Amitava Charaborty - Death of a friend.

Till now Facebook has brought me news of births,promotions, jobs,academic excellence,engagements, marriages, anniversaries and off course birthdays of my dear friends. Today for the first time, I learnt about the death of a Facebook friend. I clarify here that I had also known him personally, may not be very closely.

Whenever we learn about the death of  a friend, relative, neighbour , ex-colleague,  or anybody known , whom we have not seen for many days , the mind does not register it immediately, Because of the loose bonds and detachment due to the vagaries of time and space, the person may not have been in the inner periphery of conscious thought to make us feel the grief or sadness that numbs us  as in the case of a the death of a very much loved person.
But then,in leisure or in free time, as the mind relates the news with the person and the events and moments spent with him/her, however small, all of a sudden, a rush of memory flows . The flashback of event plays on the mind and we realise that  so much time has passed away and life has changed such a lot for everyone of us.
Surprised why I am writing all this ?  Having all these thoughts because of  a news of death received today on Facebook from the post  @Syamal Kumar Bhanjachoudhury. My old colleague Mr Amitava Chakraborty passed away at Siliguri. He had retired from SBI a year back . My interaction with him was during the period I was posted in North Bengal and mainly at SBI Siliguri Branch. He was a very active member and an office bearer of the SBI Officers' Association and my activities brought me in contact with him often, sometimes aligned and some other times against. We were not chums or great friends.  But enjoyed a good relationship and shared cigarettes  and tea sometimes over discussions . That's it.
Recently we got in touch with each other and became friends on Facebook. He was not very regular here but still we were in touch .So it is with a sense of sadness mixed with remembrance that I bid him audieu with prayers for his soul to rest in peace and strength to the bereaved family members. His death saddens me  no doubt but has also brought me face to face with some questions.

Had Bhanja-da not broken the news, I would have never known it. Amitava da would remain a part of my distant past without me spending much thought on him . And I may or may not learn about his death ever. He would always be alive for me. So the utility of Facebook or Social networking is proved once again. There is nothing like keeping in touch with people who are or were a part of of our lives, for however small period it may be. And it spreads the message, good or bad. Or is it a distraction that binds us with silly sentiments?
So what happens to his Facebook wall now?  Will it remain like that for eternity. I have posted a message there for his departed soul, however foolish it might seem . That's because I did not want any person unaware about his death posting a birthday message or a joke on his wall by ignorance.
What will happen to me if and when I die suddenly  ? My facebook page and status will still be current? I think I will give my facebook password to my son to post my obituary and then deactivate the pages later in case of my death. 
And my friends , lastly, if ever you get the news of my death on Facebook and don't know what to do with the news,just remember me once and then release my memory with a smile.

Believe me - I will Like it !

Slipping into oblivion with myself,

with the robe of anonymity covering

all those sins sticking to me like leeches.

How different does it feel to sink deep

into the unknown territory down below.

No reason to try and stay afloat anymore

the surface is no more the same.

The weeds that try to bind me with their

tentacles creeping up from beneath

will keep me safe from the prying eyes.

I will find my sanctuary there.

The urge to live overground has vanished

long ago as the cold touch seeped in

through the pores of my heart.

I have started liking this dark abode now

without the hint of light , so much black.

Those of you who may have tried hard

to offer a lifeline and let me redeem,

thank you for all your misplaced trust

My road to perdition remained unwalked,

I chose to be with the shadows.

The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer

Whew ..................... Finished a full book at one go after many,many,many days. Thanks to the long weekend and undisturbed bliss at home without any chores or appointments, shopping etc.

Jeffrey Archer is as always a consummate story teller. The suspense of his stories are well guarded till the climax and builds up all along the story progresses . Before one realises what has happened, the twists and turns of the narrative takes the reader deep into the story and keeps him/her hooked to the thrill till the climax unfolds itself .

His new novel ,The Sins of the Father also follows the same style of a gripping tale taken along through the separate stories of the main characters, all interwoven into a plausible tale of courage, valour, and above all love in the backdrop of the second world war. True to his forte and knowledge of the inner secrets of prison life, English aristrocracy as well as the legal points, mainly constitutional law this, story is very well woven around the British and US society around the tumultous years between 1939-45. The hallmark of Archer, the integration of historical facts and the references to historical figures are there in the most clever manner . What he creates will neverbe a classic or will have great literary value but as a thrilling popular literature with the use of impeccable and very effective english words to enthrall the readers. They reflect the British life of the last century and the rapid change in it as much as Arthur Conan Doyle or Charles Dickens captured the previous one.

But , I have always been a Jeffrey Archer fan. I have read all his books published till date and will remain an ardent devotee of his style. Because of the simple fact that I myself aspire to write a book some day, i can't help wondering at the ease with which he creates the plots and integrate them in simple day to day situations, with the historical context always in mind.

So is it all a eulogy for my fav author? No. To put the review of the novel in the proper context, let me point out to some of the negatives of the book as I noticed

1. The last 50 to 60 pages of the novel was not necessary though it is connected to the most important point of the main story .
2. It looks like the last chapter is an after thought to give Archer vent to his knowledge of Constitution and Parliament. Remember, he was a member of the Parliament himself. By itself it throws a pertinent question and is eminently readable. But as a stand alone story.
3. The tempo of the first few chapters seem to flag as the climax builds up and there is a tendency to take the reader for granted at some places of the penultimate chapter.
4. The narrative is in spurts in the last chapter as it tries to encompass a lot of activities by different characters and happenings all around. This does not gel with the elaborate story telling and build up of the characters and situations earlier.
5. The last sentence of the book really pissed me off. I did not expect such betrayl from my favourite author. Agreed, he has this knack of surprising everybody at the end with the twist in the tail . But why this neo realism at the end as the whole story itself is a yarn.

My only advice : PLEASE DO NOT FLIP THE PAGES TO READ THE END OF THE NOVEL BEFOREHAND.

There comes a time in life always,

when there is no more need for it ,anyway.

Still the burden of tired routine are carried;

formalities, with a touch of resigned exhaustion.

The days move along covered with the grime,

almost like the turgid gutter . No wonder !

People are disinterested with all this.

They have their own methods to bypass

all these small irritants sticking out

like sore thumbs in their daily routine

of eating , sleeping and copulation.

Covering their nostrils with the perfume

sprayed on their clean and crisp handkerchief;

they cross the road beside the morgue.

The decomposed cadaver lies there,

alone in the cold,with its own putrid smell.

Nobody needs it anymore.

Good Morning to eveone . A happy Ugadi and Gudipadwa to my friends who celebrate the new beginings .

No office today . Its a holiday followed by two weekly off days.That makes it a really long weekend to sleep,rest, write, read,hear, see, pray,love, fight, cook,wash ,remember,feel sad,drink and laze around.Whew, that's a lot to do. Don't you think so?

Yesterday, I had returned home quite late, thanks to a late meeting (in all senses) in office. Slept well into the morning and now feeling a bit groggy without the morning workout and no time schedules pressing me hard. The weekend is upon me and beckons me to indulge into myself. Some thoughts takiing shape. Let's see how they pan out. 

Waiting in the twilight with the gathering darkness ,

I have often thought of you and listened,

to the screaming silence all around me.

As all boundaries fade into the shadows ,

I grope with the bleak reasons of existence.

Why should I stay back then?

If you had to go then why,

Why did I have to walk the moonlit path ?

To seek refuge from the surge of the flood within,

trying to save my entire belongings

that were once your gifts to me

of those moments of madness;

How do I reconcile then, all those which I lost

to the ravages of the unrelenting time.

What passes through the gates beyond the horizon

will never come back again

even if the spring repeats itself

and season flowers bloom in gardens.

FB posts

21.03.12


To you,it may not matter.
Only I know what I have to suffer.
But then,how can I complain,
you don't care for what I explain.
Seems this situation is here to stay,
for I find it impossible now to walk away.

20.03.12


Some moments bring us together,
some moments tear us apart,
some moments change us forever,
some moments stay etched in heart.

20.03.12

I was very late,
still gave it a try.
Could just make it
to say good bye. 

Don't know which hurts me more,to miss you or to want you.