Diary of an unlucky child

A page from the diary of an unlucky child who lost his mother at a tender age

Image credit : N.L Photography

 

Feb 28, 2016

It has been more than a month, since I have lost you. You are still in my mind every now and then. I’m not able to forget you so easily. I struggle every day to forget you, but somewhere fail to do it, because the memories are still so fresh in my mind. It was as if yesterday when you were staring at me, trying to speak your mind but couldn’t say it. I could understand your pain, but couldn’t express it to you how bad I felt about it.

You have raised me, bearing all the tyrannies of life and never wanted that I should come to Kolkata even when you wanted me the most. You are not with us anymore, but each od us, especially me feel your absence every now and then. I have not put your picture in our room, that’s because I feel that you are with me. Again, I am forced to accept the harsh reality of your non-existence.

People say time heals the wounds of pain and sadness, but the pain of losing a mother takes the maximum time to heal…..I don’t know, whether mine will heal ever.

 

 

 

Rainy memories

The bird makes a chilling shrill and flies away over the orchid tree as I watch it through the windowpane of my office. A thundering sound follows with a few strokes of lightning. Clouds begin to move as they embrace the sun. The orchid tree is not visible anymore; it’s silhouette proves it’s only existence. Suddenly, a huge thunder strikes and the splashing sounds fill my ears. I open the window, let out my hand and feel the cooling sensation of the first raindrops.

Image source: Google Images

The pungent smell of the earth evaporates from the ground and fills my nose with a sensation; a sensation that I had been experiencing since the last 27 years. It’s a kind of aroma that makes me feel good, it is like honey that is freshly collected from the honeycomb and is feed to a person for the first time. There are memories attached with this smell. I have spent my childhood in multiple cities across India and one common thing that keeps me connected is the smell of the rain.

I carry the smell of rain with me wherever I go.

How?

As a child, I have spent a significant part of my childhood in Agartala. I remember, after a rainy day, in the evening, I used to observe streams of rainwater flowing down from the muddy slopes. Once they dried up, the smell of fresh mud used to fill the air with its significance presence. I used to look around and observe our house all drenched and wet. My mother used to be busy cleaning the drops of rain that assimilated near the windowpanes.

Later, as we shifted to Kolkata, the smell of rain or the smell of earth just after the rains became more significant. The clogging of water near the gate, the sudden rush of people to protect themselves from getting wet, the slow moving of trains and the nearby pond that used to look beautiful with water lilies.  

In Delhi, I spent most of the time alone and during a rainy day (if it was not a working day) it was lonelier, but the fresh smell of the earth just after the rains used to cheer up my mood by bringing back beautiful memories. Now, as I am writing this post it brings back the memories of the lonely time I have spent with myself in Delhi.

I want to end with this twisted short poem

Rain Rain don’t go away

Don’t come again another day

Rain Rain don’t go away

The wandering mind wants to play…..:)

The Break

So, I took this break from my life in New Delhi in October. For the next few months, I stayed at Kolkata for some family reasons. I found a job at the City of Joy and also started to earn a living too. It’s always amazing to relive in a city where you have spent all your teenage years.

 I revisited those places again which used to fill my heart with joy when I used to visit them as a teenager. The ‘Bonedi Houses’ with their humungous white pillars, the green tall-arched windows with multiple panes, the pungent smell of the mud at the tea stalls, tram lines making their way through the streets, the shrill voice of conductors shouting the name of stations, the political banners with slogans of development and protest and the new Kolkata with my grown up eyes

.

On the other side of the break, was the modern Kolkata. Sky touching buildings, extravagant nightlife, vibrant and colourful Durga Puja and what not. Wait! there is a lot left to discover in this beautiful city which was once the capital of India. My break will not end without discovering the other gems of Kolkata.  

Image credit: Team BHP

Music to the ears

Ever since I started my first journey in train, I have developed a special connection with it. Well, it would be wrong to call it a connection because it’s an experience that I relive every time I step in a train.

The constant rumble of the engine and the honk of the approaching train add music to my ears. This music has no tune, no rhythm but has a vibrant soul. A soul that encapsulates all my childhood memories and brings back the sceneries of lush green grounds, desolate lands, children staring at us in groups from their playgrounds or cattle grazing in the fields.

As a child and still now, another experience that I crave for in a train journey is that slight motion that constantly moves you when you are inside a moving train; and the most magical moment comes, when you have plugged in your ear phones with your head placed over the cushion. To me, the experience is like a lullaby. Like a mother trying to put his son asleep.

 Sometimes, the most enchanting experience of music comes not from the kind of tune or the quality of sound you hear, but from the moment, you live in. 

5 Unusual Valentine Gift Ideas For Your Spouse

Believe it or not, the phrase “Getting married is the best thing on earth,” can never be true until and unless you and your spouse continue to keep the flame of romance burning. No day is better except Valentine’s Day to express love for your hubby or wife. So, what does Valentine’s Day mean to you? Proposing your partner with a rose or taking him or her to a dinner date? Well, over the years, they have become such clichéd ways to celebrate the day of love; so, why not do something different this February and surprise your better half?

Take a look at these five unusual ideas to rekindle romance with your spouse this Valentine.

Image Source - Google

 

1.       Write a letter

It might be an old way to express love, but take a break from Whatsapp, Hike and Facebook, instead write him or her, a love letter. Take a break from the digital world and go the old school way of proposing your honey. Reading your feelings on a paper sealed in an envelope or knowing the 14 reasons why you love her will make your better-half feel special.

2.       Do a photoshoot

Drop the idea of taking numerous selfies or a snap with your partner, rather go for a professional photoshoot. Just imagine a shot where you and your better-half are holding a signage that reads ‘Knotty Couples.’ Won’t it be cool idea?

3.       Gift with a personal touch

A wall clock with you and your sweetheart’s picture taking marriage vows or a calendar with you and your wife’s selfies above each month. You can surely triple the love and surprise your fiancée this Valentine purchasing such cool stuff from this website.  Well, there are hundred more creative gift ideas at this website.

4.       Celebrate the day with a foreign culture

Do you know that Japanese women gift chocolates to men on the eve of Valentine’s Day and baked buns are served in Britain on 14^th February? Well, if you are looking for an unusual way to celebrate this Valentine, then turn the day more romantic with an international feel.

5.       Surprise your spouse at the work place

Get a hold of your spouse’s planner and know whether he or she has any meeting dates with clients on Valentine’s Day. If not, then turn up at the office anytime and surprise him or her with a bouquet of red roses.