Don't tell me what it's all about

What do you get when you fall in love?
A guy with a pin to burst your bubble
That's what you get for all your trouble.
I'll never fall in love again.
I'll never fall in love again.

There's this lump, stuck in the throat, that refuses to budge. An emptiness inside. A cynic at full throttle, gurgling from within.
Consumerism is good, I argue with my friends, while promoting it towards the growth of Indian economy. But deep inside the recesses of my heart, a Voice echoes, “but consumerism has promoted packaging…..putting things ( of any quality ) into gay and brilliant drapes and fooling people”.
Me : “But what’s wrong with presenting things nicely?”
Voice : “Nothing. It’s just that packaging often takes the consumer’s mind off from the contents.”
Me : “Well, the consumer has to be careful and conscious!”
Voice : “That’s what I’m telling you! Consumers are lead astray by Packages. Consumers are not matured enough, yet”
Me : “In that case they have to attain maturity by means of trial and error……..simple”
Voice : “Is it so simple really?”
Me : “Yes. Most of the products come with a warranty/guarantee these days.”
Voice : “Most, but not All”
Me : “Those things that are not covered can be changed. You can always buy a new piece”
Voice : “But all things in life are not replaceable. If you are not careful while acquiring them, you may have to do with a faulty or damaged piece all your life”
Me : “Why should I!!! I will surely get a new piece”
Voice : “What about Love?”
Me : “What about Love?!!!!!!”
Voice : “Can you exchange it. Or buy a fresh piece?”
Me : “Ideally you cannot. But these days Love has become rather stale. Moving from hand to hand; rather heart to heart J “
Voice : “Right. A commodity, shall we say?”
Me : “Well, we may”
Voice : “And Love has not escaped the clutches of consumerism, you’ll agree, I suppose?”
Me : “Things have to be in sync, you see. Economy and Humanity run hand-in-hand. One cannot bypass the other.”
Voice : “You are indicating that Love is also controlled by Economy?”
Me : “And why not! Empty pockets are no good breeding grounds for Love. It produces under-nourished crop which cannot survive for longtime purposes”
Voice : “So, Love is not Love that breeds in the fallow lands of heart. The heart has to be cultivated to fertility, which can be achieved through money and consumerism AND packaging”
Me : “Now you are getting the drift of the times, my dear Voice. Packaging is of utmost importance. It can change the taste of the food, the smell of the perfume, the …………”
Voice ( interrupting ) : “……the person you are loving, the heart that would have been otherwise unworthy of your Love”
Me : “(ahem) I hope you are not playing me for a fool?!”
Voice : “ Oh no! Dear me! I’m only appreciating your insight into our current social, and consequently inter-personal, phenomena. Thanks for sharing with me. And I was living in a fool’s paradise, thinking how Love can cure all Ills. And not knowing that actually all Ills cure Love!”
Me : “Oh, you flatter me. You see, one only needs to keep the eyes and ears open.”

What do you get when you fall in love?
You only get lies and pain and sorrow
So for at least until tomorrow
I’ll never fall in love again!!!!!!!!!

My New Experience!!!

Amar latest experience – Nimtolla Maha Shmashaan.
Mrityu khub kach theke,in fact barir bhetore theke dekhechi. Kintu Shmashaan ei prothom darshan holo jibone.

Onek golpo shunechilam agey, shmashaan niye. Ei ekta abhigyata dekhechi loke besh gambhirjer shonge, athacha tariye-tariye bole thake. Mane jahir korte chai je shey jiboner ek abhinna anga ke dekheche. Bojhate chai je shey jibon ke ultimately bujhte pereche.

Shey ek besh jayga. Amar Maa’r oboshyo ichhe chilo na je ami jai, kintu shesh-mesh ek mesho maa ke bojhalen je “or to life er practical jinish gulo dekha uchit”. Ta ami onar kache kritogyo thakbo.
Khulei boli. Amar dida mara gelen. Prochondo ekta active life lead korar porey, besh 7-8 mash bhuge ebong shojja-shayee theke, obosheshe tini biday nilen. Ek Monday morning blue laden mon niye office jachhi, emon shomoy khobor elo je uni ar nei. Kajei office er kachh thekei gari ghurie ghotona-sthole pouchute holo. Prochondo ekta uneasy feeling hochhilo. Bhaggish Saturday te dida r kache gechilam. Noile to ar dekhtei partam na! God is there. He makes sure that everything happens in good time.

Let me come back to the actual point I want to make. Or is there a point at all? I don’t know. Let me proceed…
All relevant people were informed. And almost everyone came down to pay my dida a last visit. I guess her PR skills are to be praised!

Amar dida khub organized chilen. Agey thekei janiye rekhechilen je onake jeno Nimtolla’y niye jaw ahoy ( jehetu amar dadu keo okhanei niye jawa hoechilo- 29 years back). And that she should make her final earthly travel in one of those modern glass hearses. So Be It! Etao ekta dekhar bishoy chilo, je sheba shangasthan theke amra gari bhara korlam, tader kormi der utshaho. After all this is their bread n butter! Etao ekta profession! Agekar diney paray kichu “faltu” chele thakto, jara ar kono kaje lagto na, tara erom parapokar kore thakto. Ekhun shetai ekta organized professional service e rupantorito hoeche!

Jai hok- shmashaan jayga’tar kothay ashi. Shey ek jayga – Ganga’r dhare, purono Kolkatay. Ekta not-so-chowra rasta, jar du dhare dokaner line- cha’er dokan, pujor jinish er dokan,ityadi. Shob theke interesting, dokan guloy ganja’r kolke thore-thore shajano!!!! Baba Bhootnath er mondir tao besh laglo. Shey din ta Srabon masher shesh shombar chilo, tai shob chele-meye ra Baba Taraknath’er ( ba onno je kono shib thakurer) mathay jol dhalbar jonne okhankar dokan thekei banke kolshi boshiye, ganga theke jol bhore paye hete rowna dichilo. Aro ekta odbhut drishyo dekhlam. Ek mohila dondi kete rasta diye jachhilen ar tar shonge besh boro ekta group uthshaho dite-dite jachilo.

Amar Maa’r kora nirdesh chilo amar cousin ke “shon, o jeno eka kothao na jay. Or shonge-shonge thakbi.Shmashane nana-rokom lok thake!” – tai amar bon r ami almost sharakkhon haat dhore ghurlam. Shudhu tai noy, onnoder pechone theke guard o dilam!
Dida ke niye diye giye electric chulli’r shamne mati’te ,ekta bansher frame er opore rakha holo. Tarpor jotha-bidhi pujo holo ebong amra opekkha korte laglam shomoy’er. Tar I modhye abar ek jhamela – dom er prapyo taka. Sheta niye’o dor korte holo! Oder kache amra customer. Ora daam hakbe uchu dor’e, ar amra sheta ke ekta reasonable rate e anar cheshta korbo – etai niyom! Fortunately, amder line dite hoyni ( o yes, ekhaneo queue system ache). But amader por-por I onek gulo body eshe gelo. Tader modhye ekjon der kanna dekhe amar mone holo era bodhoy hindi-bangla cinema dekhe practice kore esheche. Amar udyeshyo tader emotions ke aghaat kora noy. Kintu kanna’r shonge tara je dialogue dichilo, tate ami erom na bhebe thakte parlam na. Amake khoma korben.

Ek shomoy amader bola holo je ei baar ashol kaj hobe. Dida ke chulli’r dike niye jabe, emon shomoy hothat dekhlam kotha theke ek gada chele-chokra’r ekta dol eshe hajir hoe gelo. Eder ke etokkhon kotthao dekhini. Tader ke bhed kore chulli ta dekha’I amar kache ekta challenge hoe daralo. Yes,amar besh interest chilo chulli ta dekha’r. Kono idea chilo na amar byapar ta kemon hobe.
Chulli te time lagey 45 minutes. So went to have tea and biscuits to kill the time. Ami ar okhanei biscuit khete parlam na – khanik’ta unhygienic bhebe, ar khanik’ta ichhe korchilo na khete.
Shob shesh hole, Ganga’y asthi bishorjon diye shurjasto dekhlam. Drishya’ta khub mon chhuye gelo.

Apnara hoyto bhabchen je shmashane giye ami eto objectively ei shob ki kore notice korlam. Especially jokhon amar nijer Dida chole gelen. But the point is that, okhane jawar minute khaneker modhyei amar modhye shmashaan boiraggyo eshe giyechilo. Amar khali mone holo “ei khanei tahole ashte hobe.”.Full-stop. Er modhye kono argument er jayga nei. Kono choice nei. Kono size nei. Kono discount nei. Kono options nei. Kono exchange offer nei.