesha. Girls evening out. Heart to heart conversations. Bladder bursting with Vidya and Sonakshi.
35. Sale. Jumping up just at the word of it. Planning it more seriously than our study schedules. Waiting for Chemistry to go 70% flat and Accessorize to put up the 1/2 sign! Total bliss. Anki can totally relate to this.
36. Neha's scooty. 9700. Fights and negotiations to sit at the back. Going tripsy!
37. Goodluck Cafe. Crammed with people. Best biryani in Pune. Constant prices.
38. Marathi. Kantala. Aalas. Mulgi. My favorite words. Constantly trying to learn. Courtesy Neha and Rutujadi. Getting teased for my R pronunciation.
39. Photographs. In autos. In the middle of malls. On the road. While sleeping. Taking the same photograph a million times when a person’s eyes are closed. Cropping. Uploading. Tagging. Untagging if you look weird. Me being the DP clicker :)
40. Koregaon Park. Kalyani Nagar. Nagar Road. The first parts of the city I fell in love with for its beauty and the happy buzz it gave me.
41. Rice and Curry Flavors of Bengal. Awesome bangla food. Innumerable home deliveries :). Best khichudi. Separating mutton from its bones for Sonakshi. Alekhya having only a glass of lassi. :P
42. Lectures. Taking notes at breakneck speed. Staring blankly. Making weird noises while suppressing laughter. Taking case of the professor. Shouting to give attendance. Hologram sticker incident. Nupur knows best.
43. Hot Pie. Our den. Spotting people we hate or gossip about. Looking out for number 7. Dirty tables. On the rocks thums up. Egg Chicken roll (*sigh*). Loud laughter. High fives on realizing we crossed the in-time.
44. Packing/Unpacking. Being obsessed about exceeding allowed baggage weight. Once exceeding it by 80 kilos and not paying a single penny for it.
45. Sunday. Getting up straight for lunch. Ordering from Faasos. Watching movie on laptop. Going to sleep after lunch. Waking up and just lolling around. Cribbing about Monday.
46. Sartaj Tailor. For being such a genius and giving my clothes the perfect 10 fit. Allowing me the liberty to buy even an XXL!
47. Library. Fights over getting the charging points. Watching movies on headphones. Giggling loudly. Getting rude glares of those studying.
48. Face pack. Mass multani mitti sessions. Making the other laugh. Checking if it’s dry. Taking random videos.
49. Discussions. Ranging from clothes, life, men, relations, food, movies, family, law, marriage, fears, childhood memories, goa, future, shoes, gadgets, beauty tips. And the list goes on.
50. ABC Farm. Hard Rock Cafe. Stone Water Grill. Firangipani. For giving me the loveliest times ever.
51. Rectors. For all having that patent cackling voice. Banging our doors in the middle of the night. Refusing to open the gates when there was an earthquake as she wasn’t looking her prettiest in her nightgown. Checking if we have smoked or boozed. Never ending sermons in the roll call. And further blah.
52. Winters. Freezing to death in the auto at 7.30 in the morning. Hands becoming numb while writing. Dropping jaws at hostel girls who still managed to wear hot pants.
53. F.C. Road. Oshos. Bags. Earrings. Peppinos Pasta and iced tea. Wadeshwar idlis and dosas. Sagar Arcade.
54. Exam time. Pattern on the dull curtain becomes interesting. Roomie becomes your human alarm. Deathly silence. Girls marching the corridor. Packed library. No time to eat. Counting days. Looking like a mess. Dreading writing till your hand drops off. Sleep becomes the alluring mistress.
55. Haircut/style Sessions. Delighted with the blow dry effect. Horrified the next morning. Almost cutting rutujadi's hair in the parlor. Looking at all Loreal bottles and planning to buy them. Going back to good old Sunsilk the next day. Straightening sessions by neha. Curling sessions by Sonakshi. You name it we have it.
56. City Pride. All the 9  am shows. Checking out new movie posters. Looking at the clips in the rude aunty's shop. Not finding a single wearable item in the Dress Circle. Time pass in Crossword.
57. Arya Akash. Poha. Sabudana Khichdi. Double chai. Matar sandwich. Never finding enough stools. Cigarette smoke being blown into your face. Never figuring out the relation of the aunty with that bhaiya :P
58. Dress trial. After buying new clothes. Deciding for an occasion. Or just for heck's sake. Accompanied by the "Ooohs" and "Wows" from your audience. And vidya swearing that she needs to get the same :D
59. Phases. Of yellow. Of the owl. Of high waist pants. Of bling. Of nailpaint. Of anklets.
60. Inorbit Mall & Phoenix market city. My happy places. MOD. La Senza. Aldo accessories. Cinemax.
61. Cupid. Never coming out without buying anything. Asking for extra discount. letting friends know when there is something that will suit them!
62. Birthdays. Cake Smearing. Candles melting into the cake. Planning gifts. Treats. Unlimited food at jazz by the bay. Yummy Italian at Darios. Indeed the best time of the year.
63. Dance. Munni badnaam hui by Nupur. Vidya's pelvic steps. Lots of jumping, shouting and laughing. Ending with hiding or running once the rector comes knocking.
64. The marathons. Of Gossip Girl. Of 90210. Of How I met your mother. And running to Rucha for the latest episodes.
65. Books/Magazines. Fighting over Vogue. Reading the trashy novels. Crying after the Kite Runner. Biting nails during The Third Twin. Sulking over Transfer of Property Act.
66. Missed calls/Messages. If there is gulab Jamun for sweetdish. To get Hippo chips. On reaching the gate. Or just to irritate!
67. For showing me the good, bad, and worst times but helping me recover always.
68. For helping me make the most important decision of my life.
69. For playing a huge role in making me what I am today.
70. For giving me a second home and family. 

I really did not ever think I would be writing this. Maybe its nostalgia. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s that time of the year when I am usually in Pune. Or maybe, sometimes, some things just grow on you and you don’t even realize when you have hopelessly fallen in love with it. So here it is. My journey from 16th June 2007 to 16th April 2012. :)

Two years have passed since the time I wrote this note. Priorities have changed. We’ve grown up. It’s been years that we went for a morning show. There are no more violent cake smearing midnight birthday celebrations. Sometimes, we even forget birthdays. Let’s just say that time and money have interchanged their positions. And not to forget, even geography does its own little bit. One of us is now a mommy and a very hot mommy, that is! It’s ironical that we haven’t even seen the little bundle of joy when we were there with each other in “I don’t have any good clothes” or “I feel sad without reason, get me chocolate” moments. Oh well, I guess we have more to worry about, more to plan, more that we are responsible for and we do have our own sets of friends near us to giggle about random things, discuss the ifs and buts of daily life or go out for lunch with. So be it. But it doesn’t change the fact that in moments like these everything comes back to you in a flash and you want to barge into a crowded 309 or 311 and bear hug the entire lot. Nostalgia is like an old perfume bottle that you suddenly chance upon, tucked away in the most unexpected of places. Take a whiff.  It smells heavenly. I love you guys.

Thursday 15 May 2014

তেত্রিশ ঘন্টা


Ballygunge station meet kore, ভিড়্ নিয়ে tension, বাকি যাত্রী দের আশ্চর্যের বিষয় হয়ে দাঁড়ানো
পাপু মামার চেষ্টা for the p _ _ _ _ debate, ভগবান কে প্রার্থনা সূর্য মামা কে মাথার ওপর থেকে সরান  


০৭:৫৩ এর Diamond Harbour Local ঝাঁপিয়ে লাফিয়ে ১৪ টা seat জোগাড়, পৃথিবী জয়ের অনুভূতি
বিস্কুট খাওয়া, লেবু চেপা কেনা, clearance ছাড়াদের liquid দেখে গুটিসুটি  


Van চেপে চিৎকার উঁচু নিচু রাস্তায়ে, টুকি দিল নদীর ঝিকিমিকি জল
পূণ্যলক্ষ্মী তে আগমন, পুরী সবজি চা খেয়ে বাইরে দৌড়, মন চঞ্চল  


প্রথম আলাপ গঙ্গা মা সাথে, মন্ত্রমুগ্ধ হয়ে প্রচুর পরিমাণে click click click
307, 310, 401, 410 পাওয়া, A.C.’r অপেক্ষায়ে দীর্ঘ নিঃশ্বাস, কখন যে হবে ঠিক  


হাতে বোতল swimming pool এর দিকে হাটা, লাল সাদা ডোরা কাটা বল, রোদ তখনও কড়াকড়ি
Special dining place, ডাল ঝিরিঝিরি আলু ভাজা, পাতলা মুরগির্ ঝোল, Butterscotch ice cream এর ছড়াছড়ি  


আঙুল চেটে favourite জায়গা তে গোল করে বসা, মেঘ করল আমাদের ধন্য
মিঠির "ভ্রমর", ভুট্টুর "সজ্নী", পাপু মামার creation আপদদের ভাগানর জন্য  


অন্ত্যাক্ষরী আর আড্ডা জমিয়ে শুরু, প্রত্যেকের potential display picture উঠল
এক দু ফোটা বৃষ্টি শুরু, ঘুম কি no ঘুম ঝগড়া শুরু, ছেলেরা সব cricket খেলতে ছুটল  


সূর্যাস্তের ছবি তোলা, turkey দের সাথে মুখোমুখি, পেছন দেখিয়ে সকলকে দিল বিদায়
ৠজুর দোলনা চড়া, second round চা coffee, ঘরে ফিরে সবাই তখন freshen up হতে চায়  


310 আবার মজা, তিন প্লেট crispy chilly baby corn 20 questions এর ধুম শুরু
টিটুর “moon”, মিঠির “time”, পাপু মামার “tree” আর “turkey” সব কটার গুরু॥ 


Ladies দের জন্য ভডকা মাসী, ছেলেদের দলে রাম বাবু, বাচ্চাদের 5 up 7 down থাক
Dinner এর জন্য এলো ফোন, Chinese খেয়ে সকলে তৃপ্ত, তবে masala thumbs up হয়েই যাক  


শীর্ষর “gravity” পারল না কেউ, জিত মামা দিল “kingfisher”, হেলতে দুলতে আবার চললাম সেই নদীর পারে
তেরো জন হলাম table , টিটু আসাতে হই হই চিৎকার, বাচ্চারা সব শান্তির নিঃশ্বাস ছাড়ে  


ঘুটঘুটে অন্ধকারে চকচকে এক জাহাজ, dumbcharades খেলা শুরু i-pad এর light এই
Silsila, জিঘাংসা, Hemlock Society, অপরাজিত অভিশপ্ত নাইটি  


১২ টা তে গেল কাটা, হাটা দিলাম ফেরত, ক্লান্ত কিন্তু ফুর্তির ইচ্ছের নেই শেষ
আবার আড্ডা জমল 410 , শাড়ি, vote, cinema, professors, ঘরে ফিরে ঘুমটা হল বেশ  


ভোরে উঠৈই জানলা দিয়ে নদী, free breakfast ডিম পারুটি, লুচি তরকারি, ফল, juice, jam
Photo তোলাতে century মারা, Mother’s day special আর group ছবি হল ঘ্যাম  


310 shift হয়ে শেষ round ভূতের গল্প, কসা মাংস পরল পেটে
যাওয়ার সময় হাজির, bathroom এর জন্য line, পিঠে উঠল bag, যাত্রা শুরু হেটে হেটে  


০২:৪৭ এর জ্বলন্ত ট্রেন, জানলার seat এর জন্য অপেক্ষা নীরবে
Ballygunge station এসে গেল, অনেক টাটা, অনেক দেখা হবে  


কোলকাতার গরম কে আলিঙ্গন করে সবাই চললাম বাড়ি, তেত্রিশ ঘণ্টা সমাপ্ত, মনটা হল ভারী