I was sitting in the lawn of a multiplex waiting for my friends. The multiplex was full of young couples or would-be couples looking dazzling in bright colors. Saraswati Puja is a revered festival in India, particularly in West Bengal. It is the worship of Devi Saraswati, the goddess of learning and wisdom. Owing to the concentration on learning, this Puja is most widely celebrated in homes, schools and colleges. It therefore also allows youngsters to interact in a more casual manner.
May be this is the reason why this year, it was widely hailed as the "Bangalider Valentine's Day". Now I find this incessant longing to find Western synonyms to indigenous festivals and traditions, immensely irritating and foolish, but ah, what can you say? India still has a distinct colonial hangover. People pride on not being able to speak their mother tongues. Knowing English is however a must.
So anyways, the girls were bright and beautiful. The guys, well, they were just guys. Some of them really looked good but others...well. Let me tell you a story about this. As I was waiting, I found this beautiful girl in a dazzling white salwar kameez with high heeled shoes approaching. She was with a guy, who was dressed in plain shirt and pants (no traditional wear there). He was average looking and there was nothing exceptional about his features. The girl was beautiful and talking to him.
From a distance, the flâneur watched. A smile spread over the corners of her mouth. "I have to write about it", she thought.
May be this is the reason why this year, it was widely hailed as the "Bangalider Valentine's Day". Now I find this incessant longing to find Western synonyms to indigenous festivals and traditions, immensely irritating and foolish, but ah, what can you say? India still has a distinct colonial hangover. People pride on not being able to speak their mother tongues. Knowing English is however a must.
So anyways, the girls were bright and beautiful. The guys, well, they were just guys. Some of them really looked good but others...well. Let me tell you a story about this. As I was waiting, I found this beautiful girl in a dazzling white salwar kameez with high heeled shoes approaching. She was with a guy, who was dressed in plain shirt and pants (no traditional wear there). He was average looking and there was nothing exceptional about his features. The girl was beautiful and talking to him.
He probably said something that made her crack up. The guy smiled. But the girl almost fell down laughing. She couldn't control it. The guy saw this. He tried to smile harder. And very soon he cracked up with laughter as well. He was looking into her eyes, her smile, her face and that gave him a pleasurable happiness. The girl was hardly even looking at him, but she touched his hands lightly in a "Gosh, you are so funny" way. This made him laugh harder. He was still looking at her. Very soon their friends came (I think it was a couple). They went to meet them. This guy, having gained some confidence now, put his hand around the girl's shoulders and she didn't seem to mind.
From a distance, the flâneur watched. A smile spread over the corners of her mouth. "I have to write about it", she thought.
4 comments:
Oh we were late, were we? :P You should thank me for tipping you off to reach CC first. Otherwise you would have missed this particular "lurve ishtory" and we wouldn't have got this post. (:
And yeah, Jaago Bangali! Reminds me of all those mommies who pride in their son only because "amar chele English boi pore, English cinema dekhe, English gaan shone ar English e kotha bole". Banglar chele bangla bolte parena ebong tate gorbo bodh kore...you wont find such idiosyncrasy with any other cultures. Really pathetic that one of the oldest and richest languages of the world is an object of such shame for their very own future bearers.
PS: Saraswati Pujo was always touted as Bangali der V-Day. I think you missed it somehow in the middle of all the "porashuna" and "first asha". =P XD
hmm... I guess. :)
'the guys, well, they were just guys' lol.. Loved this line. And really liked the way u described entire scene..
glad tht you like it. :)
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