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asheshdas · 7 years

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May Day

May 23rd, 2008

It was a bright and sunny day to which the city of Kolkata woke up. The sunlight paved its way through the clouds as the city prepared itself for another hot summer day.

At the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport, flight 9W 786 of the Jet Airways was gearing up for its take off. Its destination: Bangalore. These two cities always have a lot of people travelling to and fro between them, mostly owing to the budding IT sector of Bangalore. Although this was a flight in the middle of the week, but flights between these two cities are seldom empty, today was no exception.

The flight crew consisted of Nikita Saxena, Gurmeet Makhija and Anamika Mukherjee. Nikita and Gurmeet were veterans in their job while Anamika was a budding air hostess looking forward to a lucrative career in front of her. The flight captain was Charanpreet Singh, who was a decorated pilot of the Jet Airways. 9W 786 was scheduled to depart from Kolkata at 9:50 AM for Bangalore. After Bangalore it was scheduled to fly to Jaipur followed by Delhi ending the duty of the flight crew and captain. The entire flight crew was based out of Delhi unlike Anamika who would return to her hometown Kolkata the day after.

It was nearly time for the flight to take off as the passengers slowly moved into the flight and settled down in their seats allocated according to their boarding passes. The passengers were mostly Bengali while a few were from the southern part of India who had perhaps come to Kolkata for business purposes earlier this week.

Among the passengers was Imaara and her 6 year old son Irfan. They had come to Kolkata to one of their relatives’ place and were headed to Jaipur where Irfan’s father had his own business. The little kid was really excited about this journey, he was amazed by the huge Airbus A320 and already told his Ammi that he wanted to fly one such Airbus once he grows older. Other passengers included Subhashis Ganguly and his colleagues Narendra Kumar and Abhijeet Bagchi. They had come to Kolkata for some office work and were headed back to Bangalore. Senior citizens like Mr. and Mrs. Roy Chowdhury were also among the passengers. They were going to visit their son and daughter in law in Bangalore, both of them worked for some IT firm in Bangalore.

When I boarded the aircraft I was greeted warmly by the crew, I remember Anamika welcoming me with a warm smile on board. Soon I found out that I had my seat beside Imaara and her son Irfan. The little kid, full of excitement was jumping on his seat and his mother was having a hard time in trying to keep him quiet. I had used the web check in facility to get myself a window seat. I saw Irfan and smiled as I saw enthusiasm beaming out of his eyes. I put my hand baggage in the cabinet above my seat and settled down in my seat.

Before the aircraft had begun taxing down the runway and was preparing itself for takeoff, I had a request from Imaara to which I happily agreed, it was impossible for her to control Irfan who was over inquisitive to look out of the window. The crew members of the flight started briefing the passengers about the safety instructions and pointed to the emergency exits as I settled down the aisle seat. Irfan was quiet now. He was perhaps lost seeing how the aircraft with its huge wings was navigating through the runway.

At 9:55AM the plane took off, a rather normal takeoff on time. But things were about to deviate from anything but normal of this seemingly normal flight. I was about to experience and witness something which I would remember till the rest of my life.

As the plane gained altitude and stabilized itself the seat belt signs were turned off. Mr. Subhashis and his colleagues were chatting among themselves rather loudly. Apparently they had to give a presentation today evening and they still had not prepared a single slide of it. They were having a good laugh about it. The crew began to serve breakfast and the flight cabin was filled with sound of people hogging over the food. Even Mr. Subhashis and company was now quiet! It seemed everyone was very hungry, and I was no exception. Perhaps the only exception was Irfan who had no interest on his food. He had forced his Ammi to take out his painting book and colors. The little one was busy sketching out the wing of the aircraft and the sun that was now distinctly visible among the clouds. I must say, he was sketching very well for his age. Moreover, he was quiet and that was my main reason of relief. Imaara was slowly finishing her food, occasionally asking Irfan to have a bite from here. But the little one was too engrossed in his sketching to do that.

It was close to 11 when all had finished their breakfast. I settled down in my seat and closed my eyes as I grooved over “Wish you were here” by Pink Floyd. I could still hear people chatting among themselves while some of the passengers remained quiet like me – either watching a movie, reading a book or listening to music.

All of a sudden the plane took a sharp left turn, it was very sharp. The sudden manoeuvre of the plane was out of the blue. Many of the passengers gasped as even the flight crew were taken aback. No one had a clue what was happening. Irfan’s drawing book slipped over from the tray table and fell on my feet. Each and every passenger including me were experiencing a strong centripetal force. Gradually the plane stabilized itself. All of the passengers including Imaara were in a bit of a shock as this was not something which we experienced often in a regular domestic flight. Only Irfan seemed to be enjoying even this phase of the journey.

The murmur among the people increased, everyone had their version of stories explaining this phenomenon. I mostly thought that it could have been a sudden turbulence which the aircraft encountered and the pilots were able to stabilize the plane after that. All of us were mostly recovering from the shock when the plane took a sharp left again. This time it was more extreme, the plane not only swayed to the right but also plunged down from its height. People started screaming, even the flight crew lost their words. I heard the shrill scream of a few ladies while on the other hand I clearly remember Mr. Subhashis shouting, he was giving his expert advice about what to do in this situation, and how to move the plane to its normal course. Needless to say, he seemed to be in extreme shock! I was out of my mind, I could’nt think of anything and why was this happening. All I was thinking was that this is no turbulence. It was about 20-30 seconds when there was a message from the cockpit –

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are facing some technical issues in the plane and are trying to work around it. We will soon get back to the altitude that we have lost. Meanwhile I urge all of you to stay calm and pray to God. This is the co-pilot Osama Shaikh, bismillah rahman raheem!”

The plane was gradually regaining its altitude but was shaking very badly. Some of the tray tables that were folded were coming off, some luggage fell down from the overhead cabinet. But there was something else happening that was more overwhelming. There was a silence, rather a tense silence in the cabin. I could sense a lot going on within the minds of the people. It was as if I could hear the people talking in their minds.

The silence was about to be broken. I could sense it, everyone was scared. The shaking of the plane added to the drama. I saw the elderly couple sitting beside me on another row sweat profusely. Imaara held Irfan close to her as she was closing her eyes. Maybe she was praying to Allah, maybe we all should have prayed.

Suddenly the murmur turned into something like a brawl. People started shouting- all of them in shock. They were not in shock because of the plane facing some technical issue but rather because it was Osama Shaikh who announced it. Where was Charanpreet Singh, the captain? He had talked to the passengers before the flight took off. Moreover why did Osama say Bismillah Rahman Raheem? The passengers started chanting the name of their Gods. India is such an interesting country – whole year long we celebrate so many festivals and devote ourselves to some many Gods. But what should have been done now? How to decide that which of these Gods would save us – the passengers of 9W 786 from this seemingly catastrophic disaster?

I could hear a few people sobbing, some already felt that this was time, this was our last journey and these were the last few minutes of our lives. The flight crew Nikita, Gurmeet and Anamika were trying to calm the people down. Both Nikita and Anamika were trying their best to reach out to the individual passengers and tried to console them by saying that this was a temporary glitch and that it would be sorted out in quick time. It was all in vain as during the time of such emergencies people tend to talk more and hear less. The situation took a worse turn when Gurmeet announced that he was unable to contact the cockpit as there was some fault in the intercom of the plane. There was no communication between them and the cockpit, which meant that they could not communicate the situation and the panic of the passengers to the pilots or to anyone in the cockpit.

Suddenly people tried to move out of their seats which was difficult because the plane was shaking tremendously and the noise of the engines was becoming deafening with every passing minute. All of a sudden I saw Mr. Subhashis get up, he was in panic, but what was amusing is that he figured out what all of this meant and tried to convey the message to each and every one in the cabin.

All Mr. Subhashis did was nothing less than adding salt to the wound. He opined that this was a plane hijack which he was sure of. The cockpit door is locked from inside which is a common norm after the disaster of 9/11. He figured out that Captain Charanpreet Singh was dead and he was killed by no one else other than Osama Shaikh. Moreover, the plane was shaking immensely because Osama was trained recently to fly an aircraft, he was a novice and that he is on a suicide mission just like 9/11. The plane crew tried desperately to stop him by saying that the co-pilot was a part of the crew but all was in vain. It was difficult for all three of the flight attendants to move around in the plane cabin because of the turbulent motion of the plane and so they could not reach out to Mr. Subhashis who was there in the second row of the plane. Apart from this, his devoted colleagues stopped the crew from performing their duty and stopping Mr. Ganguly as they wanted their fellow colleague to speak up. All the passengers had to know what this all was about. Moreover, Mr. Subhashis also said that this is a jigsaw puzzle and he took some time to put the pieces together. There was a famous building in Bangalore which ironically was also called the “World Trade Centre”. He was sure that in a few minutes we will be crashing into that building and this would eventually be remembered as a sequel of 9/11 which would be 5/23! The “Bismillah Rahman Raheem” which Osama said actually meant that he was on this mission “In the name of God” and that his doors of “Jannat” would open as soon as he would complete this mission successfully. As Mr. Subhashis finished his epic revelation and his ghastly speech, he had a smirk on his face and a teardrop in the corner of his eye. Perhaps he felt proud that he could reveal this mystery and was able to communicate this horrifying truth to his fellow passengers and on the other hand he had a tear because this was going to be the last journey of Mr. Ganguly himself.

After the speech ended, there was silence in the cabin, the kind of silence which prevails just before a storm approaches. People were actually in despair! Very soon I could hear the helpless cry of many people. I could hear people saying their last prayers. The old couple beside me hugged each other with teary eyes. Even the crew of the plane were now in despair, they had no clue what was happening, I saw Anamika consoling Nikita as Gurmeet still tried to contact the cockpit or ground support to let them know the situation, but all was in vain. I looked at Imaara and just saw a glittering tear in her eyes, she was also perhaps saying her prayers like everyone. I saw fear in each and everyone’s eyes. Only Irfan was the one who was still bothered about his drawing copy which had fallen near my feet. I bent down with some difficulty and finally handed over the little one his prized possession in which he had drawn a picturesque memory of this flight and his journey. He greeted me with a warm innocent smile as I handed over his drawing copy. I felt a weird joy inside me as I saw the little one smile, he was too small to be aware of the happenings in the aircraft, and he was too innocent to understand the cruelty, violence and hatred that had built this world. His smile was pure, his smile was “paak”. It was his smile which gave me a bit of joy and maybe a glimmer of hope. Maybe that’s why Keats had written years ago that “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”.

It was just past 12 and we were nearing our landing time, moreover we were nearing Bangalore - the place were Osama would find the World Trade Centre. There was a city visible somewhere near the horizon, some buildings started to become more prominent as the huge jet paved its way through the clouds. The noise of the engine by now had made everything inaudible, and the shuddering of the plane was even fiercer now. As the buildings marked us approaching Bangalore the sobbing and the crying of the passengers reached a different level. It was audible despite of the huge noise of the engines that had filled the cabin.

The plane approached closer to the city and slowly but steadily the sobbing, the helpless chant of fear was becoming less. Maybe it was in acceptance of the destiny that was bestowed upon us, maybe the fear of being in the flight that was supposedly a sequel of the flight 767 of 9/11 had settled in. But actually it was the opposite, the sobbing had lessened because something else was visible from the plane now and it was the runway of the newly constructed Kempagowda International Airport of Bangalore. Although the sight of the runway did not help the plane much, it was now wobbling more and perhaps the technical glitch of the plane was making it difficult for it to land on the runway. Eventually there was a huge thud of the plane hitting the runway. I saw sparks coming out of the plane’s wheel that were rising as high as the windows and there was smoke which was gradually blocking our vision. The plane was soaring in high speed on the runway before it ultimately came to a halt. There was pin drop silence in the cabin, no one said a word – apart from Irfan who had enjoyed his journey, and maybe he thought that there would come a day when he would be flying such a plane – all by himself!

Flight 9W 786 had landed safely. All the passengers and the cabin crew were unhurt and within minutes we saw fire truck approaching the plane to put down the fire and get rid of the smoke that was coming out of the plane. We were safe, no one said a word. Everyone silently got down and got their luggage from the conveyor belt. Everything was back to normal again. There was no disaster, flight 9W 786 had not crashed and neither was 5/23 a sequel of 9/11.

As I returned home I turned on the television to know that there was indeed a technical glitch which had resulted in the rough flight. The aircraft’s tail had a vertical piece in it which is used to steer the aircraft in either direction. It is called the rudder, which had deflected about 20 degrees from its initial position and the pilots were unable to bring it back to its normal position. This resulted in the wobbling of the plane as the pilots had to use their hydraulic systems to use the flaps on the wings to keep the plane in its course. Within few minutes of the rudder malfunction, it disrupted the entire intercom system and thus after the initial few minutes of the malfunction there was no communication between the flight crew and the cockpit. The pilot however was able to contact ATC using radio signals and declared an emergency so that they could keep support staff ready on the runway. Just before landing the pilot discovered another catastrophic fault in the plane. The landing gear was jammed somehow and the front wheels of the aircraft were not turning. This explains the fire, smoke and the sparks coming off the wheel which I saw through the window. The report also revealed that first captain of the plane Charanpreet Singh had faced a sudden muscle fatigue in his right leg when he tried to control the flaps on the wings using his leg. This forced the co-pilot Osama Shaikh to take control and steer the plane through the rest of his journey and he was able to make an announcement just before the intercom system of the plane was disrupted. During the time of the glitch flight 9W 786 was approximately the same distance away from Chennai and Bangalore airports so the co-pilot had decided to land in Bangalore and not in Chennai. Moreover, he was then unaware that landing gear was having a problem and that it could be a recipe of disaster if he was unable to land properly despite being able to steer the plane with a faulty rudder. Jet Airways had released the passenger list and a formal apology to all all of them along with a handsome reward and recognition for co-pilot Osama Shaikh. What seemed like a sequel on 9/11 in the history of India would go down in the history of India as one of the greatest heroics performed by one of the pilots of a commercial aircraft.

A lot of time has passed since this incident and people barely remember it. I do not know where my fellow passengers of that day are or where is the hero of that day – Osama Shaikh to whom we owe our lives. I still have a few questions in my mind which are rather disturbing! In the time of emergency all we could have done is pray. Would it make a difference if the Osama had said “Bhagwan hamari raksha karein” instead of “Bismillah Rahman Raheem”? “Bismillah Rahman Raheem” essentially means “In the name of God” - so why couldn’t Mr. Subhashis Ganguly take it simply? Just because the hero of that day belonged to a religiously minority of our country maybe he was not allowed to say his own prayers during the time of such an emergency.

From childhood we hear fairy tales and fables where the lion is known to be the king of the jungle, the protector of his kingdom and all the animals. The fantasy tale – “Chronicles of Narnia” glorifies the lion as the ultimate ruler. Aslan, the king makes his appearance only when his people – the people of Narnia need him. He protects them through thick and thin. So was it just the religion of our lion that day that made us all afraid? “Osama” in Arabic means Lion, on whom all of the passengers of 9W 786 were unable to trust.

This is the world where innocent and pure hearted children like Irfan are going to grow up. Within a few more years he would learn the rules of hatred and the difference in religions. He would learn that there were different Gods for all of us despite all of us looked the same, lived on the same land, breathing the same air and drinking the same water. May be I would not have these questions if a Rajeev Singh or Pankaj Sharma would be the co-pilot and not some Osama Shaikh. It was too easy for Mr. Subhashis to put the pieces of the broken puzzle together – the crash of 9/11, Osama and World Trade Centre. But maybe we are the ones who have created the puzzle, and we are the ones who have broken the pieces apart. Why there was fear in all of our eyes is still unclear to me. There was no announcement of the plane being hijacked but still all were prepared for their last journey, saying their last prayers. All we needed in place of the fear was hope, a hope that somehow this wobbling of the aircraft would stop and we would land safely. I remember the famous movie where I learnt that “Hope is a good thing, perhaps the best of things and no good thing ever dies”.

In this entire story I have not disclosed my name. Because I am afraid, because people do not find a person but a religion in a name. I might be Ashok, Altaf or even Alan. But would that make any difference? I would just like to be remembered as the narrator of this story, the person who thought it was important to put this message across. I could be the one beside you in the morning Araati of the temple that you visit or I could be the one who had read namaaz beside you in the last Eid. So, I have chosen not to disclose my name. I know that the readers of this story will be make an imaginary description of mine in which they would want to believe. But it is our beliefs that if not changed would result in a world of more hatred and intolerance. A person wearing glasses had written these long time back and thus I would like to remind you all of those lines yet again – “Imagine there’s no countries/ It isn’t hard to do/ Nothing to kill or die for/ And no religion too/ Imagine all of the people/ Living in peace”.

14th January, 2017

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asheshdas · 8 years

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Freedom

I was in solitude when I dreamt tonight Closely watching a moth as it was in a fevered flight.

It was drawn toward my quaint porch light And flies consumed it with all the might.

Through my open window I could see The moth had a desperation which it shared with me;

We as souls are drawn to fight. But freedom in this world is often light!

It’s worth the risk with every breath. Alhough freedom’s light may cause our death!

I understood the moth’s sad plight As it was drawn to the glorious light.

Though it knows not of human trust, But it buzzes on because it must!

We often end up in a sad plight But hope near the horizon draws us to its glorious light.

Our souls know that it must abstain from human trust, But the friendships buzz on because they must!

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asheshdas · 8 years

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The library of memories

I wish I was given a slice of my past. A moment that would have been dear I wish that moment would always last. I could hold it close forever,

Striding down the memory lane Browsing the pictures across the window pane A tear dropped off my eye And I knew that this moment was fine

All the laughters that were to be mine And all that was in my heart's abode Would sketch a glib scene in time Only if those moments were fine

I sat and thought what I had become I made a list of things to be done All those moments summed up my life As if it was a call of divine

It would have been a pleasant surprise If I could have got all I thought was mine, But the memories were here to tell Perhaps it was for a greater while.

The memories made me cry and smile, Made me pensive once in a while But it these memories that I have Perhaps to walk that extra mile.

I kept on thinking sad and low, What is the memory that I must bestow What is the moment that I must change? To not let this life so strange.

For me to only pick one moment, to cherish, save and to keep, It was proving really difficult, as I had gathered memories in a heap!

Instead I built my own library, With moments that were so merry. I wiped up the tears that hid my eyes Because it was planned as the tides.

I can open it up whenever I like, pick a moment and watch it through, My little library acts as a promise, I'll never ever forget you

07.07.2016

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asheshdas · 10 years

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Adios Kolkata

It is time for me to say goodbye. As "All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go". I am standing at this juncture where I leave my hometown, parents, friends and all my dear ones. The feeling is weird but I do not hate to wake you all up as I need to say goodbye! (I hope you all got that!) I have a lot of people to thank before I leave my city and I am currently being flooded by memories. First of all I thank my parents and all my cousins who have helped me grow up over the years. I have learnt some lessons of life from my family and I cherish all the memories we shared. I am blessed to have found an elder brother and sister in my neighbours Rahul da and Nabanita didi and I thank them for being beside me always. I thank my school friends with whom I have studied for eight years and we got to spend a lot of time with another. Especially thank you Arijit for being alongside me since class eleven. And Sanchari- I thank you a ton! You are the only person with whom I have been in touch over the last twelve years and have a lot of splendid memories of our friendship. I wish you all the happiness and success in the years to come which I know you will achieve as you deserve each and every ounce of it! Needless to say that we will be in touch in the upcoming years as well and will continue to quarrel :p -you are the best friend I have ever had- Thank You.

Life changed a bit after school as I made new friends in college. I need to thank some of them as I bid goodbye to those days. First of all my two brothers Gourav and Pratik who have been very precious to me across these four years. I have learnt a lot from you guys and all the fun filled memories that we have are a treasure to me. Thank you is just a small word to tell you guys, I can hardly express how much I will miss you two. Thank you Arkadev- it was always a pleasure working with you and what amazes me about you is your humility-never lose it. Baitanik- you are one of the most talented persons I have ever met-just keep faith in yourself and be confident. And thank you for being my first friend in college. :D Aakansha, Abhishikha, Neha, Adarsh and Neha - I thank you all for providing us with some memories which are worthy to be cherished life long. I will miss those giggles and those nasty pokes from Adarsh. Thank you Anubhab and Anupriya for being my friends. I wish you both a lot of love, quarells and success in the years to come. Stand by each other always! Amartya- I have not interacted with you a lot but let me tell you something-a lot of girls just die to hear your voice and they are absolutely mesmerised by it. I will miss you buddy! Deepayan- Thank you for setting an example to not only me but to the entire CSE that how to keep an enormous list of girlfriends and how to just move on! I wish your long list of girlfriends grows and becomes huge! :p Being with you was always fun! Thank you Krishnendu for being someone who makes friends with a lot of heart. Yes, you are abused by the entire section but each one of us love you a lot. I will miss you. I thank my senior Debanjan da who has always been beside me and has blind trust in me. I cherish the friendship that we share, respect you a lot. You are really my elder brother! Lastly I thank you Sohini for being the latest addition to "my friend list". You are a really nice person and someone who is true by heart- never lose that quality. The friendship that we share is a prized possession of mine.

I wrap up here but I know that I have missed out many people who had to thanked. Each one of you guys are special and without these friendships I would have been a much lesser person than what I am. It is time to say Adios to my city as a new journey awaits. I will miss everyone-let not the distance between the cities affect our frienship. Keep in touch. I love you all- Goodbye!

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asheshdas · 10 years

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I learnt to love

It may have come filtered, But I got the moonlight. Even if it was for a few days, But this bud did blossom. Thank You my life, For your kindness Thanks to my life.

No picture is ever drawn with a single colour What is the value of happiness- If there is no sadness? Look at the beautiful boulevard- It looks pleasing with sunlight and shade together! What is to complain? Where is the time to complain? Thanks You my life, For your kindness, Thanks to my life.

It is the story of my luck Sometimes it is a killer, While sometimes kind. It is in kindness that my heart got peace. And I loved even my killer! Thanks You my life, For your kindness, Thanks to my life. I finally did learn to love. I loved my life.

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asheshdas · 10 years

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You

Since we have met, it has so happened, As if some unheard wish was fulfilled, As you left, you took with you Every reason for me to live.

I'm sacrificed on you, I am made of you, From you-I have belief in myself, If I am here, I believe you are somewhere near me!

Your sky, and mine, Has become all smoke, like a dream- Your sky, and mine, Is spread in parts, like breaths. Wherever you go, You'll find only me.

These shadows of mine are comprised in you. I'm in a different planet now. You are in a different one. But we shall meet again- In the world of stars.

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asheshdas · 10 years

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Idiocies

False consolations, fake revelations, I keep on hiding my mistakes- I deceive, Get myself trapped, As I look for profits in losses. This is my idiocy.

My temperature isn't yet down, It hasn't improved a bit- I have fallen flat on my face. But hoping that it is not out of control yet, Everything is not over. For so many days, I have been cursing- I have become obstinate, Someone must prevent me, at least stop me, Till how long I will deceive myself- These are my idiocies.

It's easy, O naive one! To connect these pieces. Why are you disturbed? It's not tough, to say words of apology. Why clap for nothing but yourself? What would you get, tell me. Don’t now open balance sheets of life, The past will never come back. Why do you weigh your ego? Learn to forget what you have lost! These are your idiocies!

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asheshdas · 10 years

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Bliss in Solitude

Your smile seemed like a bliss in solitude, I never imagined a simple smile can be so beautiful- When you smiled the world seemed a better place; No wonder your smile transformed my gloomy days.

During spring when gentle breeze makes the leaves sway- It is reminiscent to your smile which makes tears go away, When you smile thousand radiant flowers bloom- When you cried even the brightest days appeared too gloom! Never stop smiling not even for a while- Because someone can fall in love with your smile.

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asheshdas · 10 years

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College Days

When the scorching summer heat makes the earth warm, rain becomes a necessity for us. The whole ecosystem comprises of various creations of the Almighty, but they all crave the rains. That is the way in which perhaps the Almighty shows us unity in diversity. The rains arrive and cools down the surroundings, we all get what we had asked for. Similarly I started a journey four years back, there were many like me who were around me, none of them were alike just like the diversity we have in the ecosystem. It seemed to be a long journey of four years which was just starting- it seemed like a scorching summer afternoon was ahead of us. We were different but we all craved for the rains, we wanted the end the four year long journey on a high, wanted to get what we all deserved. May be we did not have the perfect ending but the summer has anyway come to its end and nimbus clouds are there along the horizon. Monsoon is arriving and our journey is on the verge of its end. Let’s sit here, on the verge of the season change, on the verge of starting our professional lives and contemplate the journey.

August 2010, I do not remember the specific date but it was some time during the second week that our classes commenced. I remember entering last in the class on the orientation day. It was a class full of new faces, I knew no one but we were travellers of the same train, we were specific about our destination but the journey and the surprises kept in store for us were unknown. The one thing that tied us all together was excitement. I remember sitting beside Baitanik Talukder, in the seminar hall when some lectures were being delivered. I do not think that everyone understood what our teachers were talking about but I noticed that all kept on looking with stiff attention. I made my first pal of this four year journey that day in the seminar hall. I am glad we are still very good friends and I have been getting about 10 calls each day from this person since the last four years. No, don’t be confused about our sexual orientation, it is just that Baitanik has a lot of questions regarding studies each day and I fail to answer the bulk of his questions, still that guy does not give up.

First year was fun, each day we were making new friends. Each day was a new experience. Not only friends of the same department but also from other departments. The ragging session was something which made our friendship stronger. Each day we used to find out ways to sneak out from the college in such a manner that we do not have to face our seniors. Few hilarious incidents happened, I remember Krishnendu firing me with a water bottle because he was a soldier and I was an accused terrorist. If it still does not seem interesting then let me tell you all, Krishnendu even came up with some sound effects while firing me. Seemed like he had taken his job a bit too seriously. The Freshers’ Welcome ended all this stuff and gradually we were all getting into the groove of things. Few people made small groups and started to have some brief outings and CC2 was fast gaining popularity among all. The class of 60 was still the same but the groups started to form. I was also a part of a fairly large group. Poulami was the pack leader with Jhilik and the Piyalis(2 in all). The mystery man Anik was also in our group along with the Pratiks(3 in all !!), Baitanik, Krishnendu and Gourav. These people occupied the front benches while I remember Abhay’s group (Aakansha, Abhishikha, Abhishek, Adarsh and the Nehas) sitting in the extreme right row of the class. The middle benches were occupied by Amartya, Joydeep and their whole bunch. The weirdo Arkadev was always there, hanging around with his then seeming first love Deepayan somewhere around there. Anubhab had his task sorted out real quick as I saw him and Anupriya together; pretty much from the beginning- he found his lady luck in a matter of weeks I guess which still continues to shine. I know sometimes they looked like siblings but that was a separate issue. I am just trying to capture what our first year classroom looked like and please pardon me as I know I am missing out quite a few names.

The first semester came real quick and we all were determined to do well. I remember that I tanked in the Physics exam but promised myself to work hard and shine in the next semester. Today after seven semesters, I am still trying to keep up with my promise but the probability is feeble. The results came out and few people bagged huge scores. Aakansha, Gourav, Amartya and obviously the all time topper Rishika made their mark. They were big players of this journey and made their motive clear of taking back a bag full of points after eight semesters. A few normal students like me faired well and were satisfied with whatever we got, rest aside the fact that we ourselves did not know how much we deserved. Semesters kept on coming and going but what was painful to see is the rift, the rift had already started, the small groups became smaller and smaller and some attitude seemed to have creeped in. It was during this time that robotics was introduced to us. I remember more than half of the class was interested and wanted to learn robotics but in the end only we three managed to hold on. Some of us were interested and we managed to build a robot, a rather simple one. This was the time when I got to know two of my pals for life Gourav and Pratik. It was the start of something special for all three of us, a bonding that we were to share for the rest of our lives. Time passed by and our college had already become a part of our life. Little did we know that the simple classes, the lab sessions and even the internals will be missed one day. We were in the journey.

The first year went by and here we were- attending classes in our own department. We felt like a part of a unit. The class which once used to be filled with students was now becoming fast empty. We all were mastering the art of mass bunking. Looking across the class I realized that some of my friends in the first year were already parting ways, but everyone was happy. It was all part of the journey. Even the classifications of teachers were complete by now. We all knew which were the classes to attend and which were the classes made for mass bunks. We were on the roll. Some of the facts became very clear to me now-

a) Amartya’s secret to his success was his lucky t-shirt, which he still continues to wear during exams.

b) Pratik did not learn how to sit straight in a chair.

c) Poulami had a pretty loud voice and could be serious at times, mind you.

d) Baitanik will never be short of questions till he dies and he needs to revise a subject at least 10 times before sitting in an exam.

e) Gourav just relishes to write huge answers during the internals.

f) Joydeep’s eye sight will worsen if he does not stop copying from Jhilik.

g) Krishnendu will ask the most foolish question to you but will beat you with his point when it comes to the semesters.

h) Anik had mastered a special walking style over the years but it seemed a bit retro to me.

i) Arka Chakraborty stands a risk of breaking floors.

j) Anubhab will always know when the results will come out beforehand but he is struggling to get the date right.

k) I turn into Arnab and Ashish’s dearest brother during the internals.

l) You love presentations? Must join SRC’s class

Isn’t that quite a few things to grasp just after a year? But none of us gave up and continued to be insane for the rest of the journey. During the fourth semester I remember making friends with Anupriya. This girl always used to sit quiet in the class but I was glad I got to know her. Her friendship was just like a soothing breeze and she has good writing skills which are still hidden from most of our classmates. I think more of us should have made friends with her. The second year was not so much eventful but it ended for me in an industrial project.

For the first time I experienced what we meant by an industrial project and how difficult it was to meet the deadlines. I remember that our team comprising of Anis, Baitanik, Deepayan, Dipanjan spent three sleepless nights to deliver the project. We spent one night at Baitanik’s place and another night at my place. The one incident that I remember is that on the second night I dozed off for a while. When I woke up I felt something cold was touching my feet, I got up to see that it was Deepayan’s nose which turns ice cold when he sleeps, a real revelation there. However, all of a sudden we landed in the third year, the most important year of the entire engineering curriculum.

We just had one more year to act and turn our dreams into reality. But we were reluctant to act, students of WBUT do not act until it is the eleventh hour. The class of 60 had turned into a mere group of 15 to 20 students who would attend the classes. It was during this time I became friends with Arkadev and got to know him. He was a think tank himself, full of brilliant ideas and already was a class apart from the lot. No, he was not let down by the fact that his once true love Deepayan had got a new girl for him. Talking with him was always a pleasure and little did I know that a certain teacher was plotting a plan to rope in Arkadev in his family. And the bait-his own daughter! God knows how she looked but we all heard that NIT Suratkal conducted some cool techfests, better than our college. These were all hints for Arkadev but the innocent boy could not understand that and continued to code. Third year was not the year that compelled us to study but it had in store a lot of surprises. Take my pal Gourav for instance, he started his own evolution during this time. The nerdy glasses were replaced by lenses and the uncle looking moustache was gone. I did not know the exact reason for this evolution till of late but his immense urge to evolve was put to a halt when he ended up in a hospital diagnosed with dengu. Pitty that! We gradually got to know the ‘Hindi Group’ of our class and I seriously had no idea that the man named Abhay Kumar Somani was so irritating! They were six instances of the same class! Two of them were the apt Laurel and Hardy, one’s dialogues resembled our newly appointed chief minister, one was a bit too hyper all the time, one was insane as she thought that Abhay actually was not that irritating and I am still studying the traits of the last sample, pending deduction. However, the class of a few students was interesting as we had a lot of fun between the classes. I was enjoying my time, observing, participating and deducing. The end of fifth semester had a pleasant surprise for us. It was Microsoft’s pool recruitment drive and we just had two days to prepare. Devoid of a proper resume and any prior experience we were to sit for the recruitment drive of a company, which was a dream for many of us. I remember that I was full of excitement and did not have any expectation as I sat for the recruitment drive. The first round had a cut off of 100% and no one thought that we had a chance. Amazingly eight of us cracked through and landed in the second round. It was a nice experience for us. What was nicer is that our friends Pratik and Arkadev went on to sit for an interview at Hyderabad! It was yet again proved that opportunity can present itself at any time without any prior notice. You should be smart enough to grab that. Arkadev rocked the interviews as well and set his class apart but I was humbled to see the humility which he showed. He made all of us proud and the faculty who already kept an eye on Arkadev was now desperate to drag him into his family. He still continues to try and God help Arkadev, condolences!

The sixth semester had the most important subjects and the most incorrigible teachers were handling those, barring a few. There was a thrill waiting for me at the end of the semester. No one in the history of our college had given the second internal seriously and I was accused of leaking papers of a major subject of the internals. A lot of drama was in store for me, as I saw my department’s teachers being divided into two groups. The question was actually sent to me by one of the faculty members and I forwarded it to the group mail id for my friends to see. Some of the teachers came to know this fact and there I was- the accused prisoner. The respected faculty member tried to convince me to accept the responsibility of stealing the papers from his desk and leaking them and in return he promised me of high marks in viva and practical examinations including the final year project. But I was smart enough to forward the sent mail to our departmental head to end the drama. That was it, third year ended and it was another industrial project for us. This time we had matters under control and only had a single sleepless night to wrap up the project. All was cool, but all was about to change. The next few months were going to be difficult for us and this was the time of silence, the silence before the storm arrived.

Fourth year just meant one thing, aptitude tests, interviews and then- a job. All of a sudden it seemed that time was not passing by, rather it was flowing with some urgency. We were short on time, we had lots to study and no matter what happened- we needed a job. Resumes had to be written, formals had to be bought, the stylish beards needed to be shaved off, shoes had to be polished, some new manners had to be learnt and most importantly, we needed to introduce ourselves. This is where a man named Manish Srivastav came to the frame. We used to have some training sessions and no one would bunk those. This was all part of getting the right job. No stone was kept unturned and I saw all my friends devoting their mind and soul into studies for the first and possibly the last time.

The D-Day arrived and suddenly we all became fans of a company named Cognizant Technology Solutions. We knew who the CEO was, where was the office, the annual turnover and all the other technical stuff. Interestingly the ones who finally got the job do not remember the answers to all of those questions now! It was a two day drama. The first day was the aptitude test round and the ones qualifying would sit for the interviews the following day. The aptitude test was a roller coaster ride as there were a lot of questions and so little time. The results came out and the storm announced itself. Many of the deserving students flopped while there were some students who unexpectedly cracked the round. Some of my close friends could not make it. I struggled to go and talk with them; I did not know what to say.

Next day was mayhem, 191 students appeared for the interview and fate had a twist in store for me. I was the 191st candidate to be interviewed. I maybe the last candidate who is interviewed but it still was my first job interview. I sat in the chair and the one sitting opposite to me started questioning me. He was talking in his mobile and questioning me simultaneously. Multitasking is a cool thing to grasp when working in an IT company I saw. It was raining questions. My interview lasted for about seven minutes in which he asked me twelve questions. Fortunately I knew answers to all the twelve of them and unfortunately he was not in a mood to listen. I saw the opportunity of a job slipping away but I was helpless. I fought a battle which was already lost! I was rejected. Now I actually knew how my friends felt the day before when they could not crack the aptitude round.

What was even tougher is that within 30 minutes of being rejected I had to sit for the aptitude round of the next company- ITC Infotech. I was not prepared and I was broken. It is then the Laurel Hardy duo came to my rescue and helped me out. They suffered the same fate as mine but they had sometime to cope with it. Abhay and Adarsh seemed to be angels for me at that time. The aptitude round was even tougher- 150 questions had to be answered in 120 minutes. Out of 258 students ITC Infotech recruited only 8 students after a group discussion and two interview rounds; fortunately I was one of them. From this day onwards Abhay became my companion as he also got through. I would like to edit my previous lines about Abhay being an angel- he is a really irritating guy who cracks jokes in the most delicate of situations when one is under tremendous tension- that is one of the most heinous crime and he is nothing close to an angel.

The recruitment saga continued for months to come and gradually all our friends got placed. What is painful to say is that two of my very close friends still did not manage to get through. I am not mentioning their names but I guess and I believe that God has some special surprise awaiting them; it is only a matter of time.

The journey has yet not ended as we have one last semester remaining, it was not always smooth and we all had our share of ups and downs. I made it a point to write it down so that all my friends could perhaps relive the journey once they read this. A few days from now, we will not be meeting anymore and life’s other problems will take its toll. But let’s halt once to look back at the journey we had, the days we lived, the friends we made. I have missed quite a few names and please pardon me for that. Apart from friends from my own section I made friends from the other part of CSE as well. We have a really talented photographer in Ritobrato and some cool event managers in Sunny and Ria. I will be leaving for Bangalore in a few days but I would like to thank everyone for being a part of my journey. Especially my friends from school Sanchari and Arijit. Being with Arijit was always fun and Sanchari has been the one who was my friend throughout this whole time I was in Kolkata, a constant support for me. We have seen much more ups and downs but what is more important is that we still continue to be friends. Lastly Thank You Gourav and Pratik, my two brothers and I do not need to specify any reason.

Let us all celebrate the last few days remaining of our college life and remember that

Few Relationships In Earth Never Die.

17.05.2014

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asheshdas · 10 years

Text

Breeze

Now that the breeze has learnt to write, She can choose to rewrite autumn as spring- To redefine spring as waiting. Now that the breeze has learnt to write, She can transform the urge to travel into a curse- And curse those sticking to a faithful path. Now that the breeze has learnt to write, Coming together is described as moving apart; Love, portrayed as a weakness- A tree, something that cannot give shade! Now the breeze can extinguish our lanterns, Give credence to dusk, dismiss unreliable dawn. Oh all you who teach the breeze to write! Now that the breeze has learnt to write.

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asheshdas · 10 years

Text

Heart

Stuck on the door of pain, It punishes itself in new ways- It cries in the tune of laughing This stubborn heart, There is a problem in the heart.

It doesn't pay heed to its own suggestions- It does not fall nor it tries to recoup. The heart is strangled with difficulties, But it is still proud, It does not bend on trying!

The tongue slips in talks so easily, On any sign it gets averted. The breaths are cold as snow, With smoke in the eyes, It plays a gamble of sorrow and joy Still it is full of hope, It is afraid of itself. A little timid, Tangled in straight threads- Is this stubborn heart, A problem is in the heart.

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asheshdas · 10 years

Text

Missed Call

Aheer sat there, still. The last few boys present in the class left, he was the solitary person in a 20 by 30 classroom of St. Stephens Engineering College. Aheer stared at his watch, it was 5:03 PM. Another Saturday ended, another week ended but life did not have any surprises, happiness and even sorrow for him. It was all so quiet. As the clock ticked along he got up, on his way to home now, his face expressionless and he walked along.

Aheer did not like to talk with anyone, he was devoid of friends. Things did not change as he came into his final year of engineering but things were definitely not the same two years back, when he was in the first year. Just a few moments and life presented him with an unexpected turn, from where there was no returning back. Things were much more different when his elder brother Arun was with him.

Two years ago it was a different Aheer, a normal boy of 19, who was celebrating his brother’s first job on a Wednesday night. They went for a long drive and had dinner at a roadside dhaba. While coming back home, Aheer was driving the car. No, he was not drunk and neither was his brother. A truck overtook their car from the left and suddenly punctured its rear tyre. It came to a sudden halt and Aheer trying to avoid the truck rammed their vehicle in a roadside divider. One day later, he woke up at the hospital with a fractured right hand, a broken collar bone and eight stiches in his head. Arun’s injury was fatal, he was no more. Who was to blame? Was it the truck or the amateur driver Aheer? May be it was fate but life was not the same anymore for Aheer. That day Aheer lost his friend, his all-time companion, and also himself.

The brakes of the bus 786 screeched as it stopped. Aheer boarded the bus, it would take him home. It has been this way since that accident, college-no friends-no birthday treats-no bunking classes-taking the 786 bus from home to college and back again. There was absolutely no one for Aheer with whom he could spend some time or have a heartwarming conversation. He did not like talking with his parents; he was within a shell and did not want to come out. As if there was some burden on him and he was tired of it. Birds used to chirp, the sun rose, seasons changed but Aheer was still stuck in that day of the accident, his brother, their memories.

After a week’s college Aheer had two days of holiday, it was college again from Tuesday. His classmates enjoyed the weekend, some went for a movie, some gathered to play some games-may be a short cricket match was organized while some spent both the days with their girlfriends. Things were not so much normal for Aheer, he spent his days enclosed in the four walls of his room and engulfed with memories of Arun. He did not cry, he was calm and he was used to this. This Tuesday classes got over a bit early, this meant that the students could go for a brisk outing, may be to one of the amusement parks close by. Aheer’s once close friend Puja tried to convince him to join them and like every other time Aheer refused. He had to go home, he had to return to his shell.

The brakes of 786 screeched as Aheer boarded it. He had a seat, the sun was setting across the horizon and the vermilion hues were all over the sky. It was as if someone painted the sky red. Aheer looked at his pocket; he had a twenty rupees note which he gave to the conductor. The bus fare was ten rupees and so the conductor returned him a ten rupees note. The winds from the west started to come as Aheer thought it was going to rain today. It was a relief after the scorching summer heat but would that change anything for Aheer? He stared at the ten rupees note that he got back, there were some scribbles on it, but one of the numbers was distinct, it was a mobile number- a bit strange it looked- 9999786999. “Who could have that sought of a number?”-Aheer thought. He got down from the bus as his stop came. He walked tediously towards his house as his mum opened the door. Aheer went straight to his room and shut the door. This was nothing new.

Monsoon crashed into the city that night, it was a relief, summer was on its way back. It was raining cats and dogs, it was as if the whole city was celebrating. Aheer sat in his room, his computer was not working, may be some network error due to the heavy rains. He had not strummed the guitar strings for a while now, but who would sing for him? Arun was no longer with him. Aheer felt his pocket, the ten rupee note that the conductor returned was still with him. He saw the number again, it was weird. He felt a certain urge to give a call to that number. Even he could not believe that he was actually calling some unknown person, this was so against Aheer, this was so different from what Aheer did. But, he called- the phone rang. It kept on ringing. No one picked it up, Aheer stopped trying. He went for dinner, mum made kichidi today as it was raining, it was delicious. But Aheer showed no interest in it. His parents were used to this but still trying everything which would put a smile back on Aheer’s face. Nothing seemed to work.

Aheer came back to his room and saw his mobile’s display blinking. He checked his mobile to find that he had 21 missed calls. “Who is it?”-Aheer thought. He was astonished to find that same number- 9999786999. Who was this unknown person so much interested in Aheer? He was perplexed, but he called again.

“Mum, I am going, off to college. See you later!”-Aheer shouted as he shut the door, skipped two stairs to jump on the road and off he was. Aheer’s mom was amazed, she was happy, confused, bewildered. She could not believe her ears and could not even believe what she was seeing. Striding across the straight road was Aheer, shirt tucked in, polished shoes- a cleanly shaved handsome young boy of 21. He was full of life. It seemed that the scorching heat of summer took the old Aheer away and the freshness of the monsoon welcomed this new avatar.

Friends at college were astonished, a few of them even failed to recognize Aheer. He went to the class room and sat beside Puja, even she was stunned. But Aheer seemed to be unaffected by these strange stares of their friends, some of them even glared at him. But he was good with everything. It was just like magic. All was well, all of a sudden. Puja got her old pal back. Many thought that she would know the secret of this but even she had no clue. The day passed by but Puja couldn’t ask Aheer that what was the matter? The reason for this sea change in the life and attitude of Aheer remained unclear.

Days passed by, and it was as if Aheer consciously made a new beginning to his life. He used to smile, chat with friends for hours, had a day out frequently during the weekends. The endless laughter, the unnecessary giggles, the silly jokes, the bunking sessions were all part of Aheer’s life again. Some thought that maybe he had some sessions with a psychiatrist which brought this change. His parents thought that maybe he made some new friends at college who brought back Aheer to life. But inspite of all this Aheer’s close friend Puja was not sure of the reason. During one of the weekends at an amusement park, Puja asked Aheer “You seemed to have moved on in life Aheer. Is it a new friend back home who helped you out?” Aheer had a blank stare at her for a few seconds, then quickly responded-“No. It is no one new, just an old bud of mine, we talk over the phone, he helped me out”. The answer was not too much convincing for Puja, but she did not enquire further.

A few weeks later it was Aheer’s birthday. His parents were really excited this time because they were planning a birthday bash for their lad. It was long time after which there would be some celebration in their house. “So, we have a long list of friends to be invited this time, Aheer?” His mom asked. Aheer nodded and said-“Just call Puja; that will be enough”. His parents did not expect this answer as they thought that there must be a bundle of kids who helped their son out. Nevertheless, they did what Aheer said without any more queries and thought that Puja was that friend of his who was to thank.

It was Aheer’s birthday today. There was some joy in the air. Friends called up at 12 o’clock. His mother woke him up with a tight hug and gave him his birthday gift- a mobile phone. Aheer was excited, he couldn’t wait to use it. He quickly changed the SIM cards and switched off his phone as it needed to be charged for twelve hours before its first use. The day passed by as phone calls and warm wishes poured in. Aheer answered all the phone calls with a smile. His parents were so happy, they seem to have forgotten the sorrow of losing their elder son. The ambience of their house had changed. It was happiness all round. Puja came to Aheer’s house in the evening. The birthday boy cut the birthday cake and then they all sat in their living room before dinner. Meanwhile as Aheer was in some other room, Aheer’s mother thanked Puja for everything she had done for their son. Puja quickly understood where the mistake was and told her about the friend of Aheer with whom he used to talk over the phone. Aheer’s mom did not contemplate this, she was a little bit worried but at the same time did not understand how to react. As the night went by they had dinner and it was time for Puja to go. Aheer took Puja in their car to drop her home as it was already late.

As they were out, Aheer’s mother was cleaning the house which was just a bit messed up after the small birthday party. She was still thinking about that friend of Aheer with whom he talks over the phone and thought of speaking with Aheer regarding this once he returned. As she approached Aheer’s room she heard a noise, it was Aheer’s new mobile phone ringing. He must have switched that on before going but forgot to take it. She went to the phone and saw the number. It was a weird one- 9999786999. However she picked up the phone. Before she could utter a word, the person from the other side said “I have been trying to contact you since today morning but your cell was switched off champ! However, many happy returns of the day little brother!” It was Arun.

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