Chandan Sharma's Blog, page 2
February 28, 2014
A Day With Single Mother
“You know how much I liked you when were in college, you were agile and energetic. I never thought that you will choose writing as your career; it is so damn slow…you know what I mean…right? I thought you will join army…I wanted to meet you when your book was published but never knew where you were.”
She poured the tea in two cups and slowly kept the kettle near the wash basin. She wiped the base of the cups with her ‘duppatta’ and kept the cups in a small plate and then the plate in a big tray.
“And all of a sudden, you decided to show up today. So, how is all?”
She carried the tray and kept it on a stool. The stool was interesting. Names of different people written all over it with pen and I could also see heart made by a red pen with an arrow piecing across it (I still wonder that how that brutality can represent a message of ‘I love you’). That stool perhaps belonged to some school which was most probably was sold to a scrap dealer and then to a second hand furniture dealer and finally was here.
“Well, so far it is good. The sale of book is picking up slowly. I got your address from Pankaj. What’s up with you?”
She picked up the cup of tea and handed over it to me, as if wanted to tell me not to question her about anything.
“As if you don’t know.”
“What?”
“Mr. Sharma, you could be an author but you are not a good liar. I can see in your eyes that you know everything and perhaps that’s the reason why you decided to meet me. And secondly I can’t believe that Pankaj didn’t tell you anything?”
I didn’t know that she could read my eyes. I took a sip of tea and swallowed a huge amount of saliva which was stuck in my throat. I looked at her. She, with her usual naughty smile and witty eyes, was gazing at me.
“What happened?”
“He left me…asked for divorce…I gave him.”
Nandita Mukherjee, one of the most juvenile girls of my college, was sitting in front of me with anguish in her eyes and disgust in her words. I remember the days when she used to pick her valentine amongst as many as 15 boys to choose from. It used to be controversies and fights over her decision then, and she used to say pompously that she had every right to choose or reject whomever she wanted. She used to have very elaborated logical reason behind it. And now, after almost 6 years, she is divorced, and she couldn’t manage even 10 words to say about it.
“Chandan…hello…”
“Ah! I am sorry. I should not ask this to you at all…this is none of my business.”
“Right…your wish.”
“Ya…amm…however, I know almost everything already…Pankaj told me.”
“Yeah…that asshole…”
“Why you say so?”
“Just like that…did he also tell you that he wanted to sleep with me to fulfill my sexual needs…how substantial…”
“What…no…”
“I hope you are not here for the same reasons…are you?”
“O…no…why would you think that…it’s so awful.”
“What?...sleeping with me?”
“No…”
“No?”
“I…mean yes. Ok, just let it go. Why are we even talking about it? Do you think I am such a man?”
“Well, I have been hearing to such countless proposals since Vivek left me with a 4 years old kid. Everybody thinks that a single mother needs it…and there are no strings attached as well.”
She took the last sip of tea and gently placed the cup on the small plate.
“Where is Arya?”
“School.”
“You work…right?”
“Yeah…BPO stuff…you need to keep yourself alive…don’t you? I took leave though…exclusively for you.”
She smiled again. I was not able to decide whether she was already flirting with me or it was a general friend’s stuff. Had she been single and not married, I would have termed it as leg-pulling. But her current situation made differences in my thought…I could not understand why.mother “Oh! Thanks…By the way, what about your parents?
“What about them…they live in Banaras…I stayed with them for a month and half but they were too embarrassed due to me…a young girl, divorced, then the usual character assassination by small town public. I wonder why people never blame the man for it.”
“Even if they do, would that be of any good?”
“Nah!...just a sadistic satisfaction.”
She took the cups to the wash-basin and poured some water in both cups from the tap. She did the same with some other utensils. While doing it, her ‘duppatta’ slipped from her shoulder, revealing her v-neck suit. Her well build cleavage made me feel their presence. I had seen her cleavage or may be something more than that, as many as thousand times but today it was more attractive. I didn’t know whether her relationship status had anything to do with it.
“So, did you get any share from your husband…I mean any monitory help?”
“Are you researching on me and trying to make a story?”
“No..”
“You should…” She smiled…same familiar naughty smile.
“I will definitely think about it.”“Ya…that thinking…it never gets completed, anyways, will you have breakfast?”“Amm, no I guess, I need to travel a lot.”“So, having no breakfast will shorten your traveling distance, isn’t it?”I looked at her in anxiety; she was busy in arranging her hair. She grabbed her hair from front and made a knot in such a manner that it seemed mounted on her head. It was pleasant to see how she was trying to keep her body covered with the ‘dupatta’, unlike old days when she used to flaunt her assets. My gaze traveled from her breasts to her face and back at her breast.“What?” Her voice was a bit rigid than all of her other sentences.“Nothing”“So, will you have breakfast?”“I can”“Ok”I know I was a stupid in conversation but atleast I was not asking her about her Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram or Whatsapp accounts. She stood up and went straight to the kitchen which was attached with the living room. I remember that the kitchen used to be a very discreet place for ladies. The food and other edible items kind of used to appear in the living room directly, no guest would know where exactly the kitchen is? It was a private place for ladies. If there is something they want to laugh about or cry upon, the kitchen used to be the perfect place for that.Now I mostly see kitchen attached with the living room with no privacy at all. The ladies can cook and chat with the guest sitting the living room. I think it has more to do with the contagious culture of nuclear family. The guest is often known to both husband and wife and ladies don’t need to disappear in kitchen.“So, what would you like to have Mr. Sharma, Bread…Maggie…or chapattis?“Anything would work I guess.”
“You have not changed at least in this case…from the canteen of our college to here, you are never sure that what exactly you want to have. Anyways I am making sandwiches for you.”I smiled.The bell rang and after a few seconds of silence, Nandi rushed to the door. “I am going to kill these rascals, I know they are kids who ring the bell and run away.”She was right. There was no one at the door. She slammed the door and rushed towards me.“Come…” She took me to the windows and pointed towards the gate of the apartment. I tried to see what she wanted me to see, but I could figure out nothing. Usual moving cars, some playing kids, few office going people, a hawker fighting with the guard to get in. All seem ok to me.“What exactly should I look upon?” “You see that middle aged man, with a black bag on his shoulder?”“Yes”“He is the man who rings the bell almost every day.”“How you know? You said they are kids who do this.”“About kids…just like that…I saw this person twice doing the same from the magic eye I have on the door. He does it and walks away.”“So, why don’t you say anything to him?”“He wants me to say him something…stupid. He wants to talk with me…thharki budha.”I looked at her with hint of amazement in my eyes while she continued.“I don’t know…from class 6 to now…I have seen people thinking just one thing for me…Chandan, you are a writer, can you explain what possibly be the reason of such thinking? Being girl is bad…being a girl without father is even worse and being a single mother is atrocious. Sucks…I feel suffocated here. Everybody wants to know that what I do for our sexual life? What the fuck man, let’s just say that I don’t get time for this and I am too busy looking after my kid and other responsibilities.”“I am sorry about all these, but you need to get out and fight if you want to stop this.”“Nah, I don’t need any trouble on this…I don’t want somebody threatening about my son or something else…I think I will pass on this.”
“It will only increase the daring of this man.”“Where do you live Chandan? If I say something against him, he will allege me of being a characterless woman. This is a man’s society, he will get support and ultimately I would need to leave this apartment and move to the new one. There I will get 3 of such scoundrels…then what? Life is neither a movie nor a book.”The bell started ringing again. Nandi moved to the door and after rearranging her dupatta, she opened the door, it was Pankaj.“Talk of the devil and here it comes. I was telling Chandan about men like you.”“I am sorry. That was a misunderstanding. May I come in now?”“Yeah, you are not welcome though.”“Ya, whatever….”Pankaj forcibly made his way to the chairs and after formal ‘hello’ sat down. He looked at me and asked me in signal whether everything is ok…I said yes.“Ok, so it seems that you ladies need some privacy here. I would now make tea for all of us and sandwiches. For you too, rascal.” She pointed towards Pankaj.Pankaj said nothing but held his ears with both of his hands and made a gesture as if asking for forgiveness. Nandi winked at me and went to the kitchen.“It has increased.” He whispered to me.“Yes, she is now completely out of control….what should we do now?”“She needs to be admitted Chandan.”I said nothing but stood up and moved to a corner of the room, where Nandi could not see from the kitchen. Pankaj came towards me and kept his hand on my shoulder.“I know, it is hard but you need to accept this that Nandi, your wife, is not doing well.”“I don’t know what to do Pankaj? I remember the days when we were in college. It was so nice. She has the memory of those days somewhere inside her head…I know…she has the memory of our marriage, and our days of love and peace. How could she forget it?”“I have told you Chandan that since her elder sister had passed away, she had been acting like her. Because of their tremendous closeness, Nandi went in a shock where she is living the life of her sister. She is implementing everything which she had been told by her sister. The way she used to get tortured by the society and everything which happened with her…she is even imagining about Aryan, her sister’s son.”I closed my eyes and drops of tear rolled out from the corners of my eyes. I tried to wipe out the drops of tear but they were constant. I applied pressure on my tongue with teeth and kept on increasing it…so that the physical pain can bypass the pain of my heart. But even the taste of blood could not cover the agony of losing everything despite of having it right in front of the eyes. I could not hug her and tell her that how much I miss her…love her…need her. When Nandi’s sister committed suicide with Arya…Nandi forgot who she really was. She died with them leaving me alone. “How could she forget the immense love between us? How could she forget the promises we made that we would not stop loving each other even after death? How could she forget the plans we had for our future? How could she forget me?”
I felt my legs shivering and sweat running all over my body. My heart beat was fast, as if was about to stop forever. I felt no power in my legs and my body oscillated towards ground, Pankaj held me. “She has not completely forgotten you. You can still be in her good books and eventually marry her again…perhaps it will also restore her memories slowly. Our plan is working as well…she likes you.”I looked towards him with dismay of becoming unsuccessful on this. He also had tears in his eyes. He signaled me to be normal as we heard Nandi coming. “Well, I am sorry that it took a while. I am not too good with this so you both will have to excuse me for that. And I need to go and get Arya…so try and finish the breakfast quickly.”I took a sandwich in my hand. They were well stuffed and well made. It was perfect just like everything about Nandi. She had a perfect figure, perfect height, and perfect eyes. Her curly long hairs were magical and smile was infectious. She again arranged her duppata before leaning towards the table to take the cup of the tea. The door bell rung again. “Sale tharki buddhe”Nandi fiercely rushed towards the door and opened it. There was no one.
She poured the tea in two cups and slowly kept the kettle near the wash basin. She wiped the base of the cups with her ‘duppatta’ and kept the cups in a small plate and then the plate in a big tray.“And all of a sudden, you decided to show up today. So, how is all?”
She carried the tray and kept it on a stool. The stool was interesting. Names of different people written all over it with pen and I could also see heart made by a red pen with an arrow piecing across it (I still wonder that how that brutality can represent a message of ‘I love you’). That stool perhaps belonged to some school which was most probably was sold to a scrap dealer and then to a second hand furniture dealer and finally was here.
“Well, so far it is good. The sale of book is picking up slowly. I got your address from Pankaj. What’s up with you?”
She picked up the cup of tea and handed over it to me, as if wanted to tell me not to question her about anything.
“As if you don’t know.”
“What?”
“Mr. Sharma, you could be an author but you are not a good liar. I can see in your eyes that you know everything and perhaps that’s the reason why you decided to meet me. And secondly I can’t believe that Pankaj didn’t tell you anything?”
I didn’t know that she could read my eyes. I took a sip of tea and swallowed a huge amount of saliva which was stuck in my throat. I looked at her. She, with her usual naughty smile and witty eyes, was gazing at me.
“What happened?”
“He left me…asked for divorce…I gave him.”
Nandita Mukherjee, one of the most juvenile girls of my college, was sitting in front of me with anguish in her eyes and disgust in her words. I remember the days when she used to pick her valentine amongst as many as 15 boys to choose from. It used to be controversies and fights over her decision then, and she used to say pompously that she had every right to choose or reject whomever she wanted. She used to have very elaborated logical reason behind it. And now, after almost 6 years, she is divorced, and she couldn’t manage even 10 words to say about it.
“Chandan…hello…”
“Ah! I am sorry. I should not ask this to you at all…this is none of my business.”
“Right…your wish.”
“Ya…amm…however, I know almost everything already…Pankaj told me.”
“Yeah…that asshole…”
“Why you say so?”
“Just like that…did he also tell you that he wanted to sleep with me to fulfill my sexual needs…how substantial…”
“What…no…”
“I hope you are not here for the same reasons…are you?”
“O…no…why would you think that…it’s so awful.”
“What?...sleeping with me?”
“No…”
“No?”
“I…mean yes. Ok, just let it go. Why are we even talking about it? Do you think I am such a man?”
“Well, I have been hearing to such countless proposals since Vivek left me with a 4 years old kid. Everybody thinks that a single mother needs it…and there are no strings attached as well.”
She took the last sip of tea and gently placed the cup on the small plate.
“Where is Arya?”
“School.”
“You work…right?”
“Yeah…BPO stuff…you need to keep yourself alive…don’t you? I took leave though…exclusively for you.”
She smiled again. I was not able to decide whether she was already flirting with me or it was a general friend’s stuff. Had she been single and not married, I would have termed it as leg-pulling. But her current situation made differences in my thought…I could not understand why.mother “Oh! Thanks…By the way, what about your parents?“What about them…they live in Banaras…I stayed with them for a month and half but they were too embarrassed due to me…a young girl, divorced, then the usual character assassination by small town public. I wonder why people never blame the man for it.”
“Even if they do, would that be of any good?”
“Nah!...just a sadistic satisfaction.”
She took the cups to the wash-basin and poured some water in both cups from the tap. She did the same with some other utensils. While doing it, her ‘duppatta’ slipped from her shoulder, revealing her v-neck suit. Her well build cleavage made me feel their presence. I had seen her cleavage or may be something more than that, as many as thousand times but today it was more attractive. I didn’t know whether her relationship status had anything to do with it.
“So, did you get any share from your husband…I mean any monitory help?”
“Are you researching on me and trying to make a story?”
“No..”
“You should…” She smiled…same familiar naughty smile.
“I will definitely think about it.”“Ya…that thinking…it never gets completed, anyways, will you have breakfast?”“Amm, no I guess, I need to travel a lot.”“So, having no breakfast will shorten your traveling distance, isn’t it?”I looked at her in anxiety; she was busy in arranging her hair. She grabbed her hair from front and made a knot in such a manner that it seemed mounted on her head. It was pleasant to see how she was trying to keep her body covered with the ‘dupatta’, unlike old days when she used to flaunt her assets. My gaze traveled from her breasts to her face and back at her breast.“What?” Her voice was a bit rigid than all of her other sentences.“Nothing”“So, will you have breakfast?”“I can”“Ok”I know I was a stupid in conversation but atleast I was not asking her about her Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram or Whatsapp accounts. She stood up and went straight to the kitchen which was attached with the living room. I remember that the kitchen used to be a very discreet place for ladies. The food and other edible items kind of used to appear in the living room directly, no guest would know where exactly the kitchen is? It was a private place for ladies. If there is something they want to laugh about or cry upon, the kitchen used to be the perfect place for that.Now I mostly see kitchen attached with the living room with no privacy at all. The ladies can cook and chat with the guest sitting the living room. I think it has more to do with the contagious culture of nuclear family. The guest is often known to both husband and wife and ladies don’t need to disappear in kitchen.“So, what would you like to have Mr. Sharma, Bread…Maggie…or chapattis?“Anything would work I guess.”
“You have not changed at least in this case…from the canteen of our college to here, you are never sure that what exactly you want to have. Anyways I am making sandwiches for you.”I smiled.The bell rang and after a few seconds of silence, Nandi rushed to the door. “I am going to kill these rascals, I know they are kids who ring the bell and run away.”She was right. There was no one at the door. She slammed the door and rushed towards me.“Come…” She took me to the windows and pointed towards the gate of the apartment. I tried to see what she wanted me to see, but I could figure out nothing. Usual moving cars, some playing kids, few office going people, a hawker fighting with the guard to get in. All seem ok to me.“What exactly should I look upon?” “You see that middle aged man, with a black bag on his shoulder?”“Yes”“He is the man who rings the bell almost every day.”“How you know? You said they are kids who do this.”“About kids…just like that…I saw this person twice doing the same from the magic eye I have on the door. He does it and walks away.”“So, why don’t you say anything to him?”“He wants me to say him something…stupid. He wants to talk with me…thharki budha.”I looked at her with hint of amazement in my eyes while she continued.“I don’t know…from class 6 to now…I have seen people thinking just one thing for me…Chandan, you are a writer, can you explain what possibly be the reason of such thinking? Being girl is bad…being a girl without father is even worse and being a single mother is atrocious. Sucks…I feel suffocated here. Everybody wants to know that what I do for our sexual life? What the fuck man, let’s just say that I don’t get time for this and I am too busy looking after my kid and other responsibilities.”“I am sorry about all these, but you need to get out and fight if you want to stop this.”“Nah, I don’t need any trouble on this…I don’t want somebody threatening about my son or something else…I think I will pass on this.”
“It will only increase the daring of this man.”“Where do you live Chandan? If I say something against him, he will allege me of being a characterless woman. This is a man’s society, he will get support and ultimately I would need to leave this apartment and move to the new one. There I will get 3 of such scoundrels…then what? Life is neither a movie nor a book.”The bell started ringing again. Nandi moved to the door and after rearranging her dupatta, she opened the door, it was Pankaj.“Talk of the devil and here it comes. I was telling Chandan about men like you.”“I am sorry. That was a misunderstanding. May I come in now?”“Yeah, you are not welcome though.”“Ya, whatever….”Pankaj forcibly made his way to the chairs and after formal ‘hello’ sat down. He looked at me and asked me in signal whether everything is ok…I said yes.“Ok, so it seems that you ladies need some privacy here. I would now make tea for all of us and sandwiches. For you too, rascal.” She pointed towards Pankaj.Pankaj said nothing but held his ears with both of his hands and made a gesture as if asking for forgiveness. Nandi winked at me and went to the kitchen.“It has increased.” He whispered to me.“Yes, she is now completely out of control….what should we do now?”“She needs to be admitted Chandan.”I said nothing but stood up and moved to a corner of the room, where Nandi could not see from the kitchen. Pankaj came towards me and kept his hand on my shoulder.“I know, it is hard but you need to accept this that Nandi, your wife, is not doing well.”“I don’t know what to do Pankaj? I remember the days when we were in college. It was so nice. She has the memory of those days somewhere inside her head…I know…she has the memory of our marriage, and our days of love and peace. How could she forget it?”“I have told you Chandan that since her elder sister had passed away, she had been acting like her. Because of their tremendous closeness, Nandi went in a shock where she is living the life of her sister. She is implementing everything which she had been told by her sister. The way she used to get tortured by the society and everything which happened with her…she is even imagining about Aryan, her sister’s son.”I closed my eyes and drops of tear rolled out from the corners of my eyes. I tried to wipe out the drops of tear but they were constant. I applied pressure on my tongue with teeth and kept on increasing it…so that the physical pain can bypass the pain of my heart. But even the taste of blood could not cover the agony of losing everything despite of having it right in front of the eyes. I could not hug her and tell her that how much I miss her…love her…need her. When Nandi’s sister committed suicide with Arya…Nandi forgot who she really was. She died with them leaving me alone. “How could she forget the immense love between us? How could she forget the promises we made that we would not stop loving each other even after death? How could she forget the plans we had for our future? How could she forget me?”
I felt my legs shivering and sweat running all over my body. My heart beat was fast, as if was about to stop forever. I felt no power in my legs and my body oscillated towards ground, Pankaj held me. “She has not completely forgotten you. You can still be in her good books and eventually marry her again…perhaps it will also restore her memories slowly. Our plan is working as well…she likes you.”I looked towards him with dismay of becoming unsuccessful on this. He also had tears in his eyes. He signaled me to be normal as we heard Nandi coming. “Well, I am sorry that it took a while. I am not too good with this so you both will have to excuse me for that. And I need to go and get Arya…so try and finish the breakfast quickly.”I took a sandwich in my hand. They were well stuffed and well made. It was perfect just like everything about Nandi. She had a perfect figure, perfect height, and perfect eyes. Her curly long hairs were magical and smile was infectious. She again arranged her duppata before leaning towards the table to take the cup of the tea. The door bell rung again. “Sale tharki buddhe”Nandi fiercely rushed towards the door and opened it. There was no one. 
A Day With Single Mother
“You know how much I liked you when were in college, you were agile and energetic. I never thought that you will choose writing as your career; it is so damn slow…you know what I mean…right? I thought you will join army…I wanted to meet you when your book was published but never knew where you were.”
She poured the tea in two cups and slowly kept the kettle near the wash basin. She wiped the base of the cups with her ‘duppatta’ and kept the cups in a small plate and then the plate in a big tray.
“And all of a sudden, you decided to show up today. So, how is all?”
She carried the tray and kept it on a stool. The stool was interesting. Names of different people written all over it with pen and I could also see heart made by a red pen with an arrow piecing across it (I still wonder that how that brutality can represent a message of ‘I love you’). That stool perhaps belonged to some school which was most probably was sold to a scrap dealer and then to a second hand furniture dealer and finally was here.
“Well, so far it is good. The sale of book is picking up slowly. I got your address from Pankaj. What’s up with you?”
She picked up the cup of tea and handed over it to me, as if wanted to tell me not to question her about anything.
“As if you don’t know.”
“What?”
“Mr. Sharma, you could be an author but you are not a good liar. I can see in your eyes that you know everything and perhaps that’s the reason why you decided to meet me. And secondly I can’t believe that Pankaj didn’t tell you anything?”
I didn’t know that she could read my eyes. I took a sip of tea and swallowed a huge amount of saliva which was stuck in my throat. I looked at her. She, with her usual naughty smile and witty eyes, was gazing at me.
“What happened?”
“He left me…asked for divorce…I gave him.”
Nandita Mukherjee, one of the most juvenile girls of my college, was sitting in front of me with anguish in her eyes and disgust in her words. I remember the days when she used to pick her valentine amongst as many as 15 boys to choose from. It used to be controversies and fights over her decision then, and she used to say pompously that she had every right to choose or reject whomever she wanted. She used to have very elaborated logical reason behind it. And now, after almost 6 years, she is divorced, and she couldn’t manage even 10 words to say about it.
“Chandan…hello…”
“Ah! I am sorry. I should not ask this to you at all…this is none of my business.”
“Right…your wish.”
“Ya…amm…however, I know almost everything already…Pankaj told me.”
“Yeah…that asshole…”
“Why you say so?”
“Just like that…did he also tell you that he wanted to sleep with me to fulfill my sexual needs…how substantial…”
“What…no…”
“I hope you are not here for the same reasons…are you?”
“O…no…why would you think that…it’s so awful.”
“What?...sleeping with me?”
“No…”
“No?”
“I…mean yes. Ok, just let it go. Why are we even talking about it? Do you think I am such a man?”
“Well, I have been hearing to such countless proposals since Vivek left me with a 4 years old kid. Everybody thinks that a single mother needs it…and there are no strings attached as well.”
She took the last sip of tea and gently placed the cup on the small plate.
“Where is Arya?”
“School.”
“You work…right?”
“Yeah…BPO stuff…you need to keep yourself alive…don’t you? I took leave though…exclusively for you.”
She smiled again. I was not able to decide whether she was already flirting with me or it was a general friend’s stuff. Had she been single and not married, I would have termed it as leg-pulling. But her current situation made differences in my thought…I could not understand why.mother “Oh! Thanks…By the way, what about your parents?
“What about them…they live in Banaras…I stayed with them for a month and half but they were too embarrassed due to me…a young girl, divorced, then the usual character assassination by small town public. I wonder why people never blame the man for it.”
“Even if they do, would that be of any good?”
“Nah!...just a sadistic satisfaction.”
She took the cups to the wash-basin and poured some water in both cups from the tap. She did the same with some other utensils. While doing it, her ‘duppatta’ slipped from her shoulder, revealing her v-neck suit. Her well build cleavage made me feel their presence. I had seen her cleavage or may be something more than that, as many as thousand times but today it was more attractive. I didn’t know whether her relationship status had anything to do with it.
“So, did you get any share from your husband…I mean any monitory help?”
“Are you researching on me and trying to make a story?”
“No..”
“You should…” She smiled…same familiar naughty smile.
“I will definitely think about it.”“Ya…that thinking…it never gets completed, anyways, will you have breakfast?”“Amm, no I guess, I need to travel a lot.”“So, having no breakfast will shorten your traveling distance, isn’t it?”I looked at her in anxiety; she was busy in arranging her hair. She grabbed her hair from front and made a knot in such a manner that it seemed mounted on her head. It was pleasant to see how she was trying to keep her body covered with the ‘dupatta’, unlike old days when she used to flaunt her assets. My gaze traveled from her breasts to her face and back at her breast.“What?” Her voice was a bit rigid than all of her other sentences.“Nothing”“So, will you have breakfast?”“I can”“Ok”She stood up and went straight to the kitchen which was attached with the living room. I remember that the kitchen used to be a very discreet place for ladies. The food and other edible items kind of used to appear in the living room directly, no guest would know where exactly the kitchen is? It was a private place for ladies. If there is something they want to laugh about or cry upon, the kitchen used to be the perfect place for that.Now I mostly see kitchen attached with the living room with no privacy at all. The ladies can cook and chat with the guest sitting the living room. I think it has more to do with the contagious culture of nuclear family. The guest is often known to both husband and wife and ladies don’t need to disappear in kitchen.“So, what would you like to have Mr. Sharma, Bread…Maggie…or chapattis?“Anything would work I guess.”
“You have not changed at least in this case…from the canteen of our college to here, you are never sure that what exactly you want to have. Anyways I am making sandwiches for you.”I smiled.The bell rang and after a few seconds of silence, Nandi rushed to the door. “I am going to kill these rascals, I know they are kids who ring the bell and run away.”She was right. There was no one at the door. She slammed the door and rushed towards me.“Come…” She took me to the windows and pointed towards the gate of the apartment. I tried to see what she wanted me to see, but I could figure out nothing. Usual moving cars, some playing kids, few office going people, a hawker fighting with the guard to get in. All seem ok to me.“What exactly should I look upon?” “You see that middle aged man, with a black bag on his shoulder?”“Yes”“He is the man who rings the bell almost every day.”“How you know? You said they are kids who do this.”“About kids…jus
t like that…I saw this person twice doing the same from the magic eye I have on the door. He does it and walks away.”
“So, why don’t you say anything to him?”“He wants me to say him something…stupid. He wants to talk with me…thharki budha.”I looked at her with hint of amazement in my eyes while she continued.“I don’t know…from class 6 to now…I have seen people thinking just one thing for me…Chandan, you are a writer, can you explain what possibly be the reason of such thinking? Being girl is bad…being a girl without father is even worse and being a single mother is atrocious. Sucks…I feel suffocated here. Everybody wants to know that what I do for our sexual life? What the fuck man, let’s just say that I don’t get time for this and I am too busy looking after my kid and other responsibilities.”“I am sorry about all these, but you need to get out and fight if you want to stop this.”“Nah, I don’t need any trouble on this…I don’t want somebody threatening about my son or something else…I think I will pass on this.”
“It will only increase the daring of this man.”“Where do you live Chandan? If I say something against him, he will allege me of being a characterless woman. This is a man’s society, he will get support and ultimately I would need to leave this apartment and move to the new one. There I will get 3 of such scoundrels…then what? Life is neither a movie nor a book.”The bell started ringing again. Nandi moved to the door and after rearranging her dupatta, she opened the door, it was Pankaj.“Talk of the devil and here it comes. I was telling Chandan about men like you.”“I am sorry. That was a misunderstanding. May I come in now?”“Yeah, you are not welcome though.”“Ya, whatever….”Pankaj forcibly made his way to the chairs and after formal ‘hello’ sat down. He looked at me and asked me in signal whether everything is ok…I said yes.“Ok, so it seems that you ladies need some privacy here. I would now make tea for all of us and sandwiches. For you too, rascal.” She pointed towards Pankaj.Pankaj said nothing but held his ears with both of his hands and made a gesture as if asking for forgiveness. Nandi winked at me and went to the kitchen.“It has increased.” He whispered to me.“Yes, she is now completely out of control….what should we do now?”“She needs to be admitted Chandan.”I said nothing but stood up and moved to a corner of the room, where Nandi could not see from the kitchen. Pankaj came towards me and kept his hand on my shoulder.“I know, it is hard but you need to accept this that Nandi, your wife, is not doing well.”“I don’t know what to do Pankaj? I remember the days when we were in college. It was so nice. She has the memory of those days somewhere inside her head…I know…she has the memory of our marriage, and our days of love and peace. How could she forget it?”“I have told you Chandan that since her elder sister had passed away, she had been acting like her. Because of their tremendous closeness, Nandi went in a shock where she is living the life of her sister. She is implementing everything which she had been told by her sister. The way she used to get tortured by the society and everything which happened with her…she is even imagining about Aryan, her sister’s son.”I closed my eyes and drops of tear rolled out from the corners of my eyes. I tried to wipe out the drops of tear but they were constant. I applied pressure on my tongue with teeth and kept on increasing it…so that the physical pain can bypass the pain of my heart. But even the taste of blood could not cover the agony of losing everything despite of having it right in front of the eyes. I could not hug her and tell her that how much I miss her…love her…need her. When Nandi’s sister committed suicide with Arya…Nandi forgot who she really was. She died with them leaving me alone. “How could she forget the immense love between us? How could she forget the promises we made that we would not stop loving each other even after death? How could she forget the plans we had for our future? How could she forget me?”
I felt my legs shivering and sweat running all over my body. My heart beat was fast, as if was about to stop forever. I felt no power in my legs and my body oscillated towards ground, Pankaj held me. “She has not completely forgotten you. You can still be in her good books and eventually marry her again…perhaps it will also restore her memories slowly. Our plan is working as well…she likes you.”I looked towards him with dismay of becoming unsuccessful on this. He also had tears in his eyes. He signaled me to be normal as we heard Nandi coming. “Well, I am sorry that it took a while. I am not too good with this so you both will have to excuse me for that. And I need to go and get Arya…so try and finish the breakfast quickly.”I took a sandwich in my hand. They were well stuffed and well made. It was perfect just like everything about Nandi. She had a perfect figure, perfect height, and perfect eyes. Her curly long hairs were magical and smile was infectious. She again arranged her duppata before leaning towards the table to take the cup of the tea. The door bell rung again. “Sale tharki buddhe”Nandi fiercely rushed towards the door and opened it. There was no one.
She poured the tea in two cups and slowly kept the kettle near the wash basin. She wiped the base of the cups with her ‘duppatta’ and kept the cups in a small plate and then the plate in a big tray.“And all of a sudden, you decided to show up today. So, how is all?”
She carried the tray and kept it on a stool. The stool was interesting. Names of different people written all over it with pen and I could also see heart made by a red pen with an arrow piecing across it (I still wonder that how that brutality can represent a message of ‘I love you’). That stool perhaps belonged to some school which was most probably was sold to a scrap dealer and then to a second hand furniture dealer and finally was here.
“Well, so far it is good. The sale of book is picking up slowly. I got your address from Pankaj. What’s up with you?”
She picked up the cup of tea and handed over it to me, as if wanted to tell me not to question her about anything.
“As if you don’t know.”
“What?”
“Mr. Sharma, you could be an author but you are not a good liar. I can see in your eyes that you know everything and perhaps that’s the reason why you decided to meet me. And secondly I can’t believe that Pankaj didn’t tell you anything?”
I didn’t know that she could read my eyes. I took a sip of tea and swallowed a huge amount of saliva which was stuck in my throat. I looked at her. She, with her usual naughty smile and witty eyes, was gazing at me.
“What happened?”
“He left me…asked for divorce…I gave him.”
Nandita Mukherjee, one of the most juvenile girls of my college, was sitting in front of me with anguish in her eyes and disgust in her words. I remember the days when she used to pick her valentine amongst as many as 15 boys to choose from. It used to be controversies and fights over her decision then, and she used to say pompously that she had every right to choose or reject whomever she wanted. She used to have very elaborated logical reason behind it. And now, after almost 6 years, she is divorced, and she couldn’t manage even 10 words to say about it.
“Chandan…hello…”
“Ah! I am sorry. I should not ask this to you at all…this is none of my business.”
“Right…your wish.”
“Ya…amm…however, I know almost everything already…Pankaj told me.”
“Yeah…that asshole…”
“Why you say so?”
“Just like that…did he also tell you that he wanted to sleep with me to fulfill my sexual needs…how substantial…”
“What…no…”
“I hope you are not here for the same reasons…are you?”
“O…no…why would you think that…it’s so awful.”
“What?...sleeping with me?”
“No…”
“No?”
“I…mean yes. Ok, just let it go. Why are we even talking about it? Do you think I am such a man?”
“Well, I have been hearing to such countless proposals since Vivek left me with a 4 years old kid. Everybody thinks that a single mother needs it…and there are no strings attached as well.”
She took the last sip of tea and gently placed the cup on the small plate.
“Where is Arya?”
“School.”
“You work…right?”
“Yeah…BPO stuff…you need to keep yourself alive…don’t you? I took leave though…exclusively for you.”
She smiled again. I was not able to decide whether she was already flirting with me or it was a general friend’s stuff. Had she been single and not married, I would have termed it as leg-pulling. But her current situation made differences in my thought…I could not understand why.mother “Oh! Thanks…By the way, what about your parents?“What about them…they live in Banaras…I stayed with them for a month and half but they were too embarrassed due to me…a young girl, divorced, then the usual character assassination by small town public. I wonder why people never blame the man for it.”
“Even if they do, would that be of any good?”
“Nah!...just a sadistic satisfaction.”
She took the cups to the wash-basin and poured some water in both cups from the tap. She did the same with some other utensils. While doing it, her ‘duppatta’ slipped from her shoulder, revealing her v-neck suit. Her well build cleavage made me feel their presence. I had seen her cleavage or may be something more than that, as many as thousand times but today it was more attractive. I didn’t know whether her relationship status had anything to do with it.
“So, did you get any share from your husband…I mean any monitory help?”
“Are you researching on me and trying to make a story?”
“No..”
“You should…” She smiled…same familiar naughty smile.
“I will definitely think about it.”“Ya…that thinking…it never gets completed, anyways, will you have breakfast?”“Amm, no I guess, I need to travel a lot.”“So, having no breakfast will shorten your traveling distance, isn’t it?”I looked at her in anxiety; she was busy in arranging her hair. She grabbed her hair from front and made a knot in such a manner that it seemed mounted on her head. It was pleasant to see how she was trying to keep her body covered with the ‘dupatta’, unlike old days when she used to flaunt her assets. My gaze traveled from her breasts to her face and back at her breast.“What?” Her voice was a bit rigid than all of her other sentences.“Nothing”“So, will you have breakfast?”“I can”“Ok”She stood up and went straight to the kitchen which was attached with the living room. I remember that the kitchen used to be a very discreet place for ladies. The food and other edible items kind of used to appear in the living room directly, no guest would know where exactly the kitchen is? It was a private place for ladies. If there is something they want to laugh about or cry upon, the kitchen used to be the perfect place for that.Now I mostly see kitchen attached with the living room with no privacy at all. The ladies can cook and chat with the guest sitting the living room. I think it has more to do with the contagious culture of nuclear family. The guest is often known to both husband and wife and ladies don’t need to disappear in kitchen.“So, what would you like to have Mr. Sharma, Bread…Maggie…or chapattis?“Anything would work I guess.”
“You have not changed at least in this case…from the canteen of our college to here, you are never sure that what exactly you want to have. Anyways I am making sandwiches for you.”I smiled.The bell rang and after a few seconds of silence, Nandi rushed to the door. “I am going to kill these rascals, I know they are kids who ring the bell and run away.”She was right. There was no one at the door. She slammed the door and rushed towards me.“Come…” She took me to the windows and pointed towards the gate of the apartment. I tried to see what she wanted me to see, but I could figure out nothing. Usual moving cars, some playing kids, few office going people, a hawker fighting with the guard to get in. All seem ok to me.“What exactly should I look upon?” “You see that middle aged man, with a black bag on his shoulder?”“Yes”“He is the man who rings the bell almost every day.”“How you know? You said they are kids who do this.”“About kids…just like that…I saw this person twice doing the same from the magic eye I have on the door. He does it and walks away.”
“So, why don’t you say anything to him?”“He wants me to say him something…stupid. He wants to talk with me…thharki budha.”I looked at her with hint of amazement in my eyes while she continued.“I don’t know…from class 6 to now…I have seen people thinking just one thing for me…Chandan, you are a writer, can you explain what possibly be the reason of such thinking? Being girl is bad…being a girl without father is even worse and being a single mother is atrocious. Sucks…I feel suffocated here. Everybody wants to know that what I do for our sexual life? What the fuck man, let’s just say that I don’t get time for this and I am too busy looking after my kid and other responsibilities.”“I am sorry about all these, but you need to get out and fight if you want to stop this.”“Nah, I don’t need any trouble on this…I don’t want somebody threatening about my son or something else…I think I will pass on this.”
“It will only increase the daring of this man.”“Where do you live Chandan? If I say something against him, he will allege me of being a characterless woman. This is a man’s society, he will get support and ultimately I would need to leave this apartment and move to the new one. There I will get 3 of such scoundrels…then what? Life is neither a movie nor a book.”The bell started ringing again. Nandi moved to the door and after rearranging her dupatta, she opened the door, it was Pankaj.“Talk of the devil and here it comes. I was telling Chandan about men like you.”“I am sorry. That was a misunderstanding. May I come in now?”“Yeah, you are not welcome though.”“Ya, whatever….”Pankaj forcibly made his way to the chairs and after formal ‘hello’ sat down. He looked at me and asked me in signal whether everything is ok…I said yes.“Ok, so it seems that you ladies need some privacy here. I would now make tea for all of us and sandwiches. For you too, rascal.” She pointed towards Pankaj.Pankaj said nothing but held his ears with both of his hands and made a gesture as if asking for forgiveness. Nandi winked at me and went to the kitchen.“It has increased.” He whispered to me.“Yes, she is now completely out of control….what should we do now?”“She needs to be admitted Chandan.”I said nothing but stood up and moved to a corner of the room, where Nandi could not see from the kitchen. Pankaj came towards me and kept his hand on my shoulder.“I know, it is hard but you need to accept this that Nandi, your wife, is not doing well.”“I don’t know what to do Pankaj? I remember the days when we were in college. It was so nice. She has the memory of those days somewhere inside her head…I know…she has the memory of our marriage, and our days of love and peace. How could she forget it?”“I have told you Chandan that since her elder sister had passed away, she had been acting like her. Because of their tremendous closeness, Nandi went in a shock where she is living the life of her sister. She is implementing everything which she had been told by her sister. The way she used to get tortured by the society and everything which happened with her…she is even imagining about Aryan, her sister’s son.”I closed my eyes and drops of tear rolled out from the corners of my eyes. I tried to wipe out the drops of tear but they were constant. I applied pressure on my tongue with teeth and kept on increasing it…so that the physical pain can bypass the pain of my heart. But even the taste of blood could not cover the agony of losing everything despite of having it right in front of the eyes. I could not hug her and tell her that how much I miss her…love her…need her. When Nandi’s sister committed suicide with Arya…Nandi forgot who she really was. She died with them leaving me alone. “How could she forget the immense love between us? How could she forget the promises we made that we would not stop loving each other even after death? How could she forget the plans we had for our future? How could she forget me?”
I felt my legs shivering and sweat running all over my body. My heart beat was fast, as if was about to stop forever. I felt no power in my legs and my body oscillated towards ground, Pankaj held me. “She has not completely forgotten you. You can still be in her good books and eventually marry her again…perhaps it will also restore her memories slowly. Our plan is working as well…she likes you.”I looked towards him with dismay of becoming unsuccessful on this. He also had tears in his eyes. He signaled me to be normal as we heard Nandi coming. “Well, I am sorry that it took a while. I am not too good with this so you both will have to excuse me for that. And I need to go and get Arya…so try and finish the breakfast quickly.”I took a sandwich in my hand. They were well stuffed and well made. It was perfect just like everything about Nandi. She had a perfect figure, perfect height, and perfect eyes. Her curly long hairs were magical and smile was infectious. She again arranged her duppata before leaning towards the table to take the cup of the tea. The door bell rung again. “Sale tharki buddhe”Nandi fiercely rushed towards the door and opened it. There was no one. A Day With Single Mother (Part-1)
“You know how much I liked you when were in college, you were agile and energetic. I never thought that you will choose writing as your career; it is so damn slow…you know what I mean…right? I thought you will join army…I wanted to meet you when your book was published but never knew where you were.”
She poured the tea in two cups and slowly kept the kettle near the wash basin. She wiped the base of the cups with her ‘duppatta’ and kept the cups in a small plate and then the plate in a big tray.
“And all of a sudden, you decided to show up today. So, how is all?”
She carried the tray and kept it on a stool. The stool was interesting. Names of different people written all over it with pen and I could also see heart made by a red pen with an arrow piecing across it (I still wonder that how that brutality can represent a message of ‘I love you’). That stool perhaps belonged to some school which was most probably was sold to a scrap dealer and then to a second hand furniture dealer and finally was here.
“Well, so far it is good. The sale of book is picking up slowly. I got your address from Pankaj. What’s up with you?”
She picked up the cup of tea and handed over it to me, as if wanted to tell me not to question her about anything.
“As if you don’t know.”
“What?”
“Mr. Sharma, you could be an author but you are not a good liar. I can see in your eyes that you know everything and perhaps that’s the reason why you decided to meet me. And secondly I can’t believe that Pankaj didn’t tell you anything?”
I didn’t know that she could read my eyes. I took a sip of tea and swallowed a huge amount of saliva which was stuck in my throat. I looked at her. She, with her usual naughty smile and witty eyes, was gazing at me.
“What happened?”
“He left me…asked for divorce…I gave him.”
Nandita Mukherjee, one of the most juvenile girls of my college, was sitting in front of me with anguish in her eyes and disgust in her words. I remember the days when she used to pick her valentine amongst as many as 15 boys to choose from. It used to be controversies and fights over her decision then, and she used to say pompously that she had every right to choose or reject whomever she wanted. She used to have very elaborated logical reason behind it. And now, after almost 6 years, she is divorced, and she couldn’t manage even 10 words to say about it.
“Chandan…hello…”
“Ah! I am sorry. I should not ask this to you at all…this is none of my business.”
“Right…your wish.”
“Ya…amm…however, I know almost everything already…Pankaj told me.”
“Yeah…that asshole…”
“Why you say so?”
“Just like that…did he also tell you that he wanted to sleep with me to fulfill my sexual needs…how substantial…”
“What…no…”
“I hope you are not here for the same reasons…are you?”
“O…no…why would you think that…it’s so awful.”
“What?...sleeping with me?”
“No…”
“No?”
“I…mean yes. Ok, just let it go. Why are we even talking about it? Do you think I am such a man?”
“Well, I have been hearing to such countless proposals since Vivek left me with a 4 years old kid. Everybody thinks that a single mother needs it…and there are no strings attached as well.”
She took the last sip of tea and gently placed the cup on the small plate.
“Where is Arya?”
“School.”
“You work…right?”
“Yeah…BPO stuff…you need to keep yourself alive…don’t you? I took leave though…exclusively for you.”
She smiled again. I was not able to decide whether she was already flirting with me or it was a general friend’s stuff. Had she been single and not married, I would have termed it as leg-pulling. But her current situation made differences in my thought…I could not understand why. mother “Oh! Thanks…By the way, what about your parents?
“What about them…they live in Banaras…I stayed with them for a month and half but they were too embarrassed due to me…a young girl, divorced, then the usual character assassination by small town public. I wonder why people never blame the man for it.”
“Even if they do, would that be of any good?”
“Nah!...just a sadistic satisfaction.”
She took the cups to the wash-basin and poured some water in both cups from the tap. She did the same with some other utensils. While doing it, her ‘duppatta’ slipped from her shoulder, revealing her v-neck suit. Her well build cleavage made me feel their presence. I had seen her cleavage or may be something more than that, as many as thousand times but today it was more attractive. I didn’t know whether her relationship status had anything to do with it.
“So, did you get any share from your husband…I mean any monitory help?”
“Are you researching on me and trying to make a story?”
“No..”
“You should…” She smiled…same familiar naughty smile.
(to be continued)
She poured the tea in two cups and slowly kept the kettle near the wash basin. She wiped the base of the cups with her ‘duppatta’ and kept the cups in a small plate and then the plate in a big tray.“And all of a sudden, you decided to show up today. So, how is all?”
She carried the tray and kept it on a stool. The stool was interesting. Names of different people written all over it with pen and I could also see heart made by a red pen with an arrow piecing across it (I still wonder that how that brutality can represent a message of ‘I love you’). That stool perhaps belonged to some school which was most probably was sold to a scrap dealer and then to a second hand furniture dealer and finally was here.
“Well, so far it is good. The sale of book is picking up slowly. I got your address from Pankaj. What’s up with you?”
She picked up the cup of tea and handed over it to me, as if wanted to tell me not to question her about anything.
“As if you don’t know.”
“What?”
“Mr. Sharma, you could be an author but you are not a good liar. I can see in your eyes that you know everything and perhaps that’s the reason why you decided to meet me. And secondly I can’t believe that Pankaj didn’t tell you anything?”
I didn’t know that she could read my eyes. I took a sip of tea and swallowed a huge amount of saliva which was stuck in my throat. I looked at her. She, with her usual naughty smile and witty eyes, was gazing at me.
“What happened?”
“He left me…asked for divorce…I gave him.”
Nandita Mukherjee, one of the most juvenile girls of my college, was sitting in front of me with anguish in her eyes and disgust in her words. I remember the days when she used to pick her valentine amongst as many as 15 boys to choose from. It used to be controversies and fights over her decision then, and she used to say pompously that she had every right to choose or reject whomever she wanted. She used to have very elaborated logical reason behind it. And now, after almost 6 years, she is divorced, and she couldn’t manage even 10 words to say about it.
“Chandan…hello…”
“Ah! I am sorry. I should not ask this to you at all…this is none of my business.”
“Right…your wish.”
“Ya…amm…however, I know almost everything already…Pankaj told me.”
“Yeah…that asshole…”
“Why you say so?”
“Just like that…did he also tell you that he wanted to sleep with me to fulfill my sexual needs…how substantial…”
“What…no…”
“I hope you are not here for the same reasons…are you?”
“O…no…why would you think that…it’s so awful.”
“What?...sleeping with me?”
“No…”
“No?”
“I…mean yes. Ok, just let it go. Why are we even talking about it? Do you think I am such a man?”
“Well, I have been hearing to such countless proposals since Vivek left me with a 4 years old kid. Everybody thinks that a single mother needs it…and there are no strings attached as well.”
She took the last sip of tea and gently placed the cup on the small plate.
“Where is Arya?”
“School.”
“You work…right?”
“Yeah…BPO stuff…you need to keep yourself alive…don’t you? I took leave though…exclusively for you.”
She smiled again. I was not able to decide whether she was already flirting with me or it was a general friend’s stuff. Had she been single and not married, I would have termed it as leg-pulling. But her current situation made differences in my thought…I could not understand why. mother “Oh! Thanks…By the way, what about your parents?“What about them…they live in Banaras…I stayed with them for a month and half but they were too embarrassed due to me…a young girl, divorced, then the usual character assassination by small town public. I wonder why people never blame the man for it.”
“Even if they do, would that be of any good?”
“Nah!...just a sadistic satisfaction.”
She took the cups to the wash-basin and poured some water in both cups from the tap. She did the same with some other utensils. While doing it, her ‘duppatta’ slipped from her shoulder, revealing her v-neck suit. Her well build cleavage made me feel their presence. I had seen her cleavage or may be something more than that, as many as thousand times but today it was more attractive. I didn’t know whether her relationship status had anything to do with it.
“So, did you get any share from your husband…I mean any monitory help?”
“Are you researching on me and trying to make a story?”
“No..”
“You should…” She smiled…same familiar naughty smile.
(to be continued)
February 22, 2014
Valentine's day
Love is hard to be explained in words and so as the great Valentine’s Day. People expect lovely things for themselves on this day which is quite expected, and I am not an exception to this. Last year I planned to meet one of the ‘Phone friends’, who was erotically innocent while talking over the phone. We were unknown to each other by face as she never shared any picture, and neither did I. It was exciting to meet a person to whom you have never met before. On 14th Feb we decided to meet in a McDonald’s food chain at 10 am. I was too excited for the date and in delight of meeting a girl, I purchased a branded shirt of ‘Levis’ which cost me more than my half of the salary. Once I reached home I looked at the bill again and realized that it was a bit too much for my small pocket. It is an irony that after goofing up by taking that shirt, I could not look sad while paying that money to those people…because I was paying that just under a video camera. We do many things in our life which cannot be reversed, though we wish to have a reverse button in life. I was watching television in the evening and all of a sudden I came across news which raised my Goosebumps. There was a report about a boy who never returned after a blind date. These news channels are bizarre. I was about to get indulge in a blind date tomorrow, and today they showed this report…bloody fish. On one hand I wanted to meet the owner of that soft voice, to check upon her beauty and many things which I do not prefer to say in public and on the other hand this news report had made my base to sweat. What should I do? Should I cancel the meeting or purchase new underwear and move on? I came with an idea to move on with the plan because I didn’t want my new shirt to wait for too long. I planned to go with a friend and to add some spice in the meeting. I asked that friend to pretend as if he was me, and I decided to act like a stranger. I gave a pat on my back and went to bed to see the dreams which were nasty.The next day I was sitting inside the food chain of McDonalds, my friend occupied a nearby chair.
“You should sit on a different chair now.” I said and handed over my mobile to him. He transferred himself to a different chair. We both were looking anxious and excited. Soon my friend received a call and he gave directions to the lady. I saw a girl moving towards the table and wished her to be the girl we were waiting for. She said ‘Hi’ to my friend and sat on the chair beside him. I thought I could have wished Lady Gaga to be my girlfriend and that could have been true…wasted a wish. The girl and my friend started talking formally and I started staring towards that girl. ‘Not bad.’ I said to myself. After visiting and revisiting the same assets for trillion times I gave a miss call (with other mobile) on my mobile which was with my friend. He looked at the miss call and ignored it. I felt like the biggest idiot on the earth who gave his ‘to be’ girlfriend to his friend on a plate. All of a sudden I felt the rush of blood and I thought of punching on their table but I suspended the plan as I didn’t want to break my fist for an unknown girl, and friendship day was not too far away as well. I noticed that I have received an SMS. It was from my mobile so, I read it. My friend sent me the information related to the girl and his conclusion was that girl is not good for me although he wrote that he had informed the girl that he was not me. I felt like throwing the mobile on his face. I was planning to poke my nose in between but suddenly both of them moved to the exit. I stared at my friend and he smiled. I thought he will return from the gate after sending off the girl but sometimes a thought can be so wrong. He never returned. My goddamn friend just took my ‘to be’ valentine with him. What? I sat there keeping my hand on my head, and thinking that what should I do with this ‘Levis’ shirt now? I tried to pacify myself saying very good things about my friend. I used all the abusive words I could recall at that time. I noticed that he left my mobile on the table. I took the mobile silently and crawled towards my house thinking that it could have been a better valentine if I would have ignored that news report.
In evening I glared at my mobile and thought of calling that girl, to scold her. At least, I will get rid of my frustration. I called her. The hysterical voices soon started to flow through phone but it wasn’t mine, it was hers. She blamed me for flirting with a girl I even didn’t know and I blamed her for flirting with a boy she was unfamiliar of. All of a sudden we both stopped making noises. There was a pin drop silence. I was shocked that she played the same trick on me and she was also sitting there on one of the chairs. My blood stopped flowing for a second and then a loud laugh destroyed the silence. We both laughed our heart out. I asked her that why she did that? And her answer was shocking. It was the same news report…that sucks. I told her about the reason which prompted me to take that step too. We again laughed till we felt our breaths running out. We decided to meet again without any friend but on next Valentine’s Day.Now as we are about to see a Valentine’s Day again, I hope our date will be successful. Meanwhile my friend and that girl are still in a committed relationship.
June 29, 2013
शब्द और सच : छोटी कहानी बड़ा सच
जनवरी का महीना चलरहा था औरठंड अपने चरमपर थी। ऐसेमें एक जर्जरझोपड़ा दम साधेखड़ा था औरउसके अंदर मंगलअपने घुटनों परसर रखे जलतेहुए लालटेन कोअनवरत देख रहाथा। जैसे जैसेउस लालटेन काकिरासन कम होरहा था वैसे-वैसे मंगलके ललाट पररेखाएं ज़्यादा हो रहीथीं। मंगल की बीवीकंबल, चादर औरन जाने किन-किन चीज़ोंके अवशेषों सेअपने छोटे बेटेको बार-बारढकने की नाकामकोशिश कर रहीथी। मंगल काबारह वर्षीय बेटाअपना सबक यादकर रहा था।अचानक उसके बेटेने उससे पूछा" बाबूजी, ये आज़ादीक्या होती है?"
इस अप्रत्याशित सवालसे मंगल चौंकगया। "बाबूजी, ये आज़ादीक्या होती है?" बेटे ने दोहराया।मंगल को कोईजवाब नहीं सूझरहा था। "बताओना, ये आज़ादीक्या होती है?" बेटे ने फ़िरसवाल दागा। "चुपचापपढ़ता क्यो नहीं?" कोई चारा नादेख मंगल नेडांट दिया।
बेटा किताब की ओरदेखकर जोर-जोरसे पढ़ने लगा, "भारत आज़ाद और संपन्नदेश है। यहांके लोग खुशहालहैं...." मंगल नेदेखा किरासन लगभगख़त्म हो गईहै। उसने आंखेंबंद कर ली।
June 6, 2013
Back-ache: Causes and remedies.
The population of the world is increasing day by day and so as the problems related to health. A huge part of the population work in offices and they ignore the physical labor which results in yet another problem in our kitty and that is as cosmopolitan as human being-backache. In this article we are going to discuss some of the most ignored causes and some of the easiest remedies. This article would also contain few of the fact about the backache but let’s start busting few of the myths first.Myths buster1. ‘Sit straight to prevent backache’ has become an old quote which does not works now. Slouching is definitely bad but sitting straight for the longer period of time can cause in back pain.2. Taking rest while you are suffering with back pain is nice but resting for longer period of time may backfire and the problem may become worst. 3. Lifting the heavy things cause back pain is partially correct because it depends on how you lift heavy things instead of how much you lift.
4. It is really not momentous that only injuries can trigger the back ache. Dis-degeneration, infections, diseases and even hereditary conditions can start this issue.5. Anorexia and eating habits can result in bone-loss which of course can be a major cause of back pain.Causes and facts related to back pain
There are countless reasons of backbone. Our medical science is not so developed yet that it can identify all the causes of back pain. In the researches it has been discovered that bones are not the reason of pain, it is ligament and muscles in 75% of the cases. By simple research we can find out the facts and causes related to the back pain however it is highly recommended that if you are facing this issue for more than 3 weeks you should consult a doctor or a physiotherapist.
1. The exercises are always necessary to keep the body fit but due to latest culture of maintaining a body like a macho man people are more attracted towards rigorous exercises which really do not work, instead of giving an attractive body it results in back pain.
2. A high hill wearing women may look stylish for a while but it is one of the main reasons for back pain.
3. Emotional stress, it causes spasm of the muscles which result in back pain.
4. If you are a smoker/alcoholic then there is news for you which may not sound that good. Cough can cause back pain and as the smokers/alcoholic are slow when it comes to healing, back pain becomes a long term affair.
5. Obesity causes 50% more chances of back pain.
6. The people who sleep on a mattress rated 5.6 on a 10-point hard-to-soft scale they had less back pain than those who slept on a very soft or hard mattress.
7. Gastric can also cause back pain.
8. An injury or a jerk can cause back pain.
How to get relief (domestic treatments)
To get the relief from back pain it is quite important that you know the exact reason of the pain. Is it injury, obesity, old surgery or something else? Though the treatments given here can be used without any fear as all of them are domestic and nearly without any side effects but still if the pain is more than bearable and you are suffering from it since a long period of time then consulting a doctor is the best option.
1. Take lemon grass and ix it with coconut oil (should be twice the weight of lemon grass) and apply that on the external affected area.
2. Mix the betel leaves juice with coconut oil and it can be used as massage oil.
3. Take 8-9 garlic cloves and add in mustard oil, sesame oil or coconut oil. Heat the oil for some time at low flame. Cool the mixture and apply it over the affected area by massaging and keep for 3-4 hours. Take bath after.
4. Self-massage with eucalyptus oil helps in retarding the pain.
5. Consuming a pulp of single leaf of aloe on a daily basis provides relief from back pain.
6. Apply icepack on the affected area. After half an hour keep a hot pack. Repeat it if needed.
7. Acupuncture really works, so if you are suffering from the back pain for a long of time, go and try it.
8. Heat some coconut oil or mustard oil mixed with a little camphor (Karpuram) powder and apply on the affected area.
9. Yoga exercises can be very useful in driving away backache. No hard positions (asana) should be tried if you are suffering from backache.
10. If nothing is really working then magnetic therapy can be tried. It is new way of getting relaxation from muscle pains.
Exercises
I must inform first that if somebody is facing sever back pain then it is better not to do any exercise.
1. Swimming: It is one of the best exercises which not only make the body attractive but also gives stamina to the lungs and limbs.
2. Walking: It may sound out of date or old man’s choice but for the people who find it hard to turn up for the exercises it’s a boon.
3. Cycling: It is definitely one of the trendy exercises which attract people who are in their twenties and teenagers.
These are the three exercises which really keep the back pain away and if someone is already facing the issue which is mild then these exercises can help. It is notable that no pain relief medicines have been mentioned as all of them have their side effects and it is not a very good idea to invite new problems to get rid of one. It is strongly recommended that if the back problem is sever and long term then a doctor must be consulted because it can be slip of cups or dislocation of bones.
4. It is really not momentous that only injuries can trigger the back ache. Dis-degeneration, infections, diseases and even hereditary conditions can start this issue.5. Anorexia and eating habits can result in bone-loss which of course can be a major cause of back pain.Causes and facts related to back painThere are countless reasons of backbone. Our medical science is not so developed yet that it can identify all the causes of back pain. In the researches it has been discovered that bones are not the reason of pain, it is ligament and muscles in 75% of the cases. By simple research we can find out the facts and causes related to the back pain however it is highly recommended that if you are facing this issue for more than 3 weeks you should consult a doctor or a physiotherapist.
1. The exercises are always necessary to keep the body fit but due to latest culture of maintaining a body like a macho man people are more attracted towards rigorous exercises which really do not work, instead of giving an attractive body it results in back pain.
2. A high hill wearing women may look stylish for a while but it is one of the main reasons for back pain.
3. Emotional stress, it causes spasm of the muscles which result in back pain.
4. If you are a smoker/alcoholic then there is news for you which may not sound that good. Cough can cause back pain and as the smokers/alcoholic are slow when it comes to healing, back pain becomes a long term affair.
5. Obesity causes 50% more chances of back pain.
6. The people who sleep on a mattress rated 5.6 on a 10-point hard-to-soft scale they had less back pain than those who slept on a very soft or hard mattress.
7. Gastric can also cause back pain.
8. An injury or a jerk can cause back pain.
How to get relief (domestic treatments)
To get the relief from back pain it is quite important that you know the exact reason of the pain. Is it injury, obesity, old surgery or something else? Though the treatments given here can be used without any fear as all of them are domestic and nearly without any side effects but still if the pain is more than bearable and you are suffering from it since a long period of time then consulting a doctor is the best option.
1. Take lemon grass and ix it with coconut oil (should be twice the weight of lemon grass) and apply that on the external affected area.
2. Mix the betel leaves juice with coconut oil and it can be used as massage oil.
3. Take 8-9 garlic cloves and add in mustard oil, sesame oil or coconut oil. Heat the oil for some time at low flame. Cool the mixture and apply it over the affected area by massaging and keep for 3-4 hours. Take bath after.4. Self-massage with eucalyptus oil helps in retarding the pain.
5. Consuming a pulp of single leaf of aloe on a daily basis provides relief from back pain.
6. Apply icepack on the affected area. After half an hour keep a hot pack. Repeat it if needed.
7. Acupuncture really works, so if you are suffering from the back pain for a long of time, go and try it.
8. Heat some coconut oil or mustard oil mixed with a little camphor (Karpuram) powder and apply on the affected area.
9. Yoga exercises can be very useful in driving away backache. No hard positions (asana) should be tried if you are suffering from backache.
10. If nothing is really working then magnetic therapy can be tried. It is new way of getting relaxation from muscle pains.
Exercises
I must inform first that if somebody is facing sever back pain then it is better not to do any exercise.
1. Swimming: It is one of the best exercises which not only make the body attractive but also gives stamina to the lungs and limbs.2. Walking: It may sound out of date or old man’s choice but for the people who find it hard to turn up for the exercises it’s a boon.
3. Cycling: It is definitely one of the trendy exercises which attract people who are in their twenties and teenagers.
These are the three exercises which really keep the back pain away and if someone is already facing the issue which is mild then these exercises can help. It is notable that no pain relief medicines have been mentioned as all of them have their side effects and it is not a very good idea to invite new problems to get rid of one. It is strongly recommended that if the back problem is sever and long term then a doctor must be consulted because it can be slip of cups or dislocation of bones.
May 25, 2013
Your PC needs a GUARDIAN !!
In current decade the technology and internet has become approachable as never before. The computer’s price has been retarded to match up the pocket of a common man. It gives us immense pleasure to declare that even the lower middle class can have a computer at their home and they can become well aware of the buzzing internet technology. However we all have to admit that the extension of internet has prepared breeding grounds for viruses, malwares and other infections. In early days a virus was nothing but a prank by the mischievous elements but the definition has been changed lately. Now a virus can destroy the computer and can steal the identity and other crucial information from the computer. A malware can show fake infections and can prompt to purchase one thing or the other. As soon as you enter your card details to purchase it, the card details are leaked to the crooks sitting ready to empty your account. Many of us opt for a technical support from the numerous companies which promises to provide full protection and technical support but at the end of the day they are proven useless. They will subscribe you for 6 months or 1 year or even for more in some $170 or more, then after it is all about only renewing the services and purchasing add on. These companies will make money as much as they can by selling you one thing or the other everyday by promising different things. The question is that what should we do to protect out computer and other crucial details? The answer is an effective antivirus. In market countless antiviruses are available on different prices. It is all about choosing a correct antivirus which is a bit cheaper yet very effective and which can save you from viruses, malwares and possibly spywares too. We will discuss about some of the antiviruses which may prove as a boon to your computer.
1. Microsoft security essentials: If you don’t intend to spend money on the antivirus then you may not have better choice than Microsoft security essentials which is launched by Microsoft itself for its windows. It has extensive database which keeps away the viruses and spywares. It offers regular automatic updates and consumes lesser space than any other antivirus. It is available free of cost and can be downloaded from the Microsoft website.
2. Bit defender antivirus: One of the best antiviruses with the lowest price and extensive features. There are not may anti viruses which offers so many feature and very good protection in just approximately $30 for one year for 3 PC. It provides widespread security against viruses, malwares, spywares, trojans, rootkits and worms. It has anti phishing feature and its support center makes it even better. Support is available via live chat, email and over the phone. Easy to install and supports all the versions of Windows 7, Vista and XP.3. Kaspersky antivirus: It has emerged as one of the better antiviruses lately. Though the price is on the higher side nearly $50 per year for 3 PC but it is really easy to use and good. It protects computer from viruses, malwares, spywares, trojans, rootkits and worms. It also has anti phishing feature and good support center as bit defender. It supports all versions of Vista Windows 7 and XP. The only reason to keep this antivirus after bit defender is its high price.
4. Avast antivirus: It is also an effective antivirus. It is available in $39.99 per one year for 1 PC. It provides protection against all the viruses and other infections. It is easy to install and it supports all the versions of Windows 7, Vista and XP. However, it has only phone support, no chat or email support is available.
5. AVG antivirus: It is available in $54.99 per year for 1 PC. It protects the computer from all virus, malware and spywares infections. It also provides free antivirus to the user though many features are absent from this one. It offers chat and email support.
Apart from these there are many more antiviruses which promises great security and user friendly feature like Avira antivirus, McAfee antivirus, Panda antivirus, F-secure antivirus, Webroot antivirus, Norton antivirus, Vipre antivirus, Trend micro antivirus etc.
NOTE: Please check the prices before you go for any antivirus because the prices and subject to change as per discounts, offers and other promotions.
What are the things which should be considered before choosing an antivirus?
There are many things which should be considered while purchasing or changing the antivirus. In fact choosing an antivirus should be a cautious effort as it is not only related to the computer’s health but security of data as well.
1. Price matters: When a computer is purchased ideally an antivirus is already installed. Renewing an antivirus is cheaper than purchasing a new antivirus. We can also call the customer care of relevant antivirus to know about any discounts which may be running.
2. Compatibility: Before purchasing an antivirus we should know whether the antivirus is compatible with the version of OS which is being used. One thing which may be considered is that we should not have two different antiviruses on the same computer otherwise it conflicts.
3. Updates: We should ponder that how often the internal data base of the antivirus is getting updated. As new viruses come into the picture everyday it is important to update the internal database more often.4. Go through the customer reviews: It is prudency to consider different reviews of the different user to get an insight of the antivirus we are going to use.
5. Buy original: Never purchase a pirated version or never download a duplicate version. There is no guarantee whether it will work or not.
The cybercrime has increased drastically and so as the trials of making strong security systems. As a user we should understand the requirement of safety of the computer and data in it. No antivirus can provide 100% protection from infections. It is obvious that we are supposed to be more conscious and alert while using the internet and other media which can spread infections.
May 18, 2013
‘Unprofessionalism’ could have started with ‘S’, only if…
Note: I have not written this blog as an author or writer. It is based on the true incidents and is written/issued in public interest.
The month of August is not at all soothing in Delhi. The sun rays pierce the chest of earth mercilessly and the tides of hot air can burn one’s face easily. Afternoons are fierce and brutal. I could easily imagine how difficult it is to step out without a vehicle? But there are few people, who are out-stationed and have made Delhi their ‘KARMA-BHOOMI’in order to earn their livelihood. Among such countless people, there is one name, my name.
I am also out-stationed and do every daunting task to keep myself alive in a selfish city like Delhi. Away from all political zigzags and cranky ideas of easy money, I and people like me work constantly and hard to keep feeding our never satisfied stomachs and dare to see small dreams of supporting our family.
This agonizing and unfortunate episode took place with me in the month of August last year. And the reason why I am sharing this shameful event with you guys is quite evident. I don’t want you guys to suffer through the same thing, what I have experienced.
I returned home on 17/08/12 from a night shift and was trying to sleep. I received a call from a lady who asked me to check my email. With my eyes half opened and mind still dozing off, I checked my e-mails. For a moment my eyes glittered, there was an email from someone called Shweta Jha from ‘Saviance technologies’. It was an interview call for ‘Share-point support’ position.
I was working for almost 3 years with the same kind of profile and it had become monotonous for me. My eyes stretched to its full diameter and mind hauled itself back from sleep. It was a chance to change my profile and do something new. I instantly went in the refuge of Google to know more about Saviance. It was not that big company but my perception for such companies was good. I always thought that companies like it, do recognize the talent and potential instead of pondering through the CV and making pale faces on the mentioned diplomas or degrees. It was an opportunity for me….or was it?
I checked the interview timing and address. As soon as I saw the address, my confidence and happiness both jolted a bit. The address was 25kms, up-down 50kms, away from my house and without a vehicle it was a tough ask in that vicious climate. I felt my eye-lids getting heavier every second. After spending 12 hours on an escalation desk, where everyone who comes is definitely pissed off, it was next to impossible for me to travel through such heat and ruthless winds. My zeal of changing the job and entering a new domain seemed vaporizing.
Thanks to the boredom and homogeneous-ness of my life, I shook my head and dipped my face into the cold water to completely get rid of lethargy. I eventually decided that I would go against the forbidding hot wind and robust instincts to sleep.
11:30 am, 17 of August 2012. I was waiting anxiously in the office of Saviance technologies. My body was almost covered by the sweat and my bright shirt had struggled all the way to here, in order to maintain its presentable look. After gulping two cups of chilled water and feeling the coldness of AC, my body temperature relaxed a bit and sweat started to vanish rapidly. Within 15 minutes, I was looking fresh and ready. I took out my smart phone and browsed every possible page to know everything about share-point.
‘Chandan Sharma’
Somebody called my name and my heart skipped a beat, or may be two. I held the arms of chair to get some support, as I found myself unable to stand by my own. I stood still for a moment and took a long breath, as long as I could. I went in with gentle steps as if stepping on a boat in river.
Rohit Mahajan, the MD of the company had dug his face in his 19 inches monitor of ‘MACINTOSH’.I gently stepped in with his permission and stood in front of him (I imagined a goat standing in the shop of a butcher, unaware of what’s coming).
‘Sit down.’ His voice was gentle but there was an authority in it. The interview started and he asked me every possible question he could. My current profile, skills, sales record, life, writing, goals, blah blah. He entered a cocoon of silence for 3 minutes and I could feel my heart in my mouth.
‘Why don’t you consider the position of technical recruiter, US staffing?’ He was evidently impressed.
‘What?’
‘Yes, I think you have the caliber and we are hiring for the position as well. Think about it. Though you have cleared the interview for the share point support as well but I will ask you to give priority to technical recruiter’s post.’
‘I would need some time sir. May be, 1 hour or so.’
He started talking about the opportunity and scopes in this profile. He almost convinced me about the profile and asked me to fill up a form. He asked me to meet Shweta, once I decide to join, and asked me to collect my offer letter from her.
I quickly evacuated his room and felt bliss in my heart. I felt something good coming my way. I quickly went to the nearest ‘Dhaba’ to eat something. I was hungry as never before.
While gobbling the tasteless ‘Aaloo ka Pratha’ I again took refuge of my well known savior, Google. I consumed everything about technical recruiter along with the ‘Pratha’. It was a challenging profile but was interesting. I closed my eyes and felt my heartbeats in my ear.
I called Shweta instantly and told her about the interview and my acknowledgement for the profile. She didn’t respond well. She was also a recruiter but in domestic, her jittery English perhaps was not enough for international processes. I asked her whether I could come right away. She amazingly denied and asked me to go home. She added that she will call me once everything is ready (may be offer letter).
I returned back facing same brutal winds and intolerable heat. It was above 24 hours since I had not slept. I crashed on bed as soon as I entered my room, praying for delay of my company’s cab.
Days were passing rapidly but my mobile didn’t get the privilege to receive call from Shweta. I called her trillion times but she didn’t pick up, sending e-mails to her became a daily affair for me. An unknown fear entered my heart.
The next day I send ‘nth’ e-mail to Shweta. And I called him from a friend’s mobile. She picked up the phone. I was surprised that she was still alive. I thought she must have dead and therefore no one was picking phone on her desk. I asked her about my offer letter ‘as politely as I could’. She said that ‘it’s in progress’. As soon as she said that, image of banner with ‘work in progress’ written on it flashed into my mind. These banners rest for eternity near under construction over-bridges etc. I asked her the number of Rohit Mahajan or someone senior. Her answer was a blunt ‘NO’. It was harsher than Pakistan’s reply on India’s plea to arrest ‘Hafeez Saeed’.
That day I was upset and sad, but as an Indian, I had my weapon ‘JUGAD’. I found Rohit’s e-mail address from ‘Linkedin’ and sent him a mail across, about the whole episode. Fortunately he replied and assigned my case to ‘Anjali Pratap’ (Vice president).
After unfortunate and disastrous deal with Shweta Jha, I was assigned to meet Anjali Pratap. She called me and asked me to meet Mr Pradeep Yadav at 7pm on 29 of August. I thanked my angels who gave me another chance and went to meet the person on the mentioned day and time. I had to go to my office too but I decided to go a bit late.
I was in the ‘Saviance’ waiting for Mr. Pradeep Yadav. Finally I was called after waiting for 2 hours at 9 pm. He was staring at my resume as if was trying to find something which was not there at all. He looked at me and asked me whether I had any experience in the profile? I told him that I do not have, but I have learnt a lot about it since the time I was selected for the profile. He smiled, it was a crooked smile.
He asked me a few questions and I answered all. I had really learnt many things from Google regarding technical recruitment and US staffing. After 40 minutes of question-answer session he smiled again at me, it was a smile of surrender. He asked me to leave for the day and informed that Anjali would call me up.
Next day, I was perhaps in the deepest part of my sleep when I heard a nostalgic music. It was familiar but my brain was confused. The voices of my dream were also getting mixed with that sound.
‘MY MOBILE’
I picked up the mobile with lightening speed and after seeing Anjali’s name flashing on the screen, connected it as soon as I could.
‘Hi Chandan, Rohit wants to meet you on 4th of September at 11 am.’
Again?? 50kms of up-down.
But I did it; for the sake of getting an opportunity I did it.
Date: 4th of September 2012. Time: 11am. I waited in the reception area for the MD of the company, Mr Rohit Mahajan, who was in a meeting. After reading every column and advertisement of ‘The Times of India’, I looked at my watch. It was 2 pm. I was hungry, annoyed, bored and devastated. I called Anjali and asked her about the meeting I was supposed to have with the MD.
She came to the reception area. Her mature face was well covered under makeup. She smiled and apologized to me. She said that Rohit would not be able to meet today because of his hectic schedule. I felt miserable. I felt as if my time had no value. I hadn’t slept for over 24 hours; I was supposed to go to office that day for a night shift again; I hadn’t ate anything since morning and now, after wasting 3 hours, which I could have utilized in sleeping, the MD of the company can’t meet me, even for 5 minutes. Perhaps my anguish was visible on my face, therefore Anjali proposed me to meet another person (don’t remember the name now). I wasn’t able to understand whether I was ‘to be employee’ of that company or ‘to be groom’? Why was I supposed to meet every Tom, Dick and Harry of that small company?
Anyways, beggars are no choosers. I met this person who constantly tried to manipulate me over my salary. Finally he assured that they will send me the offer letter in couple of days and also told me that Rohit had told him about me.
That day while returning home I felt tired, exhausted and weak. I could not remember when I slept after reaching home, 25kms back from the Saviance technologies at around 4 pm.
When I woke up, it was 10pm at night. I quickly picked up my mobile and browsed through the miss calls and messages from my TL (team leader) and manager. I called my TL with a heavy heart. He scolded me to an extent that I felt throwing my INR 17000/- worth smart-phone. I also saw the SMS from Anjali that she wanted to discuss salary with me again. Somehow I felt no happiness.
I took an auto and reached my office with a pale face. My TL told me that they were giving me CAP1 (corrective action plan). It was the first time in my career that I was about to get a CAP.
Considering that I was offered 35k (34 was my existing) from Rohit and assuming that my job was confirmed in that company I resigned from my company. It seemed better than signing a CAP (which appeared like signing on the knife which will eventually cut my own throat). I returned home and slept again. I didn’t eat anything that entire day.
Next day I received a call from Anjali and she proposed 25k salary instead of 35k and no cabs. I had no energy to negotiate; hence, I accepted it without uttering a word apart from acknowledgement. She asked me to send an e-mail regarding it.
I sent an acknowledgement e-mail on 11/9/2012 and asked her about shift timings and few more questions regarding the joining. She answered me on 19/09/2012 about shift timings and since then I have not heard anything from them. Every time I called her, she said they are working on it. Slowly I lost the hope of getting a job there and decided to work elsewhere.
This world is harsh and selfish. People betray you on every step and try exploit you in every way possible. But I had a good perception about MNCs, at least about their professionalism but after dealing with ‘SAVIANCE TECHNOLOGIES’ my perception was rightly shattered into pieces of distrust, betrayal and ill feelings.
Many would question me that why I am taking the pain of writing down all these things after almost 8 months, the answer rests in my inbox, where I got an email from the same company which talks about an opening for a post of ‘Technical Recruiter’. I think that the word ‘UNPROFESSIONALISM’ could have started with letter ‘S’ (may be silent), only if the English-creator had met anybody from this company. I still respect Rohit for his vision but whatever his colleagues and company did, cannot be summarized in a word like ‘unprofessionalism’ or ‘bizarre’.
The month of August is not at all soothing in Delhi. The sun rays pierce the chest of earth mercilessly and the tides of hot air can burn one’s face easily. Afternoons are fierce and brutal. I could easily imagine how difficult it is to step out without a vehicle? But there are few people, who are out-stationed and have made Delhi their ‘KARMA-BHOOMI’in order to earn their livelihood. Among such countless people, there is one name, my name.
I am also out-stationed and do every daunting task to keep myself alive in a selfish city like Delhi. Away from all political zigzags and cranky ideas of easy money, I and people like me work constantly and hard to keep feeding our never satisfied stomachs and dare to see small dreams of supporting our family. This agonizing and unfortunate episode took place with me in the month of August last year. And the reason why I am sharing this shameful event with you guys is quite evident. I don’t want you guys to suffer through the same thing, what I have experienced.
I returned home on 17/08/12 from a night shift and was trying to sleep. I received a call from a lady who asked me to check my email. With my eyes half opened and mind still dozing off, I checked my e-mails. For a moment my eyes glittered, there was an email from someone called Shweta Jha from ‘Saviance technologies’. It was an interview call for ‘Share-point support’ position.
I was working for almost 3 years with the same kind of profile and it had become monotonous for me. My eyes stretched to its full diameter and mind hauled itself back from sleep. It was a chance to change my profile and do something new. I instantly went in the refuge of Google to know more about Saviance. It was not that big company but my perception for such companies was good. I always thought that companies like it, do recognize the talent and potential instead of pondering through the CV and making pale faces on the mentioned diplomas or degrees. It was an opportunity for me….or was it?
I checked the interview timing and address. As soon as I saw the address, my confidence and happiness both jolted a bit. The address was 25kms, up-down 50kms, away from my house and without a vehicle it was a tough ask in that vicious climate. I felt my eye-lids getting heavier every second. After spending 12 hours on an escalation desk, where everyone who comes is definitely pissed off, it was next to impossible for me to travel through such heat and ruthless winds. My zeal of changing the job and entering a new domain seemed vaporizing.
Thanks to the boredom and homogeneous-ness of my life, I shook my head and dipped my face into the cold water to completely get rid of lethargy. I eventually decided that I would go against the forbidding hot wind and robust instincts to sleep.
11:30 am, 17 of August 2012. I was waiting anxiously in the office of Saviance technologies. My body was almost covered by the sweat and my bright shirt had struggled all the way to here, in order to maintain its presentable look. After gulping two cups of chilled water and feeling the coldness of AC, my body temperature relaxed a bit and sweat started to vanish rapidly. Within 15 minutes, I was looking fresh and ready. I took out my smart phone and browsed every possible page to know everything about share-point.
‘Chandan Sharma’
Somebody called my name and my heart skipped a beat, or may be two. I held the arms of chair to get some support, as I found myself unable to stand by my own. I stood still for a moment and took a long breath, as long as I could. I went in with gentle steps as if stepping on a boat in river. Rohit Mahajan, the MD of the company had dug his face in his 19 inches monitor of ‘MACINTOSH’.I gently stepped in with his permission and stood in front of him (I imagined a goat standing in the shop of a butcher, unaware of what’s coming).
‘Sit down.’ His voice was gentle but there was an authority in it. The interview started and he asked me every possible question he could. My current profile, skills, sales record, life, writing, goals, blah blah. He entered a cocoon of silence for 3 minutes and I could feel my heart in my mouth.
‘Why don’t you consider the position of technical recruiter, US staffing?’ He was evidently impressed.
‘What?’
‘Yes, I think you have the caliber and we are hiring for the position as well. Think about it. Though you have cleared the interview for the share point support as well but I will ask you to give priority to technical recruiter’s post.’
‘I would need some time sir. May be, 1 hour or so.’
He started talking about the opportunity and scopes in this profile. He almost convinced me about the profile and asked me to fill up a form. He asked me to meet Shweta, once I decide to join, and asked me to collect my offer letter from her.
I quickly evacuated his room and felt bliss in my heart. I felt something good coming my way. I quickly went to the nearest ‘Dhaba’ to eat something. I was hungry as never before.
While gobbling the tasteless ‘Aaloo ka Pratha’ I again took refuge of my well known savior, Google. I consumed everything about technical recruiter along with the ‘Pratha’. It was a challenging profile but was interesting. I closed my eyes and felt my heartbeats in my ear.
I called Shweta instantly and told her about the interview and my acknowledgement for the profile. She didn’t respond well. She was also a recruiter but in domestic, her jittery English perhaps was not enough for international processes. I asked her whether I could come right away. She amazingly denied and asked me to go home. She added that she will call me once everything is ready (may be offer letter).
I returned back facing same brutal winds and intolerable heat. It was above 24 hours since I had not slept. I crashed on bed as soon as I entered my room, praying for delay of my company’s cab.
Days were passing rapidly but my mobile didn’t get the privilege to receive call from Shweta. I called her trillion times but she didn’t pick up, sending e-mails to her became a daily affair for me. An unknown fear entered my heart.
The next day I send ‘nth’ e-mail to Shweta. And I called him from a friend’s mobile. She picked up the phone. I was surprised that she was still alive. I thought she must have dead and therefore no one was picking phone on her desk. I asked her about my offer letter ‘as politely as I could’. She said that ‘it’s in progress’. As soon as she said that, image of banner with ‘work in progress’ written on it flashed into my mind. These banners rest for eternity near under construction over-bridges etc. I asked her the number of Rohit Mahajan or someone senior. Her answer was a blunt ‘NO’. It was harsher than Pakistan’s reply on India’s plea to arrest ‘Hafeez Saeed’.
That day I was upset and sad, but as an Indian, I had my weapon ‘JUGAD’. I found Rohit’s e-mail address from ‘Linkedin’ and sent him a mail across, about the whole episode. Fortunately he replied and assigned my case to ‘Anjali Pratap’ (Vice president).
After unfortunate and disastrous deal with Shweta Jha, I was assigned to meet Anjali Pratap. She called me and asked me to meet Mr Pradeep Yadav at 7pm on 29 of August. I thanked my angels who gave me another chance and went to meet the person on the mentioned day and time. I had to go to my office too but I decided to go a bit late.
I was in the ‘Saviance’ waiting for Mr. Pradeep Yadav. Finally I was called after waiting for 2 hours at 9 pm. He was staring at my resume as if was trying to find something which was not there at all. He looked at me and asked me whether I had any experience in the profile? I told him that I do not have, but I have learnt a lot about it since the time I was selected for the profile. He smiled, it was a crooked smile. He asked me a few questions and I answered all. I had really learnt many things from Google regarding technical recruitment and US staffing. After 40 minutes of question-answer session he smiled again at me, it was a smile of surrender. He asked me to leave for the day and informed that Anjali would call me up.
Next day, I was perhaps in the deepest part of my sleep when I heard a nostalgic music. It was familiar but my brain was confused. The voices of my dream were also getting mixed with that sound.
‘MY MOBILE’
I picked up the mobile with lightening speed and after seeing Anjali’s name flashing on the screen, connected it as soon as I could.
‘Hi Chandan, Rohit wants to meet you on 4th of September at 11 am.’
Again?? 50kms of up-down.
But I did it; for the sake of getting an opportunity I did it.
Date: 4th of September 2012. Time: 11am. I waited in the reception area for the MD of the company, Mr Rohit Mahajan, who was in a meeting. After reading every column and advertisement of ‘The Times of India’, I looked at my watch. It was 2 pm. I was hungry, annoyed, bored and devastated. I called Anjali and asked her about the meeting I was supposed to have with the MD.
She came to the reception area. Her mature face was well covered under makeup. She smiled and apologized to me. She said that Rohit would not be able to meet today because of his hectic schedule. I felt miserable. I felt as if my time had no value. I hadn’t slept for over 24 hours; I was supposed to go to office that day for a night shift again; I hadn’t ate anything since morning and now, after wasting 3 hours, which I could have utilized in sleeping, the MD of the company can’t meet me, even for 5 minutes. Perhaps my anguish was visible on my face, therefore Anjali proposed me to meet another person (don’t remember the name now). I wasn’t able to understand whether I was ‘to be employee’ of that company or ‘to be groom’? Why was I supposed to meet every Tom, Dick and Harry of that small company?
Anyways, beggars are no choosers. I met this person who constantly tried to manipulate me over my salary. Finally he assured that they will send me the offer letter in couple of days and also told me that Rohit had told him about me.
That day while returning home I felt tired, exhausted and weak. I could not remember when I slept after reaching home, 25kms back from the Saviance technologies at around 4 pm.
When I woke up, it was 10pm at night. I quickly picked up my mobile and browsed through the miss calls and messages from my TL (team leader) and manager. I called my TL with a heavy heart. He scolded me to an extent that I felt throwing my INR 17000/- worth smart-phone. I also saw the SMS from Anjali that she wanted to discuss salary with me again. Somehow I felt no happiness.
I took an auto and reached my office with a pale face. My TL told me that they were giving me CAP1 (corrective action plan). It was the first time in my career that I was about to get a CAP.
Considering that I was offered 35k (34 was my existing) from Rohit and assuming that my job was confirmed in that company I resigned from my company. It seemed better than signing a CAP (which appeared like signing on the knife which will eventually cut my own throat). I returned home and slept again. I didn’t eat anything that entire day.
Next day I received a call from Anjali and she proposed 25k salary instead of 35k and no cabs. I had no energy to negotiate; hence, I accepted it without uttering a word apart from acknowledgement. She asked me to send an e-mail regarding it.
I sent an acknowledgement e-mail on 11/9/2012 and asked her about shift timings and few more questions regarding the joining. She answered me on 19/09/2012 about shift timings and since then I have not heard anything from them. Every time I called her, she said they are working on it. Slowly I lost the hope of getting a job there and decided to work elsewhere.
This world is harsh and selfish. People betray you on every step and try exploit you in every way possible. But I had a good perception about MNCs, at least about their professionalism but after dealing with ‘SAVIANCE TECHNOLOGIES’ my perception was rightly shattered into pieces of distrust, betrayal and ill feelings.
Many would question me that why I am taking the pain of writing down all these things after almost 8 months, the answer rests in my inbox, where I got an email from the same company which talks about an opening for a post of ‘Technical Recruiter’. I think that the word ‘UNPROFESSIONALISM’ could have started with letter ‘S’ (may be silent), only if the English-creator had met anybody from this company. I still respect Rohit for his vision but whatever his colleagues and company did, cannot be summarized in a word like ‘unprofessionalism’ or ‘bizarre’.
May 12, 2013
KOLKATA DIARIES: Culture Or Curse
The days were humid and restless…in Kolkata. I had spent a few days, but somehow, the humidity was beyond my tolerance.
Still I have not been spending my whole day in the AC room. The stream of sweat was oozing out of every pore of my body and constant intake of liquid was a must. In the quest of searching joy in Kolkata, I met with Rampravesh. He was standing with his cart (which runs on man power and two wheels). For me perhaps, it was more like a game of carts where your character pulls the cart to the finishing line. But for him it was no game, it was his livelihood. Even in the game, the distance ends on the finishing line, but here the distance was perhaps life-long.
“ये हम अपने नहीं करता साहब। बीवी है, बच्चा है, क्या करेगा? पेट तो भरना ही है साहेब।..” (I do it for the life of my wife and children.)His eyes were piercing my heart. He was 43 years old, 5.4 perhaps, weatish brown, lean…I could count the bones of his ribs. I remember, centuries ago, the age of slaves, they were brutalized and tortured to an extent which is perhaps hard to write and imagine. I stood in 22ndcentury with this poor guy from Bihar. He was serving not less than a slave here. He was literally carrying people sitting in the cart for mere few rupees.
Just before I could make my way into the crowd and get lost, a woman came and sat on the cart, at least thrice the weight of the man. She ordered him to move the cart and negotiated with him for the fare as well.
Often it seems unfair and cruelty but the question is that if really seems so, what do we do to change this? We protest for rising prices of petrol, rising fare of railways and so on but what about these people? It is evident that if they would not work for a day, they would have to sleep empty-stomach along with their family.
In 2006, the government ordered a ban on such carts but provided no full proof compensation in return. A case was filed on behalf of these cart-pullers, which is still going on in the court. They all contribute an amount from their earnings (which is already minimal) towards this.
I had planned to go elsewhere today and having some delicious food but somehow, I remained there, with those meager, poor but independent people.
‘Biswas’, an another cart-puller, told me that once the government decided to replace all the carts with rickshaw but corruption’s hands gripped the plan so tightly that it choked. The rickshaws were taken by local contractors and shopkeepers, using fake names and bribing the officials. Today all those rickshaws are running on roads and money is going straight in their pockets.
‘Why don’t you sell this cart and purchase a second hand rickshaw?’
‘That’s because this cart is not mine. This belongs to a local merchant and whatever I earn, 80% goes to him.’
I was a bit amazed and disappointed. Plans after plans and committee after committee, yet they cannot roll out a single scheme to help such people. The tax we pay is spent like water on the name of these poor people, but still their condition is unchanged.
‘Biswas’ had a wife, three children and his mother. They live in slums near ‘Jaan Bazaar’. He told me that he wanted to send his children to school but he had not enough money to do so. His elder son, who is of 10, works in a Dhaba and daughter, who is 9, woks as domestic help in the house of same merchant from whom he got this cart. The youngest daughter is of 5 years old and stays at home to help her mother.
He talked about his concern regarding the marriage of his girls (who were not even teen yet). I could see lines on his forehead depended while talking about his girls. He told me with hesitation on his face that sometimes he drinks a lot to forget about his condition but as soon as he gets back into sense, same things keep on haunting him.He told me that his condition was much better than out stationed cart-pullers. They don’t have a home to sleep in. They sleep on the pavements at night. They cannot afford a house. And they are supposed to send some money back to their village.
This man, ‘Biswas’, who lost his father due to tuberculosis, who had his mother on the verge of death, whose wife doesn’t love him (he thinks) anymore, whose daughter serves as domestic help and whose son worked in a Dhaba, had a big heart to invite me in his so called house for some tea and snacks.
I politely refused his invitation and told him that I need to go to a friend’s marriage. I walked away from there and after walking a fair bit of distance, looked back. He was still looking at me with a big smile on his face. As soon as he realized that I was looking back, he stated to wave his hand with a great enthusiasm.
His life was full of struggles and answerless question but yet he had the courage to carry a smile on his face. May be they do not want the hundred crore rupees plans for their rejuvenation but a few words of inspiration and love.
I kept on walking on the pavement for I don’t know how long. Finally, I stopped near another group of cart-pullers, they were laughing and singing. The sweat jumped from all over my body and I heard a chant of a Hindi poem in my ears.
मैं मजदुर मुझेदेवों की बस्तीसे क्या!
अगणित बार धरापर मैंने स्वर्गबनाये,
अम्बर पर जितनेतारे उतने वर्षोंसे, मेरे पुरखोंने धरती कारूप सवारा;
धरती को सुन्दरकरने की ममतामें, बीत चुकाहै कई पीढियां वंशहमारा.
अपने नहीं अभावमिटा पाए जीवनभर, पर औरोंके सभी अभावमिटा सकता हूँ;
युगों-युगों सेइन झोपडियों मेंरहकर भी, औरोंके हित लगाहुआ हूँ महलसजाने.
ऐसे ही मेरेकितने साथी भूखेरह, लगे हुएहैं औरों केहित अन्न उगाने;
इतना समय नहींमुझको जीवन मेंमिलता, अपनी खातिरसुख के कुछसामान जुटा लूँ.
पर मेरे हितउनका भी कर्तव्य नहींक्या? मेरी बाहेंजिनके भारती रहींखजाने;
अपने घर केअन्धकार की मुझे नचिंता, मैंने तोऔरों के बुझतेदीप जलाये.
मैं मजदुर मुझेदेवों की बस्तीसे क्या?
अगणित बार धरापर मैंने स्वर्गबनाये.
May 7, 2013
KOLKATA DIARIES: Life On Edge
It was as usual a hot and humid day in the city. I threw myself out of the highly comforting AC room (which should reduce the punishment I am about to get for my sins after my death as it was equally painful) of an equally disturbing guest house. It was a surprise that the people living here find it so easy to obey their daily routines. The buses were loaded with people and the roads were flooded with the yellow taxis. The owners of numerous temporary shops (made on the pavements) were busy in arranging their shops to attract customers. It was their daily routine. The shopkeepers or the vendors make and break these pseudo-shops on daily basis. For me it was difficult and full of anxiety, but for them it was just life. I stood by the tea-stall and asked him for a cup of tea, which he was already preparing. He put the tea and sugar in the milk with his hand, no spoon was required, his hand could judge and measure the right amount of tea and sugar better than a spoon. “Pani nahi milate ho chai me?” (Don’t you use water in making tea?)
He stared me with his victimized eyes. The dark circles just below the eyes were complementing his body color. One may not figure out his dark circles without paying constant attention upon his face. He wiped the front line of sweat-army from his forehead with his dirty towel. The second row of sweat advanced, the third row was backing-up. Chai-wala didn’t take much time to understand that his trials of wiping away the sweat was futile. As soon as he tried to open his mouth to tell me something, his attention was snatched by the boiling tea. He quickly lifted the utensil with his bare hands first and then kept it aside. His face clearly indicated how hot that utensil was. He puffed some air from his mouth on both hands and was back to work again. He held the utensil with a piece of cloth this time. The color of cloth was as mysterious as government’s policies for these poor people. He swigged the burn on his hand in the cup of his helplessness and revolved the utensil in circular motion for almost trillion times.
“Doodh me bahut jol hai,jol kyo dega? Log khayega nahi.” (The milk already has enough water) He finally answered me with his rusty and rowdy Hindi. By that time his little chai-place was swarmed by people. He arranged little tea-glasses in a perfect straight line and poured tea in all of them without stopping while jumping from glass to glass. The first hand, which picked up the glass, was covered by an expensive watch; it was a hand of a police-wala. He was speaking to someone on his SAMSUNG ACE mobile. The Chai-wala raised a glass to me. The outside wall of the glass was covered by tea. And my Delhi mind started to calculate the number of bacteria and viruses in that several times used glass. I asked him for a disposable glass. He quickly took out an ultra-small disposable cup and poured the tea in that, without looking at me. His action and reaction-less face clearly indicated that I was not the first example of that Hygiene-Breed for him. The cup was small but beautiful. It was almost like the cups used for Tequila shots in pubs and bars. I took the first sip of the tea, it was the first good tea I had in Kolkata. The Policeman finished his tea and slammed the glass on the ground. He was finished with the phone-conversation as well. He looked at the screen of his mobile like a lunatic. His face clearly indicated that he was struggling to find the disconnect button. After abusing the manufacture of this mobile, who were eventually not able to hear it, he finally disconnected the call. The Chai-wala looked at him with lots of hope and expectation. The policeman put his hand in his pants pocket and asked the poor chai-wala, “ Daam koto re?” “5 takka” “Boddo goram!! Kobe je brishti hobe?” He pulled out an off-color handkerchief from his pocket and wiped out the sweat from his entire face. He looked at his expensive watch and started crossing the road. The chai-wala’s gaze chased him until he disappeared in the crowd. The policeman was his first customer of the day, who went without paying. It was not a good omen. I don’t know that how his earning for the day was affected by not getting those 5 rupees, but he really looked sad. His eyes looked full of anger and it had a hint of saline water in it. He drowned his right hand in a mug filled with water. An expression of relief came on his face for a minute but from the next, he was busy in collecting the money from his customers including me. While wandering on the pavements I saw several stalls. It was almost 10 am when I felt that my stomach needs more than tea. I moved briskly while searching for an appropriate place to eat. ‘Panna’s Kitchen’, a red board read. My stomach roared in excitement as soon as the board was visualized. I checked quickly whether anybody was noticing, and I found only me, everybody else had better things to do. I rushed towards the restaurant but my consideration was grabbed by a pleasant smell of Pratha.
An old cloth and plastic sheets were clutched by the railing of the pavement and the other side was pinned to a building. Under this awkward shade, a stove, few plates and a few utensils were resting. It was looking more like a refugee camp but to my surprises, it wasn’t. It was a hotel and the scent of Pratha made from refined oil belonged to this refuge.
A few benches were arranged on the pavement, which was the sitting arrangement. Few people were already busy filling their belly. I took a glimpse of offerings on the plate. Two beautiful Prathewith vegetable (I could recognize only potato in that) and pickle were served. I looked greedily towards the satisfied face of a middle aged man, who had just finished eating. He stood up and washed his hands on the roadside. His musical burp while washing his hands made me forget about the long lessons on hygiene, which I took in my schooldays. “Kitane ka hai?” I asked the lady serving a plate to the customer. She looked at my rather expensive dress and shoes. “Kuri taka” Soon, the big pieces of a Paratha (drowned in an unknown potato vegetable) were sliding into my stomach. I am not sure whether it was tasty, but it was enough to make me remember some conventional food with no sugar in vegetable. Surprisingly, I found the taste which I wanted in my food in a place which was not even a complete Dhaba. I felt the joy of eating and concluded my eating in 5 parathe.
I continued my quest of finding joy on the roadsides, pavements, mini shops, little tea-stalls, big buildings, bars, roads and monuments till the sun started to set in the west and shade of night started to gobble-up some street light-less places. I started walking towards my obnoxious guest house crossing the streets of Kolkata…city of joy.
He stared me with his victimized eyes. The dark circles just below the eyes were complementing his body color. One may not figure out his dark circles without paying constant attention upon his face. He wiped the front line of sweat-army from his forehead with his dirty towel. The second row of sweat advanced, the third row was backing-up. Chai-wala didn’t take much time to understand that his trials of wiping away the sweat was futile. As soon as he tried to open his mouth to tell me something, his attention was snatched by the boiling tea. He quickly lifted the utensil with his bare hands first and then kept it aside. His face clearly indicated how hot that utensil was. He puffed some air from his mouth on both hands and was back to work again. He held the utensil with a piece of cloth this time. The color of cloth was as mysterious as government’s policies for these poor people. He swigged the burn on his hand in the cup of his helplessness and revolved the utensil in circular motion for almost trillion times.“Doodh me bahut jol hai,jol kyo dega? Log khayega nahi.” (The milk already has enough water) He finally answered me with his rusty and rowdy Hindi. By that time his little chai-place was swarmed by people. He arranged little tea-glasses in a perfect straight line and poured tea in all of them without stopping while jumping from glass to glass. The first hand, which picked up the glass, was covered by an expensive watch; it was a hand of a police-wala. He was speaking to someone on his SAMSUNG ACE mobile. The Chai-wala raised a glass to me. The outside wall of the glass was covered by tea. And my Delhi mind started to calculate the number of bacteria and viruses in that several times used glass. I asked him for a disposable glass. He quickly took out an ultra-small disposable cup and poured the tea in that, without looking at me. His action and reaction-less face clearly indicated that I was not the first example of that Hygiene-Breed for him. The cup was small but beautiful. It was almost like the cups used for Tequila shots in pubs and bars. I took the first sip of the tea, it was the first good tea I had in Kolkata. The Policeman finished his tea and slammed the glass on the ground. He was finished with the phone-conversation as well. He looked at the screen of his mobile like a lunatic. His face clearly indicated that he was struggling to find the disconnect button. After abusing the manufacture of this mobile, who were eventually not able to hear it, he finally disconnected the call. The Chai-wala looked at him with lots of hope and expectation. The policeman put his hand in his pants pocket and asked the poor chai-wala, “ Daam koto re?” “5 takka” “Boddo goram!! Kobe je brishti hobe?” He pulled out an off-color handkerchief from his pocket and wiped out the sweat from his entire face. He looked at his expensive watch and started crossing the road. The chai-wala’s gaze chased him until he disappeared in the crowd. The policeman was his first customer of the day, who went without paying. It was not a good omen. I don’t know that how his earning for the day was affected by not getting those 5 rupees, but he really looked sad. His eyes looked full of anger and it had a hint of saline water in it. He drowned his right hand in a mug filled with water. An expression of relief came on his face for a minute but from the next, he was busy in collecting the money from his customers including me. While wandering on the pavements I saw several stalls. It was almost 10 am when I felt that my stomach needs more than tea. I moved briskly while searching for an appropriate place to eat. ‘Panna’s Kitchen’, a red board read. My stomach roared in excitement as soon as the board was visualized. I checked quickly whether anybody was noticing, and I found only me, everybody else had better things to do. I rushed towards the restaurant but my consideration was grabbed by a pleasant smell of Pratha.
An old cloth and plastic sheets were clutched by the railing of the pavement and the other side was pinned to a building. Under this awkward shade, a stove, few plates and a few utensils were resting. It was looking more like a refugee camp but to my surprises, it wasn’t. It was a hotel and the scent of Pratha made from refined oil belonged to this refuge. A few benches were arranged on the pavement, which was the sitting arrangement. Few people were already busy filling their belly. I took a glimpse of offerings on the plate. Two beautiful Prathewith vegetable (I could recognize only potato in that) and pickle were served. I looked greedily towards the satisfied face of a middle aged man, who had just finished eating. He stood up and washed his hands on the roadside. His musical burp while washing his hands made me forget about the long lessons on hygiene, which I took in my schooldays. “Kitane ka hai?” I asked the lady serving a plate to the customer. She looked at my rather expensive dress and shoes. “Kuri taka” Soon, the big pieces of a Paratha (drowned in an unknown potato vegetable) were sliding into my stomach. I am not sure whether it was tasty, but it was enough to make me remember some conventional food with no sugar in vegetable. Surprisingly, I found the taste which I wanted in my food in a place which was not even a complete Dhaba. I felt the joy of eating and concluded my eating in 5 parathe.
I continued my quest of finding joy on the roadsides, pavements, mini shops, little tea-stalls, big buildings, bars, roads and monuments till the sun started to set in the west and shade of night started to gobble-up some street light-less places. I started walking towards my obnoxious guest house crossing the streets of Kolkata…city of joy. 
