Count 1 to 9, your password to enter this country

Visiting aboard? Everybody wants to head towards USA, Europe or may be nation surrounded by pacific sea and Indian Ocean. However, I visited this country and fascinated by everything. I am talking about land of Pharos, Egypt. When I went there, I was young, so I too failed to get the real charm and glamour that generally provided by USA and Europe. Today memories of that visit are just standout from all other.

I was invited by one of my Egyptian colleague, but decision was very difficult one, no, it was not monetary problem. While staying aboard we used to look forward to our yearly leave and just want to come home. Missing home and India for two years on the trot was very tough one. However, thank god finally, I traded my visit to India with that one.

Two things generally come to our mind while visiting Egypt, pyramid and Nile, but many other surprising things were stored for me. Mainly staying in Alexandria, the most beautiful beach I ever seen in my life.

After landing in Cairo airport, we directly headed to her hometown Alexandria. Cairo to Alexandria, which around three and half hours drive, things that I have noticed all the way, was truckloads of cottons and cottons (Egyptian cottons). She was having a huge three-storied house, mainly occupied by her old parents. My friend was having three sisters and a brother, apart from her third sister all other siblings were away. The lifestyle and foods were quite different from ours. Adapting to a new lifestyle is never a big issue for me. One dish, which I liked, was ‘Malokhaia’, a leafy vegetable cooked in chicken soup. Their house was hardly five minutes away from Mediterranean Sea, so almost whole days we used to stay by the beach. The beauty of Mediterranean Sea was unbelievable.

After a week or so, finally we decided to visit Cairo for a day. My friend was driving her father car, her father was very possessive about it, but somehow she managed to get it for our day out. After reaching Cairo, no need to mention, where we headed for. Almost five to six hours we explored pyramid and Sphinx of Giza and then Cairo tower which situated by Niles. Standing on the top of Cairo Tower, one can view almost whole Cairo city, we also visited the Cairo Zoo. When we were just thinking of returning back, a small accident occurred and it was not possible for her to bring back the car with such condition to Alexandria. Therefore, she took it to a known garage. After grabbing our belonging, we walked a few lane of Cairo to reach our temporary destination that was her cousin’s house. We stay over there for the night and next morning we returned to Alexandria.

After a week or so, again back to Cairo, this time around no adventure only to fly out.

It was an unbelievable journey with wonderful memories. However, frankly speaking I still prefer to type the boundless ‘0’, to unlock the password of that wonderful country where I born and brought up, want to remain there till end, your guess is as good as mine, yes that is my country - India.

!!!For me home is where the heart is there.!!!

Two eyes (I.I) and the T form my hear(T)

Those Mumbaikars who knows me, will wonder why I never wrote about this place. Frankly speaking, I do not have enough word to express about this place. What to write? About the world famous and prestigious campus, those visiting V.I.Ps, about those fest (Mood-Indigo), the lakeside view, pollution less morning walks or those peaceful cycles rides. No! None of these, let me write about the peoples, those were really one of kind.

This place also thought me that lack of comfort you having under your roof look like a peanuts, if your neighbours and your surrounding are just too good. The days in I.I.T considered being the best and the golden times of my life. Almost eight years, leaving two of those, when I went to abroad. With bitter, sweet, sour and salt all together, days were just standout from others. My neighbours, OH God! They were just few gems with golden heart. While staying I.I.T, I never locked my door even when I was away. When I left this place, only time I could not hide my true emotion in public, I cried and cried inconsolably.

I am sorry I cannot mention all of them, pick up only a few. Mainly my three neighbours, two of them from north India (U.P. and Himachal) and one from South India (Kerala) and me all together we were very much like a huge family.

My South Indian neighbour was having a daughter, a son. Uncle was an employee of Cromptron Greaves, and aunty was a homemaker. Daughter was a very good friend of mine and like a sister to me. Most of the time I used to have my food with them and whenever any guest visited their house, aunty would always carry a cup of tea from her house until my and offered me with a smile – ‘Chai piyo’. Sadly, I drifted with them; do not know whose fault it was, mainly their son’s involvement with peoples with lots of illegal activity. Still I tried to call then on occasion and tried to wish them, my side it is always genuine.

My North Indian Neighbour also having two kids both were very young when I first met them, today both are grown up and doing well in their respective areas. Bhaiyaji was a lecturer (Maths) and my friend was a homemaker. Bhaiyaji was very quite person and wife was just opposite. She was a very good cook and the tea she used to make was something special. Her home was the place, where we gathered for a big adda. Until now whenever I visit Mumbai, at least for a couple of days I stay at her place.

My other neighbour from Himachal, Uncle was an employee of Proctor & Gamble and aunty was a homemaker. She was having four sons and a daughter. All five siblings used to love me very much. Aunty was very soft spoken, always very concerned about me, If I failed to get up in time, she always knocked my door to know if I was OK or not, today she is no more, so memory of those days are really pained me a lot. Her elder son and daughter-in-law both were my friend too. When I move to I.I.T., he was married with two very young kids. He was working with Otis Elevator. He used to love his wife very much; we often tease both the couple and specially him as ‘Jaru ka Gulam’.

While returning from his work, most of the time he used to peek in and if he found me, only thing he would say– ‘chalo chai pilao’. My answer to his request was always same – come on, go home and have your tea, I do not make tea here and do not even have milk. He will quietly find my purse took out money and immediately find some milk from near by shop and helped himself by preparing his own cup of tea. My only reaction was ‘This is robbery’.

Once during Holi, my Keralite friend and myself told him to arrange a glass of Bhang for both, as we never tasted it. He promptly got two glasses for us. The taste was fabulous and after having it, nearly two hours myself and my Keralite friend sitting face-to-face and telling each other – “Hey, why are you laughing?” thinking all the way that we were just getting bit high. Finally in the evening KS disclosed that it was a mere Sarbat made out of Milk and Dry fruits, there was no Bhang in it, and after having a good laugh, said –“Mein pagal ho gaya jo tum logon ko Bhang pilaunga” (Serve you friend something like that stuff? Am I crazy? ). Our reaction at that time, just forget it.

During that time for one year, I left for aboard (2nd time), when back found him very depressed. May be something related to money, real thing he never disclosed to me and also very busy with my work. One night when I came back from my office, found something amiss in the area and the one of the most shocking news of my life was that, my dear friend KS was no more, it was suicide. I never saw him after that, because the KS, I have known, who dared to touch my purse for few bucks to buy milk for a cup of tea was the one I wanted to remember forever rather than a lifeless body which found hanging from ceiling fan. If I go to Mumbai, I still try to meet his wife. Children’s are grown up now. Dear KS, wherever you are in life and death, you will be always remembered, may be not last but at least by your friend BeeeBeees.

!!!My IITian neighbours, invaluable gems, do not dare to put a price on them.!!!

Irritation? Preserve it, enjoy later.

Irritation is such a thing; bring out all ugly emotion hidden in you, anger, despair and even an evil hiding inside you. However, believe me or not once irritated but today having a hearty smile while writing.

Life in Dombivili was hard, but it was worth. I was one of the luckiest person who used to work five days a week, even envied by my bosses. Somebody told me – just lazing around weekends, why do not come and work as visiting faculty in our place, we need someone like you. Money is such a thing you can not ignore. So I decided to join them for Saturday and Sunday afternoon. My friend wanted to kill me as I was totally unavailable for any outing. So leaving my home and little comfort, I used to walk down the lane and by lane of Dombi for eight to ten minutes to reach my weekend working place.

This fellow, middle aged, foreign return, wanted to go back soon, and wanted to get a few things about computer before he can go back. First started with DOS, after teaching few things, I started with creating folder, while teaching him CD (Change Directory) command, after lots of explanation found him still sulking I tried to give an example, something like this- “See this building is like a hard disk and every flat is like a folder, your flat is your personal folder, so when go in you have to unlock the door same way you give CD and folder name to go in and when come out only CD.., so on…”. After a minute or so, he said to me – Oh! CD command is like a security guard of the building.” I stood there for a minute, speechless and then all I wanted to tell him –“yes Mr.., the security guard is coming, armed with an AK47 and going to clean up the building”, but finally I took a deep breath and started all over. A building for an example? In my whole life until today, I never ever committed that mistake.

This lady was having everything you asked for, good look, a green card (both husband and wife), having a business in Mumbai, a home in prime location and two beautiful kids, a daughter and a son. Her family background was something that really impressed me – Father Sindhi, citizen of Hong Kong, mother Maharashtrian and she married to a Gujarati fellow.

Even I was years younger than her she used to respect me a lot, but I was having bit negative feeling towards her for other thing(very unwise BeeeBeees), one of my junior colleague, very dear to me was working in her office in the mornings and she was very upset with her beheviour.

Always greeting me with a big smile- “Hi Ms. B.”, incidentally both of my initial starts with ‘B’.
One day she asked me to help her to buy a computer. Computers are not that cheaper in those days and it was considered to be a prize possession for any house hold, also there were not many option or neither too many computer engineers around. Today armed with a single screwdriver you are a computer engineer. I gave her an address and she finally got a system and requested me to check it. That time we yet to have a Windows OS. While checking I found a few viruses in the system. That time there were not many virus around, may be there were a few infected minds. I called up the company that supplied the computer and told them about it, when I looked back, the lady looked horrified and told me – “Virus? What about my children?” I just wanted to tell her – “Yes! Move fast get your green card and rush to USA and get all vaccines available there.” Instead of that I made matter worse for her (a devil in me) and told her –“don’t worry; these are not physical virus, only logical virus”. Instead of cooling down, she looked more concerned “What do you mean by logical viruses?” I felt pity and finally decided to close the chapter and said, “Your children will be fine, but if one them start sneezing tomorrow then do not blame the computer, computer can snooze but never sneeze.”

I was young and may be impatient, so when often irritated by someone, reacted differently, but today some of those moments remind me-

!!! Not all irritations are that itchy !!!

Tried and tested! Blessed? result is unknown

When we give a thing to someone, we can not forget, mostly because we expect something in return, very mean of us, but it is reality. Relishing the joy of unconditional giving is a rare thing in our life.

Few times in my life I had the feeling that someone came out from the blue to ask for a little thing which was worthless to me and still left an aura that can not be forgotten. Among many a few instances which still is sinking in me.

I go back to my old home in Kolkata and with my mother, a woman with lots of human qualities; sadly I never inherit a drop of it. I was then seven or odd years old. Tuesday was the day when this old man was our guest from nowhere. I never saw him going to any other neighbours house. My mother used to feed him like a guest, even sometime she prepared an extra item for him. This routine gone through for may be seven or eight months. My mother also promised him a new pair clothes during that year Durga Puja. One day my cousin sister (daughter of my father elder sister) came form Jamshedpur. During this time on that particular Tuesday, while going to bath mother asked my Didi to serve the fellow if he come in between, and it’s happened, best of her understanding she served the leftover food from previous night. My mother’s precious guest left without touching the food and he never came back. Many years after that, I often found my mother regretting for the mistake she committed.

Mid eighties I was accompanying a friend for an interview. I rather say that the three generation of that family she belongs were my friends, specially her aunty who was a very dear friend to me through my thick and thins and a few months back I lost her for forever. All three sisters too were dear friends to me and like sisters to me too. The office was somewhere in Flora Fountain. When we are waiting in the reception may be six or eight people together, a Parsi old lady came in through the glass door, clad in half sleeve printed shirt and a matching printed pajama, directly came up to me and demanded, you can say just ordered me – “Give me five rupees, I am hungry”, in mid eighties five rupees worth a bit, but I felt like commanded, tried to find a five rupees note and handed over to her. Without uttering a word she left the way she came in. Strange thing was that you will never find a Parsi asking like that, because Parsis are well placed and taken care off.

Mid nineties I was going to meet someone, in Mumbai if I was alone, I never walked, either ran or something between walk and run. An old lady just coming from opposite side and opposite footpath, frail, very fair, wearing a Maharashtrian style sari (nine yards), toothless, smiled at me, a beauty, to give a beautiful smile you have to have something inside rather than a beautiful face with set of 32 fit for advertising, at the same time you just have the heart to feel it. I thought she was known to me so I smiled back. With great difficulties she crossed the road and came to me. Finally she showed me a few stuff and asked me to buy, those things were just worthless to me still I gave her a smile and said ‘well I will take it’. After I paid her she put her frail hand on my head and softly said ‘bala’ (child) and she moved away. A strange feeling pass through whole body and her small blessing made me speechless. I stood there and watched her still I can. An unconditional blessing is such a thing; bring out a small child in you.

My mother remembered her guest all her life because she made a mistake and I remember them may be thinking for some returns.

!!!Yes! Remember them all for the little thing I gave them, that was worthless to me and in return waiting for their blessing, which invaluable, a very mean minded BeeeBeees.!!!