A suitably (heavy) book

Standout event of 1993 was possibly Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy! I was still a student and my pockets weren't that deep. All the world was a buzz with the book, the advance, the number of pages, the story. And then, it arrived in our building, bought by a young couple! Hurrah. And one fine sunday (I think), their baby sitter arrived at our apartment, their baby cradled in the crook of one arm and the other holding on to the tome of 1349 pages + hard cover! OMG. That moment was greater than the actual reading of the book (which was also terrific). 

It has taken me 29 years to do something similar! This morning, I sent Robert Galbraith's The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike book #6) over to them. All 1462 pages of it! Yes, yes different genres and not really comparable, but this was something eagerly awaited by both families. 

A library closed down

My book haul! Usually a thing of enormous delight. Not so this time.

Ekta library bondho hoi gelo. Aar kichu diner modhe, the owner D.P George will pull down the shutters to this tiny one room library and leave Kolkata forever for his native Kerala. A combination of reasons. Primarily, not many patrons for libraries now a days. Well times, they are a changing.

 Eloor Library closed couple of years ago. That ground floor of the white building opposite Bharat Sevashram Sangha was my favorite go to place. Nothing so calming and exciting at the same time to be lost among towering shelves of books! George who was a staff there, decided to open his tiny library mainly with a few patrons like me who couldn’t do without the periodic pottering around bookshelves.

 He WA the members about his decision and the impending book sale. I was a tad late. I wanted the Yuval Hararis, the Tin Tins and the Asterixs. All gone. Am happy with my haul though. My last take out from this library. 20 years of memories.

2 cakes, 1 Birthday and 1 New Year

R baked my favorite apple cinnamon upside-down cake on my birthday eve. Pater, Mater and perhaps sis were expecting I’d cut my cake soon. I desisted. Birthday cake must always be cut on one’s birthday. And at a decent hour. Not at midnight for the middle of the night social media pix / fix! Which anyhow, rest of the world would see the next day.

Next morning, or on my birthday, I cut the cake after our (R’s, ma’s, and mine) morning cup(s) of tea. Conversation flowed like it does every morning, about this and that and menu for the day. Suddenly ma sang out “Happy birthday to you” and just as sudden went back to conversing with R.

A couple of hours later, ma asked me to get some dhania pata from the fridge. I told her that it was already in the kitchen. She then asked me to get something else out, which too was already in the kitchen. She seemed to think of something else and then laughed. Open the fridge. Your cake. What cake? Its already on the table. While I was in my room doing yoga, a white forest cake was delivered, which R had to receive and then hide it in the fridge. Now I had 2 cakes. Felt for R. All her plans to surprise me, bheste gelo!

In the middle of it all, Baba came out of his room, saw me and said “Happy new year”. Bojho! Seeing the look on my face, he said, “New year, for you". 

 

A 100 years from today

The problem was further compounded by the fact that the killer disease, influenza, had broken out in the ashram… He (Rabindranath) had heard about cases in Kolkata, ....Now he was horrified to hear that four students had been affected and the contagion was spreading fast. Circa 1919-20 

[Daughters of Jorasanko, Aruna Charkavarti]

Imagine the coincidence of reading these lines in the lockdown due to the COVID19 Pandemic 100 years later! Aaji hote Soto Borsho pore!

Durgotsab 2016 - Hindustan Road

Build up to Maddox Square

Photos clicked on Sunday, two days after Mahalaya .. part of the build up to Durga Pujas. Maddox Square was a hive of activity. Still continues to be this morning when I went for my morning walk .. though only finishing touches remain as the race to complete by Shosti is on. Perhaps it was just as well that I went for a preview. The crowd is IMPOSSIBLE from Shosti to Dashami. Better this way. 

Subho Mahalaya!

Mahalaya. Mahishashur Mardini on AIR with ma at early early am. Then what a great idea to go to Prinsep Ghat. Only so did a lot of others. Many many others. And followed us right upto Srihari for Kochuri and Langcha. But what the heck. Durga Puja is here!

A different sort of red kolkata

 Somewhere on Middleton Row, Kolkata. Panes missing, somewhat derelict but still beautiful 

The morning crossword

The morning crossword.

Lil sis gets through it first. Then I fill in the blanks. And between the two of us, we solve the crossword each morning. Or we used to.

For as long as I can remember, she always had the first go. Even on those rare days she would not, I'd feel guilty filling in a totally blank one. First rights after all. 

 

How strange it is to find a blank crossword.I find myself starting each morning. 

 

Then I remember, there is only me now. Lil sis has flown the coop. 

 

Seemingly small and insignificant rituals become so enormously important. 

Missing you in so many ways!

Calcutta Cutlet Experience

On my way home from weaver's centre walked passed baked and fried. Like I have before. Only this time, I stopped and ordered 4 chicken cutlets. Ah what an experience. That little shop in a garage, that bhishon bangali owner and staff, the regular clientele, that auto ride home with the cutlets warm in their box, against my legs, ah the aroma as I sat sandwiched between two commuters - fellow savorers I imagine. And then home and ma's carefully concealed delight and baba's extremely mild curiousity (!!), Ah the cutlets, those slim sticks of cucumber, carrot and onions and pungent Kasundi. Tea. Life if good.

Krishna Janmashtami

Our apartment was redolent with the aroma of the frying 'taler - bora' or tal (palm sap) pakora, this rain soaked afternoon.

Afterall it is Krishna Janmashtami!

As much as both the rains and taler bora are traditional Janmashatmi events, so is distributing boxes of the afore mentioned tal er bora to friends and family! Thankgod. It is quite difficult to stop eating them ...

Crimson Pride!

The dominant colour this rainy month has been gray in many many many shades! The jaba - (in Bengali) and hibiscus to the rest thought otherwise!  

Ma's verandah. Soggy August afternoon in Kolkata.

Gone for a six

I boarded the near empty bus from the Ruby Hospital stop.

This was my first time to Hi-Land Park Multiplex by bus. Apart from being like 100 times cheaper than my usual cab, the ride itself was very pleasant. It was only 11 am on this rainy Sunday. The bus fairly zipped through the empty roads!

I asked the conductor what the fare was.

"Over boundary", was his response.

What? I stared at him blankly.

But only for a few seconds .... before I got it.

6 rupees. And just in time too. Before his amusing poser would be lost on a stupid passenger!

Only in Kolkata, this!

PS - The movie was good too!

The Eagle has landed

Not the noisy crows. Nor the shrill mynah. She is back. Solitary. Regal. Many a nights she spent on the branches just outside my window, waking me up with a single cry early in the morning. Then she'd spread her wings and take off as another day began. Just as suddenly, she disappeared. But now, she is back.

The path less taken

Its only a short walk to Nandan along AJC Bose Road from Exide More.  But it had been raining on and off. I didnt feel upto the jostling crowds on the narrow stretch of a footpath which would be wet, slippery, muddy. So, I "ventured" past the Nehru Children's Museum - a passer by assured me that there was a connection right upto Nandan. I did. Just behind, was a beautifully paved walk surrounding a pond with the Saint Paul's Cathedral on the other end.

I was quite amazed. At my frog in the well view of the world. I have always had only one view of the Cathedral. I must have visited Nandan a zillion times ... or more.

But mostly at the sight of the white cathedral under a grey sky. Beautiful.

Clouded Humour!

Cirrus, cumulus and now humourous!

Clouds were in a funny mood that evening. Spread thickly all over (atleast my part of) Kolkata, they looked exactly like thick polluting smoke of a thousand chimneys. More than 50 shades of Grey (haha).

Roof with a view: Kolkata, 6:00 pm ish, 9th July 2013

Garage Sale?

The Motor hospital is in serious need of help. Standing Bright blue on Hazra Road, it has been a very helpful landmark for years. Hope it does not give way to a multi-storied. Soon. The road will be so much less interesting. 

Happy Holi Skies .... Dol Purnima

The Kolkata skies put up quite a show this holi. 

 The kolkata skies at sun set this evening and then the full moon (dol purnima)!

Kinne maari pichkari .... Happy Holi!

Wishing that the holis this year is as colourful as the colours and the pichkaris on display. Around Behala Chowrasta, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata, this afternoon.

Retro chic!

What's we call in Bengal - a poro bari ... derelict mansion (along with all the tacit implications ... haunted ... sad story, lurking atmas et al). Only its not poro bari at all. Standing nearing the crossing of Lansdowne Road and Palit Street. March 23, 2013 around mid day.

PS- what they say ... Dupur bela. Jokhon Bhoote mare thela!