A Guest Post

It has been more than 3 years since a guest post was written for the sunshine blog. This time, it is the journey of someone dear to me, back to the City of Joy after waiting for 42 years. And I am so proud that I could be a part of the process. Happy reading.

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Ode to my girls!

It was sometime 1968 February/March when my father decided to take a transfer to Chennai. On one side was the excitement of traveling to a new city /new school/new friends/relatives. No, but I did not want to leave my school here for which admission was sought with great difficulty. My mother always prided in us going to the best schools possible and would do anything for it. This was just the kind of school I would have loved to be in, almost straight out of a picture postcard. Tall stately buildings, winding corridors, neat smart uniforms, well meaning friends /western music classes, Irish nuns looking all serious and talking in their lisping accent. I don't know what attracted me so much to that school, and most of all the bus ride that took forever to reach school as we lived in Ballygunje, and we had to reach Kidderpore. God!! I will definitely miss all this. I was so disappointed!

Again!!what about my favorite haunts here? The dingy sandesh dhokaan which I used to frequent once too many times.

My endless trips to Lake market running errands for mom, but ending up watching the fishmongers haggling.

Watch the freshwater crabs in their containers all waiting to be at someone’s table within minutes!

The talking mynah on the way to my aunt's house with whom I would spend so much time asking her name repeatedly.

Mom taking us to National library to Pushpa aunty's house.

Seetha aunty's in New Alipore who made the best homemade biscuits.

The palatial railway bungalow with wooden floors which we would visit often to meet Shakunthala chithi and partake of the custard pudding made in the shape of a man.

The goat-eyed Dr Chakravarthy who in his dhoti/panjabi and a stern look would dole out potions of some unpalatable concoction while keeping me in a trance waiting for his left eyelid to blink--- and it never happened!!

And then there was Dr. Nityananda, who had that huge aquarium where I used to spend eons watching the fishes swim aimlessly, who did that minor dressing in my leg and I almost died of fright!

Remember his ricketty car straight out of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?"

Remember delving into those market bags after mom's shopping to get a hand at those luscious lichis, jamoons and jamruls??

Or those family sessions where we would sit down to shell peas for our favorite sabji?

Oh! the list seems to be endless. Car rounds around the lake/swinging merrily in the park, enjoying the wind blowing through our hair, and begging Dhunsingh our driver for a last round till he would forcefully drag me and my brother back fearing my dad's wrath. (My younger brother was always left back as he was too young and mischievous for us to handle).

Oh how I used to beg dad for a meetha pan and he would reprimand saying it was not meant for small children.

Introduction to man's best friend Blackie who lived back door with mashima and Kalyanda.

Festive times like Diwali used to be great fun with crackers and delicacies galore from my aunt's place; of course her visits usually ending up in a sour note!!

Don't know what charm Gulab dhobhi exuded on who I used to go piggy back much to the disgust of my aunt!

Oh! The maddening fun during Holi returning home like chimney sweeps to be scrubbed literally to bring back some semblance of a human!

Those escape attempts from our bedroom during puja time to steal a glimpse of Durga ma as she went on her procession---that must have been the nth one, till we dropped off to sleep out of sheer exhaustion!

And so it happened. After sentimental rounds of goodbyes/farewell lunches/dinners/gifts we boarded the train to Chennai which we had visited only in transit till now. Filled with excitement we land here like coal pickers after almost two days of train journey, but what a shock when we actually do so! Everything seemed so different! Attitude of people/language/customs/reethi riwaaz. School! Goodness! What do we do here in a place that prided in living and breathing Tamil. Poor mom had various sessions with our headmistress who finally conceded to give us an exemption from studying Tamil.

Next came the house with a set of nosy, noisy, uncouth neighbors who insisted on dropping in at the most inappropriate of times armed with the strangest of questions. Everything was odd! Too many suggestions and advice on how to...when to...where to...blah! And just as we were settling we were let into the secret of another addition into our family to add to the fun. So many years back, being fresh from Kolkata I could pride in conversing fluent Bengali (Now it is a different matter!!) and here was no one my age to talk leave alone speak in that language! I did not have to wait for too long as I chanced upon a Bengali girl in my class. We would chit chat merrily much to the amusement of the others. Our friendship continued up to college and then we parted ways! I really wonder where she is now!!

Time hurried on, done with my studies dabbling in this that and the other I got married and settled deeper south. When the kids were barely toddlers when my husband took up to his Masters in Chennai and I was left with two troublesome toddlers and a mother in law to manage. These were my very trying years. Thankfully, a break appeared in the form of a change to a little town closer to home! Good friends/a secure childhood for my toddlers/me joining CMC for a course/lots of get-togethers/things were going great till I had a setback bout which I would talk later! Life nearly came to a standstill, but with great determination I learnt to rally around with excellent support from everyone.

In between all these memories of Kolkata used to cross my mind as I longed to visit my childhood domain! We did go on holidays with our children to various parts of India, but never did manage to visit the City of Joy.

As years rolled by, it was time for our children to fly out of the nest. We got our daughter married, son left for SG for higher studies; Well! Our family has always believed that there should be no impediments in the way of one's education, come what may! Maybe that’s why we could pursue our courses of interest as and when possible. I took up a course/landed a job and was at it for some time when due to certain lapses I had to give it up. Our daughter so many thousands of miles away from us, but with the facilities of the internet it was almost as if she were with us. One fine day amidst the routine long distance conversation with our daughter who had secured admissions in one of the prestigious institutions for her Masters (it had always been my dream ----because I have always wanted my husband to pursue higher studies in the US ---- he did have an admit with full aid, but god knows why he refrained from doing so)

S (my daughter)--Amma?

M (self)--Yes? What's up? Everything okay?

S-- My senior called and........

M--Yes! Yes! What happened?

S--She wanted to know if I could host an Indian student.

M-- For how long? Anyway consult with your husband too before u take a decision.

S--- He sounds a little apprehensive, I have no idea about the student excepting that she is fresh from India and I want to help.

M--- Hope you are able to do your best (I always prided in her generous, cheerful and helpful nature).

M--- But will not your brother also be coming there now? (I have no clue of her house and how they will manage.)

S-- Amma this Bengali girl will be here only till she finds accommodation.

M--- Oh! Okay! What? I jump up, all my senses alert. A Bengali girl?? (I don't know why I have always had this affinity for Bengalis.) Just go ahead !

And then it used to be stories of their lives together in college/about her friend's interests/jokes (apparently we as a family love and enjoy humor so this must have definitely attracted my daughter, as this girl turned out to be a just the type.) Coursing through the thick and thin of school life for a couple of years culminated in their graduating together.

Much later it so happened that I was to visit my daughter----I had an elevation in status with the entry of the most precious bundle into the family. Many friends and visitors came by but B (my daughter's friend) was nowhere to be seen. She took some time coming as there were some time constraints in her new job. Well! When at last she did it was like a house on fire! Little did I realize that this meeting was just the beginning of a very strong and fruitful relationship! Frequent chats and visits only strengthened this bonding. Though originating from different countries it is so nice to know that we are now one family in a different country!!

The moment finally came for me to get back leaving the little bundle and all my acquaintances behind. Now, once again I would have to be at the mercy of all these electronic devices to be in touch. Thus it went on. Back and forth calls used to keep flashing across the miles when one day....

S---Amma, by the way B will be coming to India for a break.

M--- Oh I see! For how long?? Why now?? And when will she be getting back??

S--- Oh! Maybe in a couple of months or so.

M---Remember? I was telling her that she should sponsor a trip to Kolkata for me?

S---Yes yes! So why don't you hurry and go there before you visit us?

M---Arre! So you want me to invite myself??

S---What’s wrong? You've been wanting to go for a long time now. Oh! come on, as if you don't know her. She will take good care. Don't bother.

So with all the reassurances--- What if I were to visit the city of Joy now after so many years? Is it ok for me to invite myself like this? What will their reaction be? Arre chalo! I think I should do it. If not now, never. I have waited for so long and nothing ever happened. So after announcing my intentions (which was thankfully welcome) I decided to go about on the ticket hunt. Baap re! It turned out to be the worst nightmare. Thankfully, S stepped in to ease the situation, and got me air tickets for my maiden trip within India. Great plans about places of interest to visit/street food snacking/chitchat sessions were all made. My memory was frozen in time 42 years back. The great day came, and when I landed in hot, humid, Kolkata I found nearly EVERYTHING THE SAME!! Had time stood still? Well! Everything was the same excepting for the person who came to receive me! (this part will remain a secret) B was the same bubbly self and we were very happy to meet with each other and B's mom. Pleasantries exchanged we embarked on our trip home! Very excited I could not believe that I had actually landed here. After a wonderful dinner and lots of gupshup we decided to recharge our batteries for all that was planned for the ensuing days. Each day was packed with interesting outings (thanks to B who had everything neatly charted out) with either B, her mom or both. Visits to holy shrines, heritage monuments, boating on the Hoogly to Belur Math and partaking of the bhog , shopping, lazy strolls were all planned. A visit to my old house was also planned which thrilled me no end. Everything worked out like clock-work precision, and we were like school kids carefree engaged in people watching, binging on street food, silly bantering and teasing, relaxing in the huge luscious lawns, lazily cracking moongfali, sometimes engaging in serious discussions and taking innumerable pictures unmindful of the sweltering summer of Kolkata. My visit to my old house was very memorable in the sense I could almost visualize myself so many years back playing in our verandah with my brothers and my mom in the background chiding us for some silly prank! B managed to impress my old landlords so much they even forgot me and kept inviting her over and over again!!

I must definitely make a veritable mention of my kind host here who turned vegetarian for a week out of sheer respect for my culture/who floored me with her culinary expertise as was seen at every meal/ who has invited me over and over again to revisit /who has gone out her way to keep me as comfortable as possible/who has vowed never to cross the seas without me Imagine!! ( that could be a joke ok?). The way they went about humbled me and I was truly overwhelmed to see that there are still such wonderful people around in this world! It was like long-lost friends meeting after years! Having been at such close quarters with B's family made me realize how much spontaneous love they had for our family, especially for our doting grand daughter. She seemed like a chant word in that household, all her antics/pranks/babbling reverberating.

So, with unspoken promises of keeping the relationship nurtured and strengthened at every stage I bid farewell hoping to return sometime--wondering heart of hearts how I was ever going to pay back all those wonderful times! I feel I owe the entire experience of my childhood sojourn to these wonderful girls (Yes! I have one more daughter now!) who made it happen! May you be blessed with everything you want and need in life! You guys are simply great and if I have not said it before I am doing so now!