...The New Grass....

 ....New grass  is  being  laid  in the  Republic Square ...done  at  breakneck speed ....a turf implanted & now watered regularly : the late evening OPD walkback home besides this newly laid carpet of green....the  chalky coral silica  now  nearly replaced ....20feet yonder is the  sea , azure green , the reef  visible, as many a boat  and its mooring visible ....sea & more sea  al around....

Gud, tht the grass shud grow , as the bare chalk was a sore in the  heart of  the Capital , the pigeons ruling  the roost  .....now there will be a green top , the deep blu and the robust flagstaff holding the nation's standard....

Must slow down is the mantra , as discernible are trifles to soothen ur ruffled feathers ...the leisurely  walk past these & a rocking chair at home ....the "for granted" ,hitherto neglected , need to be attended , the time for a token thanks.... the  recipe now for all trifle attention.....the  speed a casualty , duly buried & its swan song.....

Obituary that never was ......

.....Maimed.....Pained....the post an Orphan , as Bhal was invariably ,an early bird to check this  post , his comments  read  with  due  diligence  .....such  was  the  practice  in the  last few years ....& now until May onwards  the  posts went abegging  for  want  of  his  valuable  comments....as my flow was  a trickle  ,  yet  his  absence ,bothered  me ....the  unkindest  cut :as His B'Day wishes poured  in  the  group , the "Miss You",hit me hard , as I enquired from Javed , & my fears were confirmed....that  he  was  sick , returned  back to India from Sharjah ,where  he  was  posted as an ENT Surgeon , capitulating  to  the terminal illness , in his  prime  & at  the  peak of  his  career....

Dr Bhal chandra Jha , my early memories  go  back  to  1985 @Boys Old Hostel of Patna Medical college , bright & Witty sporting a thick mustache, sporting a Pyjama & Vest  , he was  the  quintessential brite 'Vidhayarthi ', the Netarhat look well besmirched  on  his  forehead , the Hindi was razor sharp , witty , satirical , with often dual connotations ,easily beating the hell out of his adversaries ,whoever crossed swords  with  him ,jokingly, in a way his command over  the  vernacular  was apparently  visible  whenever  you  happened  to  converse  with  him ....in  that  , even  after  a  long  hiatus  of  our  separation  to  different  walks  , the  reunion over  the  electronic  media , unmissable  touch  of  his  flair  over  the  language was felt and revisited ....

As we wrote & exchanged prolifically , I came very  close  to  him ....with 'Budho' his  Character , the  rustic setting of his writings,set   me back to  my  roots of my  village ,town....Only  an Expat can feel  the  pain  of another as  both  of  us  felt the  same , complementing  ourselves  with  our writings , as  we  missed  Homeland.....our  family  & friends , countrymen....

As we met , after  a  period of  long long  years ,in a different  setting altogether of  an established: establishment  of  our  professional self, both of us  in  foreign  lands , the  distant  homeland ,  we had to strike a chord of similarity ,of a  predicament  of rootlessness , yet united  by  our commonality , hence 'Budho '  appealed in no  uncertain terms, as  it  was  common  platform ....truly  cherish  those  days ,when we shared  our feelings  thru numerous  posts ..

...As my "Heart of Punjab" went abegging for want  of his comments , now there will be a permanent  void , coming  to terms  won't be  easy .....as the  images  are  too strong , the  Boys Old hostel , the cool rooms & Bhalchandra in his inimitable style .....Rest in Peace my dear friend ....!!!! 

9th November & Ma....

 The  recent  trip  to  Homeland  was  equivalent  to  5  such  trips  as in  a  short  time span,  we packed  enough  agenda  & concluded  in  a whirlwind  fashion  ,  with  a  deep  sense  of  satisfaction,  as  we  were able  to  break  the  shackles  which  we  had  for  past  2  yrs  owing  to  the  Pandemic .

Meeting  family  friends  was  the  icing  on   the  cake of  a  Long pending pilgrimage  to  notable  shrines  of India  , : Sri  Mata vaishno Devi , Katra in J & K  &  The Golden Temple  in  Amritsar .

The  Trek in  the Himalayas  was arduous  ,  long  &  God  helped  us  make  it  ....the  Children rose  upto  the  occasion  , equal  to  us in  our  efforts  ....

Glad  , I  stepped into  the  shoes  of  my  ancestors  ,  who  had  made  treks  to  various  shrines  in  India  , including  my parents  ....The  Heart  of  India  throbs  in its  shrines  of  all  faith  scattered  through out  the  nation ....

Wee hours  of  the  day  Spoke  to  MA , received  Blessings  of  a Continuity of  a Life of  whom I owe  one hundred  percent  to  my  Parents  , as its  9th  Nov . Her razor  sharp  voice , effusing  on the  ether of  a prayer  of  My  wellbeing  as always....Somethings  don't change  ,  somethings  will  never, well etched  in  Heart .....