Knowledge is Great

At the age of sixty plus most people say there is no use in going for further study. Without going into controversy I would say, if there was a course on ‘Personality grooming and etiquette’  I would ,even at my ripe age of sixty six, go for  , if there be any opportunity,  further study in UK, of course if found eligible . As I am not much acquainted with Universities abroad, I would like go for either Oxford or Cambridge, as these two names carry with them aroma of the British  magnanimity and  aristocracy .

I was born in 1948 , in independent India which still followed the British culture in general life. British are known for their modesty and etiquette, though with a stiff upper lip, I still long for the goodness morality, and ethics infused in people in British period. My Grandfather was a typical British product which I admired a lot. He did not shout  while reprimanding juniors, he possessed enough  courage and strength of character and as a General Manager of a Brick Factory in the Santhal area, was revered and loved for his tough but just stance and I am sure he had a lot of British culture in him. British people are known for their justice.

I would not say that I was in favour of the British rule and want it back, or that I am not proud to be a citizen of Independent India. But I think with independence Indian people did not get proper rulers, proper education proper food, clothing and most important respect. The rulers and ruled alike lack proper knowledge and culture.

Grandapa was extremely punctual in keeping time for any appointment, very much a British culture.

I would often see Grandpa waiting for the right  ‘Time’  fully dressed up and ready. If he arrived ten minutes ahead of time, he would stay outside and call on the person n the appointed time. I learned a lot from watching him.

If you ask me why do I long for British culture, I would answer, independent India, especially in West Bengal there is no culture at all, either British or Indian. India is a place ruled for several  hundreds decades by several  rulers.

The lack of any ethical or moral education our children are going downhill along with the society. Politics has ruined the moral and mental health of a generation of people badly. A political party has erased and taken out all moral and ethical values, that they considered old and back dated , but failed to put in new values. Our society is therefore full with young people arrogant, insubordinate,  puffing into their elders face and calling it courage. There is no regard in our society today for elders and women, which pains me a lot. They do not follow Vivekananda nor  any other religious teachings and knows only one thing :how to break rules and how to make their parent shamefaced.

They kill, rape and loot, they children of well educated and affluent families, as also the vagabonds.

I know I will not be able to teach all of them or bring about a change in the cultural level, but I would still want to educate myself with the best culture of the world (it is my personal opinion) and cleanse myself with the rots and filth with I get with everyday newspapers and television. I would like to educate as far as I can , the young people around me the values of modesty, etiquette and morality.

Of course I have no use to take it to the burning-ghat with me, but would try how little it might be,

To teach children I come across, the value of discipline , uprightness, , etiquette, modesty and ethics.

If only we could make our degenerated society turn into a Utopia.

SANTWANA CHATTERJEE

http://knowledgeisgreat.in/

The young brave hearts

Pinky, Tukai, Bablu and Rohan were sitting atop the  boundary  wall with long faces sad expressionand  dangling their feet Bhulo sat on the ground stretching himself out  with his face on his outstretched paws time to time raising eyes to watch his human friends and trying to figure out what they were up to. It was Durga Puja and it was the Moha Nabami , only a day was left and all the fun will be over.

Durga Puja as you all know is the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, and is one of the most important festivals of India. Apart from being a religious festival for the Hindus,people belonging to all different faiths join and enjoy like all Hindus;,  it is also an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and customs. While the rituals starts from Mahalaya, offering prayers to the forefathers , of fast, feast and worship, the last four days - Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami - are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where Dasho-Vuja Devi Durga ( ten armed Goddess) riding the lion is worshipped with great passion and devotion. Ma Durga is the Goddess of Shakti (power) who destroys the demon and devil and makes the world peaceful and happy,

As always It was such fun this Durga Puja , going around the city all four of them in a luxury car Rohan’s parents arranged for them . Yesterday they were taken to South Kolkata and were taken around some very remarkable Puja grounds with innovative pandal ,innovative designs , grand lighting, also there were variety of type of Durga, made by artisans at Kumartoli. They went to some prise winning community pujas among which Mudiali was declared as best puja that  year. They went pandel hopping in the morning as at the evening time there would be tremendous rush and it would be difficult to drive the car and the children would need escorts lest they were lost in the crowd

During the Puja through Shasti,  first day of Puja  to Dashami,  various cultural programme were organised by  their neighborhood  Puja Committee in the evening which extended into quite late in the night. The children were allowed to stay on as almost all elders in every house in the neighborhood  were awake and watch it. Last night it was fun as the many parents and  elders performed a drama which they rehearsed during the a long period and the drama was a comedy and everybody enjoyed it very much.

Nabami morning the children walked round the neighbouring places and  watched puja pandels and idols all by themselves. All of them wanted to make most of the pujas , offering prayers ( anjali) to Durga Ma in the morning , pandel hopping after having lunch at the para puja,  during the Durga Puja no one in the neighbourhood cooked at home , as almost all women in every house remained busy with puja work community lunch and dinner were cooked for all residents and it was such a fun having lunch and dinner together and the Prasad , which consisted of khichri, sabjis, paisiom and sweets. These prasads and other food cooked in the pandel always tasted divinely palatable. As if a very large joint family were having food together , the taste and the feeling was so unique that even if these were prepared at home by the same women for their own family  it would be a  far cry from the community food.


The four musketeers were sad and thinking a way to find some fun before the puja ends. Navami night there was going to be religious concert at the puja pandel and the children were not much interested.

Suddenly Bhulo started to growl in a low voice and gathered himself up on all fours. It was obvious that Bhulo had sensed or smelt something wrong.

The children looked in the direction that Bhulo was facing and found a strange man, unusually tall, walking with a limp in the opposite direction. They could not see his face but watched that man was wearing a chequered blue half sleeve shirt and rotten jeans. They also notice that he had a head full of orange hair, very odd indeed.  

Pinky asked Bhulo to calm down and all four of them started following the man, automatically  without consulting each other. Suddenly the man looked back and the face had a terrible scar on its left side. The stranger looked back  quite a few times to make sure that no one was following and walked for quite a long time covering a lot of lanes and by lanes   and suddenly turned left. During the Durga Puja festival the whole of Kolkata and even whole West Bengal, are lighted up with grand decorating lights and music on the air, people come on the street, by car, by bus or simply walk through the street to enjoy the grandeur. At the evening time sound of Dhak  , smell of incense lighted by the people dancing before the deity   mesmerises the people in all the Puja grounds . Everybody wares new and shiny cloths, and everybody seems happy. And nobody cares about what others are doing.

The children kept a distance and Rohan said  "  the man is walking towards the Devil Tower!

Really , so odd chipped in Tukai"

Has anyone seen this man before? Asked Pinky?

No- was the answer in chorus.

Pinky stopped and said’ Bablu you go back with Bhulo you are too small for this expedition’.

‘Please didi take me along I will not make any noise I promise’. There were tears on his young innocent eyes. Pinky said okay everybody let us prepare ourselves for a tough journey. Devil tower itself is a devilish place and a satanic man is going to enter it. Everybody cross yourselves and pray to Ma Durga , come what may we will not be scared and will not backtrack

Four musketeers crossed their souls and with closed eyes prayed to Durga ma.

Do you think day light would be fading soon and dusk may come on us in Devil Tower asked Tukai.

People say shady figures are seen there at night and moving lights and moaning sounds comes out from the place.  Exclaimed Rohan

Ooops lets go cried the four musketeers

And Bhulo barked excitedly.

Now devil tower was dilapidated bungalow type building with windows and doors closed. There was a huge place  at the back which must have been a garden once upon a time but now the garden was covered trees and bushes and creepers, a mini jungle as it appeared to the children  .The rusty iron gate at the right side of the building must have been built by the owner to let the cars to be garaged. This passageway however was relatively usable than the building and its unkempt garden.

Pinky and her gang sometimes visited the building and peeped into the rooms with plasters completely gone and cob webs dangling everywhere but they went to the only during day time.

That afternoon they stopped at a distance to guess at which direction the stranger had gone after turning left. The narrow lane went some distance as a  dark  dirty water body, covered  with dried  leaves  and garbage and water plants fell on the left side, it was a breeding ground of mosquitoes, people said there were rats and may be snakes too, as this water body had no owner , at least not known to the people living nearby, even Pinky’s dadi was not ware about it. The water body ended at a distance and the devil tower stood blocking the lane.  It was a blind lane On the right side of the lane there was a huge empty ground rounded off by brick barricade to thwart trespassers. And during the grandeur and light of Puja this place remained dark and deserted.

When they reached the steps to the back door they found marks of fresh footsteps embossed on the dirt.  Simultaneously Bhulo gave a snarl..  They quickly went and hid behind the thorny bush. A sturdy man came out and looked here and there and said there is nobody boss it must have been a stray dog and went inside. The gang froze with fear and asked sternly Bhulo shhh.,  Bhulo who was all alert and tail wagging looked down with tail between legs.

The man with orange hair came out and murmured I am sure I heard voices and looked around and stopped looking straight at the bush and said ‘ look Srikant don’t  you  think there is something behind that bush.’ Srikant laughed and said check you power boss that is only the shadow; who would come to this goddamned house.   ‘

The two vanished into the building  and soon came out with helmets in hand . The Boss said, should you put a lock here also, don’t you think that it might draw unwanted attention. After all we are new here and have locked the consignment inside.  Srikant seemed apprehensive and with a smirk jerked his shoulders and said “as you wish Boss.

The two went out strolling as if they were lost and looking for a particular address. The children sat there huddled even ten minutes after they were gone and then tip toed up the steps and went inside looking for a locked door.

The children wandered from one room to the other and found nothing suspicious until they heard the faint bark of Bhulo upstairs. Though it could not be seen from outside the building had a room up the starecase..  They     quickly went up and found Bhulo barking from behind the closed door. They were baffled, how could Bhulo go inside a room locked from the outside. Oh my, exclaimed Tukai look there is a window. They all ran to it and got the shock of their life, Bhulo had entered the room through an open window. Day light was fading and it was already dark inside the room but they could easily figure out that four children were sitting on the floor with their back on the wall;. They opened the door easily as it was shut by only a  latch from outside. As they came nearer they saw four children were huddled together with their mouth gagged and hands and feet tied. They looked terrified, hungry, dirty and dishevelled. Pinky and friends  hurriedly took out their gags but the children did not make a sound. When goaded by Pinky and the group they opened their mouth.  They were from poor families in villages and they had been handpicked by the duo with a promise to provide jobs at big cities. They had also given some money to the hapless parents as advance salary.

The oldest among them was a girl about ten , who said that these two people were crooks and they were going to sell them like cattle to strangers. Already two children were sold to an Arab but the sheikh did not want to by the reaming at a time as that might  raise suspicion. A small boy held out his palm and there were fresh marks of burn made by lighted cigarette butts, a punishment for crying out loud.

Don’t they give you food and water

Tukai asked as the children looked famished. They gave us one bun each at morning also a bottle of water. They did not give any food now also.
If they come tonight they might get some food otherwise they would have to starve

Babul started crying at these words

 .

The children said they usually come back at about 10 in the night.

How long have you been here, Rohan asked

They brought us hear on the Austomi night

Pinky stood up and said don’t waste any time we must run for a safe place , the captives were extremely nervous and though they were free of the shackles they wobbled while trying to stand up and take a step or two.  They all started towards the door and their stood the man with orange hair; he had a gun in his hand pointing at Pinky. The sturdy man also had his gun pointed at the children.

Surprised! Said the Orange head  with a smirk. You thought you would outsmart us. You stupid pigs you have walked into our trap. Why do you think the front door was kept open and unlocked?

Heh Srikant , said boss we have got special food to offer to the Sheikh, they are fat and ripe and would fetch a fortune. The two men laughed a menacing way  there teeth showing , body shaking but  there was no sound coming out.

Srikant call up Rehman, tell him about the new items and ask him to come early. The neighbourhood people would soon find out that their kids are missing. We should make the deal by 8.00 pm.  The concert programme at the puja ground will be over by 10 pm.  So they will find about the missing children by half an hour later.  We should clear out of this place by 10 at the latest.

Yes boss, Srikant showed his dirty yellow teeth and dialed the number.

Bhai, the consignment is ready; you have to come early as delay may spoil the goods, he spoke over the mobile.

He listened to the person at the other end and said, this time we are delivering excellent goods and the price would be higher I tell you.

Bablu tugged  Pinky’s top Pynki looked down and he whispered Bhulo is not here!

The fat man noticed him and gave him a hard slap on his face - Did I said no talking, no sound, forget and get a slap as reward and laughed his soundless laugh. Tear drops started falling down his chubby cheeks and he wept silently while Pinky sat down and comforted him and noticed a bluish red mark on her brothers,  cheek and glared at the villain.

The man took a step forward at thundered- look down you bitch, don’t ever show me your red eyes or else ...  He did not finish and put the nozzle of the gun on her forehead. Bablu clutched at his sister, Tukai and Rohan came closure and guarded their friend.

The two men found it funny and punched each other playfully but did not take away their guns. He again put his gun on Pinkys forehead and said Jhansi ke rani eh.. Where are your soldiers ... These monkeys/? and pointed to her friends.   Strangely Pinky did not feel scared but felt anger and humiliation boiling inside.

You call yourselves brave- you are like rats who come on the sly, and slap children’s .Ma Durga will destroy you. Anger overtook her fear and she stood erect and tried to take away the gun from his hand. There was a scuffle Pinky surprised the man and a shot went out of his gun and hit the window pane broking the glass as he fell down on his back.

 All the children started crying and a hell of a 
Pandemonium broke out , children started running helter smelter, the noise reached out side, some passerby’s stopped and looked here and there to find origin of the gunshot.

Suddenly Tukai shrieked , here is a strange orange porcupine and I have stepped on it’ for a second there was pin drop silence in the room, then all the children started laughing pointing at his head, bewildered the villain touched his head and it was as bold as a cricket ball, the orange wig was on ground and children started running and jumping on it.

The Orange Head was furious and lifted Pinki up by her hair and slapped hard and shouted at his mate- Srikant finish her off,  but as Srikant did not answer he looked back and looked straight into the nozzle of the gun police officer Ramakant Sing pointing at him. Srikant had already been caught and hand cuffed by the second officer. Bhulo came running and jumped at the fat man and surprised, the gun fell from his hand.

Thank your stars children, if Bhulo did not come in time and forced us to follow him , you might have died or been sold. Pinkey and her friends took Bhulo in their laps and gave him a thousand hug.and  Bhulo put his tounge out  licked them and smiled a happy smile.

That night all the children had a disturbed sleep often waking up and crying save us, don’t hit and their parents  sitting by them put them to slip  cajoling and reassuring.

On the last day of final day of  Durga puja,  vijoya dasami,  women put vermilion on the deity and put vermilion on each other. All the women wore white sari with red border which they kept for this day when they bade teary  goodbye to Durga while immersing her on river Gangal and chanted ‘come back next year’.

The community members embraced each other and distributed sweets among themselves as a ritual

The four captured children had slept well, washed themselves and had put on new clothes presented by the puja committee.

On dasami or dashera  there was a programme where pop singers were invited to perform on the stage.

Everybody was present and the singers were coming up the stage when Rothin Uncle, the president of the puja committee took up the mike and asked everybody to sit down and keep silence. The Officer in charge of Police Station joined him.

He took the mike and addressed the gathering

On the Navami Puja there were four brave children who dared to catch two very notorious crooks that were connected with child trafficking gang and helped police to catch and bust their nefarious activities without thinking about their own safety. With their help four poor children from rural Bengal were freed from their clutches and would be handed over to their parents. The puja committee jointly with the police are presenting bravery prizes to them and proposing their name for Presidents bravery award. It is a fitting act on the day of Vijoya Dasami, the day of Victry of good over evil.

Everybody screamed and clapped the four rescued children, now clean and with new dresses danced with delight,

But we have not mentioned the bravest and cleverest of the gang- Bhulo. If Bhulo did not come running from the devil tower and insisted the police officials should follow him, by pulling him by his shirt sleeve and guided to the devil tower, we might have lost our children.

At First The Police Officer wanted to ward off Bhulo, as he tore his new shirt by tugging at it, but constable Ramdin recognised him and told “Saab, something must be wrong, I know this dog and his master. “ and convinced the officer to follow Bhulo, and had to run hard because Bhulo kept running at a high speed, looking back now  and then to be sure that hey were following him.

Everybody cheered and clapped while Rohan, Pinky , Tukai and Bablu were presented gift boxes and Bhulo with delicious dog treats and new and shining ball to play with.

The children cried Jai Ma Durga and the whole ground full of spectators shouted Durga Ma ki jai. It seemed the spirit of  good souls cried together and the sky and air joined to hail  the Devine Shakti, which prevailed over evil.

রাখে হরি মারে কে /who can kill him whom the Almighty protects

রাখে হরি মারে কে /who can kill him whom the Almighty protects

I, being slightly  anxiety prone  my family including myself try not to take seriously my complaints about various aches and pains.

For may be 6/7 years I was feeling intermittent pain in the chest   followed by heart palpitations but the local doctor assured me that the pain was due to acidity and palpitation due to anxiety prescribing antacid and mild sleeping tablets’ he doctor every time took ecg test . report of which was normal

On first and  second February, 2013  nights the pain became acute accompanied by breathlessness.  At about noon time  next day, i.e 4^th February I realized the excruciating pain could not be due to acidity over and above I was almost chocking with breathlessness; my husband immediately tried to take me to some renowned hospital but I realized I could not survive more than ten minuets and he took me to EEDF (Sree Aurobindo Sevasadan) quite well-known health care centre in our area.

The ordeal started immediately. I was asked to sit on a chair while they started completing their formalities with my husband. I was gasping for air sitting helpless and (almost a scene from. Munnabhai MBBS) some sensible soul  ordered to take me to the ecg room and there i was forced to lie down while they were  preparing me for the test, with all the strength i sat up and pushed the dumb head but another fathead came and tried to pin  me down the bed - how could they complete the test with me struggling and in a sitting position foxed me even in my desperation. Any way I was again moved to the reception room and I cried with all my strength - I am dying .I can not breathe. for gods sake give some medicine" and some one put two pipes in my nostrils and carried me to the ICU where despite the chill I started perspiring profusely and the resident doctor exclaimed -you are soaked in sweat you should have come earlier .

That night the doctor came looked through my patient file and started filling the goiter on my neck with gleaming eyes instructed his junior to make an usg of it.  Immediately despite my poor health condition,  I protested and explained I am under treatment of a specialist.  The doc argued some more and left my cabin. That evening usg was done of my abdomen and lower and upper abdomen.

Next morning doc told his junior to make a radio active scan of my thyroid gland and again we had an argument and he gave a lot of unpleasant  lectures unsolicited advices and . I asked my husband to instruct the doctors not to interfere with my thyroid gland which is under an able hand. He said that he did not whoever advised me whatever, according to him – the thyroid gland should be operated immediately.

The doctor also declared I was fit and now should be transferred to the general ward, where I found an extremely narrow cot covered with dirty and torn bed sheets.

On the third day they remembered that doc also instructed to make an echo cardiogram and luckily the nurse said the doctor  who does it was still present in his chamber. The doctor was not a female but to my utter embarrassment the nurse opened my shirt - echo done the doctor seemed worried and I asked was there any problem with my heart and he said yes and i would tell your doctor.

Doctor came that day in the evening and as usual went through my file and declared that as I well enough and   should walk in the corridor for some time. I asked when would I be released . He said " considering the extreme pneumatic and serious condition of my lung atleast another week . unless of course if I could make a hospital like condition at home (sarcasm). Then I asked " doc have u seen my echo report?" And he was surprised ‘was an echo made and when and where is the report’. I pointed to my patients file. One look at the file he started shouting where are your earlier echo reports and wont take my word that it was never done. And shouted at me - bring all your earlier prescription of your general physician and I asked- “ if you let me I can go home and bring them. “The glum doc instructed his junior to star giving me medicines for giving vig lasix . cardece etc and left in a huff.

I called home and asked to take me to any other hospital. My daughter in Singapore already asked her father to take me to belle veu clinic and the next morning they asked EEDF to release me and by noon I was wheeled in to belle veu clinic. I felt like I have come from hell to heaven. the doctors nurses, all staff are so caring and efficient. That evening they again made ecg, echo cardiogram and chest x-ray.

 Next morning the doctor informed me and my husband that. I went through a heart failure because my heart cannot pump more than 32 % while normal healthy heart should pump 72%. That very morning they made an angiography and informed my heart muscles have become slack and it is a condition called “ dialated cardio myopothy , Grade III mitral regurgitation “ and there is chest infection which can not be called pneumonia by any stretch of imagination. Now I am under their treatment and released after three days but have not given fit certificate and with bed rest instruction.

There is a saying in Bangla “raakhe Hari mare ke”  who can kill any one , the Almighty protects .

God has given me my life back but think of the others who come there for treatment but are treated like rats and ginny pigs and fleeced. I had to pay thirty thousand+ for their incorrect diagnosis horrible emotional harassment by the doctor. Our society is full of poor  people with little education and lacking in courage to oppose hospital doctors , who  they look upto as their saviors . Who do not know how to protect themselves from this wolves, who would not flinch to take all your organs and  money out if it suits them.

Name of the doc is TK Bannerjee

PERFECT LOVE

PERFECT LOVE

I saw him walking away with long resolute strides, unknowing and oblivious of his shadow , of golden pink of the western sky, permanently  lighting my being, the mist of a winter evening  clouding my eyes, the soft scent of PARIJAT (Flower of Paradise) blocking anything unpleasant and my heart  was crying with ecstasy - I am in love, I am in love , I am in love.

I gazed lazily over the fresh green leaves after the sudden rain, the long winding path that vanished with him, filling me with acute longing bordering  on pain- and I the sky, the trees , the birds all crying in unison- you are in love, you are in love , you are in love.

You are here and i was looking all over the house- i looked back at my husband , the boss in office and home alike, where is my towel I am getting late- how funny , how ordinary and how awfully smug, the towalia lao type.

But strange was my response even to myself ,as I found myself smiling at him with indulgence and went back into the confines of the four walls more as a caring mother than a wife.

Yes, ten years of our marriage was fruitless, Mohon, being the successful business man head over heels in love with his work, his day and night devoted to Lakshmi and Ganesha, happy and content to have a pretty wife competent to run the house single handed.  And I Sarita was happy to be the mistress of a grand villa at the outskirts of kolkata, a well fed, well looked after ornament in it. Apart from business Mohon was also a dutiful husband.

I was busy looking after my villa, my terrace, my garden and my ornaments and never piped into my heart, my thirst for a violent love, drowning me into the strong currents and waves of the rough sea, satisfying my emotion and imagination. I sighed at the rainbows on the distant sky ever expanding and infinity, i was mesmerised with the buds on the bushes happily blowing itself into a flower, i marvelled at the birds for being eternally happy to sing at the world, the eternal love that Nature was filled with.

I failed to pick up the poetry book on the mantelpieces and just dusted and put it back in its place, i looked more into the television at the unending and tiresome serials than at the landscape outside- in a word I was tuning myself into machine –the ideal house wife.

Last week when Mohon started for his business tour of one whole month, I looked into his book case and was startled to find in such a poor state, dust lairs have blocked the cover page, one by one I turned the leaves and in horror found the words being eaten by worms. I picked up a hard cover book with the title “Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained”. It was a book gifted by father when I was still a school girl; I wondered how it intruded in to Mohon’s bookshelves.

 My mind went back to twenty years when one day father came home with a pink book in hand and came to my bedside, I was down with jaundice and bored and lonesome as I was confined to my bed, away from my school, friends and siblings. Sarita, always remember there is nothing like a good book for our companion, when lonely and bored. Child, I want you to develop an interest for reading good books, anything from poetry, novels, journals, anything to occupy your mind and brain from being vain and shallow.

I shied and searched the selves for books, good books and thus I met Parijaat. Thank you baba I said.

 Parijat came with all his strength and weaknesses- with all his sense of beauty, laughing at the worldly thing; he came like flood and washed away my loneliness, bitterness and apathy. He took me by my hand and together we toured the world of poetry, filing my days with his benediction of Tagore and Shakespeare, of Sunilda and Shakti Chatterjee, Wordswoth and Keats   hand in hand we entered into the world of Pagla Dasu and Alice forgetting our advancing ages, and Nischintapur , laughing and crying with imagery. Parijaat took me in his bosom and I cried after a long dry spell, which melted the ice grown hard and cold and blocking fresh winds from the wonderland. Alice was as loving and forgiving as ever, and Dasu as funny. How could I have forgotten you all , amazed at my own clumsy ways, I took Parjat by hand and ventured into his Nischintapur, a place where the age stops growing at twenty seven, where nothing matters so long you are  true to yourself, eternally peaceful and poignant with possibilities, a place  next to Heaven.

Our nights we spent together seemingly two but body and soul we were the same. For a whole week he stayed with me, singing and dancing along, looking at the mirror for an eye-catch, for our eyes could never meet. For a week we ran with the breeze, we drenched ourselves in the rain, tugged along together in the desert wind and embracing each other as if there will be no tomorrow.

Parijat opened the door of the gigantic cage of my collection of precious and rare birds, I was proud of and a must see to all my guest. Are you sure, they can still fly, I was hesitant. Let them die in freedom rather than  live a life in captivity, is  all he said.

We were standing together on the portico -expecting Mohon back any time from his tour , a month has gone in a flash, savouring the last moments together.  I looked inside my heart and bed him goodbye, he came out and stood in front with his back facing me, I must leave you and I laughed nervously and cried - must you -can we not stay together? I knew we cannot- he is part of me- he is a fragrance of Parijaat the flower from no-where , he can not stay with a businessman and his dutiful wife and her proper ways.

So he went away with my imagination but instead filing me up with Love, where there is no body , no   entanglement no bindings

  .

I laughed and cried with ecstasy I have found my Love and my whole world laughed and cried - you are in love .