Siuri and Sharat

My grandfather and grandma are the best in the world.

They understand each and every unorthodox mentality of a young man which seems ludicrous and intangible to all other adults. I adore them and share with them everything from Madly bangali to Roman holiday ,from sarat chandra to j.k rowling , from the naxalite movement to the recent gay fiasco. I have never seen a more romantic and adventurous doctor other than Dadu.Typing this article, sitting in front of my lappy, on the sands of Mayurakshi I somehow feel that the present generation ‘X’ somehow fades to the grandeur of the youth of 50s and 60s.

Yesterday was a notable day in my life, I had a 3 hour long conversation with my grandparents about their lives . I also read a sarat chandra classic “Anupama r Prem”.

The ‘ Saontals’ are jumping from the bank into the clear water. I had heard that any kind of dust or sand is injurious to laptop s health. But I cant compromise this unique picturesque .Sorry dad.

Many of my friends have commented that they have never visited a village. “GRAM”!! along with the “Nak unchu” phenomenon. Well from distant childhood I have been an urban Saontal and loved the days I have spent in suri. I have fallen in love with Mayurakshi since my toddling times and still feel that now and then it attracts me like a seductive magnet. I have first learnt swimming with a “kolshi” in mayurakshi and the club s pool in durgapur is no match to it. I have sat cursing life,along it s bank when I have screwed up in life and felt as if the water was making a synonymous sound of grief. Suri has been my best friend whenever I have felt alone.

Anupama was a novel –philic ,impractical idiot. She imagined and created a lover of her own in Suresh never willing to ask what he felt about her. And Suresh was the REAL LIFE NERD , the B.A degree wallah Mazumdar who seemed to have a grudge on having his wife living in the next street.

( I have an inkling that even in those days educated indian youth had a weakness for GORAA CHAMRE WALI TOTAS, that’s why he wanted to cross KALAPANI so eagerly. :D )

And then came Lalit Mohan , the drunkard who had an eternal love for anupama. He was jailed ,he lost his self respect but was always in time when he had to save Anu from drowning. :D

Suresh fled on the day of his marriage , anu had to marry a 50 year old man who died after 3 years.

Anu was on verge of commiting her last suicide realising that Lalit was the only one who had ever loved her when Lalit made another miraculous life-saving act. The story ends with the most elegantly poised dialogue of the whole story.

Anu: ” why did you save my life ?“

Sarat chandra could have easily dethroned all the Chetan bhagats and the salman rushdie s had he been born in our era and written in english.

The best part of the story is the excerpts depicting the suicidal addiction of anu. She wanted to end her life innumerable times drowning in the pond but Alas ! what a pity that she knew swimming.

Enough of writing. I have brought my towel and its getting rainy. The clear water of Mayurakshi is waiting for me and so are my friends “LALU, NONTE , KEBOLRAM ,SADAI AND ATANU”.These scroundrels never seem to grow up!

Signing off.

Mayurakshi, here I come…..!