Thursday, October 12, 2006

I didn't want to come back.
I swear I didn't.
And even if I did, I wanted work. Work which choked, strangled. Work which soothed, lullabied. Work which made one forget.
But then the wind came...
through the narrow galis, past the old pan shop with its rows of shining silver jars full of zarda, past the oil stained walls of 'Khirod Kachori Bhandar' which smelt of ghee and smoke all day, past the shorts wearing and mineral water drinking foreigners who were disappointed with the University because, unlike the rest of the city, it was 'green, clean, vast and quiet'. It blew through the old haveli where a rickety old man sat smoking a hookah on his even ricketier old khatiya. It ruffled the leaves of the pipal tree, making the inhabitant monkeys chatter even more loudly.

And it brought with it the incense, the flowers, the gobar, the innumerable cows, the earthen diyas, the ash-smeared jatadhari sadhus, the brass trinkets, the glass bangles, the tinkleof the bells, the busy chant of the purohits, the trade-cry of the hawkers, the ever present gurgle of the river, the Gangarati, the colours, the faith, the courage - the sheer energy of moving, speking, throbbing humanity.



And I breathed it in. All of it.
And laughed.
I am back now. And the facade is safely back in its place again.
I am smiling.
See me smile.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Yes! let the rich deride, the proud disdain,
These simple blessings of the lowly train
To me more dear, congenial to my heart,
One native charm than all the gloss of art
Spontaneous joys, where nature has its play,
The soul adopts, and owns the first-born sway."

---Oliver Goldsmith (Deserted Village)

Spontaneous joys--Yes.I see the grin. :)

Rapid I Movement said...

Benaras?

Anonymous said...

oh yes, masks.
I like this, sen. where is this?

Lucifer said...

That wind will go back soon.

Trust me on that.

Better : don't.

Lucifer said...

And by the way, its not that that I am dissuading you or mocking you.

I am a depression addict of sorts.
Never mind.

And yes, nice blog.

Anonymous said...

same ?...benaras??

Unknown said...

wonderfully written...Beneras no doubt! Wud u really want to stay away from from Monida's and champadi for life? ...really?

March Hare said...

@anon - :).

@rim - yes. :) it IS apparent. Isnt it?

@aquilusaltus - benares. :)

@the nameless one - wind going back doesnt dissuade me. :P

@lilith - thank you. :)

@inihos - yes. :)

@saptarshi - No i wouldn't. And that is the problem.:P

onnesha said...

you are SO aldous huxley....beanres??benaras bol re firingi!!!
and thanks a ton for rubbing it in for the nth time....sigh...of all the places i really miss sankat mochan and dashaswamedh ghat the most...its got this ethereal charm that always succeeded in bowling me over...

Unknown said...

:D

± said...

Welcome back :)
And the smile is always welcome... facade or otherwise... though my must say your vivid descriptions of the aromas was real good... i could almost smell it myself.

happy diwali :)

Poorna Banerjee said...

Hmmm.......... the nostalgic nag is back, I see.

Anyway, I ask you one question : When do I see a new post??

Subhayu said...

"for what it's worth it was worth all the while....."

scorpionragz said...

Shala!!! (wipes a tear)
Joy baby Bimbonath!!!
amake ekdin niye jabi??