Returning to the desk after a minuscule break. I was away to a small island known as Meen Dwip. It was the last day of a very eventful year 2010, in the morning at six we left for the destination by a car. After reaching Raichak took the ferry for Kukrahati for crossing the river Hooghly. Once we reached Kukrahati we took a four-wheeler for Durgachowk, at there we had our breakfast in a restaurant called ‘Benfish’. Matter of fact the West Bengal Government’s Department of Fisheries having these chains of restaurants and hotels in the coastal areas that known as ‘Benfish’, and our tour too conducted by the same organization. Around eleven we left for Patikhali on a cycle van and then by a ferry on the river Haldi to Meen Dwip, at Nayachar. I told my grandchild that when anyone asked about the place the best answer is ‘most probably not far from Indian Ocean, that way it may near to Maldives and just wondering how far it is from Indonesia’. Jokes apart, first time got an idea about a remote tiny island, it is not very far yet to reach here we have to cover two water bodies and as well as three different mode of transportations. The tiny Island was without any electricity and the mobile network was always playing hide and seek with us. I was planning to take the lappy along but finally decide against it. The hotel we boarded was known as ‘Mohana’ and it is too run by ‘Benfish’. Hotel generator that provides electricity from evening 5.30pm to 10.30pm, people around the area those have mobile comes here to charge there handset. All edible comes from other side of the shore, therefore whatever our needs we had to order a day before. This small island fully depends on fishing and fisheries. Peoples are very poor by financial terms as well as exploited by political parties. Politician belongs to either party never spared these poor peoples and trying every bit to flex their power. Looking at the situation it seems that West Bengal is now converted to a most dirtiest political war base.
Once done with the lunch played badminton for two hours, it is good that I can do it without exhausting and played it well. Badminton was the one among the other three sports that I played, at school I played baseball and thereafter while in aboard tried my hand in lawn tennis too.
My first encounter with Lalu happens while playing badminton, a cream coloured dog was lazing around, very much looked like a normal stray dog. In the beginning we were little uncomfortable but slowly found some uniqueness in the creature. After badminton, when strolling around, the dog followed us quietly and surprising that not for once it barked, the dog is known as Lalu. Night in the dining room we met a family consisting five people, father, mother, daughter, son-in-law and grand daughter, the group was very talkative and gave us very good company during early mornings and evenings when there was nothing to do. Next morning was the first day of this year 2011, after breakfast, we were on the way to nearby riverbank that was just couple of kilometer away. We used a cycle van as our mode of transport. On our way, we had great company and it was Lalu, running after us all the way but strange not once we heard it bark. Due to my curiosity, I inquired and came to know from hotel employee that the dog was the lone species of same category because there were no other dogs in the island. Lalu always accompany the guests, those come and boarded at the same hotel and also see off them when they left the island.
After coming back had, lunch, we ordered shrimps for the dinner. Whenever I consume shrimp I remember my days in Dubai, the day we were served shrimp, it was only shrimps with a loaf of soft bread from local bakery, salad and mayonnaise. A big thumbs up for employees of 'Mohana' for their hospitality, great human beings, only word to describe Mr. Bera and his peoples.
On Sunday morning we were due to return back, both families hired a boat to ferry us back to the other side. Morning it was very windy and cold, when we reached the jetty, the boat was not yet there. Lalu was with us even it was shivering due to cold but never left. I kept a half packet of biscuit in my pocket and decided to give it away to Lalu before I left. Around 8am the boat arrived, both families boarded, we tried to find a safe place to protect ourselves from the cold wind. Within an hour, we were already at the other shore, other family members left for their own destination, of-course after exchanging our numbers. We took a Private taxi for other ferry service, while sitting in the taxi I discovered the packet of biscuit still in my pocket, I felt terrible and very angry with myself because I forgot to give it to Lalu before I left.
While writing this piece, I wonder what goes through the mind of the mute lonely dog of Meen Dwip, who took great care of the guests of ‘Mohana’, those unknown peoples who comes and give him a short company and always leaving him behind on the jetty of Meen Dwip.
!!!Human’s great Friend, yes Lalu proved it very quietly.!!!
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