Saheb Dadai - a short story

        Chapter 1

The rectangular drawer of the old wooden chest seemed to have got jammed in an awkward way and was refusing to slide in smoothly. The little boy who was pulling it with all his might wasn’t too pleased with this sudden interruption in his enthusiastic rummaging of his grandfather’s chest of drawers. He paused for a while from his struggle to straighten the drawer and crouched to peep inside. His eyes lit up as he peered closely into the dark cavern of the drawer and seemed to find what he was looking for. 

He stretched out his hand into the crevice trying to grasp the contents which lay hidden in the far corner of the drawer. His fingers brushed across a stack of papers of different feel. The little boy continued to run his fingers through the stack, but he could only make out that the papers were of different sizes and textures and some of them were tied up in bunches by cloth strings. So engrossed was he in his process of discovery, that he didn’t hear the faint sounds of footsteps that had come into the room by then.

“Andy! ….what are you doing there?” a voice sharply called out, startling him suddenly.

The little boy quickly glanced over his shoulders to find his mother standing a few steps behind him, inside the room. He quickly withdrew his hand from inside the drawer and looked sheepishly at his mother.

“Did I not tell you to go and take rest in your room? And instead of that, what are you doing here?” Andy’s mother said, looking at him, her voice somewhat firm.

 “And why are you rummaging through these old and dusty drawers again? Haven’t I told you not to play with these things… see, you have jammed the drawer now!”

Andy’s mother continued her scornfulness toward her son, as she bent down and with a thrust and jerk straightened the drawer and slammed it shut in the chest. Brushing the dust off her fingers, she caught hold of the boy’s arm marching off with him to the adjoining room for the routine afternoon siesta!

It was a summer afternoon and the house lay silent, with its occupants mostly asleep in their respective rooms. The occasional squeak of the ceiling fans could only be heard as they furiously spun, making the rooms cooler. Lying beside his mother and his eyes transfixed on the ceiling fan circling above, Andy lay wide awake! He was so close to his discovery today. His mind wandering over to his favourite web of thoughts…his Saheb-dadai!!

The more he thought about this man, the more intrigued he felt. By relation, his great uncle, but Andy felt directly connected to the man even though he had never seen him. But there was no dearth of stories about him in the family and Andy just loved to hear them over and over again! And his curiosity was readily satisfied on lazy afternoons and sleepy nights by his grandmother and grandfather and sometimes by his father too!

This less-seen but much spoken-of character in the family was called by more names than one! To Andy’s father and aunts he was their loving ‘Guli-kaka’ while an elder cousin sister of Andy had coined the name ‘Saheb-dadai’ for him, as he lived in far-off England which for the children was always the land of ‘Sahebs’! Guli-kaka carried a different aura about himself in this otherwise quiet and orthodox Bengali family and the way he was revered and spoken about, truly lent a dash of colour and enigma to his personality. And it was this aspect that had charmed the eight year old Andy. He longed to find out more about this man who had travelled the seas like Sinbad unleashing his flamboyant adventurous spirit!

 There was another reason why Andy felt specially attached to his ‘Saheb-dadai’ and that was his own name: Andy! It was certainly an uncommon one for a name in an orthodox Hindu family and sounded quite out-of-place at times. But he had learnt from his grandmother that it was Saheb-dadai who had christened him with this name and as per his wish the name stayed forever. The story of his birth had already become legendary in the family and Andy loved to hear it over and over again from his grandmother! The aura around the legend was not about him being born but that the occasion was the last time that the family saw Saheb-dadai amongst them! And something that everyone in the family spoke of was how Saheb-dadai had himself carried the newborn child from the nursing home in his arms to the family house, christened him with this very uncommon name and then returned to England soon after.

Lying on a mat, snuggled close to his grandmother, on many a moon-lit night, Andy would request her to recite this story once again. His grandmother, whom he and other children of the family fondly called ‘Mum-mum’, would then lovingly smile at him and start her recital of the tale probably for the umpteenth time! Often as she brought the tale to a close, she would let out a sigh and say:

“I wish he would come back once again to see you grow up! How much we all miss him… and I am sure he misses us too…” Her voice would trail off and taking a glance at the wrinkled face of his grandmother, Andy would probably see her eyes moistening.

“Tell me more about my grandfathers Mum-mum…” Tugging at her arm Andy would cut through her thoughts and say.

“Your grandfathers were three brothers you know…  Sailen, Jiten and Satyen!”  Mum-mum continued, looking up at the dark starry night sky as they lay on the mat on the terrace.

Andy knew about this fact already; his own grandfather was Jiten an accomplished professor of Sanskrit and author of many books. Andy loved listening to stories and doing all kinds of word activities with him sitting on his bed! Andy also knew that his grandfather’s elder brother Sailen had passed away just few months before he was born. Sailen was a doctor and a much revered man in the social circles within which the family mingled. He was Mum-mum’s husband and ever since his early childhood recollections, Andy had seen a large framed photograph of him seated on a chair, kept in the central square lobby of the house. And Satyen was the much loved ‘Guli-kaka’ of the family and his ‘Saheb-dadai’!

“No No… I know all that! Tell me from where you had left off the earlier day!” Andy hurriedly interrupted his grandmother.

Mum-mum smiled at him and looking at the night sky seemed to recollect the thread of the story. She had a fantastic skill of weaving tales out of the history of the family and its characters.

“You were saying about the many concerns that Saheb-dadai’s letters would not reach his brother from across the seas due to the World War that had disrupted life in many countries across the world” Andy impatiently said, trying to connect the lost threads of the story to his grandmother.

“Yes, that’s right..” Mum-mum continued in an enthusiastic voice.

 “What did they write in these letters, Mum-mum?” Andy asked innocently.

“Oh they used to write a lot of things. Saheb-dadai used to tell his brother where he was and the situations of the place, how he was managing his work, his stay and travels. And Jiten also used to write back keeping his younger brother informed about the family here and how much all of us missed him…”

“You must read some of those letters when you grow up. Your grandfather has kept most of them with him.” Mum-mum said.

In the next few hours, Andy listened intently to his grandmother’s story as the character of ‘Saheb-dadai’ gradually unfolded in his imagination till he was softly lulled to sleep!

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‘It must be some of those letters only, that are stacked away inside the drawers’, Andy thought as he lay awake on his mother’s bed that summer afternoon.

 ‘Maybe I should ask Grandfather directly about the letters and he can read them to me’. Andy thought and mentally decided that he would do it once he got back from school the next day.

As he closed his eyes and snuggled closer to his mother, his mind wandered to imagine Saheb-dadai, sitting in an arm-chair in the drawing room of a quaint old house, down a tree-lined street, in a city called London, miles away! 

Andy tried hard to imagine…he had only heard the name ‘London’, that’s where his Saheb-dadai stayed, but young Andy knew nothing more about the place!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Andy never quite got the opportunity in the following few days to get back to the search of his ‘Saheb-dadai’s’ letters. Something or the other kept coming by to stall his endeavour but that did not deter the young mind from pursuing his quest. He did ask his grandfather about it one evening, but his grandfather only smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

“You are too small now to understand all this”, his grandfather Jiten told him lovingly.

“But yes, when you grow up you must know about your Saheb-dadai, for he is indeed a man of great character and a truly inspirational personality”, Andy’s grandfather said softly, his eyes looking out of the window. “Wait, I will give you something!”

As Andy looked on inquisitively, his grandfather bent down and opened the same drawer which he was trying to open the other day! From inside, his grandfather took out a leather case and carefully opening it took out a small piece of paper, brown in colour.

After having put the case back in the drawer and having shut the same, he turned towards Andy and extending his hand held out the small brown paper to the young boy. Andy took a few steps ahead and took the paper from his grandfather. It was a folded piece of paper, brown in colour and looked quite old and almost brittle. As Andy slowly opened the single fold of the paper, he looked down and saw that it contained a small photograph. The picture was a black-and-white one, almost as small as a postage stamp and was pasted to the brown piece of paper. The young man whose photograph it was needed no introduction to Andy: he knew him very well already … his Saheb-dadai!

 “You know, I always used to keep this photograph of my brother Guli in my work-case. It has been there for many years, ever since he left home.” Jiten’s voice was almost a whisper and was audible only to himself and his dear grandson. As Andy listened intently, Jiten spoke along…

“Whenever I looked at his photograph, I felt that he was close to me. Our mother had passed away when we were very young, and Guli was only a boy then. He always used to be close with me and would ask me for everything. When he left, it was such a heart-burn for both of us, as we had never stayed without each other ever before that. But it was a big and bold decision that he took in his life…” Jiten’s voice trailed off as if he had got transported to those days of separation with his dear brother.

“When Guli left home there was utter chaos in our house and many people were saying a whole lot of things. But Guli came to me and said: ‘Dada, don’t worry, I will return in a few years. It is just that this assignment which I have earned is so important an opportunity for me that I don’t want to throw it away. And when I return, all the people will be happily surprised!’ Honestly, I did not doubt his words, but somewhere at the back of my mind I was apprehensive that he may not actually return too soon.”

“But I had felt very happy for my brother. He was an ambitious man with a lot of courage and someone who could almost write his own destiny by his own hands! And see, he has actually done that! Only that his parting words on that day did not come true for us. So many years went by but Guli never returned…”

Jiten paused for a while and took a deep breath. And then smiling at his grandson, who was looking up expectantly at his face, he continued.

“But I have no regrets, though I miss him very much even today. And such a man has never come by in our family. Even though he has been away for so many years, we have kept in close touch as far as possible through letters. Even Guli visited us few times; the last time being when you were born!” Jiten lightly placed his hand on his grandson’s head.

 “Now I have grown old and do not go out anymore, so this photograph lies locked in my work-case. So, you can keep it with you.” Jiten nodded to his grandson, who looked up wide-eyed. “As you grow up, this photograph will remind you about me and my brother Guli, one of the most courageous and inspirational members of our family! But you must keep it very safely and not lose it”. Jiten said to the young Andy who nodded his head as if to assure his grandfather.

“Dadai, can I ask you something?” Andy softly asked as he slid off his grandfather’s lap sensing that the Saheb-dadai story was over for the time being. Jiten smiled and looked at his grandson questioningly.

“I want to read the letters which Saheb-dadai wrote to you.” Andy put forth his request.

“But you are too young now and you may not understand everything. You can read them once you grow up a bit. And the letters are kept in my drawer only and will remain there.” Jiten smiled again and said, pointing to the dark brown chest of drawers that stood at the corner of room across the bed. Andy nodded his head and glanced at the picture of Saheb-dadai in his hand and smiled at his grandfather.

                                                                  Chapter 2

“Being the youngest of the children in a large family in those days also often meant that you grow up on the sidelines!” Mum-mum said, looking up at the starry night sky. As usual, she was there on the terrace with some others of the family, enjoying a post-dinner relaxation time lying on a mat, and needless to say little Andy had snuggled close to her with his request for stories. And like most of the times, Mum-mum had started to tell Andy the story about his Saheb-Dadai.

Looking at Andy’s face which sported a quizzical look, Mum-mum decided to clarify her statement.

“Guli was the youngest of the lot, but not necessarily the most pampered one! When I was married to his elder brother and came into the family, he was about fifteen years old and I have seen him since then. Even as a young lad, Guli was on his own and hardly depended on anyone else to take care of him. He was particularly fond of Jiten, his middle brother and the two shared a very special bond ever since. I can say, Guli grew up in the shadow of his brothers.

For a family that came with a lineage of teachers and professors of Sanskrit down the ages, Guli’s decision to study engineering was quite a surprise for all.

“But, no one in the family has ever been into engineering! Are you sure Guli….?” His father, a renowned professor of Sanskrit at the Government College, asked with concern for his youngest son.

“No problem father…” Guli’s elder brother Sailen spoke up even before Guli could open his mouth. “No one in the family had ever been a doctor either!” Sailen was a doctor by profession and well-established at that. Jiten of course had chosen to follow his father’s footsteps and was a professor of Sanskrit.”

Andy turned over on the mat and propped himself up on his elbows and added, “That was nice indeed. All the three brothers chose different careers, so we have a doctor, a professor and an engineer in the family!” Mum-mum laughed aloud at the little boy’s comment and nodded in the affirmative.

“So, very soon Guli got himself admitted into one of the reputed Engineering Colleges of the city.” Mum-mum continued. “And you must remember, those were the times when the British still ruled over India and their centre of control was our city Calcutta. So, in most of the colleges we had professors and teachers who were Englishmen and they followed the western methods of study and used all mechanics of the western world to teach their students. And our Guli also started to learn those mechanics gradually.”

Mum-mum smiled at her little grandson and said, “It just seems like the other day, even though it is now so many years and our Guli is away in some far away land…” Andy tugged at her arm once again, fearing that the flow of the family story might wander away.

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Andy did not hear the ring of the telephone in the first instance. Though he was fascinated by this unique instrument, black in colour, which stood all wired up, he would rush towards it whenever it let out its shrill ring, but he was never allowed by the elders to pick up its receiver or speak into it.

That day when the phone rang it was evening time and Andy was with his mother inside the room, trying to focus on practicing sums which were a part of his weekend homework. The phone rang incessantly as there was no one present in the hall where the instrument was placed. It was quite some time before Andy’s father came rushing out of his study and picked up the receiver minutes before the call could get disconnected.

By that time, some of the other family members had also rushed into the hall: Andy’s elder aunt who was busy in her room with her guitar musings, Andy’s mother who left her son with the sums and rushed to attend the telephone and Andy’s grandmother who was sitting at her evening religious rituals and recitations in the puja room. But what none of these people had noticed in their rush was that the telephone ring was significantly longer than usual, signalling that this was an International Trunk Call!

“Hello…hello..!” Andy’s father almost shouted into the mouth-piece of the instrument as he pressed the receiver hard against his ear. After a short while, it seemed that the line had stabilized and the communication was able to flow smoothly. Andy in the meantime had slowly got off his study table and proceeded towards the door of the room, observing the scene unfolding in the hall.

Peeping from behind the curtain and unobserved by others, the little boy noticed his father’s face change expressions every minute as the telephone conversation ensued. He saw his father speak animatedly with the caller on the other end trying to gather as much information as he could. Though from the unfolding of the scene Andy couldn’t really make out much then, he could sense that this was certainly an important call and an unusual one, for his father spoke all through the conversation in English, which he had hardly ever heard in the past in his house.

After a few minutes, the conversation ended and he saw his father put down the receiver back onto the telephone cradle and turn to face the others waiting expectantly. Andy was shocked to see his father’s face. It bore a deadly gloom and an expression of grief. He understood that something terrible had happened. Andy saw his father speak in a whisper to his aunt and mother and from the look of the expressions on their faces, his fears were confirmed.

Within minutes Andy saw his father and elder aunt also walk into the room and following them was his youngest aunt, whom he loved dearly. She bore a questioning look on her face, quite oblivious of the international trunk call that had landed on their telephone and the news that it had heralded. The conversation between the four adults continued for a while ignoring the presence of the little boy in the room who continued to look on intently. As they all turned to leave the room, Andy could not hold himself back any further.

“What has happened father?” He softly asked, still standing beside his study table, but his eyes glued to his father’s face all the while.

As the others left the room, Andy’s father stepped back hearing his son’s voice. He came close to Andy and picked him up in his arms. Andy looked closely into his father’s eyes and could sense a feeling of shock and grief in them. His father comfortingly put his hand on Andy’s head and caressed him softly. Then as if in a whisper he spoke.

“Andy… Remember your Saheb-dadai in England? We have just got the news that your Saheb-dadai has passed away today morning in London… His son had called to convey the news to us…”

Andy trembled within as his father’s words hit him and he tried to fathom the realization. He saw his father’s eyes grow watery and his face seemed in deep anguish, as his father put him down from his lap.

“We don’t know how we will break this news to your grandfather and others in the family…” Andy’s father spoke as if to himself, as he quietly ruffled his son’s hair and then gradually went out of the room.

Andy stepped back and quietly sat on his chair, his palms folded on his lap, his head bowed and his gaze fixed on his palms. This was his first interaction with any news of ‘death’ and he tried his best to realize the impact. 

Slowly he got up and opened the last drawer of his study table, the place where he usually kept all his personal stuff which his mother loved to call ‘junk’. His small diary which his father had given him was right there on the top amongst other things stuffed in the drawer. Andy took out the diary and closed the drawer. He flipped through the empty pages till he came to the middle of the book. 

There lay on the page a small brown piece of paper, almost gone brittle, but with a photograph pasted on it. It was the same item which he had received from his grandfather a few days back and had kept as one of his most precious possessions.

The picture of his Saheb-dadai looked up at him, as Andy opened the fold of the brown paper and held it in his palm. A handsome young man with a smiling face, his hair neatly combed and parted at the side, his Saheb-dadai shone bright and inspiring as he looked directly at Andy from the photograph.

“I will never get to meet you Saheb-dadai…never in my life!” the thought raced through Andy’s head as he looked on at the tiny photograph in his hand. 

This then was what ‘death’ meant…an infinite separation! 

Andy suddenly felt his heart burst inside his chest and his eyes well up. Warm tears slowly rolled down his cheeks, as beyond the door curtain he heard the voices of his parents, aunts and grandmother in commotion: His father had broken the terrible news to the family!

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World's Quirkiest Table manners - a sample!

It is said, travel and food often complement each other. No visit to a new country is complete till you have sampled the local cuisine and that too as the locals do!

So, what better than picking up some of the lesser known but peculiarly humorous Table Manners from around the world!

Here’s presenting a compilation of select ten of the world’s quirkiest Table Manners …

1. When stirring tea in England, make sure the spoon does not touch the sides of the cup!

2. Slurping noodles in Japan or making such loud noises show that you are enjoying your meal!

3. While eating pasta in Italy – and this extends only to pasta – you need not wait for the others to be served. You can dig in right away!

4. Known for their Port wine, the Portuguese consider bringing a bottle of wine for the hostess of a dinner party, an insult!

5. When you finish a meal at a restaurant in China, make sure you leave some food on your plate. This tells the host that he has given you enough to eat. Also, burping is considered a sign of appreciation of the food!

6. In the United States of America, do not rest your elbows on the table while eating – either keep them airborne or tucked into your sides!

7. The French consider it a sign of disrespect if your phone rings while you are having your meal. Keep your phone on silent while dining with them!

8. Salting your food is considered an insult in Egypt. It is thought that the cook intended for the food to taste that way!

9. In Korea, it is polite to pour drinks out for others!

10. In Germany, slicing potatoes with a knife is rude. Smash them with a fork instead!

So next time you find yourself dining around the world be sure to check your Table manners! May be pick up a few more quirky ones to add to your list…and do let me know!

                                                                    

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Halloween and Bhoot Chaturdashi !

Just a few days away from the famously scary festival of Halloween, this year, I find myself in North America, amusingly in the seat of the pumpkin carving, howling and wailing, trick-or-treating, supposedly scary celebration of the spirits and ghosts from the other world! Halloween is not new to me, but something which I hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy from close quarters hitherto.

The festival traces its roots to the very old Celtic and Gaelic rituals of celebrating “Samhain”, during harvest times, of honoring and warding off the spirits of the dead. As tradition and superstition blend together even in modern day Halloween concepts, people cling to their beliefs of not crossing paths with black cats or passing beneath a leaning ladder, believing that witches still disguise themselves as black cats to avoid detection or ghosts easily get attracted to leaning ladders.

What was once observed as “All Saints Day” and the eve prior as Hallow’s Eve has now christened itself to Halloween, the funny yet scary event that kids and grown-ups alike, look forward to. While there have been many myths weaved around Halloween to make it appear scarier, tradition still holds that the spirits of the dead return to the earth on this night! And as they do, they tend to create more confusion than joy, thus scaring away the living to their fears’ end! Hence, people want to carve out pumpkins and turn them into lighted lanterns, leave food outside their homes, and light large bonfires in the fields to mis-lead and ward off the evil fairy spirits from the neighbourhood.

Passing through the streets of the Canadian capital and seeing Halloween preparations at almost every turn, I cannot help but be amused. Also, my childhood memory of our very own Bengali “Bhoot Chaturdashi” seems to come back very strongly in the spirit of Halloween! 

A ritual celebrated on the fourteenth night of the moon’s cycle at this time of the year, and just preceding the worship of the goddess Kali, Bhoot Chaturdashi is a simple yet sinister celebration without doubt. Fourteen earthen prayer lamps (now replaced by candles in many homes) are lighted and placed in different locations and corners of the home; it is believed that these lamps burn to ward off evil spirits.

Goddess Kali, the slayer of all monsters and ghostly spirits, is in herself quite unnerving to behold in some of her avatars, and heralding her arrival it is believed that all the creepy and spooky creatures of the netherworld run helter-skelter the night before! That these spirits do not hide in any dark corner, or cast their evil spells, people light the earthen prayer lamps in their homes. 

Children in many a Bengali household even today run around behind their elders fanning away such imaginary spirits as the lamps are dutifully placed in every room! The delight and fun in this activity is forever etched in childhood memories!

So, with the pumpkin lanterns of Halloween and the decorated earthen lamps of Bhoot Chaturdashi, ghosts and spirits of every form, shape and size that haunt the world, certainly do not enjoy such frightening  ‘fun and abandon’ by us at their expense, this time every year!

                                                                 ----------------------------------

A Chance Encounter

The Search

Mumbai

“Excuse me!” I heard a female voice calling out to me, as I turned my steps away from the reception desk in the plush office of Star TV in Tardeo, Mumbai. I had arrived here only a few minutes ago to enquire the whereabouts of my friend Kaushik, but the lady at the reception couldn’t offer any information except that she could set up an appointment for me with an HR executive of the company where possibly I could gain some clue. Having sought the appointment for the next day, I had just turned to leave when I heard this female voice call out after me.

I turned my head and saw a young lady walking up towards me with a hint of a smile on her face. From the Identity Card she wore around her neck, it was evident that she was an employee of this organization. As I looked at her, I had an inkling that she looked familiar but was unable to recall if I had met her before! I began to wonder what it would have been that she wished to speak to me.

The lady walked right up to me and said, “Sorry, I was passing by the reception while you were speaking to my colleague there and I overheard you. You were enquiring about Kaushik, right?”

“That’s very right, do you know him?” I impatiently enquired, seeing a ray of hope in finding some information about my long lost friend.

“Well, I am Manisha, and I do know Kaushik...in fact, quite well!” she said with a faint smile.

Yes, that was it! The name! And it all connected back immediately. Manisha… I had heard the name from Kaushik himself, so many times. And not just the name, Kaushik had shown me a few photographs of her too, and that’s how she looked so familiar to me now!

“You are Manisha! I do know you… I mean I have heard about you from Kaushik and seen your photos too!” I quickly said, “You guys are …” I questioningly looked at her with a smile, but she abruptly cut me off there!

“I know what you are thinking; we were together sometime, but no longer! But I am surprised that Kaushik has spoken about me to someone”, she said, the smile vanishing rapidly from her face.

“Look, whatever it is, you know my friend Kaushik, and I need to know more from you. We have to talk”, I hurriedly said, in an attempt to impatiently get more information.

“Your ‘friend’? Are you a friend of Kaushik?” she asked with a quizzical look on her fair face. Suddenly I realized that I hadn’t still introduced myself being too anxious to get some clue on Kaushik!

“Oh my God! I have heard about you so much from him! What a way to finally meet you!” the smile was back on Manisha’s face after I had introduced myself to her.

“Yes, we need to talk about this. I also need to know answers to a lot of questions, but it can’t be here! Let’s meet today evening at 8 at “Love & Latte” in Bandra… do you know the place?” Manisha glanced at her watch and firmly said.

There again! “Love & Latte”! I had heard about this place also from Kaushik few times, though never had visited there myself. Everything seemed to suddenly connect so very mysteriously, I started feeling goose bumps, standing there right away! I simply nodded at Manisha, my eyes fixed on her face trying to fathom her expressions and connect it to what she had said just then!

“Well, see you then in the evening, I got to go now.” Manisha waved at me and turned back. With a swing of the glass door she disappeared inside the busy office of Star TV. As I entered the elevator, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t taken her phone number. Well, I was almost sure that she would come to ‘Love & Latte’ that evening, but just in case. I stepped out from the plush building onto the crowded streets of Mumbai with a myriad of thoughts crossing my mind!

What answers were Manisha looking for? Was there a further mystery to Kaushik now? Manisha’s eyes had lit up when she had heard my name and immediately had connected my long-standing friendship with Kaushik. After years of search, I had finally found some clue to lead me to Kaushik, but deep down I felt something uncomfortable about Manisha; one would call it a gut-feel but I wasn’t able to place a finger on it!

                                                            ********************

Back in my hotel room, I couldn’t rest my mind one bit! The hours seem to drag and the clock hands refused to move faster! After my chance meeting with Manisha in the morning at the Star TV office, I was together excited and anxious! I knew I was on a hot lead now and was growing more desperate to find Kaushik! Though the similarities felt uncanny, first the Star TV office, then Manisha and finally ‘Love & Latte’… it was so true and so well connected to Kaushik that I didn’t have a choice but to tag them together in a clue to trace out my long lost friend!

                                                            **********************

“Something is brewing brother, and it’s more aromatic than this fantastic coffee! In fact it whiffs of a romantic aroma, so don’t even hold it back!” I teased Kaushik, as he shyly turned his eyes away and put down his coffee cup! We were sitting in the comfortable lounge of “Dhuan Coffee & Grill” in Andheri, indulging in our after-office catching up, when Kaushik just let slip this brief information on Manisha!

“Just a colleague”, Kaushik had started off describing her, but drawn into the exciting conversation that ensued, I could well gauge that my friend had already grown a strong liking for this ‘beautiful colleague’ of his at the Star TV office!

The introvert that he was forever, I knew Kaushik to always keep his emotions to himself and it was upon us, his friends, to always draw it out from him! And I for one knew how much this sensitive friend of mine had felt hurt after the ‘Ankita-episode’ during our college leaving days. Though most of our close circle of friends refrained from mentioning it with Kaushik or discussing it otherwise, we felt for him and waited for him to get over with it. And after these many long years, I was indeed happy to see Kaushik shyly smile at the mention of another girl and it took me no time to gather that he had probably found his ‘special one’ finally!

As I urged him on, Kaushik opened up his story gradually, “We work in the same team here. I am in the camera team while she is with the scripting team, and we do a lot of stories together. And that is probably how we found interest in each other!”

“Well, to start with we used to be working together on projects and that’s how got to spend a lot of time together in the office and outdoor locations, but lately we often catch up post our work time also. You know ‘Love & Latte’, the coffee-shop at the corner of Turner Road? That’s our favourite haunt! It’s a lovely place, where you can sit and spend quiet moments over lovely coffee… I will take you there sometime!” Kaushik excitedly said.

“I will come with you only if you introduce me to Manisha!” I laughed out, “then you guys can enjoy your ‘quiet moments’ and I will sample out the coffee there!”

“Oh yes…you and your love for coffee! As always...” Kaushik took a dig at my weakness for the aromatic coffee flavours and we two had a hearty laugh together!

“But seriously Kaushik, it’s been ten years now that you have kept yourself away after Ankita left, and that’s not fair”, I don’t know why I suddenly brought up Ankita in this happy moment and I could see my friend flinch. But I continued, “You should think of settling down now and since you have found someone…”

Kaushik suddenly looked up at me, and cutting me off, said, “But there are issues which we need to sort out…only then can we…” his voice trailed off and his eyes shifted from mine.

“Its fine my friend,” I leaned forward and put my hand on his shoulder, across the table, “things will sort out”. Kaushik looked up and smiled. “Am sure they will whatever they may be!” I reiterated.

After this hearty meeting with Kaushik in 2006 during one of my visits to Mumbai and the regular routine of meeting up with him, once again did we discuss Manisha, which was about a year later. And it was then that Kaushik had showed me her photographs. They were taken during one of their outdoor projects in Lonavala and Manisha looked truly elegant in the pictures in her semi-casual outfit! I could not help but appreciate my friend’s choice and luck and wished him well! Kaushik had not divulged much regarding any ‘issues’ that may still have been there about their relationship, and seeing my friend quite happy with his life, neither had I probed much!

                                                           

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I reached the crossing of Turner Road and Waterfield Road in Bandra West, and checked my watch as I stepped out of the cab. Still ten minutes to go before it struck 8pm! I looked up at the coffee shop across the road… “Love & Latte” the dark brown signage boldly spelled out in artistic cursives. I walked up the steps of the café and took a place at a quiet corner, where we could talk in peace. As I waited for Manisha, my heart throbbed with anxiety! The flurry of questions in my mind was making me impatient.

Why did she have to choose this very café to meet me? What led to the break up between the two of them? What answers were Manisha seeking for so many years? And most important of all: What has become of my dear friend? 

But the answer to all my questions presently lay with Manisha! And I just hoped that she would come! The menu card blurred in front of my eyes as I sank deeper in such thoughts, but suddenly I was shaken by a light tap on my shoulder.

I looked up to see her standing close to me, with a faint smile on her face. I stole a quick glance at my wrist watch… it read 8pm sharp! Yes, Manisha had come!

                                                           

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Coffee and clues

Mumbai

Manisha looked demure in a simple yet elegant suit, much in contrast from her formal attire of the morning. She stood tantalizingly close and the fragrance of her perfume hit me as I tried to rise from my chair to greet her. She stepped back for a moment with a smile as I mumbled, “Hi... thanks for coming!”

She nodded in acknowledgement and said, “Not here… come with me” and gestured to me to follow her. Soon we were seated at a table neatly tucked away beside a pillar towards another corner of the coffee shop. The pillar beside us was artistically decorated with carvings from what seemed ‘medieval art’, but gave us better privacy and shade from the anyway dim lights of the lounge of ‘Love & Latte’.

As if to echo my thoughts, Manisha said, “this was where Kaushik and I mostly used to sit. You can say it was his favourite table in this coffee shop”. The table was open on its three sides and the fourth one was lined to the pillar width, and I could sense that if a couple wished to sit closer to each other they would just need to turn one of the chairs at right-angles! ‘A very thoughtful and smart usage of the pillar and the layout’, I admired mentally. But sitting across the table with Manisha, I felt a tinge uncomfortable and almost wanted to ask her, ‘we could have met just anywhere, why here?’, but just held back.

“We could have met just anywhere”, Manisha said, startling me! “But I thought that this would be the best place”. I questioningly looked at her, thinking how she was able to read my thoughts in sequence.

She smiled and said, “This place is so much full of him, and so much of our memories are connected to this place, this table and even the coffee here!” I looked straight into her eyes, but they were lost, as if searching for someone else far away!

“Good evening, could I take your order please?” the gentleman in the coffee lounge approached us with a pleasant smile! I had the menu card in front of me, but my mind trailing somewhere else, hadn’t been able to scan through it properly to make a choice. I picked it up once again, but Manisha lightly forced it down on the table with a nod at me.

“Do you still make the ‘Sinful Glass’ here? And those chicken puffs?” Manisha quickly asked the waiter. I guessed that this also must be some of ‘their’ favourites from this coffee shop, so I kept quiet and let her proceed. It was evident by then that ‘Love & Latte’ today was making her reminiscence her days with Kaushik and I silently let her indulge in the emotion.

Having placed our order for cold coffee and some short-eats, Manisha excitedly turned to me, “You must try the ‘Sinful Glass’ here. It’s one of their signature cold-coffees and truly sinful to taste!”

“One of Kaushik’s favourites too, I guess?” I asked her smilingly.

“Yes, and mine too!” she smiled. “You too love flavours and variety of coffee isn’t it? Kaushik did mention about it few times. He had wanted to bring you here sometime, but I guess…”

“Yes I know, but it was me who couldn’t find out the time. Had I come earlier, I would have met you then!” I smiled back at her.

Manisha suddenly grew serious and put down her glass of water on the table. Turning to me she said in an earnest voice, “I don’t know where Kaushik is…but I need to find him!”

Looking into her eyes I sensed a world of emotions, but I was dumbfounded at her answer!

“What do you mean Manisha? Tell me everything about it. I also have been searching Kaushik for years now.” I grew impatient once again.

“Yes sure. I will tell you all that I know”, Manisha said very slowly, her eyes glued to her lap where her folded hands lay.

As we sat in that dim corner of the posh coffee lounge of ‘Love & Latte’, Manisha started to speak her heart out about herself and Kaushik.

“The first time I met Kaushik was during an outdoor project in Lonavala. It was 2006 and I was just a year old in Star TV then. I guess Kaushik was already working with the Camera Team in Star TV for a couple of years by then. That was the first project where I was deputed from the scripting team to work along with Kaushik’s team.”

As Manisha spoke on, I started making mental notes of the sequences. I broadly knew the phases when Kaushik had come from Delhi to Mumbai, having completed his professional course in ‘Electronic Media Production and Management’ from the famous ‘Jamia Millia Islamia University’; the media companies that he had worked with and finally when he had joined the Star TV group.

Working with Star TV was a dream for Kaushik and I can’t forget how happy Kaushik was when he joined them in 2004 in their Camera Team. The private celebration that Kaushik and I had had with our all-time favourite ‘biriyani’ at the ‘Tigers’ Restaurant in Bandra, still echoed in my mind!

“I was staying in a Working Womens’ Hostel in Andheri and Kaushik was put up in a PG accommodation in Bandra.” Manisha put down her cold coffee glass on the table after taking a large sip and continued. “Project after project we continued working together. Studio work, editing, scripting, along with occasional outdoor shootings, it was indeed a very exciting time for me. I was learning a lot in my work at the same time enjoying it too. Working with Kaushik was so easy and fun; I never realized how effortlessly I was able to blend different aspects and requirements of the media sequences of the shoots. He used to guide me, explain to me the concepts and techniques of our work and make me feel completely at ease. I just didn’t know how time flew when I was with him!”

Manisha’s eyes radiated in the memory of her happy days with Kaushik and I began to feel connected too. I remembered how my friend Kaushik had spoken of his time spent with her, when we had met at “Dhuan” around the same time. What similar feelings they had shared!

As I took a bite into the chicken puff which was already going cold, Manisha continued, “It was within a few months that we began to feel really connected to each other. You know how it feels! I was skeptical initially and Kaushik too was hesitant, but I guess we needed each other so very badly. It was our long walks along the Bandra-Bandstand and Worli-Seaface that probably brought us closer. And of course ‘Love & Latte’! Kaushik just loved its name from the first time he found it out. And this became our quiet destination whenever we weren’t out for those long walks.”

My mind suddenly went back to a picture seen years ago during our initial days of college, when Bijoy and I had once stealthily followed Kaushik on the Jadavpur-Golpark stretch in Calcutta, only to find him walking hand-in-hand with Ankita! ‘I guess my friend always found happiness and love in long-walks’, I smiled to myself!

“What are you thinking?” asked Manisha as my eyes met hers suddenly.

“Nothing” I smiled at her, “please continue”. I chose to keep this little connection of my thought to myself.

“We never really had any fairy-tale romantic dates. I guess Kaushik didn’t quite fancy those, but he was romantic and expressive in his own unique ways. We never quite felt when our relationship changed its colour from a liking for each other to a strong longing to be with each other”. Manisha lowered her eyes and her fingers toyed with the rim of her glass as she spoke in a very slow and soft tone now.

“You know, I wasn’t sure of myself and about a relationship initially, but it was Kaushik who instilled the faith back in me. I had been through rough patches in life…broken dreams….and....a….broken marriage too….. It was only for Kaushik that I ……………………….”

Manisha’s voice choked and I could see her lips quivering as she clenched her glass on her lap tightly. Surprised that I was with this sudden revelation, I remained totally quiet and tried to fathom the intensity of their relationship.

A long pause ensued and I could see Manisha trying her best to fight back the unseen tears. I continued to remain quiet and let the time for Manisha to regain her composure. Suddenly, she looked up and directly into my eyes. I saw her large expressive eyes fighting to hold her tears yet reach out in earnest as if to say, “Please, bring my Kaushik back!”

I nodded my head lightly as if to give her some assurance and comfort for the moment, and waited for her to continue again.

“Kaushik never had an issue with that. In fact during the time when you could say we were getting serious about our relationship, I was in the phase of the final formalities of my divorce. The paper-work and court matters were almost done and it was only a matter of time that it would be over. But that period of more than a year had been extremely stressful for me. I had almost lost my own self, and had it not been for Kaushik……” Manisha slowly continued her story but her voice trailed off once again.

“Manisha..?”… She looked up at me as I called out to her in a soft voice. “Are you ok to continue, or should we leave it for another time. I really do not want to stress you with this.” I tried sounding as polite as possible.

Manisha quickly composed herself and seemed to just wave off my concern and continued, “I’m just fine… Life was actually cruising along well though we were cautious to keep our relationship away from the eyes of our colleagues. You know the unnecessary gossip and talk in the office; both of us just didn’t want that.”

I nodded, my mind again drifting to all the stories and gossips of our college days, mostly about the ‘first couple’ of our class, ‘Kaushik and Ankita’! While Kaushik would get so diffident at those stories, Ankita would handle them with sheer indifference and élan!

“It was from early last year that I started sensing something amiss about Kaushik. It seemed that he was stressed almost all the time. Albeit work had increased, he was taking care of more projects by then. His travel had also increased, and our time spent together grew lesser and lesser. I used to miss him and long to be with him, but even when he was in Mumbai, he seemed always pre-occupied”.

I made a mental note of things as Manisha kept speaking. It was in November 2007 that I had met Kaushik in Mumbai last. He had just been back from an outdoor shoot project at Pune and had met me the very next day. I also remembered that he had looked stressed and tired that evening. Upon my asking, he had brushed it off saying, “You know how stressful continuous work and travel can be. And we work to strict deadlines here! It’s nothing, just some rest over the weekend and I’ll be fine!”

And surprisingly from early 2008 he had started avoiding my calls or meeting me during my visits to Mumbai. I had found it weird initially but later had thought that maybe he was truly busy with his work and travel. Now what I heard from Manisha seemed to link up somewhere. Yes, the facts corroborated well indeed!

I just heard Manisha mention ‘Pune’ once again! “What did you say just now?” I asked her quickly.

“It all started after Kaushik came back from a visit to Pune, towards the end of 2007.” Manisha repeated.

“He was shooting a documentary film based in Pune location, and that was his first ‘outdoor’ on that project. He seemed so disturbed that it was showing up. I had enquired few times, but he always maintained that it was work-related and there was nothing to worry.”

As Manisha finished, I shared with her about my meeting with Kaushik in November 2007, the very next day after he had returned from Pune.

“There must be a connection somewhere on this, and we must find that out”, Manisha sat up straight. The firm resolve seemed to flare up once again in her, as she looked at me for an affirmative. I nodded in response.

“And then there was this sudden friend of his with whom he had started interacting. It was also around the same time.” Manisha seemed to remember some more information suddenly!

“Which friend…?” I quickly asked, being almost certain that the ‘friend’ would be from our college and I would surely know.

“Devapriyo..!” Manisha said out the name.

“Devapriyo..?” The name didn’t sound any familiar and neither was there any such person in our college who could be called Kaushik’s friend!

“Are you sure? … Is it ‘Debashish’ by any chance..? May be you are confusing the name?” I quickly asked Manisha, almost certain that it had to be ‘Debashish’, none other than our very own ‘Debu-bhai’! May be Kaushik had lost contact with him for a long time and then reconnected suddenly!

I recalled that during these years, we four fast-friends had indeed got scattered far and wide and had even lost the ‘virtual connect’ with each other! Life is surprising at times!

“You know, we have a very close friend from our college days called ‘Debashish’, … in fact we four were very close to each other, very fast-friends you can say! I am sure it is this ‘Debashish’ only, with whom Kaushik would have connected.” I hurriedly said to Manisha, trying to clarify any confusion that she may have on the name.

“No. It is ‘Devapriyo’, and I am dead sure about the name. Kaushik used to say that he was a childhood friend, from his school. This guy is a doctor now and stays in Zurich. He had come down to India and somehow connected with Kaushik”.

Manisha’s statement was very clear and it cut out any confusion regarding the name and identity of Kaushik’s mysterious ‘friend’ in this context. I was suddenly silent.

Manisha continued, “And anyways I know of your circle of ‘fast-friends’ from your college. Kaushik had mentioned to me about them: You, …. Bijoy, …. Debashish, …. Shefali …., and …………Ankita !”

My jaw dropped at the mention of the last name, and my heart skipped a beat at the manner in which Manisha said it! ‘’and …….Ankita!” came after a short pause and had a queer punch in the tone. I looked up and saw Manisha’s eyes narrow and her jaws steel for a split second!

Removing the empty tall glass, which hitherto had contained the ‘Sinful glass’, to the other side of the table, I cleared my throat and asked. “So what’s about this ‘Devapriyo’ guy…?”

“Nothing really, except for a few matters which did not tie in well at that time. First, despite all his busy work schedules, Kaushik flew down to Calcutta for a weekend to meet this friend of his. Second, thereafter suddenly his calls, text messages and emails with this same friend suddenly increased. Third and the most disturbing of all, I still have a strong gut-feel that Kaushik was secretive about his sudden interactions with his long-lost friend. I mean, I never got any convincing replies from Kaushik about him, while it was quite evident that there was some material discussion going on between them!” Manisha said it all in one breath!

I could sense that the ‘firm and resolved’ Manisha of the morning was back and the demure lady who met me today evening has slipped back somewhere within. Even sitting there, I could not help marvel at the awe-inspiring personality of this beautiful and strong-willed girl-friend (or may be ex-girl friend!) of my dear friend!

“That is quite odd really”, I spontaneously said. “Even I have never heard about such a friend of Kaushik. Surprising that he never mentioned about ‘Devapriyo’ to us during our college years and even after. I am getting quite curious to find out more about him”.

“Yes we must. We need to know what transpired between the two of them and what did it lead to?” Manisha said in a strong yet earnest voice.

“’We’! ….. What is she thinking?”

Once again as if to read my thoughts, Manisha leaned forward across the table and asked almost in a whisper, “Will you help me in searching out Kaushik? I guess I can’t do it alone….”

I sat speechless, and looking at Manisha slowly nodded my head as if in a spontaneous affirmative. A myriad of thoughts crisscrossed my mind in an attempt to confuse me!

Before I could realize, Manisha had stood up. She glanced at her watch and quickly said, “I have to go now. It’s late already and if I don’t leave now I will not reach my hostel before closing time. Thank you for your assurance… I hope you will not fail me!” She looked at me for a brief second and stepped up to leave.

“Hey Manisha, just a second…” I stood up and called after her quickly. She turned her head and removing the strands of hair from her face raised her eyebrows at me.

“Could I have your contact number please, … you know, just in case…if I need to speak to you…” I said a bit hesitantly.

Manisha smiled faintly, “you know where to find me…..see you soon!” With that and a wave of her hand she was out of the coffee lounge in a flash.

Standing there, I could hear the brisk taps of her heeled footwear on the wooden stairs of ‘Love & Latte’ as she went down and disappeared into the Mumbai night traffic!

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