Sipra's Diary:. " Wilds are no more wild "> ]July 2026]

 Wild Are No More Wild 

Words=  725

      Can you imagine dragon as pet? Yes, I Have eye witnessed it.. People now started loving dragon which was once terrorizing carnivorous animal!

 

Millions and millions of years ago before the arrival of human species, giant dinosaur and dragon reigned the earth.

 

. Through the passage of time, most of them disappeared by nature’s selection; but some scientists think that some of the species are still living.. Through the passage of time and eco-environmental influence the shape and size of their predecessors changed.

I was invited to my son’s friend house in Austin, Tx. I saw a huge empty glass-box in the drawing room that looked like an aquarium. At first sight, I thought all fish in the aquarium  were dead.  Emily the owner of the house made it clear to me that it was the dwelling place of her pet dragon; actually, it was luxurious glass-apartment with two artificial caves and cactus pebbles shells scattered around the glass house.  the dragon was sleeping  inside the cave of the aquarium.; A white cement or( brownish ) coloured creature seemed to be, 4/5 pound by weight.                                                   

“Is it its sleeping time now?”

“No, no, perhaps the heat of the summer makes it tired; it is relaxing the coolness of A.C. “Emily took out the pet in her lap dotingly to give it the comfort of coolness directly.

 

“Wow, what a surprise!”……….Though inwardly I was feeling disgusting and full of irritation!

Like a human baby with head near the shoulder of Emily and clutching the dress on her chest with claws of two fore-legs, by moving its neck  started looking at us with unwelcoming glance  and relactance , but surprisingly not curious!  

 

    I thought with much disgust  ‘what for it is tired! …,…A creature once living on the rough surface of rocks and sand of the earth and praying hard for its food in the jungle and now being treated like a prodigal son of a wealthy man!’

 

But outwardly I asked politely “what does it eat? “

“live cockroaches, worms insects.  It never takes anything dead,” Emily declared quite proudly. As if its food habit is sophisticated!While we were talking, the dragon was taking a tour from lap to lap of the kids and finally to the lap of my daughter-in-law who was giving massage to its back. 

Emily said to me joyfully ” Look , how it loves massage; it loves Karen because it gets massage from her .”

I said, “yes its eyes are half-closed in physical ease.” Karen is a high rated chiro practitioner and this carnivorous is getting ‘free service’!
"Lucky star"! .She handed over it to Emily.

 I noticed its nails are long and sharp enough to pierce our skin like a surgeon’s knife. 

“How old is it?”

“Three and half years”.   “Is it a female?”      

 “No, male.”   “ How do you define its gender”?  Emily pulled one of its hind legs with some white lines that emit some odour which the only fellow female partner gets. 

“How do you know so much about them?  From   the internet or book?”

“The owner of the pet shop supplies all this information to me.

Has it any children?”  “No, I never took him to a pet shop for that purpose.”

 I said to myself ’thank god”! But throw a comment jokingly So you compelled it to forced celibacy”.

Emily informed  “dragons don’t like community living. They began to fight as soon as they meet another one”.

I was watching closely : a combination of little white cement and light brownish in colour; it looks  very clean and as fresh as just  as taken  a shower; two  distinct  ear holes, as big as human;  the bow-shaped  mouth stretched from left to right  nearing  below the ear-hole; two big drowsy eyes with poetic and romantic glances !

Observing my curiosity and interest Emily asked me,” Do you want to take it in lap?”

“yes “. I stretched my arms.

As  Emily made herself free from the clutch of claws, the dragon opened its mouth for yawning and I saw a clear hole like Comodo in its long tongue.  I screamed and jumped back to the wall by instinct;
Noticing its tongue   I asked in panic  ,”does it spit ?”

“Yes, they spit ; but this fellow doesn’t..........

                                                                       Words-729

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Sipra's diary : " STAY FAR, STAY SAFE"..............

  Stay safe,   Stay Far from the crowd.

There was spectacular 'Coronation- celebration' of the young prince of Han dynasty after the sudden death of the mighty  emperor.

 The young prince felt  proud  to be the emperor  by luck. After  having coronation he felt his subjects, soldiers  of  defense  were most benign and obliging to his sublimity.

One day he said boastfully to his minister, " I think all subjects of the empire are respectful as well as afraid of me also [as that of my father],   isn't, minister ?" 

Minister replied ,"that should be apparently, me lord! 

but it seems  to me that even the strongest military  males  obey their wives  as they are afraid of them most!" But noticing the displeased facial expression of the emperor the minister suggested ,

-" let us take a test to become  sanguined of yourself , me lord ."

-" That's a good idea.!" the emperor replied.

The young emperor asked the minister to announce in emergency a mammoth gathering of  all people of his land  to be present at 2:pm, next day. He wanted to take them a  test of bravery and  obedience to the throne !

The minster obeyed the order.

 

Next day the people gathered in the court  with  full of apprehension.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Minister announced that the emperor wanted to take a test of  bravery as well as their  "loyalty" to the new emperor  and the land. "Now listen carefully:--

1).Those who obey  the emperor  as 'supreme power' ,they must run towards the Riverside as soon as the bell-ring :

2)...The others , [if there is any !] must  go towards the mountain!

   Remember , it is not a fun as sports but  an Obligatory drudgery.          The winner will be awarded for bravery & loyalty.

Now be ready and stand up in the white- marked line."

With the sound of whistle  the mass started running like school kids and crowded on the river side. 

 

The young emperor with bright smiling face began to pamper his own silky beard !

The  riverside crowd cheered  after coming back with slogan,   

'long live our new king '; 'we love and obey  our  king, etc !' 

Each of them were given  half gold-coin and a metal Dragon-badge.

Minister reported the emperor :  ' I see a single man still standing on the opposite  , near the mountain side  alone .'

The minister handed  over his binocular  to the emperor  for verifying.

The emperor looked through with frowned eyebrows.

The court was calm & quite as the huge crowd left, praising the glory of the emperor. 

The man on the mountainside was summoned by the emperor .

He looked  like a skinny short structured  man.   He began to tremble trimendously  before the throne of emperor . 

The  emperor in rage asked him, 

"Why did you go towards mountain?

Aren't you afraid of me?

The man fell down to the feet of emperor crying ; but  replied  ,

"Pardon me  Lord ! 

Before coming to palace,  my wife warned me, 

"listen! never follow the crowd ; deserted place is always safe  to stay ; 

......As the   river-side was crowded,  So  I went to the opposite  side [mountain side], following  my wife's order!"

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   picture of the contest

 

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Sipra's diary : Poem> "NOTHING"

  

                         Nothing ! 

       To me nothing means no-thing 

       Non-existent, absence of something.

       But the concept of nothing   has been 

       A matter of philosophical debate from ancient time.

 

       The Hindu Scriptures think it in spiritual color;  

       Which is confusing for us : the commoner!

       ‘Nothingness is the ultimate source of knowledge’!

       Beyond which nothing else remains to be known!

       Isn't it enough fussy to pitch us in confusion? 

       Like Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing?

       We are so much possessed by our possessions

       Home, car, credit card, cell phone: the  latest lung! 

       The view seems always vague and abstract 

       But not questionable, unless the great scientist

       Einstein, the Nobel-prize winner also supported

       And became himself a great connoisseur !

       Since then "Nothingness" achieved deeper layer,

       Ignorant or innocent gain now the passport  to shelter 

       Under the same canopy with the philosophers ! 

Sipra's Diary: "ENIGMA OF THE FINANCIAL WORLD "

 

Sipra's Diary :Enigma of the Financial world.

 The financial world is a giant gambling place almost like a casino in Las Vegas. But far more complicated to apprehend, far more fatal. Because it is planned and operated not by any lifeless mechanical machine but by the Frankenstein's brain-in-human and affected the lives of all people in the country; no matter whether people are willing to join or not,, they become 'part 'of the gambling game and not as mere 'viewers' but receivers or victims. 

With the advent of globalization, the after-effect is not limited to one country but affects globally. As it has been a cliche that if the butterfly flutters its wings in one corner of the sky, it may cause a tornado to other parts of the world.
In Casino game, there is an option for the people to choose whether they wish to take risk of playing or sit to enjoy as viewers ..

Financial World strides with pride differently; it is not based on any strict Principles of ethics or scientific method. Perhaps no scientific formula works! The target of the Financial world is only to create wealth. It is not based on the formula of 2 +2 =4. When  2+ ever-oscillating behavioural psychology of customers are added to the power of 2, then the outcome might be 40  or only 0 instead of a' definite 'result of 4. There is no way than to watch patiently for the future.  That is why this zone is very volatile, and uncertain.' Boom and Bust' is their banner; Resembles true character and fate of bubble! This is the tragic paradox where we have to live and survive!

 
In 1950s Carlos Ponzi, an Italian swindler became a billionaire  by following a theory like "Rob Peter, pay Paul ".It became popular as' Ponzi-scheme', not only in the western world but in other parts also proliferated. Multiple bonds of similar type were sold. In India, there were Peerless company, "Sonchoyita", "Sarada'. 'Techno-India'"  Money-Matter, Rose valley and many others, It benefitted the middle-class and low middle class as well as the founders who became a millionaire  in a short period.  But "Sonchoyita' "Sarada "no more exist. They melt down suddenly with scandal. 

Some of the founder father ended life with suicide. Those who were efficient they escaped by changing their skin or colour by swiping money to another field Best way for these swindlers to escape is to align with some non-profit organization, a hospital for destitute, Old Home etc. Peerless is still reigning with prestige by investing in hotel hospital real estate and another philanthropic field.

It  is really confusing to me to understand  the relationship between 'corruption' and the booming economy of a country."

India is rising,"China is rising"!  All the so-called "rising" countries are known as "BRIC" notoriously dishonest and full of criminal activities.
In my limited experience, I noticed that since 2005 the people we knew as 'poor' suddenly climbed a higher economic ladder. Many house-maids in our neighbourhood borrowed money from householder they worked,  for making houses on the land got from the government in the outskirt of the megacity.........

Is the mathematical formula of uprising economy is based on corruption?

Sipra's Diary: TRIBUTE TO FOURTH JULY

  Thursday, July 4, 2024

       

             Spirit Of 4th July in  America      

       'Oh  say, can you see':what lie ahead,

       Standing under  the pressure

       Of undesired piles of crises

       Are you perturbed or Afraid?

              

      Oh America, what a great test

      Now, that  you need to select

      whether  you would chose  to be hunchback

      Bankrupt father of the opulent immigrants

      Or, a solvent capitalist leader of the Nation,

     To take care of the country with allround vision?

     At the dawn of your young   days

     You famed as a 'nation of immigrants'!

     But long back,you achieved to ride on

     By your own; stood up as savior with valour !

     The  asylum is  too overburdened

     Now to shelter   anymore!

    Oh, Time summons you to pitch deeper

    In the heart of the Nation

    The star spangled banner

    That waves with reminder:

    Each bright star is the symbol

    For each state  that was rescued

   At the cost of blood and 

   Lives of  the  ancestors,

   Who sailed  through the stormy ocean,

   Crossed the desert and mountain,

   Marched bruised,on prickly thorn,

   To bestow peace and freedom to the Nation!

Oh Nation !

What treasure  do you restore

For the ancestors  as tribute?

Can you  promise  to retain

Their pride, power, prosperity and peace?

How much to expect

From this 'Humpty Dumpty' diverse nation?

Are they willing to chant  together

 In chorus tune again:

 'God  bless  America!' 

     

Sipra's Diary: "SHOOTING STAR"> [True Story ]photo

                                                                                                                     

photo of shooting star [but not able to attach, sorry.

 

                                  SHOOTING  STAR ( True Story ) Sipra Roy

 

W: 735

Ever since I was a little girl, shooting star always remained in me,  still now, as awe and wonder, simultaneously  the automatic music  is played  in mind, following the star:

"Twinkle twinkle  little star/ How I wonder what you are / Up above so high/like a diamond in the sky."

 The moment we used to see a shooting star in childhood, we always impulsively pointed at it and screamed "look, look at the shooting star! "

 

Most of the kids of my age believed one must close eyes to wish which might be granted by god. Star was thought as symbol of magic, dream and fulfilling wish and hope. Shooting star gives a certain glow to the night sky. when a speck from its body come down to the earth.

 I could never close my eyes for "wish" as my friends ; instead I gazed and arduously wish to get  that particle, to own that particle,  which never happened. With much pain and wonder I asked my mother, "Ma, why that shooting star always lost in the midway of the sky and never reached the land?"

Mom answered," because it burns and become ashes which mixes with air .It looks like a star falling but actually a piece of rock and dust, metal known as meteor. When two heavenly bodies  collide their tracking, small part is separated, then like a spark it comes downward but through the airy layer the spark often burns out to ashes before touching the earth's ground. It is not a star at all , but an illusion. "

 

I was never happy with this answer.

 

"Ma had you ever seen it to touch the earth  in your childhood  ?'

 

'Yes not me, but my grandmother witnessed it.'

 

 'Really? Then tell me  ma ,   please! '

 

  It is a true story told by my mother.  She came to know from her grandma.

 

 Great Grandma had a habit of taking bath at night before going to bed in their family owned  pond, adjacent to their house .One night she saw some bright flashing particle  (a shooting star) dropped near by their pond at the time of taking her bath. 

 

She was terrified; the night was dark the pond was surrounded by tall palm trees and low mud wall. She was extraordinary courageous. She watched it for at least half an hour. She noticed some flickering light; at first golden yellow and  then bluish light was prominent .Within half an hour gradually it began to dim. 

 

Great -great grandmother dragged a huge clay bowl from her near-by cow-shed and dropped over  to cover that dimly flamed matter. She did not disclose it to anybody at night. 

 

Next day in early morning she told first to my grandfather who was a doctor. Great great grandma with my grandfather and his attendant, named Haru came to the spot; Haru lifted over that clay-bowl curiously, as he was asked  to do. They saw something look like a lump of meat, still flickering light( like fire-flies )  was  coming out from the pores of the lump. 

 

Haru  brought a long iron spear and shovel from the cow-shade. He tried to move it ; but it  was too heavy to move. he pierced it with the spear; it looked like oily glossy lump of dark brown colored  flesh and still flickering fade blue  flame from the scattered pores. Finally it was covered again with the same bowl. 

 

Grandpa sent an urgent message  to  the superintendent of Calcutta Museum.  Within 10 Am. a special team of British scientists  from Calcutta reached by a zeep and a car. 

By the time the news spread over; a huge crowd from the adjacent villages  gathered around the pond; many  children  and  villagers climbed on the trees to get  a better view. 

The scientists told that they thought it to be  a speck of meteor, made of metal but still not hard enough to be rock With the help of shovel their team laborers  put it on their zeep-car. They left                                                                                                                                                                                    after congratulating  my grandpa a lot for informing them   ..

 

Curious villagers were excited  more to see the team of white British people  which was a rare sight in the village, in addition to that ugly dung dropped from the sky The adults began to discuss   gravely about that odd piece  fromthe sky as inauspicious and went towards the temple to consult with the priest.

"There must be sin ;we should do some 'yagna' to save the village "

  

I learnt from my mother that it was kept in the Calcutta Museum with written history at the bottom. 

My great grand mother kept it secret  at night because the ignorant villagers might relate it to ghost spirit and might claim their own decision under the guidance of ignorant orthodox priest ,instead of calling scientist for research. I appreciate my  courageous great -grandma with such advanced scientific mentality, more than 140/45 years ago! 

Although most of the meteors burn up but some do survive and reach our ground ; they are all journey from space to earth.

As my childhood was over, the myth of wish or hope related to shooting star was lost from memory but it remained still as a piece of beauty, love and wonder. 

It is amazing to think how wonder is the life of shooting star to witness the majestic universe in its journey from space to earth.  !!

---I am really jealous;   I wish strongly  to be  a  shooting star next life.

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Sipra's Diary :.......MEMORABLE MEAL>>>[..Feast of Fasting], 2026

 #(9)Memorable Meal> :( Feast of Fasting!)by Sipra Roy

Words=1065

 What a crazy prompt to some  septuageneration,

To write  about the' memorable  meal?  In this long 

Way of journey lots of meal have been taken  and forgotten!

Now for the sake of this prompt I need to walk in back gear,

And  successfully dig the memory of 'memorable meal';

It was on the eve of winter vacation when  I was in grade ten ,

Only Five  friends of us decided to arrange a picnic 

On the river bank which was not far from  the school.

We overcome the biggest issue to get permit from parents.

 "Picnic with only five friends?"moms commented:"so aberrant!" 

"What is your menu ,who knows cooking   among you?" 

Raka  answered "Simple menu of vegetables-KHICHURI

We will manage  ourselves, don't worry!"

We  collected  rice, lentil,  vegetables from our houses

Our  excitement knows no bound before the day of feast !

On the early morning we  set out with carry bags.

Renu's sister hailed "hey, wait!" came running to give us a match-box.

We joyfully kept the matchbox inside  the  bag, full of wood .

"Thank you. dear sister!"you are really cute .

 

 We reached the white sand-y beach of the rivulet.

 We began  to sing and dance, releasing the bags from hands 

Keya and Nina made a hearth with bricks collected nearby banks 

I and Raka went with bucket to fetch water from the river.

We five bent  to see our reflection on the bucket of crystal  water!

 Nina  as the eldest of the siblings had to help her mother.

She was little better than us to manage household affair

She called us to wash and fetch the rice and food staff to her.

First she put the rice and lentils in the boiling water of the pot

While we were busy in cutting cauliflower  peas and potato ;

We screamed  together to notice  the grains dancing in boiling water.

 Pushing the rest of log in the hearth Nina informed worriedly,

She needed some more logs for preparing the KHICHURI edible.

"O  not to worry! there are plenty of branches under  the trees " 

Keya, Raka and  me  started running to. bring the branches ;but those branches  were not dry. So they gave only  smoke to make us blind with running enough tears. The fire was about to extinguish; To re-ignite, all    sticks of the match box except three  were  finished .

  We went again in search of fuel . Finally Raka got a  big and heavy log; We three girls  brought  it  by dragging . 

Raka declared : "this log would be enough to  cook something   more ."

Nina:"watched the log mindfully and asked"wherefrom you bring it  ?"

Raka: "just near the bank of the river!"

Nina: "this log is from the 'burning Ghat'; it is used to push the dead body in the fire ;that's why one end of the log is burnt and black."

We all cried out ,"Phew, throw,  throw away.! We have to take shower in this winter  after   going back home!"

Nina: " let us take our meal ,we are all hungry" 

We washed our hands and feet well and sat surrounding the pot of khichuri.

Nina : 'Though. not fully cooked , but still edible ".

As  Nina opened the lid,  we exclaimed ,

"ah, the smell  is exactly like Khichuri.  Throwing hands upwards we sang "Khichuri, delicious Khichuri !....Three cheers for Nina the culinary goddess....  

[perhaps Hestia, the virgin  Greek goddess  smirked for these naive girls]

...Nina's face became bright with pride .  Keeping  a big spoon in the pot.  she declared,  "let  us start by  self-service .".

....hmm.. but we forgot to bring our spoons. Next time we must add spoons for everybody in the list .

We were so hungry that we forgot completely our contempt about  that  eerie log used  for dead body!

..Khichuri was steamy hot to eat by hand.  We tried  small gulp by picking little portion from the side of the plate ;small gulp . 

Nina threw cryptic eyes to survey everyone's face, (after her first gulp!)

I whispered  to Raka ,"it is tasty but salt is less,I need to add salt."

Raka replied  outrageously "not 'less'! It is utterly saltless!    

Hey Nina !you forget to add  any salt,   it is too  tasteless for me to eat; when Renu proposed to include her sister who has cooking experience, you opposed  her."

"Be cool"We searched all the bags  for the packet of salt but not found in any bags.

Looking at our helpless faces Keya  commented  "In my house my mom uses less salt in all preparations for the high pressure of my grandfather.  So I don't feel too bad to eat .  Looking at Nina directly 

she continued "after all we have  some new experience ,isn't ," nudged Nina with elbow  to bring back normal atmosphere,

Two stray dogs were loitering around us ;We ate very little ; as soon as we  emptied  left-over  from the pot they rushed and finished the stuff.

 They finished the food stuff in a way which gave me  satisfaction.  It was only 1:00pm. after pack up we started to return home.  The dogs waged their tails joyfully to say us 'goodbye" .

 Face of Raka was red in anger and hunger  while Nina's face  was red  out  of shame or guilt. All the way we tried to console  both........ 

Raka grumbled  : " I hate to confess at home that it was a feast of -fasting!"

  Me:  "Yes, that's the hardest part of the story for me too."

I slipped. into the house like a cat through backdoor; I heard the chat and lough of my mother and sister from  the kitchen;  I wished to hide myself in the drawing room .Before that   I  was. interrupted " who is it? Who is there? "

"me'.   

"You? so early?  did you eat or starved?  Come,.. come here to share little of your picnic  adventure!...  We have still enough left over which you  can  take  if you wish ."

I heard them to giggle .

"Nno I'm full,I tried to sound 'fake burp' and rushed into the bathroom,  avoiding to confront  them .

From bathroom I slipped under the quilt  of my bed and pretended to sleep so that nobody could interrupt me further ; but it was hard to sleep as hunger was  painfully  kicking my empty stomach,  and squeezing  my intestines .......  

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