Sipra's Diary:Title : Monk -Mosquito

                                      Title :Mosquito & elephant . Sipra Roy 

Secret Conference of International mosquitoes in Tampa,(Florida) The executive of international  mosquitoes has called a sudden confidential meeting which held nearby the semi-dark  calvert of the big swampy drain of  Tampa . The gathering was small, limited and only of males                                                                        

The leader announced that they must  flee to some safe place  right after the evening to save their lives. He has heard that American Mosquito Control Association would spray  strong pesticides from next day to make the town free of mosquitoes  causing dengue as epidemic  in the town.   

'Let not accompany the female folk ; because they are the apple of discord ; actually it is "they" who bite  human beings and spread disease.Moreover they are all pregnant ,ready to give birth after  the rainy season .Where ever they go , they will make the place  dingy place by laying eggs .Within two weeks all the eggs become adult to cause human concern .

"So only those will follow me who are willing to join  'monk-mosquito party' without any relation with the female folk ."

As they started northward they were swept by strong wind and rain ; they were scattered and lots of them died .

Finally a smaller sect reached to a place named as  to  Memphis.

The wind helped them to cross long distance in short time.

The  leader  declared the team that by good luck  they reached in a zoo, not in the neighborhood of  brutal human specie! It is  in the outskirt of the proper township of Memphis...

Animal neither protest nor know how to apply pesticides ; they have only their tails to drive unwanted flies or insects.

"pin-pin-pin, you are right,  you are, % percent right  my darling, pin-pin---;

To his horror, the leader asked,who are you ? 

"I am your better-half, proud mother of your future dynasty, PinPin, pin .........!

"O gosh! How do you come here !"

"I followed you with my intimate group of some more females ; We came to know by eaves-dropping, about your  conspiracy  in the clandestine meeting, of your  utter selfishness to banish family!They started complaining ,pin-pin-pin in chorus ..."

The leader mosquito and the monk-group were tired and hungry; though extremely irritated,  but they have no strength to argue . 

"OK! stop your singing in such  shrilling voice to make others conscious of our presence until we finish our meal !Go away with your mates from here to fetch your own, if you need .

The leader saw  a white elephant nearby ; so it began to suck blood from some softest part of its body up to  its content.

......It was almost dawn. so they must find out to rest in some dark safe zone. With full of blood in stomach, the monk -mosquito felt  terrible attraction  for the white  elephant .

So coming  in front it asked the elephant , "I am charmed with your beauty;Will you accept my love ?'

From the  swinging of the large ears  of the elephant the idiot mosquito assumed he got permission. So instantly it availed the pleasure of opportunity. 

Being fulfilled with all physical pleasure it conveyed  the elephant near to the ear,

" I am done. I will meet you tomorrow again ."

  The elephant was munching as usual.

 To become convinced for meeting on the next day,the monk-mosquito entered close to the ear of the elephant to ask apologetically,

"Ele, ele , did I hurt you...did I ?..."

..it repeated the same , singing -closure to the ear, pin-pin-pin-pin.

The elephant blew its ears due to irritation. and the mosquito was thrown  far away  headlong  on hard floor and was about to  die ;  he saw its clan flying above gleefully, perhaps towards  some safe shelter.   

It tried to warn. before dying ,

            "hey  buddy, never try to befriend outside your own clan, specially with any bigger creature ! but no pin-pin-pin came from its  voice .

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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

                                                         

       

       

     

Sipra's DiaryJune 17,2023 D-Workshop,:(About a person sweet &Bitter relation)

 

        A person who was bitter at first but become sweet later.

I was then in grade four in a new a school  of  Newtown, Durgapur.I used to wait  for the school-bus in the  stoppage with other kids .There were some senior students who acted as unwritten guardian to keep the junior kids under their custody This senior group helped the juniors to get first and have seats and  they had to stand up if seats were shortage.

But one of the seniors was very rude and bully type. every time she used to stand near me ;She used to drop her heavy bag on my lap first and within short period  she asked me to leave my seat to her ; I always obeyed her. I was shy to complain about it . 

One day  the bus did not come   for mechanical breakdown after the school closed.  All the girls made alternative arrangements but me, to go home .

That rude senior girl came to me and consoled," You don't need to be worried;  My mom is coming soon with her car from  her boutique shop  to take me ;  I will take you with me and drop you to your house, o.k?'

She patted me affectionately. I felt so relaxed.

Hence from that time I not only liked that girl but also grew trust on her . We both became friendly throughout my school life .

                                         The End

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Sipra's Diary: MAY18,2023 "CHEERY POEM " cancelled for Ruth's Hub-.

 

TITLE:(unfinished ) BUTTERFLY(CANCELLED)

.The purpose of our life is 

.
You are not only beauty of joy
But of great job; by collecting pollen
From flower to flower to spread
On earth  fruits and plants
For the survival of leaving creatures ;
In your short span of life of six weeks.
Your lifecycle from Larva to butterfly
Is a symbol of hope faith love and joy .

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To be attached with modified CHEERY POEMS to  Ruth.

I sent the above cheery poems. in June27/2023 to Ruth .

But the Due date was june21.  

For next OPAPdateline is AUG-1st.  There is  no special theme  for the poem.

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Sipra June 26/2023 (Modified) Cheery poems

 

Cheery Poems(M) For NFPHUB, JACKSONVILLE

                         #. (1)final submission.

.          

 O butterfly, you are not only

A thing of beauty

But also of joy, utility,

Symbol of hope faith and love!

In your short cycle of life

From larva to butterfly

You do awesome job;

By dispersing the pollen

From flowers to create 

Diversity on the earth.

.               #(2)

Title: Bonus of  Aging(M) by  Sipra Roy

Aging or illness is blessing

Though neither

Welcomed nor realized.

With the decline 

Of Physical vitality

Inner world explores 

Spiritual creativity,

We must reap the 

Benefit of  aging .

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Sipra'sDiaryJune 23,2023Fathers'Day.

                                                     Father's Day   by Sipra

 June 19 ,2023was Father's Day. It was also Juneteenth.   I have     in my mind to write about father but I wrote some other thing .

My father played a great role in my life . I was brought up in large extended family with uncles cousin siblings ; So far I remember my mother was too busy for others to spare luxury time for me ; I never felt any lapse of motherly care because I got too much of it to compensate from the elder cousin sisters.

My father had strong but attractive personality .I learnt  orally all subjects but arithmetic from father  upto grade four . I wrote in my memoir some anecdotes about my father.

I will attach some portion from it .

*******************************************************

                                             (2)

                                 Time that has crossed by.......

My father was the first hero in my life: A man of very distinctive personality, both in appearance and in nature. He was a great connoisseur of not only academic life but also  all sorts of creativity like music sports and game  (for girls also) which  was  quite  time ahead for him . He was frequently transferred due to  his job  in Railway service ; so we  had opportunity to travel many new places and people .  He was a joyful   person .His loud lough. created fountain  of joy and add  extra-flavor in life to any gathering or  festival.

His progressive attitude of western outlook along with blind faith in spirituality and  Hindu religion  blended together harmoniously made our family adorable in the neighborhood, in the town ,whether it was a small insignificant   place or commercially // politically significant town.

He had excellent capability of organizing. In his young age he was transferred to Vurkunda,  situated in Palamou district of Bihar. Palamou was famous for its scenic beauty: high hills, green forest, timber, farming of honey and country-liquor made of 'mou' fruit-plants along with wild animals like fox wolf and snakes; the native villagers were 'santals', mostly farmers and cattle owners.  

 There was neither  any school( even elementary) nor hospital nor grocery shop .But perhaps geographical strategy was discovered  as great prospectus; so  the railway station became important. My father stayed here for  only 1 year. He was the first to introduce there  not only picnic and cultural function; but the greatest festival of Bengal, Durga Puja, Kali puja along with  just  start-up -sports Club ,Book-Club with the small   railway stuffs. The Railway neighbors exchanged books and magazines (which came to be known book-club) among themselves. I was then about four years.I remember my father  used to play badminton (perhaps in winter)and  then telequate (Ring) from February /March for windy weather . My father arranged the badminton court ,bats,net , feather-cork, Ring. Great pleasure of me and my brother was to pick up the cork when it dropped on the ground.;So we waited  outside the court eagerly for dropped-cork . Every time  we  two counted who scored more to 'pick up'! we treasured  the discarded corks to play in our play time with two pieces  of hard-cover torn from the old and used  hand-writing copies  as bats.

In the summer evening this badminton group used to play cards(either Breeze or Twenty-nine) in the frontside  veranda   under open sky until the  call  for dinner came up.It was 1948/49.. They played  in the hurricane light ;because there was no electricity even in the railway station. I enjoyed the elders' playing because I could stay outside under the sky even after the late evening . 

But soon the fun of  evening game  was stopped Because a calf was taken by a tiger (or wolf) from our close neighborhood,- less than half mile away.  It happened repeatedly 2/3 times. The panic rosed  higher when one of the 2/3 years old kid from the group of playing kids was taken away by the tiger  in the early evening .We heard the noise of screaming mother along with the other women and men  and kids . 

My father with the railway stuff went with log and torch in hand on the spot where 8/9 families lived in huts with their goats ,cattle ,hen ,duck etc. My father took decision that  from next day  four people by turn would guard the neighbourhood   by beating tin and drum  to make the neighbor alert and the tiger afraid. Both. Also there was arrangement to burn  fire  surrounding the huts. All of them accepted the decision . No incidents happened during our   short time stay in that area after it. But we all   kids used to enter inside the house  from the play field before the darkness of the evening set in. Both front door and backdoor  were closed right at  the evening without fail.

 I don't remember whether my elder brothers had any study time at the evening . There were only two bedrooms with L-shaped long covered -veranda which included the kitchen at the end point .

From the kitchen window I loved to see how the green hills at day-time would  turn  dark black  but at the base there were lots of bright flame  like Dewali and occasionally the sound of  beating  tin and drum along the fade sound of tribal song with the flute . I longed strongly to go there . I asked ,

"Ma, will you take me to the hill? I wish to see the opposite side of the hill; I think they had some festival : drum ,flame , vocal music  and also flute."

Ma:   It is more than two miles.We cannot cross that  hill, it is quite high for the elderly also."

"Ma, who has done that fire works like  flame of  bright candles ?"

Ma: There are many small villages at the basement of the hill ; It is not festival at all.  The fire, noise of drum keep the tiger away .  when tiger comes within close  distance they give a stinky smell ; instantly they beat the tin loudly  to alert and awake the neighbors."

 . In the concrete walled back- courtyard  two/three  folding  cots  were spread where we lay after dinner  in the early night to enjoy cool air in summer .Only father's cot was covered with a white sheet and pillow, side pillow .I  shared the cot with father and learnt  a lot lessons orally from father . My elder brothers always avoided my father in fear.

After listening the  tiger's story in our neighborhood ,I could not shut my eyes for a moment .I kept my eyes surveying the wall of backyard. 

With choaked breathing and pounding heart remained thinking,

 "what should I do if a tiger comes by jumping over the wall?" I waited when my father would order,

  "hey all get up!, our body is enough cool now let us go inside ."I would breath sigh of relief."

But in the beginning I liked to observe the sky with moon and stars and floating clouds ,  mysterious shooting stars before the story of tiger haunted  me.

                                              (3)

My father was posted for short period to  'PATHARDIH'   small but very significant station before Vukunda.  IT was significant as the first Fertiliser company of India in collaboration of U.K was founded here.

I don't remember clearly much  memorable incidents  except one or two. 

My eldest brother,  (Shyamal Mazumdar ) got his first job at early age of 17.( in 1 July, 1946). He was also brilliant  and talented like my father. He was appointed as a trainee  in the the first Fertilizer Company of India in collaboration with UK.at Sindri, near Dhanbad.  The  the first British GM  interviewed and  appointed   my brother as a token of gratitude for my father's help in saving huge amount of money off the  company from 'demurrage' charge to Eastern Railway. So far I remember perhaps his  title was......  Mr....Frith.  Frith-Saheb was remarkably rewarded by his  company for saving money and prestige which was  in fact contribution of my father. Mr Frith insisted my father to offer ten thousand in cash which my father refused to take, out of honesty .Mr Frith was astonished to experience the honesty of a benign employee whose salary at that time was  perhaps Rs 80 to Rs.120 only.

Mr Frith said :  " Mr Mazumdar, I'm really feeling obliged and somewhat guilty; plea-se ask me something to offer you!"

 My father:  "I  knew the Railway laws very well; so I  fought and won the case  lawfully,  while  your  inexperienced lawyer failed . Now it is your term to claim from the Railway for causing harassment  to you,     ( if you wish!).

Mr. Frith:  "Oh thank you ;I don't need that ...to be  entrapped  by court-case again ! ...My 'reward' counts as  your 'due credit'! I will be happy if you allow me to share it with you!"

My father said, "Ok. My son will be coming next week for vacation since his  high-school exam is over ; he is  smart and brilliant ; I will be obliged if you train up him well to establish in future; it will be a great service to me !"

Mr Frith : " No problem; to build up the future career of your son is henceforward my responsibility, I promise ," said confidently. 

"Please send him to me as  soon as he comes".

Then embraced my father and left joyfully. 

My eldest brother, Shyamal, in fact , became like TA of Mr Frith during his training period and possessed the  immense power of second man  to that big  first Fertilizer Company. of India. He was only 17 .Mr Frith called him affectionately 'Babu'.He was impressed with the intelligence and smartness of my brother.  

He  arranged postal course in 'Sheffield  Engineering  College,UK,' for my brother. 

Mr Frith, very much British in spirit, became friendly with my father and  brother whom he loved as his own family member. He often expressed that it was beyond his imagination that he could meet such well mannered, fluent in spoken English people like my father or brother in this insignificant small corner of geographical map. ..........

        There was no radio, no t.v., no theater in those days ;... life ran on different current, different throb,  from  that of 'now'.

Sitting in a corner of the room in high-rise building of Lincoln center  in  New York with laptop, I'm  gasping  between  a 'nebulea of rushing memories' and 'typing with  snail-speed fingers' : most ideas are either fading or vanishing ! 

Like  shadow my mind  was running after   my parents .I dreamt them today early morning .....................Where and how are you Baba , Ma ?

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