Aamar Shahor...

It has been almost 10 days. Very rarely have I stayed in my city for such a long stretch. And that too in summer. In fact I am experiencing the Kolkata summer after a long long time. In one word, it's terrible. Daytime is simply scorching. The pollution has worsened the condition. Now you simply can't do without an air conditioner. However, it is still a luxury to most middle class family like ours...let alone the lower classes. We are a poor lot, tropics are hot and we have accepted it, that's all.

Unfortunately, most of my work has been during the day time so far. Like, visit to the passport office. It was catastrophe...what with the heat, the crowd, the dust and dirt (most government offices are like that...no maintenance) and finally the typical government officer mentality. "No I won't do, I won't help you out". Moreover, the passport office, being a protected area, dad was not allowed to enter there (only one person per form - though dad was shouting at the top of his voice..telling there's no such rule written anywhere...nobody bothered...luckily for us, the policeman outside didn't react much to dad's protest, just calmly said, "do not take advantage of you being a senior citizen"). So I enter the office. Absolutely clueless about what needs to be done. Lazy girl that I am, didn't do much research either, about what all documents are required, what is the fee. So I was sent back from the counter, and came down to get the passport xeroxed. Thankfully I was carrying it with me and nothing else was required, but didn't yet know that it is to be confiscated to get the PCC (I am so naive). Equipped with the xerox copy and the fees (300 Rs), I approached another counter which was relatively empty. And then came the oracle :)

There's no Czech Republic.
???!!! Sorry ???!!!
I said there's no Czech Republic in my list. PCC has to be issued for a particular country. The country you have mentioned doesn't exist.
Sir, it is there. I have just returned from there in May. My Visa is still valid.
--Recheck-- Sorry, no Czech Republic...there is no such country.
Sir, how can there not be such a country? Can you please check if you have Czechoslovakia. It was earlier called so. Is there any continent option in your menu? Please give Europe there.
Madam, please take away your form. I can't help you.
Sir, excuse me, but does the Indian Passport Office issue visas to non existent countries?
--little insulted---Hello Guha-da (some senior) - please come here, I can't locate this country, she insists it is there..
--Guha comes and after going through the list, spots a Czech--Here it is
--Very angry--Madam, you should spell the country name properly, what's Czech Republic, strike off the republic part.
Sir, our country is also called Republic of India, but often referred to only as India...
I don't know madam, strike off and write only Czech, else I can't accept the form...

I gave up. But this was not the end. When he took away the passport as well, I panicked. "When will I get it back sir? What is the procedure to be followed?" - No answer. Check in inquiry. Inquiry has a queue of almost 500 people. When I reached the window finally, after 2 hours or more, the guy there said, come back in 7 days, you have submitted the form just today, I can't answer your query now.

Next day was scheduled for visit to the police station. Dad's friend knew a certain PA to some SP, and had spoken to the IC of the local police station. He asked us to visit him. I step in a police station for the first time. Another new experience. Didn't really expect a police station to be decorated with modern art. The policemen were also pretty well dressed (leave apart the tummy part) and notably, each had a sunglass. The atmosphere was also relatively calm. There were couple of people with bandaged heads or so...one lady I noticed, probably assaulted by her husband, and some armed person was very calmly explaining to the husband, "Wife is not there to beat...wife is to be loved". :) :)

When we entered the ICs room, one person was pleading, sir they have driven me out, I have legally rented the house, I have filed a case also. The IC snapped, I can't help you, get lost. After the man left, he called a constable and said, go n get him in the house. He spoke to us pretty cordially but said, there is no way he can help me. It all depends on the passport office. We nodded politely and came back.

Kolkata has Dominos, CCD...everything these days. If only we could do something about the climate. Singapore was equally hot, perhaps more. But it was never half as much exhausting. I can understand one thing. I love my city. I don't want to go back. This is the city where I can recuperate, and perhaps get back into mainstream life. You should see me devouring everything I can see from the bus, museums, theatres, road blocks, constructions, traffic jam, junk food stalls. Everything seems to be very close to me. Everything is all set to lend me a bit of their life. I want to stay back. I don't want to go to the alien city called Bangalore. I seem to hate that place.

I did a small showdown with mom. She scolded me for some reason. I reacted with a perfect melodrama. Shouting, howling, weeping...everything. Mom, as is her nature, remained unmoved. But dad and gran started with all their might, to coax me to eat dinner. Come, see so and so hero is dancing in the television. So and so heroine is also there. Come, come, they are showing in Discovery how Bin Laden was killed.

I dread the days when I shall become absolutely lonely. There will be no one who would bother to comfort me like this. Why take away the few years that are left for this. Why send me to the undesirable place. I want to stay home. Please God, do some miracle, so that I don't have to go away. Please find me a respite.