বৃষ্টি রানী

বৃষ্টি পরে টাপুর টুপুর,
পাতায় পাতায় বাজছে নুপুর।

ঢাকলো মেঘে আকাশ খানা,
ঘর থেকে আজ বেরোনো মানা।

স্নিগ্ধ সবুজ পাতার পরে,
মুক্তা গুলি পড়ছে ঝরে।

অঝোর প্লাবন শ্রাবন ধারা,
মাটির ডাকে দিলো সারা।

গহন মেঘে আঁধার ঘনায়,
ভরলো নদী কানায় কানায়।

নীরদ আপন ডোমরু বাজায়,
নতুন প্রাণের আরতি সাজায়।

ঘুচিয়ে তাপ ঘুচিয়ে জ্বালা,
প্রকৃতির আজ সাজার পালা।

শ্যামল বরণ নতুন বেশ,
সিক্ত সঘন এলো কেশ।

বাজছে কাঁকন রিনি রিনি,
মন কেড়েছে নুপুর ধ্বনি।

সজল তোমার আঁচল ছায়ায়,
পূর্ণ এ প্রাণ, প্রাণের মায়ায়।

কোরোনা বিভ্রাট

ওহে ভাই কোরোনা
এ যে কি বিড়ম্বনা!
চেয়ে দেখি মুখপানে
নেই কথা কানে কানে।
হাত খানা ধরো নাকো
ঘর থেকে নোরো নাকো।
বাঙ্গালীর একি জ্বালা
মিষ্টির দোকানে তালা?
বলবো কি রে ভাই
দুঃখের সীমা নাই।
দোকানের ভারের চা?
বেজে গেছে বারোটা।
সাধের আড্ডাখানা
সেখানেও যেতে মানা।
দিন আসে দিন যায়
শুধু খবরের আশায়।
তোমার প্রকোপ ভায়া
এ যেন অনন্ত মায়া।
চড়িয়া অজেও রথে
ঘুড়িতেছো পথে পথে।
কিন্তু হে মহামারী
ছেড়েছ কি দেশ বাড়ি?
এবারটি দয়া করে
যাও হে নিজের ঘরে।
দাও গো রেহাই
জীবনের মূলস্রোতে
ফিরে মোরা যাই।

প্রতিশ্রুতি

আমার ভালোবাসা বন্ধু শৃঙ্খল নয়,
আমার পূজা সে তো অমর অক্ষয়।
প্রেম মোর শুধু বন্ধু মুক্তির গান গায়,
হাতের মুঠোয় তারে ধরে রাখা দায়।
আলো আধারী পথে খুঁজো না আমায়,
চোখ মেলে দেখ আছি চোখের তারায়।
গহন মনের কোণে তোমার চেতনায়,
লুকিয়ে আছি বন্ধু আমি তোমার হিয়ায়।
কখনো দু চোখ যদি আমায় হারায়,
দেখবে রয়েছি আমি পথের ধুলায়।
আকাশের মেঘে আর ঢেউযের দোলায়,
ভোরের ঘাসের স্নিগ্ধ শিশির কণায়।
সঘন সজল করুন বৃষ্টি ধারায়,
শ্যামল শোভন সুন্দর নবীন পাতায়।
অন্তরে চেয়ে দেখ পরান কি চায়,
হাত দুটি ধরো শুধু দুহাত বারায়।
বুকেতে ভরসা রেখো, মনেতে প্রত্যয়,
প্রাণ পাবে মৃন্ময়ী তোমার ছোঁয়ায়।
পেরিয়ে সব বাঁধা, ভুলে সব দায়,
যাবো নিরুদ্দেশে মোরা সীমানা ছাড়ায়।

 

ইচ্ছেডানা

মনের কোনে লুকিয়ে ছিল
অনেক ইচ্ছেডানা,
ধুলোর স্তর জমেছে এত
যায়না তাদের চেনা।

স্বাদ আলহাদ ছিল যত সব
করছে সবাই দাবী,
খুঁজে এনে দাও হারিয়ে যাওয়া
সেই পুরোনো চাবি।

ব্যাস্ত জীবন, ক্লান্ত শরীর
সকল অজুহাত,
এখন বুঝি হয়েছে সময়
দিতে এদের মাত।

খানিক সময় হলেই নাহয়
শুধুই গৃহবাসী,
ইচ্ছেগুলো মেলুক ডানা
ফোটাক মুখে হাসি।

Isn’t it a common human trend to be attracted to bright, colourful things? Especially, if the human being is just a 4 year old girl, it’s pretty evident that she would like to find out what those vibrant things are. Imagine what a kid could think of, when she sees multi-coloured ball like things smaller than a coin. Probably poppins or gems. When children of this age get such lucrative thing infront of them can they resist their temptation to have it?

If the answer is no, then certainly I was not at fault to try the colourful substance securely kept inside a nano glass container. It was even more fun because no adult was around when I found the small bottle on the bedside table in my granny’s room. Everyone was busy as it was my aunt’s wedding day. All the grownups were engaged in some or the other work. So, my cousin Ananya and I were free birds enjoying ourselves.

While playing, suddenly this bottle full of colourful things caught my eyes and considering them to be something similar to gems, I had a handful of them. When Ananya saw this, she was a little doubtful. Unlike me she was very calm, composed and obedient. Not that I was extremely disobedient, but my curiosity has often led to troubles. This time it was no different. Suspecting something wrong, my cousin who was not my partner-in-crime this time,  rushed to call my mother.

To their utter shock the elders discovered that what I had were the sleeping pills of my granny. Immediately, I was made to vomit and my life was saved somehow. But, I was quite angry at Ananya and sad about the fact that I couldn’t enjoy having the pills. It was very difficult to make me understand why such harsh action was taken to snatch away my simple pleasure.

Today when I look back, I wonder who would have told you this story had not Ananya saved me that day.

After ages I have got time to walk down the memory lane. So, here I am with another story of my childhood. This one goes to the time when I and my cousin sister Ananya were studying in primary school. I lived in Kolkata while she resided in Howrah. We used to meet in our granny’s house during Diwali Break. Those were the days of endless fun without the fear of being scolded by the elders. Why? Simple, because granny was there to rebuke them had she seen us heart-broken. Naturally our freedom and ‘masti’ (enjoyment) knew no bound.

It was during one such Diwali Break that the local club was going to organize a cultural programme. Hearing the news, we were on cloud nine. Definitely because popular artists were going to perform. But, was that the only reason? Off-course not. The real reason behind our excitement was that we thought that we would also grab the opportunity to showcase our talent. Ananya was learning to sing. Although I had no formal training in this field, I possessed high opinion about my capabilities. So, I decided to join her believed that our duets could win hearts.

Needless to say that the committee members didn’t buy our proposal at one go. At the same time they couldn’t refuse two young ‘aspiring artists’ directly and started giving various excuses. We overruled whatever was said. Finally, they told us that our performance would be incomplete as there would be no one to play an instrument with us. What they didn’t know was that we had resolved not to give up. So, we told that Ananya could play Harmonium. Another challenge was thrown at us. We were supposed to arrange the instrument ourselves.

In those days, we hardly had any ego or hesitation. So, we merrily went from one door to the other in the neighbourhood asking people if we could borrow a Harmonium. Some elders laughed at us, some made a solemn face. But as you know, “If there is a will, there is a way”. We kept trying and eventually came across a kind-hearted lady who trusted the little artists and happily lent us the instrument.

Now, the committee members had no excuse to stop us. Finally, that very cultural programme started with our song. It hardly mattered that there were a handful of audience when the show started. We were overwhelmed to get a chance to exhibit our talents and yes, no matter how small the gathering was, the spectators including the committee members did not prove to be misers when it came to applauding us and that’s how two indomitable spirits achieved their goal.

দস্যি দামাল, ক্ষেপা খোকা
পড়লো মাথায় বাজ,
শুধু বলে দরজা খোলো
বাইরে যাবো আজ।
হাম্বা গরু ডেকে গেল
শুনছো নাকি মোটে,
কিচির মিচির করছে চরাই
স্বাধীন খুশির চোটে।
পিঁপড়ে গুলো সিংহ সমান
দেখাচ্ছে হাব ভাব,
ঘুরবো মোরা নির্ভয়ে হয়ে
তোরাই বন্দি থাক।
কুকুর গুলো বেজায় ধাঁধাঁয়
মানুষ গেল কৈ,
গাড়ি এসে কি নিয়ে গেল
নেই যে হৈ চৈ।
উঠন জুড়ে মনের সুখে
ঘুরছে শামুক গুলো,
আমাদেরই গেছে দেখো সমস্ত চালচুলো।
চলো না মা একটি বার
দুচোখ ভরে দেখি,
ওদের ওই পৃথিবীটা
একটুও নয় মেকি।
কেমন করে বোঝাই খোকা
সবাই মিলে আজ,
দিচ্ছি নিজের ভুলের মাশুল
ফেলে সকল কাজ।
পৃথিবী আজ দিলো মোদের
এমন একটি সাজা,
মানুষ আজ খাঁচার প্রাণী
জীব জগতের মজা।
বলছে ওরা, সময় আছে
শুধুরে যাও গুরু,
ক্ষমা চেয়ে নতুন করে
জীবন করো শুরু।

 

Yes, the title may sound very insensible, but then, are we not paying for our own faults? We forgot completely that the earth is not only for humans. It is even for the micro-organism which the Creator has created with utmost love and care as He has created us. But we ungrateful self-centered beings have exploited nature thoughtlessly. Killed animals for their bones and skins. We refused to differentiate between need and luxury. Our greed knew no bounds. We kept on asking for more….more….more… 2G….3G…..4G…..5G we just didn’t want to stop knowing fully well that the birds are dying due to this.

We spoiled the purity of the water bodies risking the aquatic life. For what? Business? Entertainment? Fun?  Today, we complain that dolphins are not visible in Chilka lake. Why would they come? Have we kept the water clean and safe enough for them? Why is it that canals in Venice are full of dolphins now? Why are kangaroos roaming freely in the parks of Australia? Why is this virus not affecting them? Well nature is not punishing them because they are not the ones who polluted nature. It is we humans who ignored all the indications that mother earth kept on throwing at us. TSUNAMI in South East Asia, FIRE in the Amazon, EARTHQUAKE in Nepal….. we overlooked all the threats and continued to enjoy life as if nothing could happen to us.

When nature was worshipped in India in the ancient times, the world laughed at us. Now everyone knows who the true God is. Not the ones sitting inside the temples, mosques or churches, but the ones saving our lives in the hospitals. And on whom, on what was our life dependent in earlier times? Be it food, medicine, water or air, nature gave us everything. And revering nature meant protecting them. When you respect somebody, you don’t hurt them. That is exactly why all the natural elements were deified. But we FOOLS, we considered ourselves, ‘oversmart’ and destroyed everything. So, who else deserves this punishment, if not us? Nature had to stop the incorrigible.

Sooner or later the crisis will get over. But we should remember the price that had to be paid for it. The world won’t be the same anymore. May we respect all the creations and coexist with them.

Now a days, I truly wake up hearing the chirping of the birds. The mornings are much more soothing without the continuous noise pollution made by vehicles. I can admire many more stars in the clear night sky. I can see the snails roaming freely in our backyard. I feel amazed to glance at thousands of ants walking undisturbed on the main gate. It feels lovely to see the sparrows enjoying the grains on our terrace without the fear of any human interference.

Today we are caged, while all of them are free. The world is their home too. Let us not snatch it away from them. While nature is taking time to heal, to flourish, to rejuvenate, let’s not disturb it any more. Let’s learn from our mistakes and rectify them. Be respectful, be grateful, be humble. LIVE AND LET LIVE.

 

Have you ever seen the parents waiting at the reception area of a “Big” school? If yes, I am sure your eyes have not missed the stressed faces. It’s a matter of reputation these days to get our children enrolled in a famous English medium school. Yes, English medium only. Who cares about mother tongue? Even if you don’t know your mother tongue properly, it won’t spoil your social position. But not to know English is no less than a crime. It is definitely something to feel low about. It’s a weapon for others to make you feel humiliated.

How foolish it is to judge someone’s intelligence and smartness depending on their knowledge of a language. But unfortunately, we Indians, till date, could not decolonize our minds.

So, right from the birth, we start speaking to our kids in English and put immense pressure on them to ensure that they succeed in the interview which they need to pass in order to get admission in pre-primary. I feel sorry for those budding flowers full of potentials.

We were fortunate enough not to be a part of this rat race. Our parents never considered us to be the tools for maintaining their status. So, they had faith in our abilities and they never put us under so much stress just to get admission in a well known school.

When I was in class 1, my mother decided to let me appear in an interview for getting admission in South Point, definitely one of the most reputed schools of Kolkata, but I am sure she would not have mind, had I not cleared the interview. I could successfully answer most of the questions in Bengali. Then the teachers asked me how I could expect to get admitted in an English medium school when I was not able to answer all the questions in English.

But, I outsmarted them asking how could they expect a child of my age to answer everything in English before getting enough knowledge of the language. I was there, willing to get admission in their school, so that I can learn good English. Was it fair to test my skills of the language even before teaching me? No doubt, after this they didn’t ask further questions and I got a smooth admission. Alas! If only modern parents could have faith in the abilities of their wards.