Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Subho Noboborsho 2015

Subho Noboborsho again people. Even though there is not much to describe in details about the festival as i have discussed in one of my earlier posts, but i can certainly wish people in the occasion. A new year of promises, and wishing each other prosperity and good health. Good health is so important especially with the mounting insurance rates and the luscious genetically modified foods that we consume everyday. Jokes apart food is so important part of our daily life and festivals means gorging on them.

Om Ganeshay a namah. Yes, Noboborsho festival begins with the prayers for Lord Ganesh for a blissful year ahead. Seeking blessings from the elders and if lucky get a pair of new clothes, though not mandatory. Lunch is usually a grand affair in most of the households though there are some who do not even get a morsel on that day. Its a fact where some tables are ladened with spread some of them just dream of a meal that day. In fact we need more reality checks than reality shows these days. I know my thoughts cannot change or end world hunger or poverty but sparing a thought and sharing a bit of our happiness with the less fortunate ones can surely make this world a better place.

Well, well, well coming to Noboborsho back again, i am yet to decide the menu. The fridge is well stocked with vegetables and meat but deciding the menu is always an uphill task to me. Good wishes to you all and may you enjoy every bit of your life with smile and good health.
i

image courtesy : bdloan.net

Monday, April 6, 2015

My Roy Uncle

The balmy spring; the soothing winds, the sun kissed weather, the bright colored flowers, the chirping birds and yes, the arrival of leaves on the trees. Enough to celebrate i guess. Sitting thousands of miles away from home, all i wish is the presence of all my loved ones. Loved ones, some of whom have left the earth and are perhaps enjoying spring in their paradise and some who are rapidly growing old. How i wish to hug them and stop them from growing old! Ha ha, you can call me an emotional fool though. Leaves comes on trees and sheds, and with time we all march towards our common destination.

The world is full of wonderful people and i have seriously been fortunate to meet a few of them. They have made or left some long lasting effect on my mind and heart. Their words, their life stories are exemplary especially to me. let me share the life story of Roy Uncle. Sekhar Chandra Roy whom we have always known as Roy Uncle ever since we know him have always been a fatherly figure to me and my brother. A man of great value and thinking. Never to give in to the false or malicious practices of life. A noble soul and deeply religious who never had food without offering to the Almighty. Full of fun and love for life he used to bring warmth and happiness wherever we went. As kids we used to amazed at his energy level to work hard and simultaneously enjoy every bit of his life. Roy Uncle lived the same town where we lived and had a small business. Even though small, he used to earn a decent amount to send it to his wife and son who lived in the village with his mother. His mother who wasn't fond of city life refused to come and live with them. His father left him a few years after his son was born. So his wife who used to teach in a local school used to live in the village with his mother and son. Every month Roy Uncle used to come to the Post office to send some money home. The post office was near our home and so he used to pay us a visit while on his way back home. My father and Roy Uncle used to good friends. I am not very sure how they met but whatever little i know they once met at a local bus stop. The bus was late and soon they started chatting. The bus was late by a couple of hours but they did not realize because they were in deep discussion. After this conversation they perhaps promised to be in touch which they still continue. Back then there was no phone or internet, so most of the time Roy Uncle would visit us or my father used to visit him at his work area. Even though Roy Uncle was frequent visitor at our place we don't have too many memories of his wife or son visiting us. His son was a year older to me and every year he would invite us to visit his village to celebrate his sons birthday. Back those communication wasn't good enough so we never went to their village but we used them  when they used to come to town to visit any fairs or festivals.Life continued smoothly for few years and our parents always used to hold Roy Uncle with great respect.

One summer vacation we went to our relatives house with our mother. We returned a week later. The next day my mother enquired my father if Roy Uncle visited or not to which my father looked surprised and said that its more than a month that he didn't visit us. My promised to enquire about him on his way back from office. I remember it was a rainy evening. The rain was getting heavy with every passing hour and me and my brother were trying to play even though we were fighting more. My mother was anxiously waiting for my father even though she knew he was getting late due to the heavy down pour. My father came home almost two late than his usual time. He was drenched and so was his lunch bag. He took off his shoes and put his clothes for drying. My mother offered him tea and some snacks. The conversation mainly centered around the rain even though my father spoke very little. Even though we took little notice of this fact my mother could read his face perhaps. The dinner time approached and my father hardly spoke. My mother grew restless and asked him to which my father didn't give her a convincing reply. My mother persuaded him a bit more to which he was completely silent. My mother grew more impatient. Gradually he revealed that he went to Roy Uncle work place. What he told was unbelievable. Roy Uncle's family, his mother, wife and his son were traveling to a nearby village to  attend a marriage ceremony when their car turned upside down and fell into a nearby river. By the time somebody could hear them in the night and pull them out, all three passed away. I will never forget the expression on my mothers face. She was in tears and kept coaxing my father to verify the news. To which my father said it was his employees who confirmed. Roy Uncle went to his village only to fathom his loss which was of course beyond our thinking. My thoughts wet numb. My mother skipped dinner that night and everybody retired to bed that night with Roy Uncle's thought.

A month later Roy Uncle came to our house on a Sunday morning. We were both surprised and happy to see him but were confused as to how to greet him. But he continued to talk just the way he was used to. After a few minutes my mother started to discuss about what happened in his life. Roy Uncle broke down narrating how his life completely changed after that day. My father tried to console him. Roy Uncle spoke to my parents for hours that day.

Its been more than two decades that Roy Uncles family left him. But he never gave up living his life. He worked more than usual to grow his business. With time everything changes but his values, thoughts haven't.  These days he doesn't visit our house frequently and he stays in the loving company of his employees who treat him as their father. I haven't seen him in the last few years but fondly remember him quite often. How i wish those days to come when he used to visit us and tell us inspiring stories of  Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. I miss you Roy Uncle and see you sometime soon. Till then stay happy and healthy....