It was the summer of 1984. Me and my brother had to go through a religious ritual. As the D-day was approaching, our relatives started trickling in with precious gifts — watches, gold rings, pieces of garment etc. Our joy simply knew no bounds.
Then dawned the grand day. While the morning got consumed in completion of the rituals, the evening was destined for a feast. One by one the guests started to arrive and in the same rate we got flooded with gifts and presents also. We got indeed excited on being showered with glossy packets and were waiting eagerly to view what lies inside! After the guests had departed after dinner, at last came the time of exploring the gifts! I started to unwrap the packets one by one only to get overwhelmed by the fares on offer — sets of pens, comics, adventure-based novels, magic slates and what not! Suddenly I noticed a package of a large size. What is in it? Must be a big and pleasant surprise waiting for us which will dwarf all the other gifts! With great anticipation, I unpacked it. And alas, what is in it? Only two fat “bland” dictionaries! English to Bengali for myself, Bengali to English for my brother! With utmost disdain, I put it aside and questioned the “gifting credential” of our neighbour!
In the last 33 years, gallons of water have flown down the Ganga. That 13-year old boy has metamorphosed into a 46-year old father. The inks of those expensive pens have got exhausted within a few months and the “skeletons” got discarded. The highly attractive watches had lost their time many decades ago and have got consigned to oblivion. Also I don’t know whether those precious golden rings and lockets even exist in this world or not.
But when my 12-year old son now rushes towards me and asks the meaning of any tough English or Bengali word, I have to take refuge in those two dictionaries only! I don’t know whether the Professor is still with us in this mortal world or not; but he continues to live in my life through those two dictionaries which might have got withered and torn a bit, but still making its presence felt with its full relevance. And his gifts have taught me the lesson of life. Gifts need to be accepted with utmost humility by respecting the sentiments of the giver. Today also I feel ashamed for that boyhood audacity of mine.
Now a very recent happening. Since the Editors of dailies have all along been kind to me, a number of letters and articles of mine have come out in print. Obviously the confidence in me has received a boost. But I didn’t realise when that positive confidence has yielded place to negative vanity. I had sent an article in a daily which got prominently published within two days. It was my debut article in that daily. Encouraged by that success, again I sent another article to that very daily. And I flaunted to my son that it would also be a sure success! My son was not too sure and asked me whether I can bet on it! Unhesitatingly I announced that I will shave off my much-loved treasure named Moustache if the said article does not see the light of the day! Days passed by, but no sight of that article! In the meantime, a piece, sent as a letter, got published on that very daily as an article. But alas that article, based on which I had pledged my valued possession moustache, never came out! As a man true to his words, I have shaved it off with utmost pain for the very first time in my life!
