THE BYSTANDER

I was just transferred to that small district town. As a bachelor I found it was difficult for me to get a modest accommodation on rent. My colleges were all quite supportive, promised to find out one. But even after a month they too failed to find a hovel for their young boss. Their hesitation to disclose the reason for the failure of their sincere mission turned me bit curious. I asked Burrababu , calling him into my chamber considering this would offer required confidentiality. Frankly disclosing uncomfortable situation with my purse after meeting the hotel bills for a whole month; I pleaded staying in hotel for discharging my duties would finally land bankrupt! Mind you; salary in 70s with government job was not so lucrative. Burrababu understood my point; then submitted prudently that as a eligible bachelor I am not eligible for accommodation on rent from any good Samaritan. Just think my plight! Getting married was a long drawn process as far as arranged marriages are con...

Aging being a natural process; we all age but few are aware of this. Here is a story I received; narrates the embarrassment of this natural precess : .... Several days ago as I left a meeting at our church, I desperately gave myself a personal TSA pat down.  I was looking for my keys. They were not in my pockets.  A quick search in the meeting room revealed nothing.  Suddenly I realized, I must have left them in the car.  Frantically I headed for the parking lot.  My wife, Diane, has scolded me many times for leaving the keys in the ignition.  My theory is the ignition is the best place not to lose them.  Her theory is that the car will be stolen. As I burst through the doors of the church, I came to a terrifying conclusion.  Her theory was right.  The parking lot was empty.  I immediately call the police.  I gave them my location, confessed that I had left my keys in the car, and that it had been stolen. Then I made the most difficult call of all, "Honey," I stammered.  ...

This happened about a month ago near Lonavala.  A guy was driving from Bombay to Pune and decided not to take the new expressway as he wanted to see the scenery along the old road. The inevitable happened, when he reached the mountains. His car breaks down - he's stranded miles away from nowhere.  Having no choice, he started walking along the side of the road, hoping to get a lift to the nearest town. It was dark and rainy. And pretty soon he got wet and started shivering. The night rolled on, and no car passed by.   Suddenly he sees a car coming towards him. It slows down and nearly stops next to him. Without waiting or thinking a bit , the guy opens the door and jumps into the rear of car which starts moving by then....  Seated in the back, he leans forward to thank the person who had saved him. To his horror, he realizes there is nobody behind the wheel!!!........   Even though there's no one in the front seat, and no s...

I can not remember when I first saw him! May be in early 90s; when at our main branch in Dalhousie area used to hold lot of indoor games competitions like Carom, Bridge and Table tennis ; I found him playing cards. I remember his head was covered with a white towel cap. This made me curious! I heard of him earlier, that one alike me from Air Force, joined our Bank in one of our North Calcutta's branch. He was playing cards with deep concentration and some time howling with triumphal joy as usual in any competitive card games here. The man was heavily built with muscular body and emitting a masculine spirit in all his gesture. With a voluminous voice and typical accent of 'Bangladesh'; he sounded warm and humorous. That was the first sight of him I had. Back in office I enquired about his 'towel cap' in sultry summer evening. To my utter surprise came to know the man was fighting cancer! It was his nose , that was affected. I tried to visualized the man I saw, f...

M.L.Shah, who upheld the cause of circulation of small and medium news papers and periodicals in our country; specially in the eastern region. I remember him as he inspired me to fight with pen; the man never thought that the days of pen was counted then; the key board arrived, soon after his departure from this earth!The present generation may not know there were many small local news papers published from many of our district towns even two decades ago. Some small periodicals or weekly like Blitz; enjoyed pan Indian popularity amongst educated middleclass. Mr R K Karanjia was the editor. In 60s and 70s; his weekly carried a fresh report every week with the title “ India’s do-nothing projects”. That revealed the scams and quantified the loots, pinpointing the looters! With no Anna Hazare or  omni present medias; they went on and on undaunted. In fact India has a history of looters except Mughals; so you cannot blame us for looting. It is in our genetic codes. Generations after ge...

Chetan Bhagat; the 'Three Idiots' fame writer wrote a letter that I received today. He wrote it to an organization ' India against crime, corruption and reservation'. He wrote about justification of Anna Hazare's move. Though I justify Hazaare's move considering the fact that what else one could do! But I am not sure about its effect. However let me share Chetan's letter with you .......... We have all had that one uncle who keeps on reminding you how India is terrible. He tells you about how every government authority takes bribes - from the RTO to the ration shop to the municipality. He will tell you how no government department does its job well - the potholed roads, abysmal conditions at government schools and poor healthcare all being examples to support your uncle's theory. It is hard to argue with him, for he is right. Things don't work. There is no justice. Power talks. Equality doesn't exist. All of this, even though uncomfortable to he...

In this month of August; it's raining at last. I better say drizzling to be exact. In Kolkata, for the past few days the climate was so humid; it became unbearable. Take your towel; run for a quick bath, before the first drop from shower drops on your head; you are wet with sweat! And so again immediately after bath . The cloudy sky, sometime gray other time black keeps you toying with hope of rain. But that did not happen for past few days. The weathermen tore their hair forecasting rain. So were the rain gamblers; sources say there were lot of transaction during past few days. You know this city dreads rain as it inundate the roads every year. People here say they hate rains. This year God seem to be determined to make them realize that better get deluged than remain wet in sweat!