View point

(continued from the previous post dated 11th Jan '06)
It was like sailing in calm, placid waters. and enjoying the
view from time to time from all sides of our lives.


kband - Thanks for replying promptly to all my mails. In fact
i am beginning to feel guilty that i have not been able to 'flood'
u with mails as i had seriously intended to. maybe the
prolonged dry spell in the country cud hv somethin to do
with the restricted flow of thoughts! come to think of it some
other barriers like poor accessibility of the net, takin my
daughter for swimming classes and frequent sojourns to
various markets, also have contributed to the lack of outlets.
so after the image makeover as the beautiful mehndi-adorned
bahu, now comes the naya ghar ! wah> badiya hai!! things
seem to be really happening at ur end. it sure feels nice that
u have exciting times ahead of u and i would love to know
every bit of detail when u have settled down.
u r rite, macher jhol is a common feature in bengali meals
but i have no great fascination for such delicacies. in fact i'm
not much of a foodie in that sense, and i hv upset lots of
people for this shortcoming. particularly my in-laws, with
whom i'm staying at the moment, do wring their hands in
despair when they find their jamai-raja not able to stuff
himself to their heart's content:-)
a couple of interesting things in this week. firstly, a
steamer-ride on the hooghly river accompanied by live band.
the experience was heavenly, with the soothing breeze, the
exquisite moonlit-setting, illuminated bridges.....wished that
the journey would never end. the other one was more
down-to-earth - a meeting with a person whom i had been
acquainted with on the net! u never know what to expect
when the horizons of the real and virtual world meet. i'll
share with u this experience when i have overcome the awe
and come to terms with it. till then, all the best and bye.



ena - its a pleasure receiving ur mails n replying to them.
though i m not a mail person but here i seem to be enjoying
it. n whats more i dont plan or think abt what i have to say i
just start at whatever comes to my mind.
ummmmmm i can just imagine that steamer ride. must be
some experience. a clear night on water n music. what a
combination yaar. i envy u. so u dont like macher jhol..thats a
shame. not even a foodie. even more so. u sure u a bong? i
doubt.he he he
how old is ur daughter? learning swimming. n i at this old
age dunno how to. whats her name?n whats wife's name? if i
may ask. i rem asking these questions before but u never ans'd.
m going to a new house of course but had to leave my job. as
that school was too far from this house. hmm.everything comes
with a price yaar. n i get depressed with changes. i get attached
to things.
i m sure that person from virtual world is in fact a female. n u
liked her to the extent that u trusted her enough to meet her.
hmmmm must be some femme fatale. and i can sniff the word
u wud liketo use for her.......awesome. hai na? tell me abt her.
again if i may ask. at darjeeling lollipops were called yoyos.
n those tea gardens. i feel like i can wander in them forever. i
just love greenery. n hills n the freedom to wander wherever
one wants to. i wish some day i will get the chance to wander
at such a place alone. without the fear of being harrased. or
the darkness or any such thing. sigh....whats ur utopia? i m
fond of victorian settings. the classics. the mannerism. my fav
tv channel was TNT. those old english movies. in which
romance meant smiling at the person u love. n kissing meant
just kissing ..n not the lead to sex. n holding hands was
something very intimate. i havent seen it for quite some time.
they dont show it here.
enough for today. will wait eagerly for ur reply. have fun n
dont forget ur frens. really curious abt ur net fren. i never met
any of mine. do tell me abt the experience. bye.



kband - hi, it was sad to know abt ur leaving the school job. more
so, as it seemed to have provided a outlet for ur positive
energies. get back ur moorings n then look for something
similar in the neighborhood. dont just sit idle at home, u gottta
find some time for urself. i know its easier said than done, but
be firm in ur resolve and things are bound to fall in line.
i'm gettin used to the natural flow of ur thoughts so pls dont
curb them or get restrained by what u think abt me. its
somewhat akin to discovering the inner meaning of a complex
painting, amidst its various shades, colours, strokes n forms.
so make the best use of this canvas to portray ur feelings in an
unbridled manner and leave the rest to my discerning senses !:-)
utopia is an illusion but so's almost everythin on the net. i'd
love to take u on a tour around my weird world so fasten ur
seatbelt and wait for me........



ena - u r right in guessing that i m busy settling down in new
home. but not overdoing it. basically i m a lazy person. n do
only whats necessary to survive. n i m looking for a new job.
hope i will get one otherwise will go nuts at home yaar. hmm
so u missed me at chat rooms. thats nice to know but u havent
mentioned what u promised u will in ur next mail -ur encounter
with the virtual...turned reality. plz tell me.
thanx for allowing me to be just myself .as if i was going be
otherwise.:-)) what i m worried abt it what will happen when
this flow of thought will start receding.
one more thing. u give me a complex. u have infact. ur english
is so fluent...so poetic that i had to ask a friend of mine as to
how can i improve my vocab. everytime i read ur mails i feel
like i m gliding on words. soo unlike me. i m so childish. i feel
so gauch compared to u. but one thing abt u which i dont like.
u make promises n dont fulfil them. not good at all. a man shud
be true to his words.u said ask me n i will ans so i asked. but no
ans till now.
my room has a view of a window. probably neighbours
bedroom. n they keep it closed all the time. so cant even peep.
talking abt kanchenjanga...........i have seen the sunrise...the
snow covered peaks change colours. red to orange to golden
yellow n then lemon n then white again. will i ever forget the
scene. hey we share a view. how does that feel? feeling
kinhood? i too want a room with a glass panel with a view
but the view will be of mountains. n kanchanjengha.
rest in next. till then, bye.


(to be continued)

Slam Dunk

(continued from previous post dated 5th Jan '06)
Often I indulge in kind of pranks which later seem so ill-
conceived and totally unnecessary...like doing a slamdunk,
for instance. It puts off people totally, I know....like the nick I
adopted and tried to show a bit of attitude with her.


kband - Sorry about today. Just trying to be different in my
own way n if u got offended inadvertently, i apologise. Shall
try to make up somehow later. One thing u may have
realised is that i've got a peculiar sense of humour which is
sometimes very difficult for people to fathom, let alone
strangers. So pls be a bit patient with me that's all I ask (in
case u feel like). Otherwise I simply can't come out of this
shell n be totally useless n unpalatable. I know I demand a
lot but something tells me u got lotsa softness for poor souls,
so...:-)) Bye



ena - i must admit that i was really upset for a while. my eyes
were moist . but after some time when i was able to take the
shock i had a hearty laugh.what i m afraid of is distrust n being
cheated.and in ur case i found both at the same time. i know u
dont trust me at present. n today u cheated in a way. but its ok
yaar. but u were really awful as slam. hated that person. dont
be that plz. u will only scare me away.



kband - Though couldn't get ur company for long but the short
session was refreshing enough at the end of the day. We're going
to Calcutta tomorrow and will be back on the 29th. Won't be able
to come online but shall try to mail you somehow just to be in
touch.
Ok i'm not like slamy, but there's some resemblance i admit:-)
Anyway, how does that matter as long as we try to u'stand each
other better and develop sound trust. Have a roaring time during
the marriage, dont just work hard, dance enjoy have fun. When
classes will start again its back to routine life. Write me a line
if and when u get time.



ena - so u r on vacations too, haan?who is there? ur family?
u say that u r a lil like slam? in what way? n why r u acting in
such a suspicious manner? kuch saaf saaf batate kyon nahi ho
apne baare main?



kband - hey, maine to sab bataya jo aapney poochcha. baki to
uparwallah hi jaane :-) i'm a married man B, there are always
some qualms arising out of a traditional mindest, one cant just
wish them away. the veil of 'secrecy' is not a deliberate attempt
to cheat u, its just that the layers take time to peel off - thats all
the glorious philosophy i have time for till i meet u again.
but let me assure u, i'm not leaving this nascent association coz
i have already high stakes built in it:-) catch you then, goodbye.



ena - hmmmmm. baat to sahi hai ki tumne vo sab bataya jo
maine poocha. so that means ki aur janna hai to aur poochna
padega, hai na? but i wont. i will only wait for u to come out
of the depths where u have hidden urself. meanwhile i'm
enjoying the marriage as per his highness' instructions. kal
dono haathon main mehendi lagayee. n wearing those
bright coloured sarees. n got a compliment that i m looking
like a bahoo!
i visited kolkata when i was 10 years old. that means 22 years
ago. it must have changed a lot since then. it was my first ever
visit to anywhere. n as children do at that age, i gaped at
everything. the trams, planes, ghodagadi, victoria memorial,
the gorgeous dresses of british royalty. eden gardens n sooooo
many ppl. but yaar pyase mar gaye the tumhare kolkata main.
peene ko pani nahi mila. i just couldnt drink the tasteless salty
water which was available. so my baba tells me that i refused
to drink water at all n he hadto bye me lemonade all the time.
in my next mail i will tell u abt darjeeling. thats the farthest i
have ever been to.
hey one more thing....n plz dontmind.....kolkata stinks yaar.
but i loved the muglai paratha. yummy. i can still recall the
taste n my mouth starts watering:). bye now.



kband - ya u're right, calcutta does have its fair share of
potholes, obnoxious work environs, grimy climate n
argumentative people. it has lost most of its british raj
glamour and survives mostly by clinging on to its rich
heritage. take my example, i had to literally sweat it out
in sweltering conditions to search for a cyber cafe! the roads
seem to be dotted only with a variety of food joints as if all
that matters is delighting urself in the gastronomical way. no
wonder ur best memories of the place remain of the lip-
smackin mughlai parathas :-) though i may be biased coz as
they say the heart gets rooted to ur home, yet i can say that
calcutta has got a spirit which is entirely different from any
other place (and i've been to a lot many in India). if u spend
an extended period of time in calcutta, u cannot but help in
developing a soft corner for the place as u would then have
scratched far below the surface and found the elixir gushing
with sponatenity, with warmth, with compassion! and u cant
but help in developing an endearing attitude towards calcutta
despite all its glaring shortcomings. i know this for certain, i've
heard numerous people saying this.
ur darjeeling experience would be great to hear, as i've been
there several times myself (we used to live in a place called
siliguri then). so the 'bahu' has become the cynosure of all eyes
now huh, u must be revelling at all the attention in the marrige
ceremony ! am sure the actual 'his highness' is grinning and
bearing it :-))
more in my next, bye.



ena - m going to shift to a new house on 15th so i wont be
available on net for some time. i hope u r enjoying ur
vacations. having lots or macher jhol with bhat, haan? which is
ur fav? ilish or rohu? i too m fond of fish cooked in curd sauce.
but i have tasted only the fresh water variety. during our stay
at darjeeling we had as usual non veg n veg ....2 types of menu.
n for non vegs...it was always fish. sowe had fish for 8 days
morn n night. n got sick of it. but u know...the veg were in much
more dilemma. the dish they got was egg. which was considered
as vegetarian. poor souls. n the tea...ah...they sweetened it with
jaggery. n we were not used to the taste but had to cope
somehow to fight the chill. i cant forget those kulhad's of tea
sweetened with jaggery. n i know siliguri yaar. its siliguri then
jalpaiguri n then newjalpaiguri n then darjeeling...right? on that
toytrain. hey were u there at that time abt 22 yearsback? just think
u must be wandering there somewhere in shorts. n me in frock:-)
some thought. rest in next. bye,till we meet again. n dont forget to
send mails. u told me that u r gonna flood my mailbox with ur
mails. n tell me abt ur travel experiences.


(to be continued)

Lull after the Storm

My first encounter in cyber space was aborted by destiny; I came
out immensely richer by the experience and while picking up the
pieces, was stupefied by the impact it had on my life. For one,
realisation dawned that there was much more to me than I would
like myself to believe and of course, the net seemed to be a
happening place! I had to get back there to savour its complete
extent but needed to learn from the past : exercise discretion in my
approach, be more flippant and take singular care in avoiding
single women!
So I ventured into the chatrooms. It took me a while to understand
some of the lingo in vogue and during the initial period, spent a
great deal of time in quietly observing the proceedings. It was
exciting and fun to assume different aliases and imaginative
identities for myself while I had amusing conversations with all
and sundry. Then I met "ena", an educator who seemed to be an
interesting person and was kind enough to send me mails.....


kband - am just checking if the line of communication is working
ok. maybe a feedback will be in proper order. at ur convenience
n of course will. u have all the hallmark of a good teacher of
Moral Science:) at this rate all the skeletons will come tumbling
out of my closet, gotta be careful! thank u for ur pleasurable
company today. till we meet again, bye.



ena - hi K, better get used to calling u K. dont wanna make a
blunder again. thanx for ur compliment. ppl often accuse me
that i make them too comfortable. so better keep ur guard up.
n hey why worry abt those skeletons yaar. no one is gonna
touch them if u dont want them disturbed. just relax. hope to
see u soon.



kband - I'm delighted to see your mail and also relieved that
i had registered ur id properly. There was a small mishap
y'day and i thought i should share with u :
There was this guy who was pestering u remember ? you
thanked ur stars that he left without too much of a huff, right?
Now i bumped into him in another room where out of the
blue he called out my name!!!!!! now i had not given my name
to anybody while chatting except you so i was absolutely
zapped! then he asked me what we both had been chatting
about. then i got the connection and asked him to mind his
own business, but he seemed intent on going on using
my name n tryin to make some tamasha. though it doesn't
hurt me in anyway, but i felt a li'l bit uncomfy. so i've
decided to banish my old nick and reincarnate myself in
a new one - hope its ok.
as far as my guard is concerned, i'll be happy if someone
can pull it apart coz i myself get tired of its annoying
presence in my life sometimes :-) look forward, bye



ena - dont worry yaar. it was not a big deal. maybe he
thought that we were having some hot chat in a private
room n thats why he was curious. its really no big deal.
n there aint just one person with your name na. relax. u
r too uptight. relax a bit. loosen a a bit. n enjoy yaar.
sometimes u will find that guy talk is equally interesting.
so tell me abt urself. whats the name of ur wife?n ur lil
darling. does she work too..ur wife? n such minor things.
ok? bye


(to be continued)