My precious little doll

From when I was small kid, I remember Eeti mahi arriving every year around the months of May – June. I used to look forward to her and my little brother and sister with eager eyes and outstretched arms. The first gift I always got from her, the minute she alighted the train or plane, was a very warm hug.

And then the fun days would start where Vicky, Minnie and I would rush around our home doing anything we wanted (everything we wanted, actually!). They always stayed at Shillong for the summer holidays but we did get them at our place for a few days at least. I would never let them leave if I could have my say in it. Coming from Jammu (the city of temples), they even found Guwahati to be pleasant (Jammu is really hot, trust me I know) and Shillong, to be heaven.

Shillong really is the Scotland of the East, not to mention heaven in some ways. The temperature is mild, the streets clean, the air is pure, no pollution, no humidity… there’s not much traffic. People there make it a point to walk all the time. I love Shillong and so do they. After all, we have our home in Shillong.

There’s another thing about Eeti mahi… she pampers, us kids, silly. She’s like my Good luck charm + Santa Clause as she never forgets to bring a gift for me and I really love every single thing. Minnie and I used to (we still do) love Barbie dolls. And I can still remember how we used to play with them. Dressing them up, combing their hair, getting them ready to go out with us. I always drew pictures of dolls, which Minnie loved to colour and keep. Vicky and I played chess most of the times, but it was with Minnie that I shared a somewhat more special bond, which has only strengthened with time.

Now, as I recollect those memories, I can’t imagine how much she’s grown up. That little girl by my side playing Barbie dolls with me has turned into a lovely person, understanding and compassionate, loving and caring. I never realized something which I do now… Barbie was just another doll in the market… my real doll, my precious little doll has always been right beside me holding my hand and looking up at me with love in her eyes and saying ‘Barbie ba, let’s play!’

A memorable rickshaw ride II- Final Base

The feeling of serenity ended with the rickshaw ride (refer to my previous blog) and we were again left with facing the tedious task of deciding ‘where next?’ There wasn’t much to see at Kachari Ghaat… only vegetable vendors and fish mongers and a pungent, earthy smell greeting us every way we turned. Standing there we realized the folly of our decisions (well, our decisions haven’t quite been sensible I admit).

We could see a park nearby, which neither of us dared enter. It looked like an old witch’s coven, with rattling gates and long sweeping ferns, unkempt grass and foliage everywhere even on the benches covered in moss.

We took our own sweet time in pondering about our last stop, which we decided must be somewhere good (at least one decision should go right). Aha! We both had a brain wave all of a sudden. ‘Let’s go to Bellevue!’ we chimed in together (its actually the name of a Hotel there, but the area has come to be known as such).

Final base: Bellevue point

The point of that day’s venture was to explore the unknown and what better unknown than this. Whenever we friends used to hang out, we did so in restaurants, restaurants and more restaurants (thought that’s better for some days), this time around we were doing something which we wanted, never mind the struggling on foot part.

But then again, where do we get ourselves another rickshaw? There was no one in sight, only a few couples sitting in that old park and the market folk. No vehicles, nothing!

And so began our long trudge to our final destination. We walked and walked (and also managed to talk at the same time which made both of us short of breath) and walked a bit more. I had walked so much that day that I was really in a gleeful mood thinking about the calories I was bidding goodbye to and so was Ritu.

Now, Bellevue is uphill and unfortunately for us, the sun decided to show its face just at that moment. How hard it must have laughed seeing the two of us struggling upwards with an umbrella in hand. At one point of time, it felt impossible to go on further as, our legs cried out in symphony to stop then and there. But, being true to ourselves, we went a bit further and again a bit further and thus finally reached the point from where the view was spectacular. It was an amazing sight which words can never describe fully. All in all, we had actually made a good choice in coming here and we agreed the pain was worthwhile.

With the final ground covered and done with, we returned home.

P.S.- Had to walk all the way to Barwari again, as that day, rickshaws had turned into extinct objects.

A memorable rickshaw ride

Have you ever experienced a time when you were looking for a rickshaw or a particular bus and there wasn’t one to be found? Well, that happens to me almost everyday… but I can recall a particular incident, that happened during the last part of July this year, that makes me both wince in pain as well as laugh out loud.

It was a pleasant day (which is quite rare in those months) and I was going to meet one of my friends at her home. Rituparna or Ritu (as I call her) was scheduled to return to Tezpur University (where she’s studying presently) after a few days so we had to meet on that particular day.

After having a scrumplicious (scrumptious+delicious) lunch at her home, which aunty and aita had painstakingly prepared for us, we decided to put on our explorer shoes and go somewhere.

Destination: unknown

Time duration: not decided

First stop: Barwari

We started walking to the Panbazar bus stop, hoping to get up on a bus to Barwari but as luck would have it, all the buses that seemed to arrive there were the ones which did not go anywhere near that area. We decided to walk as long as we could. So, there we were, trying to walk our way, fighting against out stuffed stomachs which urged us to sit and rest for awhile.

Kachari came and went… and so did the Uzanbazar field (we cringed at the sight of the Four Seasons restaurant as we were already full). We huffed and puffed all the way to Barwari (normally, it isn’t much of a distance but as we both had spent one month being couch potatoes… it hurt a lot).

First base covered… what next? There were four roads to choose from, three of which seemed the most likely and the fourth was out of question as it would lead back to Panbazar. We decided to go to Kachari Ghaat as nothing else came to mind.

Mid-base: Kachari Ghaat

And then began the frantic search for a rickshaw. There were plenty of them standing in the sun with their hoods down, the rickshaw-wallahs laying on them, busy chatting with one another. None of them complied with our request and we grew very angry (really, what was Guwahati coming to? I wondered). It wasn’t that we weren’t willing to pay… it was that they were too lazy to even listen to what we were saying. After asking around for sometime, we finally found someone who agreed to take us there.

I have to tell you… after walking for so long and standing under the sun… sitting on that rickshaw felt like bliss. Both of us were silenced as we saw the beautiful scenery on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River, felt the wind in our hair and a light, cool breeze on our faces. Soon, our ride came to an end. The best ride in a very long time.

Final base: well, that's another story!!

My secret keeper

It has been a decade and we still have the same bond that we had when I first met him. He has been with me all these years, every single day… every single moment. He’s my secret keeper who keeps all my treasured things safe.

I can remember the first time I chanced upon him on an old store near my school. As soon as I saw him, there was no looking back ever since. I still thank the old uncle from the store who introduced us in the first place. Wherever I went he went with me as, I never had the heart to leave him and go. My school life ended and he was there as I moved on in life from school to college and then finally completed my graduation.

I pour out all my heart into him, not to mention my things, and he takes care of them for me. Right now, he’s the possessor of my beautiful pink stapler, my free sharpener, my painting brushes and nibs… my pencils, my precious ‘nirmali’ (flowers from prayer), and a few tenners.

In all these years… I changed a lot… he never did.

Confused? Don’t be… He’s my beautiful Harry Potter pencil box, a gift from my mom on that fateful day I saw him in that old shop.

Two mocktails and a long chat

What does it take to meet a long lost friend? The answer’s quite simple… the person’s phone number and a nice pick of a restaurant (and there are plenty to choose from). For long uninterrupted talks and get together with friends, I recommend the CCD (everyone knows it, still its Café Coffee Day). Mind you, if you’re looking forward to having a satisfying and heavy meal or if you’re on a tight budget, it’s the place you need to get far… far away from.

I realized this fact as during these past few days when I’m at my socializing best, (I chose that, over, being stuck at home) I’ve spent most of my days rushing in and out of such places. Only a couple of days back I met a very old friend school friend of mine in the CCD near Commerce college. We caught up with each other over “Lychee Thandai” (and that was probably no lychee and all ‘thanda’ water) and that day became very special for both of us.

In fact, yesterday I met Maina, my best friend’s sister (who’s more of a little sister to me than her) and we both decided to go to Pizzeria for a quick mocktail. I was a bit nostalgic as I hadn’t gone there for quite a while and I used to frequently go there before. As you might have realized, I am not such a concoction fan (that’s what they do… mix up and serve weird combinations and I end up choosing the weirdest of them all), I have it, just to have something, when I’m already full. This time being cautious I ordered the Tequila Sunrise (I also had an eye out for the shocking prices accompanying the even more shocking names) and she went for the Pizzeria special. You wouldn’t believe the rates they put up for this stuff.

The drinks arrived, decorated and looking spectacular. I stared in awe and wondered the saying about looks being deceiving. I was right. My drink was too tangy for my liking, but still it wasn’t as bad as some things I’ve had in the past. Maina got the better end of the deal and her drink was really good. We talked nineteen to the dozen and sipped slowly on our drinks.

That’s the best thing about such parlours. You never are rushed off in a hurry. With time in your hands, not to mention a colourful drink, you are all set to have fabulous moments.