19-12-2019, 11:25 AM
After lunch I left the ladies alone for gossiping and walked towards the fields. I looked around the green fields spread till the horizon. I slowly walked through the mango and jackfruit orchards at the back of the house. I loitered around the pond at the end of the orchard. I saw the same tree that Grand Aunt told me once that I have planted. I found mangoes hanging from the branch.
I got tempted to pluck one and devour its taste. So I climbed the tree and sat on one branch and chewed the unripe green mangoes like a monkey. I lied down on one of the branch, enjoying the cool summer breeze flowing over the pond to the orchard. I felt sleepy after sometime.
I opened my eyes only to find Grand Aunt smiling at me with her pious loving eyes. The sun was approaching the west horizon. I looked at my Grand Aunt and asked as how she found me.
She said in her soothing grandmotherly voice---“Grandchild’s are always part of Grand Aunts heart. I knew somehow that you would be here. But I didn’t thought I would find you sleeping on the branch like a monkey. Now come down. Everyone has returned and was asking for you.”
I came down and placed my right arm on her shoulder and said ---“You promised me that you would be telling that story. You are my sweet Grand Aunt.”
---“I am aged now and my hairs are turning grey. Most of my teeth have fallen. My eyesight is also going dim and you joking with me still?”
---“Who told you that you are getting old?”
We walked towards the house as the sun was setting behind us behind the bushes on the horizon.
Gradually the dark approached from the east. I heard sound of conch shells blowing from distant houses. The village ladies were offering the evening puja at their courtyard. The sound of conch shell and the aroma of incense sticks burning made my thoughts nostalgic. I quietly sat beside my Grand Aunt as she was offering her puja.
After she completed her puja she looked at me and said---“Same like this you used to sit behind me when you were three years old and after puja was finished you used to stretch your little hands and ask for the sweets.”
I stretched my right hand and asked ---“Why don’t you give me sweets today also?”
She looked at my face and wiped the corner of her eyes and handed a small sweet meat to me.
I looked around, Shasanko Uncle and Sumanto Uncle has returned. I could not find Subroto. We talked with each other exchanging pleasantries for the whole evening. I could not find Paree anywhere.
While we were chatting Meghna served puffed rice mixed with mustard oil, minced onion and mixture. Something that people in cities has forgotten to taste. They all take patties and cakes and pastries in their evening snacks. But the simplicity of the food made me mushy.
Dushtu came running once he saw me talking with his father and uncle. That small child of eight years was beaming with joy as he met his young Suchi Auntie after a long, long time.
His juvenile unadulterated heart of eight years was filled up with lots of queries that he wanted to ask me.
---“Can I call you Abhi uncle?”
His dad, Shasanko Uncle said to him that I was not his uncle but his distant cousin brother.
---“No you are lying. Brothers are not so old like him. He has got glasses on his eyes also. Why he calls Paree Auntie by her name?”
We all laughed at him on hearing his question.
He asked me playfully ---“Do you know stories of ghosts and fairies?”
I answered him that I know many stories of ghosts and fairies.
---“Will you tell me those stories at night?”
---“Surely, why not! But you have to study first and complete your homework.”
“Ok, but don’t go to sleep before telling me stories” saying that he ran to his mom for finishing his homework.
I observed that the property has been divided and every family has now their own kitchen and Grand Aunt was with Sumanto. But for guests the cooking was still done by all the daughter-in-laws.
After a long time I saw Sumanto Uncle’s wife. She was a quiet lady not so literate like others, which was the reason I was unable to notice her during the wedding. She looked like a divine deity, pious and virtuous in her cream coloured saree with wide red border, dbangd around her in old Bengali style. She had a big vermillion dot on her forehead, which made her more admirable that any of the mother’s or ladies in that house.
______________________________
After sometime I felt a deep urge to puff so I went upstairs quietly to have a stick.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and found that Dushtu and his Paree Auntie behind me.
Paree was carrying Dushtu on her lap.
Paree gave a naughty look as if asking “Missed me?”
She said to me ---“Here dinner is served early and all goes to bed early. Everyone rises early here. Sumanto Da has to goto to fields in early morning and rest of the ladies has their works to do. So don’t be late.”
Dushtu in his childish voice asked me ---“You promised me that you will tell me fables after dinner.”
I came very near to them and ruffled his hair and looked at Paree’s smiling eyes and said to Dushtu ---“Today I will tell you a tale of thief who stole a fairy from her palace and went away to mountain.”
Dushtu exclaimed in joy ---“Really!! I have not heard any stories like that. I have heard only stories of prince and princess.”
Paree bit her lower lips, in the low light of night I saw her eyes glistened in coy.
I rubbed my nose on his small soft nose ---“This is a new story.”
While I was rubbing my nose, Paree stole a small kiss on my left cheek.
She said ---“Come down, probably the dinner is ready.”
Paree was ahead of me while climbing the stairs with Dushtu on her lap.
While climbing down I asked her ---“In which room I am going to stay?”
She looked over her shoulder ---“You are going to stay in my room and I will sleep with my mom.”
During dinner I found that we, the males, have been served on large brass plates on the dining table.
I said to Grand Aunt that these brass plates and the brass bowls are not going well with the dining table, we should sit on the ground on wooden square plank to have our dinner.
Sumanto uncle and Shasanko uncle looked at me and smiled at my suggestion.
Shasanko uncle said ---“You are from a city, still you are very much down to earth.”
And we all sat on wooden square planks on the floor. I was flabbergasted by their hospitality.
I asked Grand Aunt, who sat beside me ---“Is there any special occasion for all these arrangements?”
---“My long lost grandson has come, what can be more for me to celebrate.”
Paree and eldest aunt were serving food to us while Meghna was passing them the utensils. Maithili stood at a distant. As I looked at her, she turned away her face. Subroto was also seated on the same row but he was unexpectedly silent.
Paree told me that the fish was from their pond, the rice and the cereals were from their fields and the milk was milked from their cows.
First day at their house was the best experience from any relatives I had till then.
Paree ushered me in her room after dinner. I sat on the bed and put my arms around her narrow waist and pulled her near me. She playfully placed her arms around my neck and smiled sweetly. I looked into her deep black eyes and her dimpled rosy cheeks.
She whispered to me ---“Let me go, I have to finish my dinner and then sleep with my mom.”
---“Not before a small kiss. Honey.”
She meowed like kitten---“Ok, only after I finish my dinner.”
My nostrils filled with some different aroma, I gave her a queer look.
She purred in my ears ---“I am having my cycle….”
---“But that has to come after three days. Why so early?”
She exclaimed at me and slapped the back of my head ---“You keep count of everything about me? You rascal.”
I rubbed my nose on her tip ---“I have to keep a notch of everything my EVE is doing. But this is a problem and we have to consult a gynecologist for that.”
She purred like a kitten--- “So much care for me.”
I stretched my neck to reach her lips; she stooped down to touch mine. Our lips grazed softly on each other’s.
Dushtu came running into the room all of a sudden and we have to part as if thunders stroke fell on us. He jumped on and lied down on the bed.
He giggled at me ---“Tell me the story of the thief who stole the fairy.”
Paree gave me a teasing look with her naughty eyes ---“Now that’s up to you how you handle him, I am going.” She ruffled Dushtu’s hair and cautioned him not to disturb his “Abhi Uncle”.
______________________________
I got tempted to pluck one and devour its taste. So I climbed the tree and sat on one branch and chewed the unripe green mangoes like a monkey. I lied down on one of the branch, enjoying the cool summer breeze flowing over the pond to the orchard. I felt sleepy after sometime.
I opened my eyes only to find Grand Aunt smiling at me with her pious loving eyes. The sun was approaching the west horizon. I looked at my Grand Aunt and asked as how she found me.
She said in her soothing grandmotherly voice---“Grandchild’s are always part of Grand Aunts heart. I knew somehow that you would be here. But I didn’t thought I would find you sleeping on the branch like a monkey. Now come down. Everyone has returned and was asking for you.”
I came down and placed my right arm on her shoulder and said ---“You promised me that you would be telling that story. You are my sweet Grand Aunt.”
---“I am aged now and my hairs are turning grey. Most of my teeth have fallen. My eyesight is also going dim and you joking with me still?”
---“Who told you that you are getting old?”
We walked towards the house as the sun was setting behind us behind the bushes on the horizon.
Gradually the dark approached from the east. I heard sound of conch shells blowing from distant houses. The village ladies were offering the evening puja at their courtyard. The sound of conch shell and the aroma of incense sticks burning made my thoughts nostalgic. I quietly sat beside my Grand Aunt as she was offering her puja.
After she completed her puja she looked at me and said---“Same like this you used to sit behind me when you were three years old and after puja was finished you used to stretch your little hands and ask for the sweets.”
I stretched my right hand and asked ---“Why don’t you give me sweets today also?”
She looked at my face and wiped the corner of her eyes and handed a small sweet meat to me.
I looked around, Shasanko Uncle and Sumanto Uncle has returned. I could not find Subroto. We talked with each other exchanging pleasantries for the whole evening. I could not find Paree anywhere.
While we were chatting Meghna served puffed rice mixed with mustard oil, minced onion and mixture. Something that people in cities has forgotten to taste. They all take patties and cakes and pastries in their evening snacks. But the simplicity of the food made me mushy.
Dushtu came running once he saw me talking with his father and uncle. That small child of eight years was beaming with joy as he met his young Suchi Auntie after a long, long time.
His juvenile unadulterated heart of eight years was filled up with lots of queries that he wanted to ask me.
---“Can I call you Abhi uncle?”
His dad, Shasanko Uncle said to him that I was not his uncle but his distant cousin brother.
---“No you are lying. Brothers are not so old like him. He has got glasses on his eyes also. Why he calls Paree Auntie by her name?”
We all laughed at him on hearing his question.
He asked me playfully ---“Do you know stories of ghosts and fairies?”
I answered him that I know many stories of ghosts and fairies.
---“Will you tell me those stories at night?”
---“Surely, why not! But you have to study first and complete your homework.”
“Ok, but don’t go to sleep before telling me stories” saying that he ran to his mom for finishing his homework.
I observed that the property has been divided and every family has now their own kitchen and Grand Aunt was with Sumanto. But for guests the cooking was still done by all the daughter-in-laws.
After a long time I saw Sumanto Uncle’s wife. She was a quiet lady not so literate like others, which was the reason I was unable to notice her during the wedding. She looked like a divine deity, pious and virtuous in her cream coloured saree with wide red border, dbangd around her in old Bengali style. She had a big vermillion dot on her forehead, which made her more admirable that any of the mother’s or ladies in that house.
______________________________
After sometime I felt a deep urge to puff so I went upstairs quietly to have a stick.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and found that Dushtu and his Paree Auntie behind me.
Paree was carrying Dushtu on her lap.
Paree gave a naughty look as if asking “Missed me?”
She said to me ---“Here dinner is served early and all goes to bed early. Everyone rises early here. Sumanto Da has to goto to fields in early morning and rest of the ladies has their works to do. So don’t be late.”
Dushtu in his childish voice asked me ---“You promised me that you will tell me fables after dinner.”
I came very near to them and ruffled his hair and looked at Paree’s smiling eyes and said to Dushtu ---“Today I will tell you a tale of thief who stole a fairy from her palace and went away to mountain.”
Dushtu exclaimed in joy ---“Really!! I have not heard any stories like that. I have heard only stories of prince and princess.”
Paree bit her lower lips, in the low light of night I saw her eyes glistened in coy.
I rubbed my nose on his small soft nose ---“This is a new story.”
While I was rubbing my nose, Paree stole a small kiss on my left cheek.
She said ---“Come down, probably the dinner is ready.”
Paree was ahead of me while climbing the stairs with Dushtu on her lap.
While climbing down I asked her ---“In which room I am going to stay?”
She looked over her shoulder ---“You are going to stay in my room and I will sleep with my mom.”
During dinner I found that we, the males, have been served on large brass plates on the dining table.
I said to Grand Aunt that these brass plates and the brass bowls are not going well with the dining table, we should sit on the ground on wooden square plank to have our dinner.
Sumanto uncle and Shasanko uncle looked at me and smiled at my suggestion.
Shasanko uncle said ---“You are from a city, still you are very much down to earth.”
And we all sat on wooden square planks on the floor. I was flabbergasted by their hospitality.
I asked Grand Aunt, who sat beside me ---“Is there any special occasion for all these arrangements?”
---“My long lost grandson has come, what can be more for me to celebrate.”
Paree and eldest aunt were serving food to us while Meghna was passing them the utensils. Maithili stood at a distant. As I looked at her, she turned away her face. Subroto was also seated on the same row but he was unexpectedly silent.
Paree told me that the fish was from their pond, the rice and the cereals were from their fields and the milk was milked from their cows.
First day at their house was the best experience from any relatives I had till then.
Paree ushered me in her room after dinner. I sat on the bed and put my arms around her narrow waist and pulled her near me. She playfully placed her arms around my neck and smiled sweetly. I looked into her deep black eyes and her dimpled rosy cheeks.
She whispered to me ---“Let me go, I have to finish my dinner and then sleep with my mom.”
---“Not before a small kiss. Honey.”
She meowed like kitten---“Ok, only after I finish my dinner.”
My nostrils filled with some different aroma, I gave her a queer look.
She purred in my ears ---“I am having my cycle….”
---“But that has to come after three days. Why so early?”
She exclaimed at me and slapped the back of my head ---“You keep count of everything about me? You rascal.”
I rubbed my nose on her tip ---“I have to keep a notch of everything my EVE is doing. But this is a problem and we have to consult a gynecologist for that.”
She purred like a kitten--- “So much care for me.”
I stretched my neck to reach her lips; she stooped down to touch mine. Our lips grazed softly on each other’s.
Dushtu came running into the room all of a sudden and we have to part as if thunders stroke fell on us. He jumped on and lied down on the bed.
He giggled at me ---“Tell me the story of the thief who stole the fairy.”
Paree gave me a teasing look with her naughty eyes ---“Now that’s up to you how you handle him, I am going.” She ruffled Dushtu’s hair and cautioned him not to disturb his “Abhi Uncle”.
______________________________
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