Maharaj departs

There are a very few people on Earth whom other people can either love or hate, but can never ignore. In the world of cricket, Sourav Ganguly is one such character: one of the most controversial and colorful characters in this arena for the last 12 years.

In a game, most players are judged by their performances: how many runs, how many wickets, how many centuries made in a calendar year, how many records he broke, how many are yet to be broken- so on and so forth. But Sourav Ganguly cannot be judged by a scoreboard alone- for him, the game of cricket was not merely scoring runs or taking a couple of wickets.....it was much more than that. A combination of aggression, elegance and emotion, our beloved Dada is a complete package on the ground.

On the off side, first there is God, and then Dada.........Rahul Dravid said about him at the very early stage of his career. Such was Sourav's elegance in this shot that a conservative and perfectionist like Sir Geoffrey Boycott coined him as Prince of Calcutta. He is the most succesful captain India has ever seen, has scored maximum number of runs in the opening partnership along with the Maestro Sachin Tendulkar in the one-day internationals, has the Treble of 10,000 runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches in one-dayers------all these information just add more lines in his resume. The way he led the team on the ground, the way he responded to the audacity and obnoxious behaviour of Steve Waugh and also the way he completely ignored the century-old tradition of the Lords' Cricket Ground will be always remembered in the history of cricket.

His philosophy was simple: If you bother me, you have to face the consequences. he firmly believed in what he did, and did not care about what others thought about him. It may seem like he is proud, selfish and arrogant, but that's the way he is......a lot different than the others.

He did not possess the techniques and tenacity of Rahul Dravid, the spontaneity of VVS, but he was unique in his own way. Strong determination and indomitable courage covered for his other shortcomings. His performance during the last one-and-a-half year since his comeback in South Africa speaks for his determination and character strength.

No drama, no tears, just a couple of words: I quit, it is time to go. This guy has played like a king, and is departing like a king. As Neville Cardus once said

We remember not the scores and the results in after years, it is the men who remain in our minds.

Truely, Dada will remain not only in our minds, but in our hearts as well.

Maharaja, tomarey selaam.

A piece of lost days

This year is the fifth one. Several thousands of miles away from home, each year, around this time, John Denver sings inside my mind:

Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong........

Goddess Durga will appear on Earth again within a couple of days, and the entire Bengalee community around the globe will celebrate Her arrival for the next one week, forgetting all sorrows and woes life has to offer them aplenty.

Memory is a very tricky substance- although I don't know whether it can be called a substance in the first place. But the thing is, when I try to recall something, at times memory betrays me, and at times, it floods my mind with so much incidents that it becomes difficult for me to think and organize the thoughts properly.

For me, the four days of Durga Puja were ordered in four different ways. Saptami was reserved for the family.....throughout the daytime, it was chatting and gossipping with cousins and relatives, and in the evening, it was time to get along in a group of about 20 people and walk through the lights and charms of the city. The duration of the trip used to be short, or at least it decreased as the years passed by, because my parents, uncles and aunts were getting older. But it was a very pleasant experience, and each year, Saptami was just one of the days which taught me how family should be, and what it means to be a part of a happy family, where every member cared for everybody.

Asthami used to start by offering Pushpanjali to the Goddess from the local pandal. Although initially reluctant to go (because it was an early morning affair), I gradually got interested in it, mainly because as I got older, my interest shifted towards the live Goddesses from the deity. After murmering the hymns, throwing flowers towards them was really a pleasure, and the fact is, to me, a Bengalee girl looks best in a saree rather than any other outfits. So, since my adolescence, I used to look forward towards the Asthami morning.

Going out with friends was quite enjoyable during the pujas, which I did mostly on the Nabami, and during the puja time, the upper limit of coming back home at night was relaxed to a good extent, thereby providing me ample chance to enjoy outside.

The Sharodiya numbers were another source of attraction. Even 6-7 years before, the Sharodiyas were released just before the festive season, unlike they do nowadays.....about 3 months before the puja. Leafing through the new pages of the book, and smelling the scent of it was a heavenly feeling, at least for me. When I was much younger, I was not allowed to read Desh, because it was supposed to be boroder boi! But that could not stop me from reading those anyway, and as it happens, the more you forbid, the more irrestible the desire is to break the rules.

Kolkata used to change overnight on these four days. I still remember eating Biriyani from a roadside stall at around 3 AM! Long queues in front of the Egg-roll centers, where the preparation was so fast that the parathas were half-cooked, but for us, nothing mattered. Everything was consumed at rapid speed and indomitable enthusiasm.

Life changes, and now I can understand what I used to have then which I do not have now. It is true that as long as you are not away from home, you do not get the feeling what home really is. Sometimes it is good to be dependent, or at least to be under certain rules. Breaking rules is much more exciting than having a free will to do whatever we want.

I know not when I will be able to enjoy the Durga puja again from home. It seems its being a lifetime since I had last entered inside a Mandap. But it is always good to cherish sweet memories, because this is what keeps us moving against all odds.

Just a post!

Two months have passed without much happenings. One semester ended, another started, and the same old routine of apartment-department-advisor-Budweiser/Courvoisier continues! Life of a grad student is mostly dull, except for the trips made throughout the year. In that respect also, I am running at a loss, with only one trip so far to my credit. The two-day trip to Denver was enjoyable, but too short to relish properly.

No happenings, and hence no posts as well. All happenings or feelings cannot be blogged as well, for that matter. Watching movies, reading novels is still continuing, and among the recent readings, I liked The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

In terms of weather, its a perfect Autumn in Wichita nowadays, clouds and sun are dividing the hours between themselves. All seems to be in perfect order, except my mind, which at times, rushes home-Puja is knocking at the door!

Each year, I start counting days for going home from now on, but never have I felt the urge of visiting Calcutta so deeply as I feel now. It is exactly 3 months left, and I am eagerly waiting for the winter at home.

Bidding adeiu for the time being, will catch up later, may be with some meaningfull post next time.

Bon Voyage

I have been staying in Wichita continuosly for more than 6 months now, since I came back from home on January 21st., partly due to lack of funds, and mainly due to lack of company. Things seem to change now, a very short trip to Denver has been planned between August 3rd to August 5th, in fact the shortest trip so far! Also, it took the least amount of time for planning it, a little over 2 hours during the hot afternoon of last Sunday, during which, the tickets were purchased as well, the price of which was also the cheapest so far!

The plan of another trip is germinating during the Labor Day weekend, but that is still in the primary stage. But the wheel has started to roll, and I wish the second half of the year will not be as mundane as the first half.

A momentary lapse of concentration

I arranged the purchased packet of items into my car trunk. As I laid down the last item into the trunk, I sensed a fleeting image of a person, and in order to take a better look, I closed the trunk and looked sideways. Satisfying my curiosity, I put back the trolley in its right place, and again came back in front of my car, and put hands in my pocket for the key. Surprisingly, I could not feel it, and so I made a thorough search of the four pockets - everything else was there, except the key. As I was thinking that somehow the key got dropped into the grocery store, after a moment I discarded the idea, because in that case, I would not have been able to open the trunk in the first place. Hence, the only possibility is that I have placed the key into the trunk (as the "last item" ) and closed it.

After pondering for a minute or two, the possibility changed into certainty in my mind. Fortunately, I had a duplicate key, but it was in my apartment. So I started calling my friends asking for a ride to my apartment, get the key, and return once again here.

But again, today is Friday afternoon, in fact the last Friday before the beginning of a new semester. So, I failed in the first 4 occasions. Either they were busy someplace else, or they had already started their Friday activities, or somebody else had taken their cars out! I was getting a bit tensed, because my sources were getting exhausted without any result, and hence the only possibility of calling a key-maker to get a new key was looming large. Well, this one would be both time consuming and expensive. I tried to make a last call, before switching into this option.

Surprisingly, it worked. This friend had just returned from his office, and agreed to help me. I was relieved a lot, as can be assumed. After that, it became very simple, and within 40 minutes, I was back home with my car.

But what made me absent-minded for a second? Well, to admit the truth, the fleeting image was that of a mind-blowing beautiful girl, who passed by me, lit a cigarette, got into her car and went away! Women, especially pretty women, have allured men into certain wrongdoings since time immemorial, and this case was no exception. Although the impact here was negligible, but the truth was verified yet again!

Sleeplessness

One of my qualities, which I admire myself, is my ability to sleep. Thanks to the 4 year stay here, I have turned into a hardcore night person, going to bed never before 1 AM, and during weekends, it can be anytime from 2 to 4 in the morning. But when I switch off the lights and place my head on the pillow, I fall asleep instantly, and wake up after a good 8-10 hours of tight sleep. I can sleep like a log, undaunted by every possible disturbances, and on numerous occasions, when I wake up, I see quite a number of missed calls in my cellphone.

But recently, there has been a dent in my long-lasting reputation. The night before yesterday, I went to sleep around 1:30 in the morning, but had my eyes wide open till 5. I tried all possible methods to make myself sleep during that interval, but all were in vain. When you seriously try to sleep, but end up tossing and turning over the bed instead, it becomes very frustrating and sometimes, agonizing as well. However, I somehow managed to sleep after 5 AM, and slept for quite a number of hours.

I ignored this matter as an exception, which is always nice. But today again, it is the same scenario. Trying to sleep from 2 AM, I could not bear the burden of looking at the dark room, and hence decided to write this blog while munching over puffed rice and chanachur, the clock reads 4 AM.

If exception starts to happen frequently, then it becomes a rule, and as far as this issue is concerned, I have no intention to make it a rule. The ultimate result, however, is yet unknown, and let me leave it upon the upcoming days.

Of serials and childhood memories

In my childhood days, the serials Ramayana and Mahabharata were hot favorites among people of all ages, but mostly it affected the children and the older people. I can still remember the image of my Grandmother, sitting in front of the television set with palms joined, and whenever Krishna or Rama used to appear, she used to touch the palms to her forehead, muttering silent prayers. For me, the attraction was different; I used to enjoy the fights- specially the scenes where Arjuna or Rama used to throw an arrow, the arrow multiplied itself into a dozen or more, and killed the enemy soldiers ; in other instances, two arrows came face-to-face in midair, stayed still for a while, and one of them disappeared. The fights with mace (or Gada) became so popular that plastic counterparts of the weapon were available in the market, and playing with them became a passion for the children during that period.

In the Indian television history, those two serials were the most popular among the audience, and even now, I like to think about them in some nostalgic moments. But apart from these two, I remember other serials as well, which always occupied my "must view" list in those days.

When the Metro Channel (or DD2) started its broadcasting, it was only for one hour in the evening in the weekdays, and there, I used to watch Johnny Sokko and the Flying Robot and Street Hawk. I cannot recall the stories now, but what I can remember is the passion with which I used to swallow them.

The Doordarshan channel (DD1) broadcasted some nice serials, of which I liked Guniraam, Tenali Rama, Mungerilaal ke haseen sapne and Nukkad. Here again, I have forgotten the details of the storyline, but probably each of them used to tell one story every week, and in those days, serials were a weekly event, not on a daily basis with two repeat telecasts, as it is nowadays.

Alike mystery stories, I have a fascination for detective serials as well, and among them, my favorites were Byomkesh Bakshi (Rajit Kapoor was superb) and Tehkikat, where Vijay Anand acted in the role of detective Sam D'Souza while Saurabh Shukla was his sidekick. Another serial, which was telecasted probably on Sunday afternoons, was Bikram Aur Betaal, where Arun Govil was the king, as far as I can remember.

In Bengali, Tero Parbon was the pioneer, where Sabyasachi Chakraborty played the character of Gora. He has been one of my favorite actors since then. There was another serial, directed by Tapan Sinha, titled as Hutomer Naksha, which was of the mystery genre, starring Soumitra Chatterjee as a retired Colonel and Hutom, a young boy as his combined-hand. It was Hutom who used to solve the mysteries, with guidance from Soumitra. Apart from these, there was Adarsha Hindu Hotel, where Manoj Mitra played the role of Hajari thakur, and Sabitri Chatterjee was in one of the leading roles.

On Sunday mornings, there was a program called An expidition to the animal kingdom ,which was a pleasure to watch. Although I did not like cartoons that much, but I used to watch He-Man and later, Jungle Book.

None of the above-mentioned names are recent, all of them are 12-18 years old at least, but I still can remember them. The reason may be because they were a part of my childhood and boyhood, a part of my life which is full of sweet memories, memories which I can cherish in moments of solitude.