In the early hours of the day, Kolkata parks are the perfect destination for a cup of steaming ‘malai chai’ escorted with marie biscuits. But for Calcuttans, a cup of tea has always been partnered affectionately by criticism at its literary best. In crammed local buses and unending traffic jams, the inherent ‘joy’ of the city seems to be lost in gloom and demise.
In this city, you would never realise how time sweeps past you, and your existence. Life is fast, and you need to match up to its pace to keep yourself going. The very thought of this reminds me of those ‘ar bhalo lagchena’ (cannot take it anymore) type people who look for every diminutive possibility to move sluggishly. Sorrowfully, this city endorses a majority of such people, who with their unavoidable laze can put the graves to shame.
The main predicament in this city is that there are so many voices to debate and complain, but yet, there are really few people who can actually make a difference. Heavy words of wisdom, and aggressive debates, seem to wear down the vigour to bring about much discussed ‘radical change’.
So, what is so joyful in this city? It still, is a mystery. With such a lot of ‘Shor in the city’ where can one find some true moments of peace?
Is the inherent joy dwindling away like the low tide in the sea?
