The friend got married, and our share of love and affection did not get divided. Our golden days still exists today, still I find my friends same cordial and jovial as they used to be 10 years ago.
On Friday I went to see Rajeev’s (We call him Billu) bride, at Thakurganj when they have returned after 5 days long marriage ceremony at the bride’s home. From Siliguri I had brought a bouquet of orchid flowers to present his bride. I had not seen Rajeev’s house at Thakurganj so I was enquiring about his home in his colony. It was around 8 pm in night and I found several guys chatting on the roadside in his colony. In colonies, the road standing guys, grocery shop owners, the barbers have enough information about the events in the colony. I asked that guy about Rajeev who got married. He knew Rajeev and to my surprise he also informed me that they had not returned from the bride’s home. But I was informed by Rajeev’s mother on phone to come on friday and if possible one day earlier.
I was thinking about my bouquet which I carried so carefully from Siliguri! Does it look nice to carry a bouquet in a bride less home? I was in a dilemma. Since orchid bouquet remains fresh at least one week, I decided to tell that boy, Munna to keep the bouquet in some known home for a while till I can find out the truth of bride from his home. While he was keeping it to some nearby home, the house owner too confirmed that Rajeev has not returned. Any way I proceeded to his home. I gave my identity to a person and he went inside to tell about me and then a smart guy came out from the room and hugged me so hard, it was my Rajeev. Just keeping me hugged, he asked my reason not coming in Barat and he told me that how much he missed me there. As soon I left the bondage of his arms I told him that I have to come back in just a while. My heart was pounding for my bouquet, I have kept in that home. He kept asking the reason for my sudden return, but I could not wait much time to describe him. Again when I came back with my bouquet and asked about the bride such that I can present it to the couple. But he objected on my presentation that still that day he has not given a single flower to his bride and I was going to give a big bouquet to the new bride. We were laughing. Any way he took me to the room. The bride was sitting on the floor bed with a big ghunghat. Rajeev introduced me to her. I could see her partial face only. I was requested to sit on the same bed where Rajeev’s brothers/sister in laws were sitting. So there started a series jokes and fine humours. Rajeev was still claiming his share of gift. I wonder if Rajeev needs any more gifts than he already got from the Almighty. By the time his mother came in the room and he was complaining about the useless marriage rituals went over at bride’s home. Aunt told him to be prepared for more rituals at his home too. Frustrated Rajeev almost revolted about such useless marriage customs. To make him understand aunt told us a story
“These was Big Yagya performed at the rich man’s house in olden times, the pujas were going smoothly, by the time a cat wandered near to the Yagya place. Instead of chasing the cat some one tied it to a nearby a small pole. Any person who were coming to see the big yagya saw the cat tied to a pole at the yagna place. The yagya finishes in time and people went off. Those visitors again when performed the Yagna at there houses did everything in the same way and they get a cat from anywhere and tie it near to the Yagna place. This custom was followed by the coming generations”.
So Rajeev’s maa is also following the traditions and tying the cat. We kept laughing on hearing the story. Rajeev cooled down. And the bride could not stop smiling and the ghunghat was not so down. She was easy now. Might be she thinking that she got a nice mother-in-law. She talked a little with me too. Rajeev could not resist asking me how I liked her. To reply I asked her whether she has a lot of sisters like her for us (My friends, I cared for you too ).She nodded in affirmation and her smile is worth thousands words. And in my eyes she is beautiful.
And in the next hour I was at their kitchen. My few hours spent there did not seem the shift of phase for Rajeev. He is still the same “Billu” for us.
Our all the best wishes for the couple and may their married life have ever lasting blossom.
Events make Stories
Spikes in Roses
I have planted a flower garden in front of my house.
It has Dahlias, Marigold, Chrysanthemums, Panjee and so many flowers.
The Dahlias and several seasonal flowers don’t have fragrance but I plant them because they look nice and of course the persons who pass by my house are happy to see them most of the time. I never tell them to see my garden but being my house on roadside, travelers see them. I don’t plant them because they should appreciate them but because I feel nice to spend my time and take care of them. Seeing them grown up and flowering looks beautiful and please me.
But I am especially interested in roses, so I take special care for them. These roses are of many variety and sizes. Of course the rose is king of flowers. These roses have spikes too. Some times my visitors could not resist smelling the beautiful roses after holding their stem. While trying to get their fragrance apart from their beauty the spikes pierce in their hand too. And their fingers get hurt a bit. When they get hurt they wish that if roses did not have spikes! I can’t help them. But these wishes are frequent from them. I like the spikes and also get hurt from them because I know someday these stems, which have spikes now, will have buds and full flower stems will grow from them. I could not help myself one day when a frequent visitor of my garden who again wanted to give me lesson about the gardening and was telling me about the spike less roses, I told him to stay away from my garden for some days and if he passes by the nearby road not to see towards it. His eyes had tears.
Run ! Boy Run !!
Yesterday morning, in my hotel room in Kolkata, as I switched the TV on, the coverage of Mumbai Marathon was being telecasted. Around 25 thousands of participants were there and some of them were to participate in 42 kms. of full marathon. Others were to participate in other partial categories of the marathon. The disabled persons, children as well as senior citizens everyone were participating. The professional runners were rhythmic in their running steps, sweating and running like machines. Some of the slow runners were encouraged by the clapping of the onlookers. As I see people clapping and runners getting faster due to encouragement, my eyes started fainting on the TV screen and a vast green playgrounds of a school started appearing before my eyes and a slim boy running uncounted times around it.A serious Joke:
14 years ago there lived a boy in the Navodaya school hostel. The mornings were as usual as every day. As soon the boys were ready wearing the P.E.T. dress and they have tied their shoe strings firmly, a long whistle was heard coming from the foggy playgrounds. Everyone ran towards the whistle for the morning Physical Education Trainings (P.E.T.) and whoever was left in rooms used to reach at the grounds by the third whistle. In those cold months, the temperature was enough low to put the hands inside the pant pocket. But unwillingly no one could do that because of the fear of being poked fun by the P.E.T. sir, Mr. Amarendra Singh. It was mandatory to run a full round of the playground before physical exercises. Some girls never completed the full round and of course there were some boys too fall in the same category. But most of the students used to complete the round. This boy also used to run one round and occasionally two rounds. That day as soon the physical exercises finished there was an announcement by the P.E.T. sir. It was about the inter school sports meet among the Navodaya Vidylayas of the nearby districts which is popularly known as cluster meet. So the football team and volleyball team member were enthusiastic about the event. This boy could not get selected for any of the school games team. Despite having a strong will power and deprived of the participation in any event this slim boy was searching for the possibilities near to him. So sir was today going to try the athletics team member. There were events of 100m to 800 meters in running category.
After short races trials were completed formally, there came the event of 800 meter trials. The willing participants stood in the starting line. A running of 800 meters were the two rounds of the 400 track made around the playground. Jokingly this boy stood 15 meters ahead of the other participants J . Naturally everyone resisted his position of starting. But the considerate P.E.T. sir asked the boy if he really want to race and he got a positive reply. But sir did not resist his position of starting and he convinced the other runners that let him allow running from his position and he will not be counted in the result of the race. So everybody was ready to run.
On your marks! Get Set! Go!!
The race started, and the boy also ran. He has got a false feeling of being ahead of others and he was enjoying this feeling while running. In long race 15 meters gap is a big difference. He was trying hard to maintain the distance and he maintained it in the first lap. As the first lap was going to finish and second was going to start, everyone reached the point where the race have started and where all the students were standing clapping the hands , few friends of the boy and P.E.T. sir encouraged the boy to keep it up. But running the 400 meters at such a high speed was his first experience, he has lost most of his energy but still a second lap was there. The clapping and encouragement revitalized the remaining energy. He continued the second lap and as he was in the midway of the second lap the leg muscles were aching badly, mouth was wide open gasping air, a peculiar pain in the chest and stomach started and throat became completely dry. And the lead he got from the last gap was going to disappear. In the last remaining 25 meters of the race Anil Hembrum, the tribal big guy was going to overtake him. Anil’s big strong leaps succeeded to overtake him. Seeing Anil running he tried to run parallel to him. He did not thought of the other star runners of the school behind him. His legs were out of his control while running now. He can see jumping and encouraging guys at the finishing line. He was trying more than his capacity but by the time another guy, Rabbani again crossed him before reaching the finish line.
He stood third but useless! His labour went in vain! It was the precondition before that race that his position will not be counted. He did not claim any thing but he was almost collapsed with tired, aching legs and a pain in stomach. But the day envisaged the rise of an athlete. He had tasted something and this sweet taste of the false success eased out the pain in his body.
Real Race:
Once an experimenter gets the taste of the narcotics first time as trial basis, next time he will not try to experimental basis, he will try to get the same taste seriously at any cost. False winning may be the similar kind of pleasure for him. Next day at the test trials he stood in the same line along with the other participants and P.E.T. sir was surprised to see his courage and appreciated the effort.
Stand on marks! Get Set! Go!!
So this time it was a difficult startup. So today’s result was that he was second from the last. This was his real position in school 800 meters team! But dissatisfied he wanted to get the same position as he got the previous day.
Unlike today, his physique was too slim to compete in such races. He had a burning desire to win. And from that day evening the running tracks were his companion .He used to take 6 to 10 rounds of the ground in evening and 4 or more in morning. His aching calf muscles were not paining any more now but despite being thin, the calf and thighs were getting stronger after daily practice. His diet has increased and in classrooms too some planning were done by his head about the track. He still used to take part in the daily trials and one day he stood third again but now he was real third. So his belief in himself was getting stronger.
The school team:
Being a participant of the cluster meet meant availing facilities like relaxation in attending classes, double protein diet in mess and extraordinary participant feelings among the other friends and many management works.
So on the final selection day as the race started and there were more participants than the other normal days of trials. Some of them really did good practice along with him. So as the final selection race started, he again made his favorite leading gap and maintained it until last 100 meters. Although the runner’s feet don’t remain in his/her own control in the times of running the last moments. The strong will power, confidence and tricks of bending body forward works out. For him too it worked out and he came second and Rabbani third by a difference of one second. So he was feeling much happy now with heavy breathing and still jogging. The P.E.T. sir was the happiest person like the other friends of the J.P.House to which he belonged. He was the part of the school athletics team now, which he dreamt 15 days ago.
Practice! Sleep and Diet!
Text books were given rest until the clusters meet finish.
Clusters meet Day:
His school was the hosts of the clusters meet this time, so he already had various tasks other than practicing like to arranging various things for the participating guest schools. On the day of his event in morning he participated less in the management works and took a normal breakfast. But he could not sleep well in the night, he saw himself running and flying on the ground in dream. He became little annoyed with this dream. An unknown fear had entered his mind.
The event of 800 meters started around 10’o clock. Selection of tracks are done after lottery and he was given the last track which one have to run for the first 400 meters only then only everyone can come to the first common lap. No problem! He was calm and he swallowed water and started off to his track. The whole school is there and the event’s guest is Sengar Sir, his favorite teacher.
The participants from other schools were bigger and stronger than him and some of them looking fierce too, some had already started jogging and some were doing exercise and some were wearing nice spiky shoes and he did not had such shoes. Any way he had to run today.
On your marks! Get Set! GO!! And Firing was done concurrently.
He has started with a better speed today. The last lap has some psychological disadvantages of going wider laps. But he was covering the track as soon as he can complete. But as soon the second lap started a boy from some other school was coming first with amazing speed. But Anil, the best runner of his school took over that other guest runner. On seeing Anil overtaking that guest runner he also overtook him. To succeed is hard and maintaining success is harder. It was more difficult to maintain the speed above the guest runner. The friends were shouting loudly which can be heard. The juniors’ class students were shouting “Bhaiya – Bhaiya” and surely they might be praying to God. His heavy breaths seemed to collapse the lungs and jaws stuck wide open and the last leap fall on the finishing line but alas the guest boy have already put his leap just before him. And result was Anil first, the guest boy second and he third. So host school won two medals in the same event. The winners were carried on shoulders by the friends and he was feeling stronger than all the big boys participated there. Incidentally the place where the medal giving ceremony was organized was the same place where he jokingly started the race ahead 15 meters of others! Accolades started pouring in. Sengar sir was happy like P.E.T. sir .He was so surprised and complemented “Hey you can run I am very much happy today”. He was putting the bronze medal of sports meet 800 meter event around the neck of his favorite scientific model making boy. Now the boy was feeling more confident among his friends.
And in the next house elections he was selected as he vice captain of the house. And participation in the state level event was the next milestone he reached in the same year.
He is still running today but on a different track. Run! Boy! Run!!
Life is like “Darpan – Chhaya”
Today I have something to share with you and its about a Nepali film. Few years back I had watched a Nepali movie –Darpan Chhaya during my Siliguri stay after hearing it’s fame. By that time I had became well conversant in Nepali. After watching the movie I realized that one can grasp the essence of the movie as well as the excellent music even if one knows just Hindi. The whole movie is finely weaved around the delicate human relationships. As the name of the movie Darpan Chhaya suggests that the life is like that mirror and shadow. The end makes the viewer emotionally delicate. If one does not get emotional after seeing the movie, I am sure he have an unusual EQ (Emotional Quotient).
The story of the movie is about a love triangle. It’s about two boys both good students in a collage, and one beautiful girl in the same college. If one have started guessing the story and he may be guessing correct.
Although I have not seen many contemporary movies but I am sure that it is off track movie. The girl got both of them but none could get her! Should I tell why they could not get her? Like me, many people may not like to hear the story of movie before seeing it. Therefore assuming that you are like me I am not telling the whole story here unless asked to do so. But the movie rises some question in our daily life also? Does being attentive to any one is a mistake? Is hearing pains or laughing together needs to be ‘blamed’ as a love symptom? Is getting served from someone or serving someone is seen as a weakness? Attributing all these to flowery love, the selfish love, is justifiable? Why the expectations from human rises on existence of these basic and natural human traits.
And when this becomes the case between two complementary gender the expectations must be balanced. Did any one have seen the Diary of Brahma who is believed to write the three events of life? Then why should we be bothered about the middle event of marriage so much?
I remember the quote of Bajaj, the industrialist, which means “Believe that today is your last day, tomorrow you will be remembered by your today”. Then why should we dream too much when we know that this day may be the last day of our life. Can’t human live such a short life after hearing the voices one likes and tell his voices to the persons who will hear him giving attention? Why is it given a wrapper of selfish love? I don’t have answers. The central character has left an indelible impression on me.
Our` whole short life is just like the mirror and shadow. We need not expect much from it but we can certainly live it fully with a selfless love. And this is lesson the movie gives to the viewers. Assuming I am a movie critique then so I give it 4.9 out of 5 points and remaining 0.1 point is cut off because of the emotional sufferings it gives. Any one who has access to Nepali movies should see it.
Samudra Manthan and 14 Ratnas
According to Hindu mythology Devtas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) once decided to churn out the ocean of milk to solve the issue of supremacy among them. The churning stick was Mandra mountain on the back of Kurma ( an epical tortoise).The rope needed to churn was the Vashuki ( multiple headed king of snakes of Lord Vishnu). Lord Vishnu sat on the the pivot such that it will not skid in the ocean. All the Gods were on one side and all the Asuras were on the other side. As the churning of the ocean reached the peak, from the froth a deadly scum started forming. All gods and Devils got frightened after seeing it. It was Vish (Poison). Either someone had to swallow it or everyone was going to be in trouble. Seeing the unwillingness of everyone, Lord Shiva came to rescue and he took the Vish in mouth but did not swallowed it and kept it in the throat static. Hence his throat turned out blue due to effect of poison. Since then he is also known as NeelKanth ( Having blue throat) .
After this event the churning started again to result the chaturdash ratnas (fourteen precious ratnas /precious things). These ratnas produced from the Samudra Manthan are as follows:
1. ‘Chandra’ ( Moon)
2. ‘Parijat’ , a tree in the Paradise of Lord Indra
3. ‘Airavat’ , a multi-tusked elephant for again Lord indra
4. ‘Kamadhenu’ , a cow which provides desired objects
5. ‘Uchchaihsravas’ the white horse for Lord Indra
6. ‘Sankha’ the conch of Lord Vishnu used for victory
7. ‘Gada’
8. ‘Laxmi’ , goddess of wealth
9. ‘Rambha’ , the apsara (celestial beauty) for heaven
10. ‘Ratnas’, ( gems and jewel )
11. ‘Kalpavriksha , a tree fulfilling one’s wishes
12. ‘Dhanwantari’, the physician for all Gods.
13. ‘Mada , a goddess
14. ‘Amrit’ (the nectar drinking which one becomes immortal) in a golden chalice ( Kumbha).
Here each of the ratnas has a mythology attached to it, each one quiet interesting. I don’t know if this cyber world likes to hear more about these.
Sex, Technology and Police
Recent news of DPS MMS case, where the director actor duo of the sexually explicit movie are still to be arrested or questioned and on the other hand the arrest of the Avnish Bajaj, CEO of Bazzee.com, and the student who sold the movie on the site could puts our police system in a questionable position.
The legal selling of the material can not be justified, but what do we think when just searching the same on Google or Yahoo gives the same material in return free of cost? Are not they doing their business in India? Why not police takes any action for them? Why not the mobile operator be punished who allowed the transmission of such media across the Indian territory?
This whole drama revolving around money and sexuality needs a fresh thinking of our technological challenges regarding the transmission of such vulgar material over the net or such media.
Ok ,Avnish have supported police to track the culprit down. He may not have other way to escape the episode. But filtering the objectionable material for the specific territory is sure a challenge for the computer professionals as well as managers of the companies who are doing e- business.
Section 67 of the Information Technology Act (transmission of obscene material through electronic media) is quiet a useless law in practical sense. If we don’t get diversify our attention towards the premier educational institutions and their students in this episode, the whole matter needs fresh recapitulation of the IT Act of India and the role of Police in implementing it.
Prestige
There is a tailor shop at distance of 100 meters from our house. The tailor “Kalim”
used to stitch my Papa’s dresses, he will charge less to my father. Kalim gives home service to us to take and deliver the cloths as my Papa prefers. Kalim also used to do our minor cloth repairing works. In our medium class family our all cloths are dear companions to us hence we use it until they refuses to fit us. This time Kalim did not returned our cloths, it has been 20 days since he took our cloths. Among the repairable cloths there was new costly suit length of Papa too. He was about to deliver those after 3 days only when he took our cloths. Papa got concerned and he went to his shop to enquire about him. Even after frequent visits he always found his shop closed. Kalim told us that he is about to go his relative’s house after some days. Did he went early or he is sick at home or some thing else? We can never think that he will escape after taking the cloths. He is very simple tailor. His stammering voice and delayed delivery date is well known to us. His red tooth coloured due to pan, looks like a window of his mostly unshaven face. I used to wonder why did not Kalim’s own dresses fits himself well. May he is not able to take his own measurement correctly. The concern for missing Kalim was directly proportional to missing cloths too. The owner of his rented shop was the staff of my Papa’s department. His name was Mr. Sen. Now after expire of Mr. Sen, his wife and two sons take care of the shop. Papa met them and enquired about Kalim. Where he knew that Kalim have closed the shop since last 15 days but they did not told the reason of his shop closure. Baba informed them Kalim have to deliver the stitched cloths to us. So they should inform us whenever Kailm opens the shop.
Next day, Mr.Sen’s son informed us that Kalim have opened the shop. And he also informed that the he is vacating the shop today. We were shocked .Why is he vacating the shop? Anyway Papa told me to go to him at once and bring the cloths back since he have paid most of his sewing charges on his request earlier itself. I went there and saw several people standing at the shop gate for their cloths. He was busy in taking out the cloths from one poly bags and to other. People were busy taking their cloths. On seeing me he gave the stitched trouser of Papa. I asked about the other cloths which required repairing. He told that he will deliver those tomorrow at our house. I was not the only one, he was telling same to everybody who were taking the unstitched cloths. He seemed to beg the persons “please don’t take your cloths, I will deliver all your cloths to your house”. But the people were taking their cloths. May they were feeling insecurity after he will leave the place. “How can we believe you, where you will set your shop, How can we know”a person commented. “I will get another shop some where near this colony only” came the confident reply. In his confidence I saw the weakness of misery. He was sweating and kept begging .My conscience did not allowed me to take the cloths. I was thinking that even if he takes my repairable cloths at least some person will use them. May someone be benefited using these old cloths? Mrs. Sen was standing near by along with his son. On enquiry I knew that he have not paid the rent since last two month. So he was noticed to vacate the shop today itself.
Returning home I told Papa about Kalim’s leaving the shop and my unwillingness to leave the cloths there. Papa suggested me that I should have taken the unprepared cloths too. This time seeing me busy he went to Kalim’s shop for getting the remained cloths.
After one hour Papa was back home without taking cloths. He told me that Kalim will not leave the shop from there because he have settled the dispute of the Kalim and the Sen family. Actually mrs. Sen have told him to pay the rental of shop which was due since last two months .According to Kalim, he has been paying the month’s payment in advance and there is only one month’s rent due to him. He told about the details of the currency notes and the place he have given to her. And now they were proving Kalim a lier. Each months’s rental calculation matters for Kalim. A poor tailor’s argument was more powerful than the owner, His remembrance of dates seemed correct. But a owner’s logic is more supported by the public including other shopkeepers in that building. Kalim’s customers have nothing to do with his payment so they were neutral.
In this materialistic world, money has power, it got logic too, it got votes, it got support. It makes arguments stronger even if these arguments are not connected with the eternal truth ultimately. The common man like Kalim may have truth on his side but most of the time his voice will be lost in the thousand of similar chaos of truth. Deprived of shop, deprived of truth, deprived of support, vanishing base of customers, only companion Kalim possessed is his Prestige. He did not have prestige for his customers to whom he wanted to serve, to whom he begged not to take their cloths. Papa knew the both the parties well he became the voice of Kalim, and found the logical contradiction between them and sorted out the dispute. Papa told the owner to make the diary of rents paid and let him stay there. By this time most of the customers had taken the cloth from him. His shop looked empty with few repairable cloths including ours.On that evening he brought back my cloths, his eyes were gleaming.
Note: This post title is renamed as an effect of suggestions coming in.
Handwriting Thought
It was year 1994. I was at Chennai (Madras). On holidays I always liked to enjoy the cool breeze of Marina Beach or hopping through Higginbotham book racks, the biggest book store there at that time. I am a book insect (I call myself the grasshopper, I don’t like worms). I had never seen any such a big book store with the freedom to move, choose and buy facility. At Higginbotham, I felt like the free bird, which can perch on any branch. Oh! There was nothing to sit to read in the store, I did not like it. Standing constantly my legs used to ache after few hours. On other days I had flipped the books of almost all the sections except the astrology and cooking section. I did not have too much belief astrology those days but I like to try. I tried to go through the books of the section. But I pulled the book whose title was handwriting analysis. I pulled the book out. Before I tell the content of the book let me tell about my handwriting. Starting from class II, my Maa was very much concerned with my handwriting. I stood second in my class because of my handwriting. My competitor Dheeraj was the proud owner of beautiful handwriting so every teacher including my Maa used to give him better marks. How much I tried to write nicely, I failed. If I tried to make it decorative my writing speed slowed down. If I tried to write fast, the quality compromised. So like other guys I did not had any so called fair notebook. My fair notebook also appeared like rough notebooks of others. The pattern continued till my last Navodaya days. Handwritng matters for marks, I was sure. In every exam now I guess, I have lost at least 5 percent marks due to my handwriting. I know Maa used to tell me that my every alphabet should be legible. In Bengali she used to call my handwriting as “Kekrar Bekrar Theng” (Like legs of crab).As a punishment she used to beat on my palms few times too, to make me attentive towards my handwriting. May she have got more pain than me at those times. She has a pretty handwriting. He used to give me a fresh notebook for writing a page a day even in my class VI. My every effort failed. Even then my handwriting did not looked nice as my friends. I had a lot of inferiority complexion those days in this matter. Naturally I was looking for the way why his handwriting is nice, why mine is bad. I also write the same alphabets as others do but mine never looked fine. Although the simple answer was write nice then see it nice. But I wanted to know why my handwriting is not going the proper way. My thirst for the scientific reasoning behind the handwriting seemed to end that day at Higginbotham. When I opened the book, It was full of various albhabets of different shapes. It was a jumble of at least 10 types of I’s and j’s and almost every alphabet and so many writing pattern of so many human traits.
I tried to compare my i ‘s my o’s , capitals, slants from my habit of writing and those given in the book. I got my answer. I was much ashamed that day because of the introspection I did with my handwriting. It was just a mirror of my thoughts and my nature in those days. And I did not have much money on the day. Most of the time I did not have tendency to buy the books there but to read the variety of books and most good books were costly. I could not buy the book. Next month as soon as my money from home reached there, I bought the book. So the determination of more than 10 years and availability of such book inspired me to think over my handwriting afresh. At the time my age was 17 years. Changing handwriting was not as easy task, so changing the ego I had. Now I must tell that my handwriting was my reflection of my thoughts most of which was hidden to outsiders.Naturally I was determined to improve myself. My Dadu (father of my mother) is a proud owner of good handwriting too. I will put some of his samples on my website in near future. He always used the fountain pen and he used to suggest us using the same. I bought a fountain pen and started using it. Still since then I prefer to use a fountain pen. I became a child student and the book was a teacher for me. I tried according to the book selectinging the best possible way to write the alphabet suiting the characteristic I liked to be in myself. It was a painful time to change the handwriting so changing my personality. I never believe anything until it is told with good reasoning. The book said that our fingers works according to the signals sent from the brain and it have been observed that there are specific pattern appearing from the specific personality. Every week I used to analyze my handwriting with the book. I was moving towards betterment. I was very much happy on the day when a new friend told “Prem, your handwriting looks nice”. Thanks God, He had not seen my earlier handwritings. Anyway “A word of praise to a hardworker gives wonderful result”— Jaya. It took almost one full year to change my handwriting fully. But still today I recognize one thing in my handwriting that there is a hidden and basic similarity between my childhood’s handwriting and today.And this hidden pattern can be recognized by any other graphologist only. This basic pattern is the basic nature of one’s personality. Due to which I am a unique personality like everybody else which can never be changed. Fascinated with the subject if I get time, I do help others to show the scope of improvement through the handwriting. I am a frequent visitor of museums and I like to sit on the floors there . Kolkata museum have several samples of handwriting of many great personalities (My analysis : Kaviguru Ravindra Nath Tagore was over secretive to hide his mistakes to add the flow of thought , he used to blacken completely his mistakes). Many a people ask me whether a person having a nice handwriting have a nice personality. Actually what they tell nice may not be nice in our analysis terms. So I tell him “May or may not be”. There are patterns and traits which shows the personality just not the beauty of the handwriting. Any way your handwriting reflects you as a mirror. It certainly reflects your current mood and mental state. And there is every scope to improve it till the age of 25 unless someone is strongly determined to do it after this age too. Many of my friends tried to test me. I told them I can score 7 out of 10 if you bring samples as per the rules of analysis. I succeeded and most of the time I got distinction. A Few times I could not. It was easier for me when I know whose handwriting sample it is. In contrast it’s difficult and satisfactory, when I don’t know whose handwriting I am given. 3 years ago when I used to reside in Siliguri, one of my Nepali friends brought a notebook of some of his friend from his institute and told me to analyze it. I took two hours for it and I told him the characteristic of the person. He told me that I was correct and he became disappointed. The reason was the person was opposite to my friend’s nature. I asked about the person whose sample he brought to analyze. The person turned out to be a girl reading in his class and to whom he wanted to propose !!
Scientific Thinking of an Illiterate woman
Today morning I had a peculiar pain in my neck, I could not move the neck to my right side. Maa told me that it may be due to some faulty seeping posture. We talked about the pains in the body .She have a long experience with chronic pain. She is an efficient ayurvedic doctor without any medical degree. We have an almirah full of such ayurvedic herbs and books. But preparing ayurvedic medicines is very lengthy process. So she suggested me an exercise which she learnt from an old illiterate woman, who used to live near to her school. In Govt. schools here you can see such ladies collecting cow dung into the school premises. So she knew my mother well . My She was well conversant with Maa. Now one day she suggested that “Didiji (Madam) you have pain in your body now, I will give you a mantra which will cure your pain”. Seeing Maa’s inquisitive she continued to tell “ See I am giving you the mantra. Don’t tell any body else — Stand near the electric pole ( the electric lamp posts near the road which is flat and made of concrete) and keep your whole back as well as your feet and back of the head in contact against the pole. Keep your eyes straight and tell yourself “You are my Bhasur (Elder brother of one’s husband) and I am your Bhawo ( Wife of one’s younger brother ) three times slowly. But no body should see you.” Do it daily you will feel relieved from pain.”. My Maa kept smiling while telling the story.
And Maa did not went to any pole and did not muttered the line but followed the underlying scientific theory behind the mantra. Maa did it at home and got relief from pain to some extent.
“The lesson is to stand straight against a wall and stretch the body to the maximum height and do breathing exercises”.
I am too inspired by the old illiterate woman.
Boot Polish @ 1.00 Rs.
Sitting in the waiting room in Sealdah Station, I was busy writing some columns. Suddenly a boy aged 9-10 came to me with his polish box. “Babu (Sir) Polish”, he told me. I ignored him first since this is a common site at this Station. Seeing no response from me he repeated the same. I replied, “No”. But he kept reiterating few more times. I was unable to hear him more. “I don’t allow children to polish my shoes”, I replied. He could not understand my words. He tried to interpret my words and replied, “No Babu, I will make your shoes shine”. Naturally why should he be concerned with the waves in my brain about child labour in India? He was still near to me. “Ok sir, no polish, only cleaning”, he told me looking at my shoes. My leather shoes were covered with dust, since it could not be cleaned since last day .This time I forgot to carry my shoe brush and polish as I am accustomed to do on my trips.
His patience attracted my attention towards him. His face was dry, hairs unkempt, full shirt with sleeves folded up to his skinny biceps, buttons were missing and a safety pin was carelessly tied in place of buttons. He was carrying the polish box several brushes tucked in it .But he had nicely arranged the down portion of shirt (under shirting) in his blue half pants. Obviously he looked the little cobbler. He had still hopes from me seeing my considerate eyes. “I will clean your shoes, 1 rupee Babu”. Oh! Child Labour @ 1.00 Rs. I was shocked. Naturally I was more inquisitive in him than his brush. I told him to sit on the chair near to me. Now he felt easy and started telling how he left his school, how his right hand burnt, how his younger brother earns more than him. But still his gaze was more interested in my dirty shoes than my queries. I wanted to avoid his innocent gaze. I asked him if I give money without polishing the shoes, will he leave me. He nodded his head and told, “Yes”. I gave him the coins available to me in my upper pocket. I did not have any better option at that point of time.
He went unaffected taking coins from me. He gaze was still on the shoes of other person’s .Similarly he requested the other gentleman sitting near to the gate. And he was busy shining his shoes. The “gentleman” was helpful to the boy. I was feeling helpless……..