The “Red Carpet” Welcome: By Chance
By: Moramee Das
10th September 2011
As usual today also I was late for myuniversity classes, so I asked my father to drop me till the nearest bus stand.Looking at my hurriness, he took me till Fancy Bazaar and the immediate bus hegot (without asking its destination) stopped it and made me climb in it. Iclimb without any hesitation and I didn’t even care to ask where it was going.Only on the next stoppage I got to know as the handy man was shouting.
“Hajo”!
“Hajo”!
I was like “what”!
But calmed myselfand searched for my purse: had 40 bucks with me: that’s enough I thoughtbecause my most prized possession was with me “my camera”.
The next 45minutestill Jalukbari I was fully engrossed in analyzing the outcome of my not goingto class and for a change, going for an adventure. Although there was not somuch that I will miss but still I would loose much if I denied what my heartdesired. Even I satisfied myself by telling that “my dad himself had put me inthis bus” and therefore I was 10% to be blamed out of 100.
So finally I tookthe decision, the bus took the turn from the Jalukbari stoppage to theSaraighat Bridge route and now I was off to a place that I would exploremyself. A really unexpected journey to Hajo “all by myself”. I kept on thinkinghow people’s lives are unpredictable and how my day will unfold itself to mewhich I had created myself.
I asked the conductor:
“How much till Hajo?”
“Rs.10/-“; he said
The journey waslovely, the weather was pleasant, I found a sort of satisfaction even thoughthe handyman was occasionally shouting his due for the passengers to come, alongwith a variety of bumps that I experienced throughout the way.
I crossed beautifulsights, the long green fields, sometimes accompanied by huge surfaces of wateror else cows grazing in the open fields underneath the cloudy sky. The sun wastoday hiding among those clouds very rarely giving its glimpses to me.
After half anhour we came across a small road bridge and through the window I saw twoadjoining hills and a stream flowing through. A very similar sight which we useto draw when we were kids during our drawing classes:”scenery”. I thought to askthe driver to stop but I hesitated. I don’t know why!!
As I got knowthat Hajo was near I kept note of every landmark I crossed. Finally the busstopped, I climbed down, stretching myself it was a 1 hour journey. I noticedtwo ladies standing in front of a house, I asked:
“Can I use your bathroom?”
And thankfully theydidn’t deny me. After refreshing myself I thanked them and went out for an adventure.This time I made sure that I remember the roads. As I started to walk around Ifelt disappointed because it resembled much like Guwahati .I didn’t found whatI looked for ……although I was blank of what I expected out of my journey.
I took threeto four turn of the roads, until I founded a lane of houses or hut because theywere not concrete, it was a village, I walk through it and noticed peoplestaring at me. They were curious about who I was and what I was doing there .I hadto answer many of such questions and finally I replied:
“I write for magazines and I’m a photographer”
They were eager to help me out but I was searching something else.Then I notice a girl, she was very lively and I approached her:
“What’s your name?”
“Poonam”; she said happily.
“Don’t you have school today”; I enquired
“No I didn’t went”; she replied
“Well then, I’m a photographer ...will you take me to place where Ican get nice pictures?”
“Yes! Yes!”
She was excited asI was, her friend Pratibha was also eager to accompany us. I took her, butbefore that I wanted to ask their parents permission. They enquired what I doand where I was from and I replied as I did to the previous people.
Now we were three,Poonam and Pratiba was my guide of the day. They took me to a nearby placewhich covers a huge amount of land. Nearby was a cremation place of the Hindusalong with a pond. In the pond women and ducks were bathing together, it wasreally nice to watch them. As I took out my camera to take there pictures theystarted to scold us but we giggled and took snaps .Suddenly we were welcomed bya huge shower which didn’t last long .The place was surrounded by huge oldtrees and I was able to identify many plants growing there. We strolled around,chatted, took snaps and got an invitation to visit in puja holidays because shewill be free then and we will have a good time.
“She had a heart of gold”; I thought
We were about toleave this place and have to go toanother place and as we took the route adorned with the trees and kuccha housespeople ,we noticed people gathering the side of the road, whispering, smilingetc, I felt embrassing,a I walked the lane but it felt nice, it was likewalking in the red carpet in Cannes.
I heard them whispering:”they had come “;”they had come”
“What’s the matter Poonam?” I asked
“I don’t know, maybe you havecome from Guwahati, so people have come to see you”; Poonam told me
“Is that so”; I asked surprisingly.
We were confusedafter a time and felt awkward because on both sides of the road there werepeople packed, and now it was too much. As we reached Poonam’s home we heard a woman’sshouting, she was crying loudly .Poonam rushed, the tension was mounting in mymind had no idea what was going on. It was Poonam’s mother; as soon as Poonamreached there her mother caught her hair and started beating her. Poonam lookedhelplessly at me. I started to stop her mother; but………during that time somewomen took her mother inside .They told me that her mother thought that I hadkidnapped her daughter. Then I clarified them that I took their permissionbefore. I was shocked and was very hurt for Poonam as well as for me. I didn’tthought that my day would unfold before me like it had done. The lively childgot a beating for me in front of the people. I tried to make the peopleunderstand & after some time the situation came to a hold. The peopleinvited me to have a tea with them but I wished to meet Poonam and her mother.I denied the offer and decided to go back. In the bus stand there was no bus soI decided to get a tempo, but I met Poonam’s dad I thanked him and told aboutthe situation. He seemed very casual.
I took the tempo,the rain started to fall, I put on my I-pod and listening to the songs Ireflected on the situation that just happened. I didn’t knew who was to blamebut I really knew that people’s life are really unpredictable.
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nice....good...bohut bhal....
ReplyDeletethank you imran da
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