The Evening That Was.
At the turn of the twilight to a lighted
evening I drove into the city of a millennium Cuttack. Tired in the previous
week in chrome valley, Sukinda, in the capacity of a senior Obstetrician, I
felt lifeless as I reached home. Angel our pet rushed forward, climbed on me
demanding to be petted, I pushed myself inside the bathroom wrapping a
towel around. Reasons were two.
Working in the mines
area I always felt very dusty and dirty at the weekend, wanted to
refresh under heavy shower that is not available in my work place. And the age
didn`t cooperate to control the urge of nature at the end of a long drive.
Stop Angel I commanded and bolted
from inside.
Shower gel, shampoo and the conditioner, I
confused to select, wet under a cooling shower. Without the glasses it was not
possible to read the print so tiny, a problem of last more than half a decade.
Increasingly I remembered things by shape that was quite helpful until recently
but within a year this method failed as well. No! No! I tried to be confident,
refused to bring the glasses. One that I used in abundance presuming it to be
shampoo was actually the conditioner. It made me messier. I refused to correct
the wrong and instead went on pouring more water to get rid of the sticky feel.
Angel was still demanding my attention
with her typical sound, ‘kuun kuun’.
Finally when I wanted the correct item,
once again I got confused and gave up with the fear to repeat the mistake, age
deceived me, and age made me adamant not to bring the glasses. I was mopping myself
again and again to feel better.
"Dry dresses would help me
feel better, I mumbled as I picked up the appropriate pair.for my next
engagement, to attend the Sradhanjali of my demised professor
'Krishna sir' at Ram Mandir in the capital city Bhubaneswar.
Srikant`s father was the physics teacher of repute. Many friends were
expected there.
“Sarita must be coming soon. She may
love to give company; she always spoke so high about her teacher during
our Intermediate Science, three decades back.
As Sarita returned
after day's heavy work, in the outpatient department,
she looked drained, rather like a piece of squeezed sugar cane.
She hided her struggle and rendered a smile to her well freshen husband.
The pain of her smile was transmitted to me.
She could not resist and soon
was inside the bathroom. I laughed and mocked at her age and that of mine too.
“When did you come dear, what should you
like to take with coffee? This reminded me the absence of my mother for last
fortnight or so, she had gone to our native village.
“These
women are more motherly than wife, with this tiredness if she can prepare food
then why shouldn't she hug me!”But I dared not to do that as even the tenderest
touch at this moment may be nothing but domestic violence. Let her do the way
she wanted. He cursed the medical department that made the condition of Sarita
so pitiable; although he realized it to be overreaction and went to the kitchen
to make her man`s presence felt at the weekend. No helping hand was solicited.
As we finished the coffee with some handmade
biscuits I reminded the invitation of Srikant neither as a suggestion to give
company nor as a denial. I rather could not decide which would be a better
option for her.
‘Please return early’, she commanded
ending any further scope of discussion.
A mixed feeling for our teacher, my
friend losing his father, chance to see so many friends but nothing disturbed
me more than Sarita’s condition, I forgot my own tiredness as I covered the
entire distance unmindfully, from one of the twin cities to another with flight
of many thoughts. That of course helped me not to doze.
I became conscious at the
disarrayed traffic of the squire at the entrance of the other city, the squire
that came before Vanivihar.
Why should it be called a squire when five
roads connect the point? From Cuttack, towards Vanivihar, towards Mancheswar,
towards Puri, and towards GGP colony, a real pentagon but what was the name?
Again my memory failed. I tried a lot to remember, but in vain. I followed
many in the wrong route to avoid the long queue of vehicles in front. I
cursed the never ending construction work of the flyover. Traffic
police became dutiful just at my vehicle. To return back there was very
difficult for my driving skill, lucky I had the smallest car. Difficult to
disaster, the pentagon took too much time.
At Ram Mandir it was quarter to
nine o clock. Was I late, no parking place left in the front? At some
distance on the side road I parked my grayish black car, the matching darkness
absorbed it. Had it been a Jaguar or an Audi, definitely I could have found
a parking on the front, I found me smiling again. Several branded cars acknowledged
my feeling with their shiny reflection. A young middle aged man
addressed him, “Rabi-bhai pranam.” I strained in vain but
was not sure who the man was, however started familiar conversation only to
discover him to be ten years younger. If this man looked so aged then I must be
an old man by now. I felt another jolt; yeah, gray haired people like me are
old only. I tried to gossip forcefully to mask my need to address him by name
and consoled himself; this man after some years would forget names
in similar way, names of persons and squires.
Professor Krishna was looking fresh and
blessing his students whoever enters through the gate below his photograph.
Srikant seemed to be a mourning shadow of the great man. Arrival of
friends gave him comfort that was artfully revealed with a tinge of
tragedy. “Where is Sarita? Why are you so late?”
“You know she had outdoor duty today
followed by on call emergency, it was not possible”, true but half only, I
sensed inside. “I got late at the pentagon’s heavy traffic, I mean the one
where five roads meet. At the entrance of Bhubaneswar, I am not getting the
name….” Before the conversation was over Srikant had to attend another set
of guests. A friend Dipu, now a secretary to government of Odisha, seen after
long days dragged me inside. He too could not recollect the name of pentagon,
when asked suddenly.
Some first or second degree relations were
moving with shaved heads as per ritual. There must be Shreshant,
the younger brother of Srikant present somewhere.
Sanjit the chairman of Ajanta group with
Mahadev the leading surgeon entered the place exchanging complimentary words
with us. I felt, Srikant really didn`t mean that he was late, rather local
friends started coming now. Dipu confirmed it as he was the first to arrive.
Who was this fatty man
with shaved head, whom Sanjit conversed with overwhelming familiarity and
pleased with a very warm hand shake? I asked Dipu, that the later told to be
Shrishant. How could that lanky thin boy be such plumpy! Time made wonder,
which else would be so familiar to Sanjit! I went forward to greet the man, did
shake his hand but refrained to address him as Shrishant, some disbelief was
still inside. These were the new methods he applied for some months, after I
accepted that my memory turned unfaithful. The man stared at me, as a stranger.
Real Shrishant came near and wished his brother's friends. There was no
remarkable change in Shrishant,s appearance.
Mahadev and Sanjit reasoned their delay
and told why they should not be detained for much time. They lead all of them
to the place where Professor Krishna`s garlanded photograph was placed on a
well decorated platform. All of them paid floral tributes to their teacher whom
they owed the fundamentals of Physics. They picked up the booklets published in
his memory.
Soon they were in the dining hall when Jayshree and her husband
Jayprakash arrived and were exchanging wishes. The couple always made any group
livelier. Sanjit and Mahadev discussed all the progress so far for
the upcoming get together of their intermediate batch
at ‘Gopalpur on the sea’. As organizers they pressed all
to pursue other friends anywhere in their knowledge to come to
the occasion. They were visibly concerned about the event. Parshuram entered,
this very shy boy of one time started talking. He being so fluent was amazing
and unbelievable, may be his profession as director of rural
livelihood, developed his oratory skill to this level. He went on
lecturing the socio-economical difficulties that the rural people were still
facing, seven decades after independence.
He
was told not to miss this Get together like he did in the previous
occasion.
He answered in affirmative but no one
believed it.
Soon a woman
with aristocratic attire, looking like an old woman of a very noble
family came smiling. No one recognized her, might be a stranger. She
looked like a retired professor desperately wanted to hide her age and was with
adequate make up defying the essence of the occasion. The way she came closer
justified she deserved a salute, as they presumed her to be
a colleague of late professor Krishna. She went still closer to Parshuram
and asked him, why at all he didn't take care of his look and looked so aged in
comparison to his other friends. Parshuram took it with a pinch of salt. He
might have upgraded himself to a great speaker but he never felt his look would
matter.
“Oh
yes madam, one should be very presentable at least at this age of approaching
fifty replied Parshuram. We also educate the rural folks in our training how to
take care of their descent look, comfortable, hygienic, and fairly
presentable. Your suggestion is most welcome; I shall implement this not only
within me but also in the society that I control within my capacity of the
director rural livelihood. But madam we shall be pleased to know your
introduction!”
This made the lady frown in disbelief.
Was she really looking so young that others were at difficulties to remember
her!
“If I am not wrong you are Parshuram,
Dipu, Jayshree, Sanjit, Mahadev, and Rabi.”
Parshuram didn`t give up, his profession
didn`t allows him to keep quiet. “Oh that is great, our teachers
remembered us by name for ever, and we feel ashamed of our memory seeing old
teachers remembering our name! Madam! I am extremely sorry I still do not
remember you. Honesty is the best policy, so I may please know madam which subject
were you teaching?
The lady`s condition
seemed as if she fell from a height on muddy soil that splashed some mud on her
own ‘well made up’ face.
Srikant reached there and without
knowing anything addressed the lady, “Sanjana why did you come so late? With
whom did you come? I shall see you return early.”
There seemed all sound
died a momentary death, they could not recognize their time college queen, such
a nice friend like Sanjana, who for some reason or other remained a spinster,
which never decreased her moral to present herself most perfectly. Sometimes
some perfection made somebody a disguise in somebody`s own physical body as
that too succumbed to age as did the eyes and over talkative mind of the rural
livelihood director.
All felt discomfort to a degree that
dispersed all of them to take the dinner quickly and return to their places.
Soon they were mixing with other people present there.
As I finished my
dinner Satyabrata arrived and talked with everyone one by one. His driver didn't
report, he came from Cuttack by public transport. He further explained his
incapability to drive comfortably in the night.
I was sure; the time never spared anyone
and smiled again remembering the bathroom incident, unlike Satya I could
drive in the night, felt elevated. I made my feeling prominent, as I offered
Satya a ride back to Cuttack at the cost of being delayed.
Satya finished his
dinner in lightening speed as the gentleman knew I was being delayed.
Where were Sanjit and
Mahadev we must return after telling them? We searched everywhere till somebody
informed their departure twenty minutes back. I and Dipu remarked, how funny it
was to search friends to make a courtesy goodbye who liked to leave
without their knowledge. Srikant intervened, there was an urgent call for
Mahadev and Sanjit had to drop him in his hospital to report immediately.
This made them happy to know an
explanation.
As we came out, Jayshree started
gossiping with the late comer Satya. It went on; she even invited both of us to
have a cup of tea in their house not too far, to avoid sleepy driving on my
part.
Motherly concern always dominated a
woman's behaviour. Sarita's memory flashed. She told me to return early.
I didn't receive her call that came by a mere coincidence; I should
call her back just after I start to return.
Now it was Satya`s
turn, he went on talking, as if he wanted to undo his lost gossip arriving
late.
Many things he was
repeating again and again. He was rather forgetting. He went on repeating that
he purchased the house of his reputed father-in-law so that his other children
did not feel, he was favoured. It was amusing to get the same information
several times; as if every repetition should force us to gossip the
same with public directly or through social media that it was not a gift
but outright purchase. I knew it before and also had faith on the honesty of my
friend for years. Why then this insecurity! Was it dementia at its milder form
that was now controlling all of them?
Let
me call it ‘soft dementia’.
He talked many things that his mother is
forgetting to close the water tap very often. Mother is still very much
concerned about the items he should take in each meal even if she herself can’t
cook, and Satya`s wife worked in a different state. Satya alone cooked his own
food and took care of his mother, the same mother who demanded what his son
should eat daily, and the mother who forgot to close the water line.
I didn't feel it right to ask
this friend to come to the planned get together even if the topic was
discussed.
As they crossed the pentagon I smiled
once again. I still could not remember the name. I believed soon I would
remember, so needed no help from Satya. Suddenly I wanted to test Satya`s
memory who complained his mother is falling short of memory.
Ha ha ha, he too failed.
As Satya went out of the car at his
famous house he once again told, he purchased this house and was not gifted.
Yes it was true I assured him, I believed it. I knew it was not his problem
only; I myself must be as funny at times. as my same aged friends who denied to
be catching the difficult age with grace.
As I reached home suddenly the name of
pentagon came to my mind. I was seen telling rather memorizing.
Sarita! Rasulgarh is a
pentagon not a squire.
Coming so late talking what out of sense, she complained. Why at all I
did not take her to the favourite teacher`s Sradhanjali was her second
complain.
 |
| Time waits none. |
But you told me at the beginning to
return early! What did it mean? Was it not enough to think she was not going?
She denied telling like that. I was confused again; I was not very sure whose
version was correct!
As I repeated the rhyme, “Rasulgarh
is not a squire it is a pentagon only", I found she
served in two plates. "I know darl you waited to dine with me but........
The Evening That
Was.
At the turn of the
twilight to lighted evening, Ramesh drove into the city of a millennium. Tired in
the previous week in chrome valley in the capacity of a senior
mining engineer, he felt lifeless as he reached home. Angel his pet rushed forward, climbed on him demanding to be petted, he pushed himself inside
the bathroom wrapping a towel around. Reasons were two.
Neither his air conditioned office nor the improvised dust free mining technology help him not to feel
very dusty and dirty at the weekend, wanted to refresh under
heavy shower. And his age didn`t cooperate to control the urge of nature at
the end of a long drive.
Stop Angel he commanded the pet and bolted from inside.
Shower gel,
shampoo and the conditioner, confused to select, wet under a cooling
shower. Without the glasses how to read the print so tiny, a
problem of last more than half a decade. He increasingly remembered things by
shape that was quite helpful until recently but within a year this method failed as well. No! No! He tried to be confident,
refused to bring the glasses. One that he used in abundance
presuming it to be shampoo was the conditioner that made him more messy.He refused to correct the wrong and went on pouring more water to get
rid of the sticky feel.
Angel was still demanding his master's attention with her typical kuun kuun.
Finally when he wanted the correct item, once
again he got confused and gave up with the fear to repeat the mistake, age deceived him. He mopped himself with the towel
again and again.
" Dry dresses would help me feel better.” he mumbled as he picked up the appropriate pair.for his next engagement to attend the Sradhanjali of his demised professor 'Krishna sir' at Ram Mandir in
the capital. Srikant`s father was the physics teacher of repute. Many friends
were expected there.
“Ranee must be coming soon. She may love
to give company; she always spoke so high about her teacher during their Intermediate Science, three decades back.
As Ranee returned after day's heavy work in the outpatient department, she looked drained, rather like a piece of squeezed sugar cane. She hided her struggle and rendered a smile to his well freshed husband. The pain of her smile was transmitted to Ramesh.
She could not resist and soon was inside the bathroom. He mocked at her age and his too.
When did you come
dear, what should you like to take with coffee? This reminded him the absence
of his mother for last fortnight or so.
“These women are more motherly than wife, with this tiredness if she
can prepare food then why shouldn't she hug him!”But he dared not
to do that as even the tenderest touch at this moment may be
nothing but domestic violence. Let her do the way she wanted. He cursed the medical department that made the condition of Ranee so pitiable; although he realized it to be overreaction and went to the kitchen to make her man`s presence felt at the weekend. No helping hand was
required.
As they finished
the coffee with some hand made biscuits Ramesh reminded the invitation of
Srikant neither as a suggestion to give company nor as a denial. He rather
could not decide which would be a better option for her. No further discussion
was required as she told him to return early.
A mixed feeling for their teacher, his friend losing a father, chance to see so
many friends but nothing disturbed him more than Ranee`s condition, he forgot his
own tiredness as he covered the entire distance unmindfully with flight of
many thoughts. That of course helped him not to doze.
He became conscious at
the disarrayed traffic of the squire at the entrance of the city, the one comes before
Vanivihar.
Why should it be
called a squire when five roads connect the point. From
Cuttack, towards Vanivihar, towards Mancheswar, towards Puri, and towards GGP
colony, a real pentagon but what was the name? Again his memory failed. He
tried a lot to remember in vain. He
followed many in the wrong route to avoid the long queue of vehicles in front. He cursed the never ending construction of the flyover. Traffic police became dutiful just at his vehicle. To return back there was very difficult for his driving skill, lucky he had the smallest car. Difficult to disaster, the pentagon took too much time.
At Ram Mandir it
was quarter to nine o clock. Was he late, no
parking place left in the front? At some distance on the side road he parked
his grayish black car, the matching darkness absorbed it. Had it been a Jaguar definitely he could have found a parking on the front, he smiled again. Several branded cars
acknowledged his feeling with their shiny reflection. A young middle aged man
addressed him, “Rameshbhai pranam.” He was not
sure who the man was but started familiar conversation only to discover him to
be ten years younger. If this man looked so aged then he himself must be an old
man by now. He felt another jolt; yeah, gray haired people like him are old
only. He tried to gossip forcefully to mask his need to address him by name and consoled himself; this man after some
years would forget names in similar way.
Professor Krishna was looking fresh
and blessing his students whoever enters through the gate below his photograph. Srikant seemed to be a
mourning shadow of the great man. Arrival of friends gave him comfort that was
artfully revealed with a tinge of tragedy. “Where is Ranee? Why are you so late?”
“You know she had out door duty today followed by on
call emergency, it was not possible”, true
but half only, he sensed inside. “I got late at the pentagon`s heavy
traffic, I mean the one where five roads meet. at the entrance of Bhubaneswar, I
am not getting the name….” Before the conversation was over
Srikant had to attend another set of guests. A friend Dipu, now a secretary
to government of Odisha, seen after long days dragged him inside. He too could
not recollect the name of pentagon, when asked suddenly.
Some first or second
degree relations were moving with shaved heads as per ritual. There must be Shreshant, the younger brother of Srikant
present somewhere.
Sanjit the chairman
of Ajanta group with Mahadev the leading surgeon entered the place exchanging complimentary words with Ramesh and Dipu. So Ramesh felt, Srikant
really didn`t mean that he was late, rather local friends started to come now.
Dipu confirmed it as he was the first to arrive.
Who was this fatty
man with shaved head, whom Sanjit conversed with overwhelming familiarity and
pleased with a very warm hand shake? Ramesh asked Dipu, that the later told to
be Shrishant. How could that lanky thin boy be such plumpy! Time made wonder, which
else would be so familiar to Sanjit! Ramesh went forward to greet the man, did
shake his hand but refrained to address him as Shrishant, some disbelief was
still inside. These were the new methods he applied for some months, after
he accepted that his memory turned unfaithful. The man stared at
Ramesh as a stranger. Real Shrishant came near and wished his brother's friends. There was not any remarkable changes in Shrishant.
Mahadev and Sanjit reasoned their delay and told why they should not be
detained for much time. They lead all of them to the place where Professor
Krishna`s garlanded photograph was placed on a well decorated platform. All of
them paid floral tributes to their teacher whom they owed the fundamentals
of Physics. They picked up the booklets published in his memory.
Soon they were in the dining hall when Jayshree and her husband Jayprakash
arrived and were exchanging wishes. The couple always made any group livelier. Sanjit
and Mahadev discussed all the progress so far for the upcoming get together of
their intermediate batch at Gopalpur on the sea. As organizers they pressed all
to pursue other friends anywhere in their knowledge to come to the occasion.
They were visibly concerned about the event. Parshuram
entered, this very shy boy at one time started talking. It was amazing for all
to see the man completely changed, may be his profession as director of rural livelihood,
developed his oratory skill to this level. He went on lecturing the
socio-economical difficulties that the rural people were still facing, seven
decades after independence. He was told not to miss this Get together like he
did in the previous occasion.
He answered in
affirmative but no one believed it.
Soon a woman with aristocratic attire, looking like an old woman of a very noble family came
smiling. No one recognized her, might be a stranger. She looked like a retired
professor desperately wanted to hide her age and was with adequate make up
defying the essence of the occasion. The way she came closer justified she
deserved a salute, as they presumed her to be a colleague of late professor Krishna.
She went still closer to Parshuram and asked him why at all he didn't take care of his look and looked so aged in comparison to his other friends.
Parshuram took it with a pinch of salt. He might have upgraded himself to a
great speaker but he never felt his look would matter.
“Oh yes madam, one should be very presentable at least at this age
of approaching fifty replied Parshuram. We also educate the rural folks in our
training how to take care of their descent look, comfortable, hygienic, and
fairly presentable. Your suggestion is most welcome, I shall implement this not only within me but also in the society that I control within my capacity of the
director rural livelihood. But madam we shall be pleased to know your
introduction!”
This made the lady
frown in disbelief. Was she really
looking so young that others were at difficulties to remember her!
“If I am not wrong you are Parshuram, Dipu, Jayshree, Sanjit,
Mahadev, and Ramesh.”
Parshuram didn`t
give up, his profession didn`t allows him to keep quiet. “Oh that is
great, our teachers remembered us by name for ever, and we feel ashamed of our
memory seeing old teachers remembering our name! Madam! I am extremely sorry I
still do not remember you. Honesty is the best policy, so I may please know madam
which subject were you teaching?
The lady`s
condition seemed as if she felled from a height on muddy soil that splashed
some mud on her own face.
Srikant reached
there and without knowing anything addressed the lady, “Sanjana why
did you come so late? With whom did you come? I shall see you return early.”
There seemed all
sound died a momentary death, they could not recognize the college queen, such
a nice friend like Sanjana, who for some reason or other remained a spinster,
which never decreased her moral to present herself most perfectly. Sometimes
some perfection made somebody a disguise in somebody`s own physical body as
that too succumbed to age as did the eyes and over talkative mind of the rural livelihood
director.
All felt
discomfort to a degree that dispersed all of them to take the dinner quickly
and return to their places. Soon they were mixing with other people present there.
As Ramesh finished
his dinner Satyabrata arrived and talked with everyone one by one. His driver didn't report, he came from Cuttack by public
transport. He further explained his incapability to drive comfortably in the
night.
Ramesh was sure
the time never spared anyone and smiled again remembering the bathroom incident,
unlike Satya he could drive in the night, felt elevated. His feeling got prominence as he
offered Satya a ride back to Cuttack at the cost of being delayed.
Satya finished his
dinner in lightening speed as the gentleman knew Ramesh was waiting.
Where were Sanjit
and Mahadev they must return after telling them? They searched everywhere till
somebody informed their departure twenty minutes back. Ramesh and Dipu remarked, how funny it was to search friends to make a courtesy goodbye who
liked to leave without their knowledge. Srikant intervened, there was an urgent
call for Mahadev and Sanjit had to drop him in his hospital to report immediately.
This made them happy again.
As they came out Jayshree
started gossiping with the late comer Satya. It went on; she even invited both
of them to have a cup of tea in their house not too far, to avoid Ramesh driving sleepy.
Motherly concern always predominated a woman's behaviour. Ranee's memory flashed. She told him to return early. He didn't receive her call that came by a mere coincidence, he should call her back just after starting to return.
Now it was Satya`s
turn, he went on talking, as if he wanted to undo his lost gossip arriving late.
Many things he was
repeating again and again. He was rather forgetting. He
went on reporting that he purchased the house of his reputed father-in-law so
that his other children did not feel, he was favoured. It amused Ramesh to
get the information several times; as if every repetition should force Ramesh
to gossip the same with public directly or through social media that it was not
a gift but outright purchase. Ramesh knew it before and also knew the honesty
of his friend for years. Why then this insecurity! Was it dementia at its
milder form that was now controlling all of them?
He talked many
things and one more thing that his mother was opening the water tap very often
forgetted to close it. Mother is still very much concerned about the items he
should take in each meal even if she herself was not able to cook,
and Satya`s wife worked in a different state. Satya cooked his own food
and took care of his mother alone, the mother who demanded what his son should eat
daily, and the mother who forgot to close the water line.
Ramesh didn't feel
it right to ask this friend to come to the get together even if the topic was
discussed.
As they crossed
the pentagon Ramesh smiled once again. He still could not remember the name. He
believed soon he would remember so needed no help from Satya. Suddenly he
wanted to test Satya`s memory who complained his mother is falling short of
memory.
Ha ha ha, he too
failed.
As Satya went out
of the car at his famous house he once again told, he purchased this house not
gifted. Yes it was true Ramesh assured him, he believed it. Ramesh knew it was
not his problem only; he himself must be as funny at times.as his same aged friends who
denied to be catching the difficult age with grace.
As he reached home
suddenly the name of pentagon came to his mind. He was seen telling rather memorising.
Ranee! Rasulgarh
is a pentagon not squire.
Coming so late
talking what out of sense, she complained.
Why at all he did not take her to the favourite teacher`s Sradhanjali
was his second complain.
But Ranee told him at
the beginning to return early! What did it mean? Was it not enough to think she
was not going? She denied telling like that. Ramesh was confused again, he was
not very sure whose version was correct!
As he repeated the rhyme, “Rasulgarh is not a squire it is a pentagon
only", he found Ranee served in two plates. "I know darl you waited to dine with me but........
