Shonibaar

Onekdin dhorei ekta boi porchi, Rabindranath Tagore’s Postmaster and other short stories. Yes, I have heard from many ki Rabindranath ke translate kore pora jaaye na. But unfortunately 5 years in Kolkata I haven’t managed to learn to read or write Bangla. While this is a brilliant translation, I know it can’t carry the actual essence of the short stories.

 Anyways bhablam aajke boita shesh korbo. It's twilight. Barandaye boshe achchi boi nie. Ekta golpo shesh kore, baire dekhlam. Paasher maath theke cricket khelar shobdo. Sounds like a tournament, the commentary has been blaring over the loud speakers. Bhalo laaglo. Although I am not a cricket enthusiast, it’s giving me a sense of activity, laughter, passion, happiness. Shob chelera, gheme, jama moila kore,chhire, khushi hoye baari phirbe.

  
Shamne dekhchi onek gulo Krishnachura, Radhachura ar Narkol gaach. Ekta chotto Pepe gaach o achche. Majhe majhe ekta halka baatash chole aschche. Shei batashe Krishnachura gaacher shobshe uporer pata eirokom norche jeno adrishya keyu, halka kore tar upore piano bajache. The sight suddenly made me remember Billly Joels, Piano Man.

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin 

Ei godhuli te, ei shomoy, shotti iktu tonic and gin thakle bhalo i hoto.

As I was humming Piano man, I got distracted by the honking of the cycle rickshaws. There is something very nice about these honks. They sound something like “peeku peeku”, quite nice to the ears. Mone porlo chotto byalar shei tricycle e honk. Eirom hi toh chilo. Ekdin Mithun da ke impersonate korte giye, tricycle e boshe shnidi diye naamar cheshta kore chillam. Stunt korte giye maatha maaha phete gaychilo. Shobar ki taara. And the tricycle had got confiscated.  

Du teente chagol suddenly jore “baa baa” korte shuru korlo. Ahaare. Kalke Robbar. Poor creatures. Maybe they know that they are going to end up as someone’s lunch tomorrow. Kintu aamra Bangali, Robbar dupure ki, bhaalo kosha kore paathar magsho ar bhaath chada thaka jaaye. Aar illish maacher ja daam, Mangsho khawa hi better.

Shaamne barir, chaader dewaale, ekta beral aaste aaste cholche. Ei baar boshe giye lyaj narache. A complete contended look. Arre! haai tulche. Shei dekhe I have started yawning too.Iktu ondhokar o hoye asche. Ei baar jaayi bhitore. Kole boi dekhe I couldn’t help smiling. Jaa! Aajke o pora hoye ni. Kaal Robbar, dekhi jodhi shesh korte paari. Nahole… well next weekend… J

** I could help but write this post bilingual. Please excuse me in case you find errors in my bangla writing.