True Melancholy Is When You Don't Memorise Phone Numbers

Rituparno Ghosh and Satyajit Ray have been my long time inspirations, not only due to their spectacular creations, but also due to this innate quality of theirs. Both these maestros had this commendable quality of memorizing around 150 telephone numbers. In fact, they never even maintained a diary. 

During my childhood days before the advent of mobiles, the landline used to be the saviour. Also, when you are the youngest in the family, elders often bestow this responsibility of dialing numbers on you. On most weekends, after my grandfather fulfilled his mid day siesta, and just when he would finish reading the Editorial column of 'The Statesman', he would often ask me to dial his friend, (whom I referred to as Kamal Dadu in Nagpur). 

The deal was that I would be allowed to watch 'Disney Hour' for an hour's time, if I could dial Kamal Dadu, followed by Tapan and Nitesh Dadu's number correctly at one go, without asking Mom and having to consult the diary. 

To be brutally honest, I had flunked quite a number of times initially, but later on my grey matter started showing symptoms of compassion. With every third consecutive weekend that I was right, grandfather added a reward to my means of entertainment. He arranged for a pack of 'Kitkat' (those days Kitkat used to be my favourite chocolate and I wasn't a health freak back then) that I could munch on with Disney Hour.

Thus, many weekends passed and my shares of  Kitakats increased, because grandfather suddenly had discovered his long lost friends' connections, and the number now rose to six. Well, I wasn't really bothered, as Dadu talking to more people would mean an increase in the number of Kitkats…

And, so it was… An hour of Disney Hour and a plethora of Kitkats. But, all that is history now...

Between me and Dadu now, the distance has prevailed and elongated more than geographical borders. I don't know which is the place that Dadu calls his home now. There's a strong possibility that it might be heaven, but I don't know if the incarnation logic worked in his favour.

I don't get Kitkats anymore, majorly because of my increased health consciousness, and also because I don't memorise phone numbers anymore. I look up to my mobile contacts, even when I have to dial mom. This is a spectacle that Dadu would have despised the most, if he were alive…

I feel melancholic, and somewhat disgruntled with myself, but not memorizing phone numbers, an art that I had mastered for the longest time, is the most heart rending.