I am from the ruins of the Zamindar palace having long balconies with massive arches and big windows whose red small bricks and broken decorations now show how the time changed.
I am from the street of mid-noon, where the sweet vendor comes with his basket full of sweets wrapped in the leaves of Sal. The delicious homemade desserts mingled with the smell of the leaves can drive every kid-crazy;
And the sound “Misti chaai Miiisshhti!! Misti lagbe didimoni…Ghorer toiri sondesh, pantua, mihidana..”
I am from the vast honey tree wherein the evening comes hundreds of bats, and in the day, the tribals collect the dropped seeds of Mahua, and below which I used to play. The light lemony coloured mahua whose tip is bright orange, whose fragrance spreads over a wide range that makes people intoxicated.
I am from the early risers, though unwillingly, rubbing the eyes, begging for little more nap but forced to drive away all the laziness with one scolding by the grandfather; And with the habit of reading in the morning as it will remain in the memory forever, though I can never to retain them just after few hours;
From the pages of Thakumar Jhuli and Thakurdar Jhuli, with an open sword riding on the white horse to fight against the demons and to free the beautiful princess. And also, preserving fear from darkness under the collar, murmuring, “Bhut amar poot, Petni amar jhi, Ram-Lokhon buke aache bhoy ta amar ki.”
I am from Hindu family believing in 33 crores of Gods and Goddesses, holding the holy thread on the shoulder with pride and prejudice; And with the belief that never tells a lie to parents else, God will take them away from you.
From our surnames, Gangopadhyay later changed to Ganguly; I am from the family with the baldness of every male member by the age of thirty and with high temper and tendency to go out of the house without saying anything to cool down.
I am from Ballygram on the western bank of the Holy Ganges in Howrah with the family tradition of Brahmin Zamindar. From the family of travelers, my maternal grandfather traveled the entire Himalaya on foot from Amarnath to Badrinath, not once but thrice. And a family of highly educated people with fluency in spoken English in the time of the British era.
I am from the nostalgic images of Darjeeling Mall with the background of pine forests and Himalayan range far away with my parents wrapped in woolen clothes and shivering in the cold too.
And the images of Puri sea beach holding my mother tightly fearing by the massive waves. I am from behind those heavy wooden windows opening and closing in the wind creating loud sound on the thick walls of those red bricks.
From Poppy Seed Fritter (Postor bora) and Rice pudding with Date jaggery (Nolen gurer payesh), I am from the world of poetry and painting, drama and acting, and collector of priceless things.
Written by-
@Spondon Ganguli