When the social media news feed is flooded with upsetting news pouring in and we are getting more anxious each passing minute, let me tell you the positivity that came along with it. This blog is about that.

How’s life at quarantine?

It’s all about homemade food, lots of rest, binge-watching movies, work from bed and most importantly communication with our closest people.

Now we have restricted ourselves from real communication. We are cocooned in our little virtual world. We are too involved with ourselves and too exhausted to express what’s really going on in our head, too unsure about how my people will take it. The prolonged hours at home actually made some communications happen.

I will tell my story. As shooting for films or serials has been called off, no new episodes are on air. Fortunately, I’m spared the horror of watching or hearing the intense and deep plot twists of daily soaps. My Maa is trying to shift her focus on to something productive, like Facebook (eyes roll)! My father is already missing his vintage hangout zone i.e a small room where retired oldies get together to play cards and complain about the respective government. He is already busy being nostalgic about his ‘quality time’ and how he used to roam around in the evening. My grandmom is in quarantine for the last three years for health issues and now has become a sleepy panda. I tried to explain to her about the tough time we are going through, but she replied with a smile, “What a relief, you don’t have to go to the office!” She is in that state when she can filter the information and register in her head only the positive aspects of it according to her. I was talking about communication, right? My parents and I are communicating about everything under the sky. 3days in self-isolation and my parents and I have not talked about my marriage! That’s overwhelming!!! Right now, the world is dealing with a greater issue than that.

I usually don’t reach out to people. But in such a bizarre situation, I felt the need to talk to those I’ve not interacted for long. I wanted to express to each of them how much they mean to me. And I did. It’s not the time to nurture ego or just live with the grudge for someone. So, reach out to people as much as you can, over the phone of course. Talk to them, ask about their well-being, stay in touch. It’s time we hold each other tight from a distance! We just got the opportunity to reflect upon ourselves to be better humans.

As soon as humans locked themselves at home, nature unfolds her magic. I hardly see any sparrow in my locality. But yesterday, I saw a cuckoo sitting at the rooftop of the house in front of me and cooing at the top of its voice. I also found a yellow bird with a small, red beak roaming around the construction site right beside my room (somewhat like the image below). I wish I could see a kaleidoscope of butterflies in my balcony and a lot more pretty birds right outside my window. As nature gets healed, hopefully, we shall heal as well.

Life will not be the same before and after the Corona outbreak. Nature has pressed the ‘reset’ button to scrutinize our actions and amend them. It’s the first time when the whole world is tirelessly working towards one single aim – survival. The country leaders are doing an excellent job. People are applauding their effort. It’s the first time in history, people from every corner of the world are uniting and trying to make others aware of the situation. People are singing, dancing, reciting, playing musical instruments from their balcony to keep the spirit alive, policemen are playing the guitars and dancing on the road on duty to cheer up scared, anxious people locked down at home; doctors and nurses are tirelessly working throughout the day to make the situation better. When is the last time we got to see such an amazing side of fellow humans?

We might be the worst creature on the universe. But no doubt, we are the most amazing race too! Stay alert, stay strong, stay positive. And this shall pass too!

Let me know how you are coping with isolation. I would love to read them. 🙂

উৎসবের অবসান। আবার কাজে ফেরার পালা । তবু বুকের মধ্যেকার থেকে সব না পাওয়া কে ঠেলে বের করে দেওয়া ঢাকের গুড়গুড় থামতে চায়না কিছুতেই । সকাল বিকেল হুল্লোড় আর ভালো লাগা, ভালো থাকার আবেশ টা যেন নষ্টালজিক করে দেয় এইমাত্র যে মুহূর্ত টা পেরিয়ে এলাম তার জন্য। যতই কাজে মন বসানোর চেষ্টা করি, পুজোর চারটে দিনের ছোট ছোট মুহূর্ত কোলাজ বার বার ভিড় করে মনে। আর অদ্ভুত একটা ভালো লাগার মন খারাপে ভরিয়ে দেয় মন।এই হাসিমুখ আর মুহূর্ত জড়ো করতে আরও এক বছরের অপেক্ষা ।

থিকথিকে ভিড়ে  রাস্তায় হাঁটা আর ভেঁপুর কর্কশ প্যাঁ, প্রেমিকা প্রতিবাদ করলে বলে ১০ টাকা দিয়ে কিনেছি, একটু বাজাবো না? কুমোরটুলি পার্ক থেকে বেরিয়ে নির্জন  গঙ্গার ধারে ভাঙ্গা ঘাটের যেখানে বটগাছের ডালটা  অনেকটা নুইয়ে পরেছে, মেরুন পাঞ্জাবি সিগারেটের কাউন্টার বাড়িয়ে দেয় নীল শাড়িকে, আর জড়িয়ে ধরে ইতিউতি দেখে চুমু খায় কপালে। মধ্যবিত্ত ছোট্ট পরিবার বাস এর পিছনে ছোটে তল্পিতল্পা নিয়ে, লিস্টের সব কটা ঠাকুর দেখে ফেলতে হবে যে ! বাবা ছেলেকে বাসে  তুলে বউকে তোলার জন্য হাত বাড়িয়ে দেয়। ঠাকুর দেখতে দেখতে হাঁপিয়ে গিয়ে রাস্তার ধারে বসেই সেরে নেয় রাতের খাওয়া। বাড়ি থেকে আনা  লুচি, তরকারি আর মিষ্টি খেতে খেতেই খুদের মনে প্রশ্ন জাগে, আর কটা ঠাকুর দেখব বাবা? বাবা তখন মনে মনে দিকনির্ণয় করে বলেন, এই তো এই পাঁচটা ঠাকুর দেখলেই আজ নর্থ কমপ্লিট! খুদের মন ভরে ওঠে, মনে মনে তৈরি হয়ে যায় বন্ধুদের গল্প বলার রসদ। পা টা চলছেনা তবু নর্থ টা আজ কমপ্লিট করতেই হবে। বাঁশের ব্যারিকেডের মধ্যে থিকথিকে মানুষের ভিড়ে বাবা ঘাড়ের উপর তুলে নেয় খুদেকে, প্যান্ডেল আরও অনেক দূর। বৃদ্ধ দম্পতি রিকশা করে ঠাকুর দেখতে গিয়ে অনেক বড় লাইন দেখে যখন ফিরে যাওয়ার উপক্রম, তরুণ  volunteer চেঁচিয়ে ওঠে, দিদা এইদিক দিয়ে আসুন। আপনাকে লাইনে দাঁড়াতে হবে না।

এই সব মুহূর্তগুলো জড়ো  করলে একটা সুন্দর, সুস্থ পৃথিবীর ম্যাপ তৈরী হয়। তাই আপনার অবাঙালি বন্ধুরা যখন প্রচন্ড বিস্মিত হয়ে জিজ্ঞেস করবে, দুর্গাপুজো নিয়ে এতো উন্মাদনার কি আছে, আপনার কাছে অস্ত্র হলো এই ম্যাপ। শুধু ‘রাসগুল্লা  রাসগুল্লা  আর আমি তুমাকে ভালোবাসি ‘ বলে  বাঙালিকে নাগালে পাওয়া যায়না। পুজোর শেষের হ্যাংওভার নিয়ে শুরু করুন প্রথম কাজের দিন টা। ভালো থাকুন, কাজে থাকুন।  আর মনে মনে প্ল্যান ভাজুন, এই বছর যা যা আনন্দ বাদ  পড়েছে, পরের বছর কিভাবে পুষিয়ে নেবেন ! ইচ্ছাপূরণের গল্পরা শেষ হয়না , তাই “আসছে বছর আবার হবে!”

শুভ বিজয়া !

Are you a working professional who is somewhat in the middle of loving and hating your job? Do you often find yourself talking about your boss and office environment? We have all been there.

There are some people who are good at adopting the corporate culture and some, who are not! Actually, the whole concept of corporate culture is quite confusing. It is definitely not as simple as work hard, get paid and buzz off.

You meet different kind of people to deal with everyday. You didn’t choose them to be in your life. But they are there, with you, in most of the time in a day sitting right next to you!

The Yes-Boss!

You would always find a bunch of people who would suddenly remember all the work when boss is around. He might be loitering around all day, watching videos, playing games, chatting on social media but when boss is around, you’ll see the most dedicated employee who is contributing his/her heart, soul, sweat, blood and what not for the company. They never miss a chance of impressing boss with their communication skill. They are always polite, even if they are hit with brutal insult and never fail to hang a smile on their face. Beware of these people!

The Spy

In every office, there is a spy who acts as the biggest well-wisher (at least, the boss thinks) of the company. They often talk nasty about bosses or other colleagues to win your trust so that you add some more spice into it. But before opening your mouth, hold a second. It’s a TRAP! Don’t fall for it. As soon as you say something negative about your boss, the words will spread like fire and reach to the destinations it was not meant to. Remember, they are the most trustworthy employees (according to the boss)!

The Sloth

They are lazy yet unpredictable. Moody but talented. They will watch videos, take a nap or go for frequent smoking or loo breaks without any guilt. They are the most chilled out lot who give a shit about what is happening around. They devote time on polishing their skills instead of contributing something extra (than what they are paid for) to the company. They always have few cards hidden in their sleeves to show off at the right time. For that, they are not kicked out easily. If you are an average performer and try to slip into their shoes, you might get into trouble. Cause, they know the art o dodging a situation in their favour but you don’t.

The Gossip Monger

Every office has its own broadcasting channel who has all the juicy gossips about everyone. What’s cooking inside or outside the cubicle, who is looking for better ‘opportunity’, who is joining the rivals – spend some hours with them and get every breaking news uncut and exclusive.

The Problem Solver

They are the most reliable to get any work done. They are the saviours after little goof-ups. They are the know-it-all and always ready to help. They are like the Father-figure (or Mother figure, whichever applicable) to all the employees with inherited ideal HR manager qualities. The only person who can manage both the boss and the employees. Here, to all the employers, don’t lose them!

Corporate culture is nothing but adjusting with different kinds of people with different temperament. We spend maximum hours in a day at work and with good colleagues, the work hours become tolerable, enjoyable. Monday blues are far cry only if you have few crazy colleagues. When change is the only constant in this world, the colleagues must scatter and life i.e. company moves on. But the impression that is created within those long office hours should be counted.

The real boss of every company is the work culture. An employer is nothing without the people working for him/her and vice versa. In corporate world, everyone talks about ‘win-win’ situation. That is only possible if the bond among the employees are strong enough to face any challenge. A company can never grow to its potential without the individual growth of each employee.

I have come across quite a few lazy, crazy, bitchy, raunchy, pretty, funny colleagues in my life and they all are adorable in their own way.

A big shout-out to all those bonds that bloomed inside the cubicle but spread its wings and became stronger each day!!!

What we used to do as a child when we were too annoyed, too scared, too angry or too sad?

We ran towards our comfort zone. The comfort zone could be our mother, our little room or some thing that give us peace, embrace us.

North Bengal has become that comfort zone for me. In our journey towards the kingdom of greenery and all things serene and pristine, I realized North Bengal has enchanted me. It was my fourth time in a row there and I fell in love all over again! This time, it was Rishop.

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

When you are travelling in a group, you get to be a part of many stories. While on a trip, people often set themselves free. The stories they carry with them can easily be read. The places you visit, the people you meet, the sights you see all tell stories if you wish to listen.

We were a group of people from every age group with same enthusiasm. The adventurous spree led us to an immaculate forest, Neora Vally, where silence had its own language. I witnessed the readiness of an old man to conquer the forest. I witnessed the happiness of a couple enjoying every step of their uphill journey. I met a man who offered me warmth when I was shivering in cold, by taking me to the fireplace in an army camp. I listened to the story of a Jawan who works in a remote area like this day and night miles away from friends and family.

They all became a part of my story.

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself” -David Mitchell

At night, standing alone in the balcony I looked around; what did I see?

I saw the darkness like never before. It was like a giant lap waiting to engulf you. There were only some tiny dots I could see. Those were the inhabited places of that hill. But they were looking so small! How small human beings are in this vast universe!

That night was dedicated to stories, horror stories in particular. Cold wind, hot cup of coffee, chicken pakora and stories- what else do you need to make your holiday special! Curling up in blankets, with eyes popping out, we shared our personal encounters with paranormal energy. Actually, we love to get scared when we are surrounded by people. But the truth is we only fear the unknown.

After dinner, when everyone went to bed, I thought to stand alone in the balcony again. I could listen to my own heartbeat. How can a place be that silent! There was no chirping of the cricket either. After a long time, I saw the vast night sky full of stars. It felt like I was standing alone at the end of the earth. Sometimes you need to find out the opportunities to catch up with yourself. Sometimes, we need to put ourselves at the top of our priority list.

“The most beautiful in the world is, of course, the world itself.” -Wallace Stevens

The fact is, there are some places in North Bengal which are absolutely unexplored and thankfully not yet been commercialized. There is no such famous architecture, temple or museum or park where tourists mainly give a visit. If someone asks me, what’s there to see in Rishop, I would simply tell, Rishop itself. The Nature here is like a riddle. Nature may surprise you in the most unexpected ways. There is a place named ‘Tiffindara’, which is the highest sunset point of Rishop and its surroundings. If luck favours, you may witness the 360 view of the magnificent Kanchanjungha.

As they say, good things don’t last long. Eventually, it was time for heading back to home. I so wanted to cease the day, cease the time. I wanted to stay there, roam in the villages, sing songs running around the trees… the filmy side of me was about to crawl in, just then the mind said, ‘shut up’!

So, if you want to take a break from the monotony, Rishop, the little village in Kalimpong is highly recommended. But beware; you might get enchanted by its serenity like me!

পুজোর কলকাতা উদার। পুজোর কলকাতা দরদী।

My city, Kolkata has set a benchmark. Can you be lazier than Kolkata?

In the midst of chaos, smoke, traffic, horn, dengue, jostle… Kolkata has its own pace. No matter how much hurry you are in, this city knows how to make you adopt it as it is. Slow, simple, lazy yet pure and earnestly cordial… that’s Kolkata for me.

You are in Kolkata, when local people are more trusted than Google Map; they even don’t mind to ensure you are taking the right route or right conveyance to reach there. Kolkata always has the time to listen. Be it the murmuring of the leaves, rippling of the river that is flowing since eternity effortlessly without any hurry to meet the sea.

In every street, every alley there must be one or two tea stalls to pause, to unwind. If you pay attention, you can hear the vastness of topics that are discussed. A good tea seller’s job does not end with serving tea but participating actively in the discussion and put his opinions across. You can start with any topic on earth to debate and there will be people to oppose, to argue

Which city has the luxury to sit back and relax in a slow transport at rush hours enjoying the view outside window? Yes, I’m talking about Tram, Kolkata’s treasured heritage. Tram somehow resembles the very spirit of the city. Slow, lazy, heavy with vintage charm carrying in his heart, running in a race of its own, glorifying his existence since ages.

Kolkata is that lover, in no hurry to settle down; he lives only to pursuit passion. That lover, who makes you fall in love with his irresistible charm every day but will not love you back. At the same time, constantly makes it difficult to move on, wrapping you up in immense warmth and nostalgia. Once you have fallen for him, you are attached for life.

Kolkata is always there to heal your wounds, soothe your soul, fill you with substance and inspire you to create. Everybody has a story; in Kolkata, every street, every corner has a story. Keep your eyes open. You will find yours somewhere, curled up.

Picture Courtesy: Sandipan Mukherjee

“I haven’t the slightest interest in being happy. I prefer to live life passionately, which is dangerous because you never know what might happen next.”

-A line from Paulo Coelho’s ‘Adultery’ where a writer confesses this to the narrator.

A writer can never be happy. There are people who strive for happiness and then there are writers who are expert in complicating things. They are restless creatures, in search of something to talk about. In every creation, they leave some of them. Writers are losers. Losing is their forte. Life for them is like a rough sheet where they keep on scribble, one after another page is torn (read mistakes) and they keep on writing. Jumping into wrong decisions, committing mistakes are something done very consciously to let the soul suffer. So much so that, one sits with a pen and paper and it becomes easy to squeeze the heart out to bleed.

Agonies are the weapons for a writer. When one desires to be a writer or claims to be one, the person is already throwing himself into an unpredictable life where he is going to sell his wounds. No pain, no gain- No other proverb is as apt as this to talk about a writer. He is there, exposing all his wounds, telling stories. In fact, this is true for any creative individual. They attract pains in order to improvise their creations. Pick any autobiography of a legend; you can see the struggle in front of your eyes. Pangs of anguish that thoroughly tormented them, led to create the most celebrated masterpieces.

Writers have a strange kind of arrogance. They are ridiculed, tormented, broken, destroyed and yet somehow manages to retain the pride deep inside their heart. Monetary insecurity, disturbed personal life, solitude… very common aspects for them! They are often advised to opt for an alternative profession by random people. Yes it becomes difficult to survive just as a writer, anticipating your creations to become a best seller someday! But the arrogance pushes them to keep on trying for it. They are never satisfied in any other profession and always busy looking for something comforting without knowing what!

Creative minds are meant to be alone. But it doesn’t mean they don’t like company. But at some point of time, they need their own space to procrastinate, observe and think. It is difficult to understand for a non-creative person how the mind of the other person really works. If inspiration strikes, midnight is not the time to sleep but get up to release the thoughts into words.  They fail to make things understandable for the world. Instead of verbal communication, they take refuge in pen and paper. As misery follows in the face of great loss, brain spreads its wings to explore new perspectives. ‘Post-traumatic growth’, as the psychologists call it, has been proven as one of the most popular ways of healing.

So, all the minds that wander are not lost. They may have found its way in wandering itself! But none can deny the fact, in spite of the unpredictability, creative people are irresistibly sexy! If you are a person with substance and hate to indulge in small talks, they are the best people for company. Their company can actually open the door of new perspective, take someone to a different world through their intellect, make anyone feel alive and delighted like never before.

But beware! Their happiness and agonies are contagious. One cannot help but simply gets carried away to see the world in their perspective!

Recently, I visited a picturesque hamlet in North Bengal named Tukdah. Just 30 kilometres away from Darjeeling, Tukdah is a place, breathtakingly beautiful, yet almost unknown to many tourists.

1. Less chaotic, more peace 

Who are you running from? The people? Simple; choose a place that is less popular and far away from the madding crowd. In Tukdah, people are hard to find after evening. It feels like the whole surrounding is meditating. Unwind yourself in the lap of nature, gaze at the stars, listen to the silence around and take a deep breath… you’ll eventually find the peace within.

The meditating hill

Calm village

Green hills

2. Explore nature

Panoramic view of the mountains, luscious green tea estates, idyllic view of the Teesta valley, mysterious wilderness of pine and cedar trees…do you need more reasons to get tempted? If you are a seeker of romance in nature, then it has more to offer than expected. Nature is generous enough to provide calm to your senses and fill your heart with joy.

Cloud meets hill

Entrance of monastery

Picture perfect view

Teesta valley

Tea estate

3. See life closely 

Other than only visiting popular tourist spots nearby, plan a day walking along the streets. Watch people, observe their customs, taste the local food, interact with the people, be a part of them…everything will make you see life with a new perspective. British bungalows reminiscing the old charm of the era, the prayers and chanting sound from the monastery, tea plucking activities by local women, children happily climbing up-hills to reach schools, men walking miles to work and survive, their daily struggle… all these might make you feel thankful for this life. Your heart may get filled with gratitude instead of complaints.

4. Take advantage of the solitude

Remind yourself why you have come for a holiday. You needed a break, right? Get detached. Forget wifi, mail, social network while travelling. Solitude is hard to achieve. Once you achieve it, appreciate. Enjoy your own company. Solitude is the glory of being alone. You are surely going to rediscover yourself and find solutions for problems that went unanswered by your mind.

5. Get adventurous, create memories

Ever walked on a lane without destination? Got lost in an unknown lonely place? And, and discovered a broken temple after climbing up innumerable stairs? Or, without knowing, reached at the top of a hill and admired the city beneath, looking like scattered stars? Or, sat alone whole night in the balcony of a lonely place to witness the sunrise? Travelling to offbeat places provides lot of opportunity to get adventurous. If you love the thrill of adventures, go for it! The memories will surely bring a smile on your face anytime!

There is a little difference between a tourist and a traveller. And it is easy to be a tourist. To enjoy an offbeat place, you must see things with a traveller’s eye. Take your time to admire a place, indulge in some quality time and rejuvenate like never before.

Tempted enough to pack your bags? What are you waiting for?

So, after all the jazz of Mother’s Day is over, I realized we do not really think about them. Thanks to the special day dedicated to mothers we paused to think about the most important person of our lives to talk about. Otherwise, who thinks about mothers? They are there, we know! And they will always be there to deal with us.

We, in our 20s, are all about messy buns and messier lives! Mistakes after mistakes, consequences after consequences… we chose to live lives on our own terms. We are a vulnerable lot. But what mothers do? They worry! Probably because, they do not understand why do we always choose the difficult path. Their life was not that complicated. Career, job, relationship… they opted for a simple life. They chose stability. But we, being the adventure lovers, love to experiment with life. We are not scared of consequences. Though we fail several times, we are experts at pulling ourselves right back to the path taking the complete responsibility of our mistakes.

The mothers and daughters of this generation have their own battles to fight. Mothers fear change. Helplessly they wish us to stop committing mistakes. They can’t see us suffering and we can’t show them our suffering. There we fight. They oppose, we defend. And we get tired of saying, nothing has happened, we’re fine, don’t worry! But they know it all. This generation gap will always be there but the truth is we will always get caught by them.

No matter how tactfully we manage to suppress our pains, they will find out and ask, ‘Tell me, what happened?’ In our 40-s, may be in different ways and expressions, this same question would be asked. The worries are eternal motherly things.