EACH  DROP  OF TEARS  IS  SURE  TO  TURN  IN  PEARL,

 A SOOTHING   GLORIFIED  SHINE  DOES  IT  FURL;

 SORROW  AND  JOY  ARE  EVER  BALANCED  EQUALLY–

 TODAY’S  SOB  WILL  SURELY  FETCH  JOY  FULLY !

  DON’T  LOSE  HEART, MY DEAR, IT’S  NOT  THE  END–

  FRAGRANT, JOYOUS, TOMORROW  AWAITS  FRIEND !

  HORIZON  GLOWS  WITH  RADIANT, VIBRANT  RAYS !

  GLOOM’LL  SUBSIDE  SOON  IN   COMING  DAYS ! 

"CONFIDENCE"

  CONFIDENCE !

  WHAT AN ENCOURAGING NOTE! 

   BUT MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN’T PUT YOU IN TROUBLE!

REMEMBER THE STORY OF THAT DRUNKARD WHO WANTED TO PURCHASE THE PALACE FROM AN EMPEROR?

THE AMUSED EMPEROR ORDERED HIS SENTRIES TO PUT HIM IN CAPTIVATION UNTIL HE BECAME NORMAL.

NEXT DAY, HE WAS BROUGHT BEFORE HIS HIGHNESS AND WAS ASKED IF HE WAS STILL INTERESTED TO PURCHASE THE PALACE ! 

THE TERRIFIED MAN ANSWERED, "MY LORD! FORGIVE ME! THE MAN WHO WANTED TO DO SO IS NO MORE…….PLEASE EXCUSE THIS POOR ,OBEDIENT SOUL…….!"  

Isn’t it a fun to enjoy a natural shower?

Just lift your face and stand for hours.

No matter what happens later,

Just listen to your heart,it’s better!

     Who knew that going abroad, that too in African country would need so much of preparation and pre-caution?Along with other formalities, one has to take the ‘Yellow-fever-vaccination’ to get a visa; that too has to be taken at least seven days prior to that to allow the activation period!   So Mr.& Mrs.T were on their way to ‘Marine-house’ at Hastings for the purpose. Mr.& Mrs.B (their son’s parents-in-law) were also with them, since all four of them were supposed to go together. They had to finish a lot of pending works before going; so the two ladies were a bit tensed. Specially, Mrs.B was supposed to visit her aged father in Asansol before leaving the station for such a long period and had already booked the tickets to go there for that very evening. So she was very much anxious whether the job would be done timely, so that she could catch the train.   But on reaching there, as usual the Medical officer told coolly that they had to register their names that day and would be vaccinated next week, since the particular ampoule was out of stock! Mr.T tried to convince the man how important it was for them to get it that day itself, while Mrs.T, extremely annoyed by the casual approach of the officer, somehow controlled herself from opening her mouth. But, all was in vain!    After a while, they were on their way back. Mrs.B was all the more upset, for Mr.B announced firmly that they would postpone the Asansol-trip until the vaccination-mission was over. So they headed towards the Rail-booking-counter at Hazra. It took them long two hours to reach Hazra from Hastings! Reason? There was a long procession of the agitated auto-drivers without proper license!     Anyway, they reached at last and filled up the cancellation form. But found that there was a link-failure!They waited till two o’ clock, the closing time; but no luck!While sitting and waiting there, they came across so many news like all the trains had been stopped by some  political Aborodh-party (I hope you guess………) and there would be same forceful obstruction on the road from the following day!     On their way back home Mrs.B was calculating thoughtfully that the total fulfillment of the day was:a)    The delicious chicken-roll;b)    Trimming off her nails which she managed secretly while waiting in the Railway-booking-office.          SALAAM  KOLKATA!          

  A group of eight……..comprising of three young ladies,two gentlemen in late thirties,two gentlemen of senior citizen-group and last but not the least,myself!

   Yes,I’m talking about our all-Kolkata ibibo-bloggers’ meet at Swabhumi on 15th August afternoon.

   It was perhaps a special meet for a handful of people who are known to each other only through internet, decided to meet for the first time.

   It was pretty hot outside which prevented us from sitting in the open and we found a cozy den to sit comfortably to speak our minds out, while enjoying cold-drinks and some snacks.

   We had with us——-

    a)Idlemind or Suvojit

     b)Solaris or Sangeeta

     c)Suryapratim

     d)Rakhee

  e)Gopika

  f)Dipankar (old)

  g)Dipankar (new)

     10) Manjula

   Our chatting started with a few formal notes, exchanging information regarding our personal life and very soon turned to one and only ‘ibibo’, its activities,its warmth,its quick response to your creativity as well as its peculiarities, its mischief, its fighting …..etc. etc.! 

    I was simply awe-struck by the various discussions and promising throughout to myself that I must try to improve my knowledge in different fields, I must study more, I must learn some more uses of computer etc. etc.!

    I strongly felt how important it would be to hold such meetings more often so that one could distinctly know one’s shortcomings and could improve oneself (of course if you have the right attitude).

     On the whole it was an unique get-together and we could hardly realise how quickly the time flew off!

     At the end, we decided that we would meet again sometimes between Dussehrah and Diwali. Alas, probably I’m going to miss the next meet, since we’re going to visit our son abroad shortly for three months.But,I’ve promised to all of them that once we’re back again, I’ll arrange for a get-together.

     So……what do you feel? Wasn’t it unique?

“MALLIKA’S     GAJRA”       Mrs.T was quite apprehensive about the new locality before   shifting to her new quarter. Her friends warned her time and again that the neighbourhood being a hi-fi one, wouldn’t allow certain things such as wearing her dear, age-old faded gowns in summer even inside the house; talking or giggling in a loud voice; working in your own garden (it might raise many an eyebrows suspecting your background and upbringing); chance of not getting a proper maid, etc. etc.  But ultimately she had to shift.        Her anxiety regarding a proper maid was over, since she was lucky enough to get the best maid of the area named Mallika. She was from South, a dark, slender woman with a sweet smiling face who lived with her Dosawalla husband and three sons in a nearby servants’ quarter. She was surprisingly swift and expert in any sort of household job. The best thing about her was her cleanliness. Every morning she would appear in a fresh, washed saree, a round bindi and a fresh self-made gajra of fragrant beli or any other flower; while Mrs.T  would still be in her faded, cozy night-dress! She would feel a bit embarrassed every day, but she was lazy enough to change her own style!  Anyway, time passed smoothly until one day Mallika didn’t arrive at the stipulated time. After a long wait, Mrs.T decided to go and find out the reason. She reached Mallika’s house and found her sitting all by herself in front of her jhopri. She was very gloomy without any fresh, after-shower look or her usual bindi and gajra. As she saw Mrs.T, she wanted to smile but it was not her natural glee and it appeared to be worse than crying. Somehow she managed to pull herself on her feet and told her,” Aap ghaur jaaiye, mein thori der mein aatee hun(You go home;I’ll be there in a jiffy).”   In utter confusion,Mrs.T returned, thinking all the way, what could possibly be the reason of Mallika’s sudden change.   Anyway, after sometimes, Mallika came. As usual, she was in a fresh saree with her never-to-be-missed bindi and gajra. She did all her daily chores most mechanically, but every moment, her gestures revealed that something horrible had happened to this poor soul! While Mrs.T was in a dilemma whether to ask her what was wrong, Mallika herself came in her room and sitting at her feet, burst into tears.     Mrs.T let her cry for sometimes and gradually started talking to her and what she found made her angry and agitated at the same time.  A few months back, a teen-ager girl was kidnapped from the township and was found next day in a miserable condition, gang-raped and shattered. On investigation, Mallika’s husband was found guilty of kidnapping the girl. According to police, her husband and one of his auto-walla friend picked up the girl and both of them dropped her to a nearby deserted jungle just to be victimized. The man was well-known to the girl; so she didn’t hesitate to take a lift in the auto, since it was drizzling then. The previous night, police had arrested her husband.     Mrs.T was stunned for a while. Then she screamed, “Your husband deserves it, Mallika! What are you crying for such a filthy man who could behave like this to some child of his son’s age? What a shame!” Mallika looked at her through her tears and said,” lekin use pataa nahin thaa ki aisaa honewala hai (He didn’t know that this was going to happen).” Mrs.T was annoyed and said,” I don’t believe this. Your husband must have got a handsome amount from those rouges for doing it, isn’t so?”This time Mallika was stunned too! The poor girl had always believed her husband, but as she started thinking it from a different angle and thought of the bundle of notes she found in his trunk, it appeared to her that Mrs.T’s words were true!  To Mrs.T’s surprise, she stood up after a while, wiped her eyes dry and pulled out the gajra from her hair and tore it into pieces!