The Morning Tete-a-tete…

Life has become very hectic now. The day begins around 6 in the morning, and each morning starts with strategies. Strategies to survive in this competive market, strategies to beat the rival, strategies to chalk out the perfect marketing plan and so forth.

Once such day, while taking a shower, the cell began to ring suddenly. Initially reluctant to take the call, somehow I confided. On the other side of the call came a feeble voice asking for someone called Jayanta.

I somehow tried to compose myself. The anger was justified. In the middle of a hair do session, when you plan to look the best in office, and your deepest endeavor gets interrupted by a  phone that isn’t even yours. This seemed more annoying than the neighbor who smiles and waves for no reason every time the paths cross.

Resuming to the conversation finally, I tried to convince the male voice that he had dialed up a wrong number early morning. Just that moment when I was about to hang up, he asked for my identity. And I asked for his. Upen Sarkar from Kalyani Ghoshpara came the feeble reply.

The name was enough to create gigantic repercussions. Both for happy and sad reasons. This man was an important figure in the land of the ‘Kartabhajas’. Karta refers to the Supreme and Bhaja means those that worship the supremo. I had once done a documentary during my university days on these people.

Those were the days when our team used to visit their hub quite often, jostling in the crowded train and trying to get a seat. And on reaching the spot, try to talk to every possible being that could help us provide a new angle to our documentary.

We were welcomed during the initial days, however as days rolled by, we could only take refuge in Upen ‘dadu’. He would never turn us down, and would always ensure that none of us returned empty stomach. This community was too sound spiritually, however their purses weren’t. Often we could spot dadu in a spotless white dhoti and an upper garment that showed signs of tatter from every corner.

Life has moved on, all my friends are doing well in life. I remember going back to Ghoshpara once to show our documentary to dadu. He was right there with his everlasting smile, encouraging attitude, sans complaints. When I enquired about our documentary, he just smiled and said, “I don’t really understand all of this. I thank the deity a hundred times that I could meet people like you…”

I didn’t know how to react after that statement of his. He had nothing to ask for, practically nothing. Today when I exchange my verses with him, he is astonished that I moved to Mumbai(Bombai) as per him. He tells me that his wife is admitted in the nursing home and he called another comrade of his to inform him of her ill health.

Before I could offer my hand for help, he came out- “My dear, please let me know if you need any help.” Those words of him leave me dumbfounded. A strange repentance struck me. A part of me said that I should call him right away and ask if he needed some financial aid. But somehow I couldn’t.

How little, petty was I to offer help to this gentleman who was unsure of feeding his family tomorrow? And despite his economic crunch, he stretches out his hand to help me? What could I have offered? What amount?

Today, when I call him to ask about his wife’s well being, he says that she is absolutely fine, probably releasing her breath on the lap of the ‘Karta’…

The only snap of dadu that I have in possession. He received a donation from one of the deities. He prostrated before the deity and with folded hands touched our heads, as it was our presence that got him the donation…