kekadhhoni: The Iron Lady

kekadhhoni: The Iron Lady: It was half past six  on a sweltering evening in Central Kolkata , when a young girl of about sixteen or seventeen stood waiting in fro...

kekadhhoni: What’s Your Rashee ?

kekadhhoni: What’s Your Rashee ?: The Grand white colored Indian Museum is a famous tourist point in Kolkata. With Green Mou trees surrounding the iron periphery, one sm...

What’s Your Rashee ?

The Grand white colored Indian Museum is a famous tourist point in Kolkata. With Green Mou trees surrounding the iron periphery, one small elevated wooden platform is hard to overlook. Sitted on a blue colored plastic table cover laid on the platform with his trained twin parrot is Mahendra Pandey, the astrologer. His milk white dhoti-kurta and the deep cataract contracted eyes tend to attract the attention of the onlookers. 

Placed right in between the shop that sells colored glasses and the old Currency coins is the place where Mahendra Pandey sits with trays filled with colorful gems and stones, faded rudraksh chains and bracelets. “I do not sell these gems without the need. If somebody is facing any Sankat , only then I ask them to take up respective stones or gems,” Mahendra says stretching the sacred thread that he wears inside his vest which kept on irritating him in the scorching heat.

“I came to Kaalkatta in 1972 from Jharkhand. Somebody had promised me a job in the city but he vanished once we reached Howrah Station. Bheer mein kaha gum ho gaya who aadmi ,” murmured Pandey ji. Soon he realized that he was not even apt to work for any hotel or factory in the city suburbs and that is when he landed up doing puja paath in one of the temples in Ram Mandir area. “There is no fixed salary for us but yes I charge rupees ten or twenty per prediction. Even if I don’t get to eat myself I need to feed the parrots every day. Who log mera pet chala raha hain,” added the astrologer.

The sad scenario of the job market does not scare Mahendra Pandey as he continues, “I don’t force or ask anybody to come and get their future predicted but most of the people who come asks about their success for jobs, married life or business.” He has got no one at home and therefore he considers the hawkers placed around his seat as his family. Putting up at a rented place in Ram Mandir area since 1972 followed by the years of struggle and livelihood through reading out predictions and advising on making the future better has become a daily routine for the old man.

Mahendra Pandey in front of the Indian Museum

The old man who is quite famous in that area as Pandit ji says , “ very less number of people come to me, some just wants to get their predictions done out of curiosity and others come here to hire me for puja paath at their places.” On talking about  this aspect his eyes widens and sparkles , “all kinds of people come Khushi se bbhi aate hain dukkhi ho ke bhi, and my job is to advice them towards right direction without playing with their belief and emotions”.

He makes it a point to start his day with a dip in the holy Hoogly river and chanting Holy words for his God and Godesses. Wearing a dark orangish-reddish vermillion Tikka on his wrinkled forehead is also one of the unforgetable signs of his devotion and  belief in the almighty. “I take a bus from Ram Mandir every day at 9:30 a.m and sit here from 10:00 in the morning till five in the evening, and then if some family asks me to visit their house for some puja I go there directly from here”. “I charge around rupees 10 per prediction but that depends on the customers, not every day I get people who wants to know their future,” he adds while feeding soaked sprouts from a steel bowl kept beside the green colored cage .

Science dominated society with its one click away solutions does not seem to make any difference for the old man, who slowly adds small minced betel nuts in his paan while discussing about his profession. Chewing slowly on the mouth refreshner he continues, “ Initially there were less hawkers on this pavement and less people walking but now even this scorching sun doesn’t seem like a problem.” Pandey ji murmers while looking randomly on the passers by. “Although my area has been shodowed by the big shops like the Sunglass Kiosks and Books seller’s over empowering stall right next to my small area,” adds Panday ji in a complaining tone.

“I will always stick to my job that I have been doing for the last forty years. Even though I don’t earn much but this is what I do best.” When asked about his family he looks little taken aback and replies laughing , “ we don’t have families , we devote our lives to the Almighty and these two parrots are my family”. It takes him around six months to train the parrots and there is no bluff in the methods while choosing the cards. “Some cards may hold good news and some cards may hold bad but there are solutions for every problem”. With increasing heat and burning sensations turning the city in to furnace, the seventy year old Panditji never forgets to re-fill water for his fellow two legged beings.

Upendra Pandey is a similar character who sits in front of the Kanak Building. With the red bricked walls and one of the Multinational Bank’s corporate office as the backdrop ,he  seemed unconcerned about the fast life in the city. “People comes to us out of belief pura vishwas ke upar hain madamji.” With a faded red colored Gamcha wrapped around his collar area he looks little bemused as to why people would get interested to know about their profession all of a sudden , “ nowadays young people uses computer and technology to know their luck and future, but I am hopeful for the future for people using traditional ways”.

“Mahendra Pandey ji is very famous, he was invited by Aparna Sen and Moon Moon Sen for some party in Taj Bengal and he has come on television too.” Added Pramod Prasad Gupta one of the hawkers who is also one of the customers of Mahendra Pandey.

It’s a tough job to survive in a metropolitan city like Kolkata where people like to splurge on luxurious items. Even though science and technology have captured the mind set of the majority it will be really interesting to know how these archaic and traditional ways of roadside astrology persist .

The Iron Lady

It was half past six  on a sweltering evening in Central Kolkata , when a young girl of about sixteen or seventeen stood waiting in front of Chandni Chowk Metro station Gate number four. “I have been waiting for you people,” she said smiling. “Please come this way, Maa is waiting for you ; our street is a bit  unknown to many people…this way  to our place.” added the young girl.

A huge Shodor Dorja (Main Gate) paved the way to the ground floor residence of the Nag’s. A house which might go unnoticed because of its location but with its gigantic stature , it manages to offer impeccable history. “Please mind the stairs,” “Maa they are here !” the girl shouted out. On entering the house, it seemed as if the family existed here forever. Two middle-aged women stood at the entrance, “ come to this room, make yourself comfortable,” one of the ladies said.

Clad in a yellow cotton saree and wearing a wide heart-warming smile, the main protagonist of the story entered the room with two glasses of soft drinks. “ What exactly do I have to say,” “ puro golpota bolbo ki ( shall I narrate the full story)?” Mrs. Gita Nag asked. A light blue colored-walled room with high ceilings dissected equally between long lines of Kadi Borgas. There was a queer felinity present in the ambience. As there was no male prominence in the household, Mrs. Gita Nag seemed promising as the “one who wears the pants “ in the family.

On being asked how she feels being felicitated with so many awards, Gita Nag replied smiling, “Very nice ! I am really happy ‘bhishon bhalo lagche’ .

Her daughter and others who were standing all this time have had nestled themselves in various corners of the room. On questioned for the exact notorious incident that took place that day, Mrs. Gita Nag’s eyes beamed with incitement to the story. “You know I will never forget that day. It was around eleven or eleven –thirty in the morning,” she continued. “ What actually triggered the incident was not known to me or any of us, all that I remember is that I had finished my household chores and was going out from the main gate, when my sister who is also my neighbor cried out my name !”

By this time her bedroom was filled with other familiar faces from the neighborhood. “I heard some noise from the Anchaliya’s residence and immediately told myself that something is wrong, shanghatik kharap kichu hocche bhetore ( something gravely wrong taking place inside the house).” “Even other neighbors heard sounds from their four storied apartment that day; I just wanted to see by myself what was really happening inside ( ami bhetore dhuke dekhte chaichilum ki hocche) ,” she gushed. “Not even thinking twice what the consequences would have been , I entered Manu Antalya’s house, only to find that she was tied to the single-bed in one of her bedrooms and her hands bleeding profusely. Manu Baby’s face was smothered with something hard and she had turned red with pain and blood.”

Gait Nag’s voiced literally shivered as she went ahead with her experience of that unfortunate day. “I thought it might have been Baby’s deaf and dumb son, who must have attacked her or something; never could I have imagined that some robbery would take place in broad day-light, (din duper dalai babe jay) ?” Mrs. Nag had shown exemplary courage for a woman who single handedly caught the ferocious dacoit.

“ I loosened the cloth over her mouth and bhabi cried  out pain. I was feeling so angry then that I went to the window and called the neighbors to gherao the building from all the sides” Gita Nag added. “There were empty boxes all over the bed and then what caught my eyes was a chappor , and I was sure that her son could not have done all this.” Two of the robbers fled as they got alarmed and Mrs. Nag exclaimed, “ a young guy named Uttuya had caught hold of that robber who had the jewelry with him, but bechara Uttuya, oh toh mara geche kichu bochor holo (its actually sad that Uttuya died few years back).”

Manju Anchaliya remains unavailable for any comments.

“The police cooperated with us and I had told them agey apnara Manju bhabike hospital niye jaan, bachao onake ami or hateii goyna debo  ( first take Manju bhabi to hospital and save her ; I will give her the jeweler and no one else).” Mrs. Anchaliya was rushed to Shishu Mangal Hospital as her husband was away in Burdwan for official purpose.”I gave her back her ornaments and the dacoits were caught eventually,”

 “ I was not scared , I wasn’t thinking about anything else.” She said with a hint of anger in her voice. Mrs. Nag went ahead, “I thought if I don’t help , If I don’t take this step today, a family will be destroyed, ekta poribar nosto hoye jabe( A family will be ruined) , this could have happened to my family also isn’t it? Even I would have expected someone to come for our rescue.” She spoke these words and looked at the neighbors who were already peeping through the iron grill gates surrounding the Nag’s residence. She confessed that even though she was feeling a bit scared but its was less of  fear and more of a curiosity that was working for her.”Ami jante chaichilum ki hocche” was her quick reply.

On being asked why she went ahead and took such a brave step all by herself Mrs. Gita Nag said, “I never thought I will die, why would I everybody has to bid farewell to this place kiser bhoy jokhun shobaike morte hobe ekdin ?” Mrs. Nag expressed enthusiastically.

“ You know ,now that I have had taken that step I would love to generate confidence in other women to come up and do things that only men were supposed to have done all this time.” “ Somewhere in my heart I know every girl can achieve anything she wants to acquire, I have brought up my daughter that way.”

From the queer feeling of the female dominance in the room it was clear that there was no male existence in the household. On discussing about her bravery and courageous act that day, she informed that that her husband died within a year after her marriage. Mrs. Gita Nag was already six months pregnant. “ I know what struggle means; I know what it takes to bring up a daughter all by myself; I know what hurdles I have faced doing everything on my own.” “If I can take up such a step without even thinking what will happen to my baby girl, where will she land up if something had happens to me, shob meyeraii Oshadhhyo sadhon korte pare ( any woman can achieve the impossible).” Almost in tears out of self pride and believe in the almighty she shifted a bit to make place for her daughter Megha to sit on the giant king sized bed.

Mrs. Gita Nag’s Daughter, Megha now sitted beside her mother added hints of information wherever possible. “ My mother is absolutely brave,” she responded. “I was very scared to see Maa enter that house, even thogh I understood very little of what actually was happening and what exactly awaits her inside,” She added. 

Looking outside the room she went on , “ I told Megha, Jete deye amae, ami jemon tor maa temon Bhabi o karur maa ( Let me go Megha, just like am your mother, Manju aunty is somebody’s mother too).”

“I feel extremely great that I am born to such an amusing woman,” Megha spoke looking proudly at her mother “Even though I could make out that my mother was going to do something daring and valorous I was really scared.” Mrs. Nag goes on, “ One must protest and unless and until one does not take a strand- no justice will be done; had I not acted in impulse, the goons would not have been arrested.”

“I don’t know about others, but it is expected from Bunu ( Mrs. Nag) to do something so manful,” Mrs.Ruby Mukherjee exclaimed. She is not only Mrs. Gita Nag’s neighbour but also her sister. “We feel secured when she is around,” she added. “We tend to fret at times  when she goes away or is not around in the neighbourhood; she has created a milestone for courage and audacity for women of today.” Mrs Ruby Mukherjee mentioned.

“I keep a steel rod for our safety at home; even though I am running to help to others I need to protect my family too.” Mrs Gita said while re-arranging her yellow cotton  taant saree and tightly covering her shoulders. I have taught my girl in English Medium School.I want my Megha to stand on her own feet,follow her dreams and never back out or quit from trying. Her failure won’t dissappoint me but if she never takes any risk I would really question my nurturing.” “However I am sure she will never dissapoint me,” Mrs Nag said looking with promising eyes towards Megha.

Mrs. Gita is a spectacular woman. Her daughter has opened her an account in facebook and twitter but to her ignorance towards all these awareness she sticks to being a mother; an ever helpful neighbour and a strong backbone to her family and friends. “Be brave and make yourself strong enough to face the worst scenario because you need to fight your own battles shahosh rakho mone bhoy peleii bipod ( be brave, its dangerous to be scared of anything).” She got up from the bed and faded behind the curtains of the kitchen doors while her daughter switched on the lights of the Dalaan followed by the Utthon to show the way out “dekhe jaben..oikhanta shiri ache…( walk carefully..the stairs are upfront)”.

Stay safe and fit after Hernia Repair Surgery

Stay safe and fit after Hernia Repair Surgery

Steel Magnolias

  ‘ I have bread-toast for dinner and even skip cooking for a day or two,” exclaimed Debonita (name changed on request), a lady journalist. Munching on ‘Jhaalmuri’ she mumbled, “I have never been this happy or satisfied, you know? I feel so good.” Being raised in a constrained environment she always longed to be independent. “Who wants to be accountable for the simplest things one does? How would you feel when no one bothers you ? ” she said while looking inside her “Murir Thonga” , a small paper bag for extra minced coconut pieces. “I don’t want to blame others for my activities and the same goes for them too”, she uttered smiling from the corner of her lips. “What are you going to do with all this freedom and independence?” are some of the most silly questions she had come across and it had been really tough coping with the social stigma initially. Although there have been times when she feels sad putting up alone in this metro, “I don’t repent living alone but yes at times there is a weird feeling that creeps in , I miss someone cooking for me.” However, circumstances have changed in these years. “I really don’t feel alone anymore, shotti ! what matters most is that I live on my own terms and conditions. Even though she feels the void when emotionally clogged, her reply to it was, “ I know what I am up to, and I do not have time to sit and regret now.”

    In her article  Alone Again,  Naturally Dominique Browning propounds that women have an easier time living alone than men. It is said in the article, that communal living is fading away as individuals have started living on their own and all by themselves. People nowadays specially the womenfolk are opting to live away their families, single and self-dependent Kolkata has seen a sudden growth in the number of individuals living alone. Definitely not out of compulsion but out of choice that the womenfolk are choosing to stay alone Independent and  self-reliant are the two keywords that best goes with them. Kolkata women have been living alone according to their terms and conditions that was once considered a sinful act or something beyond imagination.

 “The women have become more aware of their needs and they are vocal about their choices of survival,”  uttered  the lady teacher in her thirties from Kolkata, Ms.Rupa Banerjee .She belongs to an eminent cricket family from North Kolkata but currently teaches in a Government school in Asansol. A proud woman with determined objectives for life she exclaimed , “ It feels great actually since I do not feel alone at all,” looking past the line of young boys  walking towards their classroom after the recess. “I love my people and I love myself too,” She added. “I always wanted to be a teacher, you see, I never had any other options for career. That is why I started tutoring the maid’s son and young school goers for free.” It has been more than three and a half years that she has been living alone, “ Initially I used to feel weird but staying alone is the only way I could have achieved what I exactly wanted.” Teaching and catering to the society her share of responsibility is one of the most important thing she ever wanted. “Marriage is a lot of work, everyone knows that, isn’t it? Yes, I do feel the void when I am emotionally bogged, but my family and friends are just a call away !” she added giving a big grin. However she blurted out , “Going out becomes a problem you see, there is no one to open the door when you return home!” . Looking outside the large window of the classroom where the conversation was going on, she replied with a bright smile on her face, “ I am enjoying my life right now but yes I want to adopt a girl child in future. I have been preparing myself mentally and financially .Everybody is aware, how the authorities treat the single mothers nowadays?”  Her success lies with her determination to bring a change. Craving for the bright future of her students seemed more than a reverie for her than a passing dream.

 ‘One day as a tiger is better than a thousand days as a sheep,’ is what exactly twenty-six years old software professional Malini feels .For her living alone is a boon. She is a Marwari living in Kolkata. “I have no qualms of living away from everyone.” She added. “This city has given me ‘wings to fly’ and this is my  home away from home.” She keeps really busy with her office and projects and seldom gets the chance to feel emotional. “Please. I don’t want to adopt a child , it costs you ample amount of care ; you need to provide time and I have no time to spare.” Malini gushed out as the topic popped up. Being in this particular profession many women colleagues and friends are still able to manage both personal and professional lives, but she enjoys reading a book or trying out hands on gardening. However she expressed that, “I have seen many broken relationships and the added complications attached with them, and  I don’t want such headaches in my life.” The techie added “The society has never raised any issues for me, may be because am not from this city,  and my family supports me now, thank God for that.” Even though she loves attending wedding receptions and anniversary parties of her friends, the free-hearted is happy with herself. “I would always support the practice of solo dwelling; if that gives you pleasure and makes you feel good, do it.” blurted out the techie. “However, making a bowl of soup when am sick, kills me. But then I remind myself that this happens. Get up and get going.”

The evolving change in the pattern of living has been characterized by the medical fraternity. Dr. Debashis Ray, a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist from Kolkata expressed his standpoints to The Good News Chronicle(TGNC). “It is absolutely a person’s chicer whether she wants to live alone or stay together with a family; the discretion lies with the individual and this is absolutely irrespective of the societal laws.” For him the beliefs, expectation and hopes varies from one man to another. “There can be no society without emotions, hence if one individual is happy then the society automatically keeps good and this is irrespective of sex, creed and class.” The doctor added. Issues have existed in the society and they are not  new. “ It is more of a peer group influence than pressure; when you see two out of your six friends are happy living alone, one would opt for living alone, happily.” According to the Doctor, the so called conventional norms are changing. He added, “ There are many couples who does not want kids, so there is no harm in living alone for women”. “ There is no negative impact on the societal or cultural aspect , if one wants to opt for solo living.” Dr. Ray explained there is a vast difference between feeling lonely and living alone. “ Aloneness is a psychiatric disorder and there are various diagnosis for it; there is nothing bad in solo dwelling”, the Psychiatrist propounded.

Audrey Hepburn once quoted, “I don't want to be alone, I want to be left alone.” Similarly some women population in Kolkata have achieved their wished and desire of solo living, if not all of them. The concept of Solo dwelling and living alone is fast growing. “It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone - so far.” is a famous quote from Marilyn Monroe, who lived alone. She proposed that blaming oneself for her own activities is better than cursing others. A person should be happy in what she or he does and if living alone and away from others offers that luxury, then why not give that a green signal.

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