Life was dragging on when….
One day when I was standing for the bus (to go to Office) I saw Somnath – after about 2 years or so ! He leisurely asked me my Office Telephone . It was the last week of September,1994.
In the meantime our maid servant (supplied by my sister residing at Tea Gardens) went raving mad ! – She used to be fed by our other maids – she stopped working and used to watch TV only. One day while my parents were watching TV and they were showing Akshaya Kumar – suddenly she said – Oh! Memsahaab – look he is my brother !! – This was getting too much for us now.
Another day she was worshipping the door holder and singing praises to it ! When I asked her what on earth she was doing – She said that the Door Holder is Lord Christ and she is singing carols to Him !!
I used to be very scared of her – since mad people can do anything, anytime without any prior notice. So when I used to come back home from office – I used to be very careful and inquisitive as well – as to what new episode has taken place at home. But my parents were pretty cool about it ! They took it so smoothly in their stride .One day I entered and saw my parents lying on bed and talking leisurely when I asked them about her whereabouts. My father just said cool-ly : she is under the bed !
I bent down and saw her worrying Sheroo (my Alsatian ) – she was pressing his feet and asking for forgiveness – for God only knows what reasons – but even my Sheroo was pretty much patient with her ! Possibly for old times sake – she used to mix his food (milk and bread) for him – so he was standing by her.
My maternal uncle was in the railways so immediately we had to book 3 tickets – one for me, one for maid and one for my Mamaji (maternal Uncle) and equally suddenly I had to go to The Tea Gardens. We had informed my sister so that she keeps a person ready to take her to her home.
Since it was October and Puja time was nearing, I suddenly asked Jain Ji for leave for 7 days as I had to reach the maid home at the Tea gardens. To this he said – there is a proper way of asking for Leave – one just cannot come up in a fine moment and ask for leave for the next 10 days without prior notice/ application etc. Actually I had just got the phone call from my parents that Mamaji (Maternal Uncle) had confirmed tickets for the very next day so we are to leave the next day itself. Now others thought that it was during Pujas so I was going to have a gala time with my sister in Siliguri ! But truth was very different – I was going to get rid of that Mad – cap maid from our house – once and for all !
So I went inside our Boss’s cabin and said : Sir I have to leave my maid servant home as she has gone mad and I must leave tomorrow for 7 days ! To this he was immensely surprised and the 1st thing that he asked was – Oh! God – but are you going alone ?! – Then I told him about the small mercies of God and said that Mamaji is also going – he looked relieved and said – Oh! Sure You may go.(he must have thought how one mad girl will look after the other mad-cap!!!)
I believe as I came out he had burst out laughing and Dilip Da asked me – Pray what have you said inside that Boss cannot stop laughing ? – I told him the story – He also had a good laugh but said that I could have given some other reason why such a silly truth !? – to this I had said – Sorry pal – One lie – and 1000 more lies to cover the one lie – I am not ready for so many lies – and moreover Lord Ramakrishna had said – Truthful people sit on the very lap of Gods…and deep in my heart I had this dream..of sitting on HIS/HER lap.
Anyways , we boarded the train with the mad cap and since Mamaji was in the Railways – we hired the entire Ladies Coupe .
Later we literally had to drag her down the train as she was refusing to get down – since we were near the engine the Signaler waited very patiently for us to complete our Nataka (drama) of pulling her down the Train. Actually Mamaji had spoken to him for a very long time the night before – had offered him cigarettes etc. as we knew very well that the train stops at Dhupguri only for 3 minutes and that would have been too less for us to pull her down.
Anyways , alls well that ends well – my Brother –in-law (Rajada) came to receive us in his car along with a girl who knew her residence route – we all went through the inside alleys of the tea gardens – to the small hut of her parents – she recognized her mother (thank God) and we gave them some Rs. 2000/- or so and bid her good bye !!
Anyways I am diverting from the main Topic – My Professional Life – so after 7 days of spending my time in my sister’s house and came back to Kolkata and rejoined office.
Somnath called me up and said that he wants to meet me. I said – Oh! Sure – ofcourse – do come !
Then I told all my colleagues about my immense happiness and the fact that He – The Chosen One – will visit me . At that point of time a new song had been released sung by Sridevi “ Darvaza khula rakhna mera yaar aa raha hai” (Keep the doors open as my beloved is coming) – and it used to play in every tea stall in Kolkata and I used to blush within thinking how apt the song was for me !
He came and my colleagues bought Thumbs Up for him to welcome him ! I was very happy that day – met him after 2 years ! We both went to Eden Gardens and sat on a bench. I was very amused at heart actually. I personally used to dislike this culture among the Bengalies – sitting hand in hand in a Park – Puke !! But there I was sitting with – the Chosen One !!
In fact many other things were pretty much remarkable about my affair with Somnath. It so happened that when I was in Ambala – One Professor from Yadavpur had visited us along with our other relatives. I was 21 then – so he had asked me what kind of a man would I like to have as a husband. I had categorically said the following :
- He should be a Bengali Brahmin (Somnath was a Mondal not brahmin!)
- He should be tall, fair and handsome (Somnath was Tall but dark and not good looking at all)
- He should be able to speak good English (Somnath could not speak a single , simple sentence in English)
He should be holding a high position / designation in this world ( Well maybe worldly – wise Somanth was not someone holding a high position but from the spiritual world Point of View – He was indeed holding a mighty high position – reincarnation of Lord Ramakrishna (according to my dreams & visions) – so this was his ultimate trump card I suppose – in order to impress me – & impressed I was !)
Just imagine – how soon God had answered my prayers I thought (much like Basanti’s ‘ek hi somvaar main’ in Sholay)– here I finished reading Ramakrishna Kathaamrita and Complete works of Swami Vivekananda and lo behold ! with almost immediate effect I meet his reincarnation – in Hindu religion , its said that Lord Narayan is “Darpa Hari” ( the destroyer of pride) so I thought that maybe I was too proud-y and choosy about my life partner so HE sent for me an absolute opposite of my dream mate !..But then I was in love with his divinity – his spiritual stature more than his looks or smartness !
He came the second day and he happened to meet Singh Ji – a senior officer of the Purchase Department. Actually in the mean time my office had shifted downstairs and I was sitting only with Singh Ji and other Mechanics used to rectify the TV sets. After he left that day – Singh ji asked me with a frown – Who the person was – I told him and frowning further he had said – I have seen a difference of ‘Unnees- Bees’ (19-20) but the difference that you have with him is zero and 20 (0-20!) – How come I had chosen him as my soul mate.
To this I had said – Oh! Forget it – You’ll never understand this – He is of a very divine nature etc. and cut short the conversation – actually I did not like Him being called a zero – so I kind of ignored his remarks…but Singh ji had a different plan……
He came for 2-3 more days – and our schedule was the same go to Eden Gardens – sit hand in hand for 30 mins. – go to KC Das Charted Bus Stop in Dharmatala – Board the bus – go home – so we were together for about 50 mins (bus journey) plus 30 mins and used to bid each other good bye.
Mixed reactions of my colleagues
Chandra Da : no comments/ understanding smile
Khandelwalji : deep sigh/ deep frown / non-approval looks
Titu Da : silent / amazed / raised eyebrows
Jain Ji : no reaction/ smug expression
Shraboni : understanding looks
Suparna : mirth in eyes
Dilip Da : Initially he had made this dialogue “ under hunger pangs, love takes a back seat – love
evaporates”
Later Dilip Da had said : The entire world will be against this decision of yours but anyways , not that I quite approve of this so called ‘love’ of yours but nevertheless you can come to me in case you require some help. Dilip Da was the only one infact who had offered to help at least .
Singh ji informed my parents !!
One morning my Mother called up office and she suddenly asked about how much money is there in my bank ! This came as an alarming question to me – I had given some Rs. 200- 400 to Somnath this time but it could be accounted for (I would have said that I bought a present for my colleague or gave them a treat etc.) but my mother never in the past 11 months ever asked about my bank Account ! Her voice was choked and sounded very profound. I got scared that day. I rang up Somnath and he said that He’ll not come on that day as it was Guru Purnima but added that everything will be alright and said take the name of “Jai Maa”.
I did so like Casablanca – and reached home . My brother had come over from Bangalore so things were under control. My mother went up with us and started to cry. My brother heard the entire story and suggested that I should go to Bangalore with him and that he will get the plane Tickets . So I had only one day left in order to resign, purchase a suitcase, pack my clothes and fly to Bangalore !
I went the next day to Office and resigned. My Boss was surprised but nevertheless accepted the letter as my Mother was seated outside. Singh Ji saw me with my Mother and must be marveling at the speed with which things happened because of him. One good thing that happened was my brother’s presence on the same day as Singh ji reported to my parents ! He had given us a surprise visit ! Thank God – or else, alone I could not have stood the anger / wrath of my parents!!
So folks I flew to Bangalore. November 21st ,1994 , I reached Bangalore. My brother made me join NIIT , Richmond Road. I learnt cooking there as the maids down south are very unpredictable – they join & leave on their own sweet wish. His marriage got fixed with his Punjabi colleague for July next year (2005). I stayed with them for around 8 months.
My brother got married and I was to leave with them and finish my course in NIIT but my parents decided that I should not loiter around with newly wedded couples as it can be problematic as seen in movies. So I joined the NIIT of Salt Lake, Kolkata.
A very Strange dream ..which eventually made me more confident about my dreams & visions !
Very strangely I had a dream in Bangalore that I am heading for NIIT– Richmond Road, but my route has changed and I cannot recognize NIIT.I saw that there are two paths for reaching NIIT—one is via a bridge and the other a plain road. I saw some old people sitting on the road side—asking me to go through the plain road as the bridge is unsafe !
Later when I joined Salt lake NIIT – I realized that it was more or less the same NIIT as I had seen in my dreams in Bangalore !! And in order to reach NIIT from my house, I had this option of getting down at the Lake Town bridge and reach NIIT or go to the Ultadanga crossing and catch an auto to NIIT ! And guess what—the bridge was considered unsafe for girls to walk alone !
In that same dream there was another very strange item. I had seen Shah Rukh Khan sitting with 2 other friends in the reception area. As soon as I got up the stairs—he looked my way with utter fondness in his eyes—kind of ‘eyes full of love or love lorn eyes’ – the way he looks at his heroines basically ! Well—this significance is still a mystery to me—coz’ I never met any Shah Rukh in NIIT !!In fact I often see Shah Rukh in my dreams—he is always trying to please me with doing small favours : like holding the door open for me, quickly vacating the area for me…—and looks my way with utter respect and fondness !!Well folks! honestly I am yet to discover what is the significance of the same !!
– so you see folks my premonitions and dreams have always had a very deep significance and meaning as I never knew at that time that I will change the NIIT centre)
My precious appointment letters: