Swagata Banerjee
I was born and brought up in a small cosmopolitan town by my very social parents. As a toddler, mostly I would be in the arms of the very affectionate neighbours .Celebrations were commonplace; creating opportunities for people of all ages to mingle and remain bonded. Among all, a Tamil uncle, named Kumar, was an immensely talented and affectionate man. With passing of time the bond became stronger and often the evenings would see the families meeting together, enjoying the melodies of the Ventures and the Beatles; while sipping cups of coffee along with home-made fritters. But very soon Kumar uncle decided to move with his family to Chennai; in search of greener pastures. We felt his absence but time proved to be a quick healer in presence of many more loving neighbours. During those times limited were the mode of communications and so seldom we got to hear about the Kumar family .However, memories remained fresh in everyone’s mind.
Post wedding, in life’s journey I made new friends and kept nurturing the old ones comprising all the known aunts, uncles and friends. All of a sudden a visit to Chennai cropped up. I flipped through my address book only to find that Kumar uncle resided in T Nagar in the same city .On the very next day of our arrival, we made way to the mentioned place. At T Nagar every soul is welcomed by the colorful sarees of the silk emporiums and the fresh aroma of the filtered coffee .Soon we stepped into a Chettinad hotel for a lavish spread of South Indian delicacies .Once done, I learnt the entire address, for my gut feeling became my driving force. Soon we made query to strangers for locating the Griffith road .The first gentleman directed but only with ignorance writ large on his face. But the second passerby with a remarkable confidence accompanied us to the next lane .After crossing a few houses, my excitement knew no bounds when I spotted the building that matched the name mentioned in my address book .The watchman let us in and there I stood staring at the sixty-year-old man, after almost thirty years .His faced had sagged but his fingers moved as fast as a young man’s, on the laptop. He gave a blank look and as I said aloud my name, he remained awe struck with mouth wide open .Having gained control over himself he swiftly came forward to wrap me in a warm embrace, as I bent down to touch his feet. What followed was a grand celebration .The other members of his family joined it. The warmth, the closeness, the bond had not shrunk at, all over the years. Someone chirped in that such an extraordinary meet could be a film producer’s delight.
After bidding them good bye a thought ruffled me. A decade later will our social fabric get so evolved that such sweet bonds will cease to exist? Will they be replaced by the hugs and emojis of the virtual world? Swami Vivekananda had stated, “Spirituality is the manifestation of the divinity already within us.” The divinity is nothing else but humane qualities that make the world worth living. We need to strike a perfect note without forgetting the lyrics. So a right blend would be to use technology not as a substitute but a supplement. Thereby new and old bonds will become sweeter.
