(Story is based on a
real character, names; places have been changed to conceal identity)
With the first proposal (which is
the last till today) of love at an early age of 7 years Sukhen Da (Full name
could be Sukhendra Banerjee, Mukherjee or any other Bengali name which suits
the acronym) sailed off on
his unending expedition for love.
It is quite obvious for most of us
to forget the experiences of our class 1 but people like Sukhen Da can’t afford
to forget.
“It was a sheet taken from English
notebook, that four line notebook which is prescribed for improving handwriting
in lower classes— where she wrote, ‘ami tomake bhalo basi’ (I love you in
Bengali),” Sukhen Da said.
“I was scared, actually then I
wasn’t aware what it means else would never let the first opportunity go”,
Sukhen Da said remembering the pretty girl, with a sip of Old Monk Rum.
Rum, unlike, his ‘would be’,
girlfriends has never given Sukhen Da a slip.
Almost 25-years down the line she
is mother of a girl who studies in the same school, he said.
He still feels obliged to that
little girl who proposed him unlike others who went away.
When he started understanding the
nuances of love, thanks to the movies of Mahanayak (Uttam Kumar) and Poshenjit,
Sukhen Da— got one more opportunity when he was in class IX.
He used to go to a ‘parar meye’ (neighbhourhood girl) for studying, she like
Bobby’s ‘Dimple Kapadia’ used to wear ‘super
shorts’ and tried to ‘seduce’ our Sukhen Da.
“Icche toh chilo kinto abar seyi
bhoy (was definitely interested and but again that fear) I stopped going to her
place,” Sukhen Da said.
In a year’s time I came know that
she is having an affair with a Parar Dada (neighbourhood’s senior), Sukhen Da
heaved a sigh.
There was no benefit regretting and
it inspired him to start up an affair. There was another neighbourhood girl, a
pretty one, Sukhen Da started giving ‘line’ (making advances) to her.
“I used the same traditional
styles, following her, waiting along the road side at her time of returning
from school. And one day there was no one in the lane, I mustered courage and
went ahead,” Sukhen uttered with a nervous gesture as if he is in the same old
days.
“She was walking ahead, I just said,
‘Kichu bolte chai tomake’ (want to tell you something), she didn’t even turned
back and don’t know why I felt relieved, though the relief was temporary,” he
said galloping a sip of Old Monk.
“The very next day a dada
(neighbourhood senior) came to me and said what you are doing is not good. And
I knew my story came to an end. Today she is happily married with that dada” he
said.
But this could not deter Sukhen Da,
then when he was in class XI, came the Cadbury affair. “Yes for two and a half
years, I gave her a small Cadbury twice a week when we used to meet a accounts tuitions
and she used to take it sweetly,” Sukhen Da said.
“During this I proposed her thrice
at an interval of six months but she refused. During the last attempt when I was
in graduation first year, she informed me very politely that she is having an
affair with one of our common friends, left with no other option now, I bid her
adieu,” he said.
Later around 3 years ago, I came to
know that she got married to someone else, he said.
However this girl came back to
Sukhen Da’s life though only on whatsap, after his 24th failed
attempt but only to inform that she got divorced from her husband and she is
marrying for second time in 10 days.
Now Sukhen Da started doing odd
jobs to earn some money and during one such jobs that he met the girl which
made him do put one of the most courageous efforts of his life.
“I saw her at a marriage party
where I went as a camera person. I liked her a lot when I inquired about her I came
to know that she lives with her mother and her father has passed away years
ago. This sparked a sympathy for her in
my mind and fuelled my emotions. I did not wanted to have any casual affair
with her or cheat her, but wanted something serious this time, so that I could
help that poor pretty girl,” Sukhen Da said.
I checked about his address, took a
friend with me on my bicycle and went straight away to her home the very next
day, he said.
“I asked for her mother and told
her that aunty I am studying and at the same time working, in some years I will
be earning well. And as your girl is also growing up now, I hope that you must
be worried about her marriage, I want to marry her, though not now but want to
fix dates for marriage if you permit,” Sukhen Da told me adding, “Thank god she
didn’t beat me up for my misbehaviour, but she politely told me that she will
have to discuss the issue with the girl’s maternal uncles as they are her only
guardians now and she will let me know after discussing with them”.
She evaded me but, evading me was
not an easy task, I kept on going to her place and meeting her aunty for next
three months, but as time passed by I stopped going there, he said.
Thus this affair also came to an
end.
Six months after this Sukhen Da,
went to his relatives’ place in a nearby district. “Here I met a girl we
exchanged numbers and we started chatting. She also lived in the city
around 2 kilometers from my place and
she too visited as a guest to the common relatives’ place,” Sukhen Da said.
Talking went on for few months,
then one day she insisted on meeting.
“I have something important to
discuss can you come down near my college, she said to which I readily agreed,”
Sukhen Da said.
“’Amader Majkhane Ja Kicchu Hoyeche Se Ta Bhalo Nei’ (whatever that
has happened between us is not good) was the ‘important thing’ she wanted to discus,
thus it came to an end,” Sukhen Da said, “But years on, till today I cannot
understand what happened between us, having sex is a far thing, I never even
touched her”.
Then life took several turns and
Sukhen Da had to shift to another city.
Here in office, I chanced upon a
pretty girl, used to message her and she used to acknowledge it too, at least
as far as I believe, Sukhen Da said while going ahead for another peg of Old
Monk.
“This time around also I gave her a
Cadbury, she accepted I was happy took it as a positive signal. I messaged her
again the next day that you were looking beautiful in that dress. Within hours I
got a call from my boss who instructed me not to message her anymore,” Sukhen
Da lighted a cigarette.
Two months later, I came to know
that she is getting married and I took refuge of rum, four pegs down the line,
again texted her ‘congratulations and best of luck for your new life’ within
minutes boss was calling on my number, he said.
But these failures, failed to deter
Sukhen Da from taking chances, rather now he takes chances on anyone on whom he
can.
He again chanced upon a friend,
SMSed her, started going close to her and ultimately proposed her to be
rejected again. “It was a mistake,” he admits.
But this mistake was too low to
deter him from his pursuits, after all he is on an expedition.
Sukhen Da (as has been told he
started taking chances on anyone, he didn’t want to leave any stone unturned
now) again took chance on a girl of his office. However, this story came to an
end without much juicy references as failures though could not deter Sukhen Da
but have certainly made him mature enough to be a bit cautious.
After this small, stint Sukhen Da
again chanced upon boss’s friend. Whatsap proved to be very useful. “She used
to talk to me till late in the night but don’t know what happened that she
complained about it to boss brining an end to this adventure also,” Sukhen Da
said.
Aar Chai Na Ami Ekla E Bhalo (don’t
need anymore I am better alone), he said emptying the Old Monk, bottle.
But indeed this was a drunken
statement, the hope in his eyes contradict his words and his quest is likely to
continue…
Author Comments: I feel had anyone of his attempts been successful he would have
stopped giving such attempts-LOL.
(Entirely based on drunken conversations with Sukhen Da)
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