Durgapuja at my home

"Why It is always unfair with me"

Chapter I

When I was in school, wait a second, is it fair to start a sentence with question mark? Are there any rule, written anywhere about that? Ohhh..God another question mark, what shall I do? It is always my sincere effort that I shall do something right but ends up in a wrong way. Sh...Shutup this is enough for epilogue, Epilogue at the begining !!!? Another question mark with exclamatory.

Ok...enough. when I was in school, by God's grace that was a co-education school. After that I never experienced the 'whisper'ing of girl students and frankly speaking "classing with girl students". I was very shy to talk with them because my best friend told me that your "machoism will loose if u talk with those whispering dumbies".

"Dumbies!!! in our school? No yaar, they are all toppers in our school exam. How come you say them "Dumbies""? I asked my best friend with another two question marks.

"You know Pra, what is your problem. You don't know how to talk, you ask so many uselless questions in unnecessary situations and remain mum when that requires." --- "The Champ" saya publishes one of his Ph.D paper on me.

So I became a saint during my full tennure in my one and only Co-education school. I gradually moved from 1st bench to 4th bench because 1st bencher might have some chances to make eye-contact with those dumbies. But wait...even 4th bencher can see something. Stop..stop...stop, I shouldn't look into those dumbies otherwise I'll loose my machoism.

"But why do I need machoism"? Ohhhhhh..Godddd another question mark. You are right Saya, I should stop asking questions.So I stopped even asking questions in class... result : Saya Got 87% in Class X exam and nextday I took 2 sweets from his Sweet packet to celebrate his 2% more marks than me.

Saya got a chance in St. Xaviers, Kolkata. May be he'll find some "Pra" again to warn him to be aware of "Dumbies". Good luck Saya, still I am following your first lesson.

After taken a month long vacation, I joined "Bidhan Chandra Institution". Got the changes, no question mark yet. Enjoyed at least 50 movies during my 2 years in Bidhan. It was hectic no doubt but peaceful because there were no dumbies. Initially I was happy, new school, new syllabus , no "whisper"ing, no "Sunsilk" shampooed hair on monday. It was going all cool on my
way, untill I met Saya during that year's Durgapuja vacation.

"Hey Pra, how are you?" Saya started with a question mark, changed a lot in other way. I hugged him in my both arms, a small town gesture. "How are your Bidhan bunkings going on"? Do you guys have any monthly pass for "Chitralaya"? Please saya already three question marks, I told to myself.

We enjoyed Saya's return with Titanic at Chitralaya. Kate's smooch in full stomach filled with fish curry and rice is highly indigestable.

"Doesn't Kate look bit older than Leo?" grrrrrrrr..... I hate Kolkata...I hate it. It made my best pal to a questioning, matcho less dumb fellow.

Before leaving, saya spinned an ultimate googly.
"Pra, are you still praying your Gayatri mantra thrice in a day?". Nervous...bit nervous...because after my thread ceremony, saya had made a nice tabla practice on my bald head and pulled my leg on Gayatri (obviously the dumbi 2nd girl in our school not the holy mantra).

"Yes...I am"---otherwise mom won't allow me to stay in house. I was so desparate to ask the question but refrained myself to do that. Should I ask or not, the pendulum was oscillating on my head but I stopped myself.

"Pra, I am in love with a muslim girl"---Socrates, why the thunder falls only on my head ? Hell, again I am back into my question mode. "Girl...a muslim girl? What's that crap ?" --- I asked two questions simultaneously by thinking that might be another "dumbi".

"Yeah..this is Simi", saya shown a photograph of them, might be taken somewhere at Science city or Nalban. A whitish, might be an anemic,thin jaw and thin waist girl. I looked at Saya, a traitor whom I considered as my best friend. Silently I took my cycle and enrouted to house.

I had never been in touch with Saya again. My best friend had back-stabbed me, he told me that it'll loose our machoism and he never bother to ask me before loosing his own !!!

A dramatic exclamation without question mark, first in my life. Sucks... a rain drop falls on my eye.

"This is not fair...very very unfair. But why it's only with me? " I asked to myself after loosing my childhood best friend !!!!!!

Chapter - II

"Do you know that your JEE result is going to be published on tomorrow ?" I was about to swallow the mushroom piece but stopped after Dad's question. Actually it's very often that we have mushroom at lunch at home but today is a sunday.

"Yeah...I know"...I replied with head down and eyes jelled on my mushroom curry.

"So, any hope to get a chance in any of the government engineering colleges? I can't afford you to those private colleges." ---Thank God, so relieved. Atlast Dad said something which doesn't contain a question mark.

"Shyamal was telling me that he'll join Physics(Hon's) and has already enrolled to PKB"--- I informed dad about shyamal , my new best friend after Saya.

"What!!! B.Sc in Physics(Hon's)? What will you do after that ?" --- Dad shouted at full volume.
"why are you so careless? What do you think about your future? Do you have any career plan in your mind or not? "
1
2
3
..
I was counting the number of interrogative sentences.

"I am telling you this fellow is going to do nothing ! He has scripted his bad luck by own...I am telling you, just take my words." Dad predicted my future to mom.

"Don't those junkyard guys have any work other than publishing JEE result on monday? They simply screwed-up my Sunday lunch." - I told to myself. Publishing JEE result on monday is not fair. Getting a full blow on firstday of a week is not at all acceptable. They never published JEE result on monday before. First time they are going to do it and that is also in this year.

"Why...why...why ?" I tried to make myself comfortable.

"Try to make a visit to Rama mandir, today", my mom instructed before I leave for "evening bird watch".

"But mom, I don't have enough money to buy a puja. Shall I take 21 rs from "Red bag" for puja ?" I told to mom,indicating the "Red bag", our local bank.

I was almost 10mins late to reach to our 'culvert', dropped my cycle there and ran to the vendor sitting infront of mandir gate.

"Bhaiya, give me a puja thali of Rs 11." I asked the vendor with a 10rupee currency note and a 1 rupee coin.

"What the hell r u doing there?" Shayamal shouted at me from our culvert. Sometime it's really strange to believe that 80% of Indian poopulation only talk in questioning mode !!!

"Wait...I'll be there within 5mins"--- I replied to him from temple gate. Though it was a sunday evening but not to much crowdies. I put off my shoes and washed my hand before a lined up into a small queue. I never understand the "Temple bell" concept. Everyone entering the main temple try to dong the temple bell. It is very much disgusting even I feel God also feels very much disturbing by hearing that dong after every few seconds.

"Panditji, can you put a very small tikka on my forehead." If you don't inform this then there is a huge possibilty to get a large tikka on there and "Watching birds" with that long tikka is almost same like not to watch.

Chapter - III

I was sleeping nicely on that "Blue day". In my subconscious mind, I heard that mom called me thrice already because she wanted me to get ready before dad came from his daily morning walk.

"This is the last time, I am telling you to wakeup and get ready, it is almost 6:30 and your dad will come at any time. You have a rhino's skin or what, you never feel ashamed of those words !!!" --- mom told me after removing the mosquitonet from my bed.

"I don't want to go and check my JEE result"

"Why, Are you afraid of your result ? You'll get a very good score, don't worry now wakeup and get ready". --- mom tried to make me comfortable.

"No mom, I don't want a very good score, even I don't want to make any score, then I have to go out of my home and stay in those hostel. I can't stay there mom, I can't sustain a single day without you and your food. I have never stayed in hostel before. Please pray to God for my worst score in JEE...please...please"--- the moist truned into tears and started rolling
from my eyes.

"Ohhh...my kid. Don't cry beta, you are a big boy right and see your didi. Being a girl she is staying too far from us. Does she cry?"

"But I don't want to be like her"---I replied after weeping tears from my eyes.

I was standing quite far away from the result board. Shyamal was jolting with other guys to get a look for the result.

"Pra, what is your enrollment number? Is it E234? --- shyamal shouted from there to confirm my JEE enrollment number.

"Huhhh...don't they make that board a big one. All crazy people"--- shayamal told after winning his battle.

"Congrats! 456 among seventy thousand students,is a very good rank. But what about your Physics (Hon's) and PKB? You don't want to do that." --- I congratulated Shyamal on his JEE rank.

"Don't worry Physics (Hon's) is not for me. May be someone will do that". --- He replied with his large grin.
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"Girls are always better than boys, you know what Banerjee was telling in office?" --- Dad said to mom about the discussion among his collegues.

"Rima stood 678 in JEE and what your son has done! A rank after one thousand !" --- A simple comparison between my elder sister and mine is enough to make the atmosphere more gloomy.

I hate this comparison...I hate it. Even I hate that sharp nose, fair skinned lady.

India- South Africa oneday series is going on now. India has already lost first two onedays against them. Sometime I wonder why they play against such a good team on their own soil? It is simply wasting of money and time. Even I am sure they are going to loose today's match also.

"Trrring..trrring....trrring..trring" --- our green colour bharati phone rang. My sixth sense told me that it is certainly a STD call from Hyderabad.

"Dad, how is bhai's result ?" That sharp nose lady asked my dad with lots of anxiety in her voice. Huhhh...anxiety...I know it is all pseudo.

"Your didi wants to talk with you" --- dad passed the receiver after five minutes of useless discussion.

"So, what is your plan? Don't worry, I hope you will surely get in some government engineering colleges with your score."

An actress...an oscar winning actress !!!

I was about to say something different but restrained myself and replied with "Let's see".
"I have to get a chance in "Electrical Engineering" department in any of the Governement Engineering colleges at any cost, otherwise I'll loose my nose." --- I told to myself.

But why it only happens with me ??? "1022" within seventy thousand students is not at all a bad one. But then why people think that anything beyond "678" is not at all a good rank!!!

A devastating Fire brokeout at Barabazar area in Kolkata

(Photo Courtesy : Anandabazar Patrika)

It was Sunday morning (13th Jan, 2008). As usual I was enjoying my weekend sleep with my mouth open. I was dreaming that may be today I'll get some thing different other than Maggi in my breakfast...in my subconscious mind I was waiting for the doorbell to ring because that means my "Bai" has come and the time is exactly 11:47 am.
Suddenly something started ringing and I started moving towards the door with both eyes close. But hey...one min..this is not the doorbell. Something ringing continuously and the melody is far better than the cacophony of my doorbell. I realized that this is my mobile phone which has done this mishap to make me awake before 11:47 in a Sunday morning. I opened my left eye, the flashy screen was showing "Chotomama calling..."
"Hello..." I replied to my uncle's call. "Hello..Hello Chotomama...are you there? ". After a pause a I heard a weary voice..." I am finished now..." and rest 15mins was the "Ga Ga of this years first Indian tragedy".
" The Burning Bazar" was the headline. When I finished reading the newspaper, I was nowhere in a mood to call my friend to book a ticket for "TZP". 48 Fire brigade engines, army disaster management cell, thousand of menatlly devastated shopkeepers and a burnt building called "Nandaram Bazar" was the "Clear picture".
Sorry Aamir, "TZP" can wait but I need to give my healing touch to my eclipsed "Chotomama", a small shopkeeper in "Nandaram market"

Recipe for Bengali Fish Curry

Lots of my nonvegeterian non-bengali friends in organisation asked me "What dada...Fish kab khila rahe ho ? " So folks..here is the recipe (not invitation !!!) for Fish curry. Enjoy it .

Ingredients :

- 800 gms, cut into small pieces Grass Carp (Rehu) Fish - 1/2 of a small one Onion - 4 pods Garlic - 1 inch Ginger - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1.5 tsp Red Chili Powder - 4 sliced Green Chili - 1/2 cut into small pc Tomato - 5 tbsp Cooking Oil - 1 tsp Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin Seed Powder - 1/2 cup Water - 1 tbsp leaves for garnishing Cilantro.

Instructions :

1. Mix the fish with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Fry the fish to golden brown. Set aside when done.

2. Make a paste of onion, ginger and garlic. Heat the rest of the oil. Add the paste, green chili, and all the spices, i.e. turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder. For in medium heat for 5 min.

3. Add the chopped tomato and fry in medium heat till the oil leaves the side of the pan.

4. Add the fried fish, and fry for another 5 to 10 min. Add 1/2 cup water, salt to taste and bring to boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 min.

5. You can garnish it with coriander (cilantro) leaves. Serve hot with basmati rice.