Sipra's Diary:(Drollery)"SULOV SHOUCHALAYA"(=cheap-paid-Toilet)July18/2023

 

                            "SULOV SHOUCHALYA IN INDIA"  by Sipra  Roy.

Rashmi   reached Dumdum airport  via Bombay after a pretty long gap of sixteen years 

She took a prepaid taxi from the Dumdum airport to go Sealdah station. Unlike other international traveller, she had only a light backpack and a cabin suitcase .Her final destination was Kalyani. She would take a local train to reach earlier .Local train was available frequently but the only problem was it didn't have bathroom system.

Rashmi was thinking with curious eyes gazing outside ,until the cab stopped coming near to the Sealdah  fly over.  Rashmi noticed on the road side through the cab window  "Sulav Souchalaya' written in blue  colour  on glazed tiles . It was public bathroom.  

Lot of people need to come daily to this metro city for medical checkup ,court-case,  shopping, job-interviews from the suberbs and go back home in the afternoon.  They cannot afford any hotel for the day -trip .Some great social thinker accomplished the project of public bathroom to meet up the need of the commuters and to keep the city clean.

She remembered her cousin sisters' letter  which  was full of excitement.

  "Do you know  that  here in Calcutta  also beautiful public bath room of luxurious glazed tiles  had been  made for the use of common people  on the road side, like American-style   ! People can take even shower! People need to pay little money which is necessary for the maintenance of cleaning etc!"

"Really?"

"When you will come next time you must release the pressure of bladder  before taking the local train from   Sealdah ok?" 

Rashmi laughed," So  I have to buy a flight ticket  to experience the ecstasy of "SulavSouchalaya, right ?"

Rashmi noticed most people from the bus or taxi were walking  under the fly over towards the station. 

It was 12:30.She got down from the taxi  with her wheeled cabin suitcase to have some novel experience.  

Coming near to the Sulav she found a skinny middle-aged man with blue-colored  ill-fitted costume with badge stood up from his stool ,blocking the path ,"I am the security guard .you have to pay first ."

"How much?"

"What will you do? Pee or poo?

 For pee: Rs 1/. For poop:Rs 2.

"If some  poop licked  at the time of  peeing, then what do you charge?"

The guard looked  little confused.  He made his throat clear by coughing to say,

'Every item has separate price,; Look at the front board ;every thing is written clearly. I also have catalog;" He became busy to fumble  a paper with menu from the drawer of the little plastic table in front of him .

"Keep it with you. I don't need it! Please take care of my luggage a little while".She was about to move forward .

The guard interrupted  her" What type of mug do you want?

A chained mug:Rs1//  unchained steel mug: 1:50

Taking  a glance on the board, Rashmi said impatiently I will take the 'Luxury package'   Rs3:5o."

She gave the guard Rs 5.The guard handed her a 'coupon'.

Before leaving she took her luggage with thanks to the guard .The guard was ready with the change 1:50 .

"here it is your change"

"Not needed". 

"O, Didi your change!" The skinny man hailed  running after her.

Rashmi "Keep it.I won't wish to touch it !"

Guard:"ja Babba!"(O my gosh!)

**** SIPRA'S.DIARY.Hamilton# POEM "FEAR"....lines 55/w595/page3....May15/2023

                        Title: FEAR         by    Sipra  Roy  

        From childhood we are chased by a monster, 

       An extremely unpleasant emotion known as  fear!

       The monster changes its form like a chameleon

       To encounter  different person in different stages!

        Fear of death, disease, war or natural calamities

       Capture universally similar  as victim of destiny.

       But phobia of fear is a dark psychological trap,

      To engulf  shadow over  joy and peace snatched  from life.

       In childhood, friends pitched and swayed me  fear of ghost;

      Teenage worried me to keep up glory as best girl father can boast

     So I built up my image as ideally 'model' in the school and town!

       When my father left me alone in the college-hostel 

        With his almost empty money-bag, I wept  in silent, 

        Pressing my face on the window pane, holding two 

        Green apples and some notes in my palm, 

        Thinking his tired sweaty-face which appeared calm 

       For being lucky to arrange for me  the University  hostel 

       That was unique in  the busting metro-city of  Calcutta!

       Every morning of my college life I woke up 

      With the thought 'how was my dad, mom and family!'

       My father used to suffer in gout and arthritis before his forty; 

       Sometimes I saw him crying in acute pain like a kid !

       In course of time the empty money-bag and green apples

       Subsided in the wave of other thoughts! A new fear of 

       self-guardian  took over ;though unusually my friends 

       guarded me to drive away curious boys around  me. 

       I felt nervy ,worried  but romantic to notice the silent messages 

       In the eyes of those pop heroes but cautious as they began to     

      follow me. Surrounded by three friends I used to move from class.        

      To common room or canteen!

      I always tried to avoid  them by taking back stairs of the college!

     I avoided, perhaps in the fear of what to say if they asked me  

   To  have  a coffee with them !  or to accompany them for a matinee film show!

  Coming to the University I became prominent figure in the campus 

  From canteen to the powerhouse -Student Union as courageous  

 Confident  'tall & slim girl with long hair' but too proud to converse! 

 No sooner the result of MA was out my marriage was fixed by my parent's choice

 But stranger to me!  At midnight  I woke up to see the groom's name & tittle in the cards; 

So that I wouldn't be teased at least by my friends to mock me his name. 

It was August in India; weather was humid ;sky was heavy, cloudy.I was sad.

The sky showered heavy throughout the night on behalf of me !

After fourteen years of my marriage,  father passed away ; 

My Brother     took me straight in the burning ghat where my father lay, 

 Like a 'marble statue' lifeless body was surrounded  by relatives, and Friends;

 A peaceful face with no sign  of pain.I bowed down to touch his  feet; 

No tear  from eye rolled down until I noticed  half-opened Iron-gate ,

Coming near my home; The gate was  kept locked by dad 

Throughout  his life-time; the opened -gate messaged unfortunate fate            

Of the house. Inside the house I saw my bereft mom; Time was dusk!

I overcome "fear of Death"  since my father passed away.

Death turned to be  just moving from one room to another closed-door room.......       

I always used to think to leave the earth rather than to live without them !

Now as age is growing, my latest fear is whether physical frailty

Will Cause dependency.I wish to die independent. I calm myself to destiny! 

                                          end