A Journey to remember

Recently I went to attend a friend’s marriage to southern Andhra Pradesh. A district town called Guntur. It was a long boring journey followed by amazing and thought provoking rituals and customs which I had never experienced before. At the same time, it evoked some long lost memories too.

When we were on our way to ponnur village, in Guntur district some 45 mins away from the Guntur town riding an ac qualis, amidst thamil dialogues flowing all over my ears about which I hardly understood a single word, and a telugu song loudly being played in the car radio I was drifting away mentally to a far far away place. Saikat ‘Mấmệ’ Mondol as we fondly used to call him, had his sister’s marriage and all in the hostel of CEMK were invited. Well almost all.

It was a hot hot April. The power plant near by was emitting more and more smokes day by day. And it felt like we have a forest on fire nearby. Days were scorching and nights were no better off. Only a few moments of respite was the cool breeze blowing from the river Rupnarayan.

Many of us were not much eager to go. But I was. There were two reasons for that. Mame requested me a lot for coming like he did to many others, and I am poor guy who can’t say NO. The second reason was that was the chance to spend a night with friends outside hostel in the remotest part of Bengal. I had wild fantasies about rural Bengal. The small huts, green paddy field and bullock carts, the shadow covered ponds and the quiet afternoons. But as they say life is not as rosey as it seems to be in dreams.

[Will update this as I write more :-)]