Mona was a live-in maid at my friend A’s house. She was around 12 years when she started working at their house. A’s mom had two sons and always craved for a daughter. While on a trip to her native village she found Mona in abject poverty. Mona had a stepmother and 13 siblings. There … Continue reading Mona- The Girl who was Traded #A-ZChallanege2018
Lady Macbeth is not her name. I gave her that name when I saw her washing her hand repeatedly. She is one of those women we see roaming aimlessly, wearing tattered clothes, talking to self all over India. They are known as the “pagli”. No one cares for them; no one cares where they come … Continue reading Lady Macbeth- What’s in a Name? #A-ZChallenge2018
Kalyan Da used to call my mother Mum. He was an engineer and when our flat was undergoing renovation he was hired for some civil works. He was a friendly young man and instantly formed a bonding with my mother. Soon he became a regular visitor at our house. He was a reluctant engineer. His … Continue reading Kalyan Da- The Outcast Lover #A-ZChallenge2018
Jadu Nath Bhattacharya was apparently a freedom fighter who took part in Quit India movement. He used to get pension from Indian Government, however his later life was not as glorious. He lost a lot of money in the Kolkata Race Course. He was a regular gambler in all famous Kolkata casinos. He was alcoholic … Continue reading J N Bhattacharya- Freedom Fighter to Gambler #A-ZChallenge2018
Indrani was the fattest girl in our class and everyone teased her. Indrani had not many friends, no girl in the class was willing to sit next to her, most girls used to avoid her. She was teased for her looks, obesity and dark skin. Indrani used to cry on most days due to constant … Continue reading Indrani- Story of “The Ugly Duckling to Swan” #A-ZChallenge2018
Halum Jhulum dui bhai (Halum and Jhulum are two brothers) Rastay pailo mora gai ( They found a dead cow on the road) Halum bole loiya jai (Halum says ‘let’s take it home’) Jhulum bole khaiya loi (Jhulum Says ‘let’s eat it’) This small rhyme is part of family legend. I never met either … Continue reading Halum Jhulum- The Tale of Two Misers #A-ZChallenge2018
Gupto Kaku used to stand outside my bedroom window early in the morning holding a small puja basket full of fresh flowers and whisper in a slow murmur “Guten Morgen, Madam”. Still, in my slumber, I used to mutter a gibberish reply and immediately fall asleep again. He used to get back to his morning routine which was … Continue reading Gupto Kaku, Guten Morgen! #A-ZChallenge2018
Fuldi (sister) was my cousin. In Bengal, we have a tradition of calling different names as per seniority. So Borda or Bordi is usually the eldest Dada(brother) or Didi(sister) in the family. Chorda is the youngest brother while Chordi is the youngest sister. Similarly, the ones in between had names like mejda/mejdi, rangada/rangadi, nada/nadi and … Continue reading Fuldi- The Flower Girl #A-ZChallenge2018
Ekta Mahajan had beautiful red cheeks and pink lips. Her skin was soft and fair like butter. As she was born in Sikkim her pet name was Sikku. She was born to a Punjabi mom who got very angry to have a second daughter and almost disowned the beautiful child at birth. My Mom was in … Continue reading Ekta- The Unwanted Girlchild #A-ZChallenge2018
