Remembering Neelima

2009-10-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

A phone call from my ex-colleague changed my day today. He asked if I had read the news paper today. Well I didn't. Otherwise I would have already known that Neelima is no more.
Thinking of Neelima, an always smiling face comes infront of me. She was in my team working with me for almost 4-6 months. We were also lunch mates. An after lunch stroll made us good friends. We had a group of 4 ladies who talked and shared many things from day to day life problems to the National Politics. Occassioanally Neelima used to talk about her Son.... Nitish. He was a jovial child and Neelima was a doting mom. Todays Newspaper tells me both are not alive anymore. The entire family took extreme steps to end their lives.
It doesn't matter now. It really doesn't matter to know or understand the reason behind this extreme step. What made the family so desperate ? Why couldn't they reach out to someone for some relief ? Didn't they have some friends, relatives with whom they could share some of their troubles? Questions kept my mind busy today. I know that it really doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore....

Be at peace Neelima.

Pujo Diary

2005-10-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Sunrita did you go thru the spec well…..Team meet…hey why is this test result incomplete...humm are you feeling sleepy…..leave me !!! I WANNA GO HOME….TODAY IS ASHTAMI…..#!!@^$...Twinkle Twinkle lil’ star…wake up wake up WAkkkeee…that’s the end of my nightmare..or shall I say “dawn- mare”..it was almost 5:30 and I was yet to come out of the Durga Puja blues…Yeah this time the hangover is tough to get rid off…me still struggling!!!

Puja for most of the Bengalis is something they look forward through out the year..but frankly speaking I was never very much fond of it. I always avoided the madding crowd, the dazzling pandals, I seldom used go out on the puja days. This year was different. Although it started with the same note as last three years, but ended with a bang. Making me realize I’m a Bengali by Stomach n Heart.

Shasti the sixth day of goddess durga at her maiden home is the actual starting of the puja, Then comes Saptami , Ashtami, Navami and Vijaya Dashami. According to the myth Ashtami is the main day cause that day Devi Durga killed the evil Mahishasura.

This time the Ashtami and navami was in the same day according to the Hindu panjika, which tells us about the schedules of all the suva mahurat and puja days.

We had lots of food from the food stalls.. starting with Luchi AloorDam a traditional Bengali cuisine , parota kasa mangsho, a must for all Non-vegies, Patishapta a sweet dish with rice and coconut, Chingri machher bora, aloor chop, Dimer devil, Bhetki Fry, Chicken roll, and all kind of mouth watering Bengali sweets. Papa and Mamma (Two kids of our group) had a gala time. Even though their stomach refused they kept on gorging on all these foods. Sandipan and I were moderate though whenever Sandipan saw the dimer devil…he went reckless. The evening of navami was electrifying. On the back of their mind everyone knows this is the last day of puja…so Njoy…have all the fun as much as u can take….I was also swept by the same mood. I was calmly sitting in the pandal watching others dancing having fun…a group was performing on the stage..they were singing well…Though everyone were dancing Mamma (Apparently and good dancer and choroegrapher) was standing quietly. I felt she needs some encouragement. So I started dancing… (Don’t worry the next day I thoroughly checked the Newspaper in search of earth quake…couldn’t find a single report..:D ). At first everyone were reluctant…but then after a few seconds Sandipan. I, Guddi, Papa, Raju, and even my shy aunt were also dancing. Goshh…it refreshed me..even though I had to take my inhaler…even though I felt giddy. I was refreshed…I just could feel the difference , I could feel the importance of the letting yourself free…I could feel the importance of the Puja..probably for the first time!!

Swabda

Remembering Neelima

Pujo Diary