This is in response to Reena’s Xploration Challenge#455
Include the following line either at the beginning or end of your piece.
The chapter will close with applause, regret and unanswered questions , exactly as it should close.
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The city of Kolkata is known for its cuisine, culture, art, literature and history. But during my stay there I observed that which I am uncertain if any social commentator ever documented yet its existence was undeniable.
This was the time when unemployment was rampant in the State of West Bengal (Kolkata being its Capital). Examinations in schools, colleges and Universities got postponed for years at a stretch. Recruitments in the State Government and it’s various administrative arms were indefinitely suspended. But that did not stop the youth from getting educated. They learned. They questioned. They got frustrated. And at some point they just crossed over to the other side of sanity.
There was this gentleman of indeterminate age typically attired in full sleeves shirt and trousers with a satchel laden with books and papers on his shoulder as though ready to catch the bus to go to his place of work. Instead he stood in the middle of the market talking incessantly to some total stranger on why the country failed to progress as it should have.
Another gentleman boarded a particular bus speeding towards Office Para (where many offices were located) regularly during rush hour not to attend the office but to loudly give answers to the questions he was once asked in job interviews ages back. The regular commuters shook their head and said he had lost the count of time he got rejected for jobs.
But the one who amazed and amused me the most was always stationed outside the Writer’s Building – the seat of power – wherein the State Chief Minister’s Office was housed. Throughout the day he would lambast aloud the Central Government for not supporting the State Government both at that time being run by two opponent political parties. It was habitual of the State to put all the blame on the Centre whenever they failed to deliver. The unkempt man just made the rifts more voluble. However, in the evening when the CM’s entourage sped out of the guarded gates he would put a finger on his lips and stand quietly till the last vehicle was out of sight. As the tail lights disappeared round the corner he would smirk and remark to himself,”Rajib ke boley debo.” (I will tell the Prime Minister at the Centre what you are up to).
Those days my paternal aunt was posted at Writer’s. My office was in the block right behind. I used to take a return bus from the terminus opposite the imposing edifice wherein the survival of millions was decided. Often at home we laughed about the drama that unfolded everyday without fail – a mad man defecting from one opponent party to the other on a day to day basis!!
This chapter will close with applause, regret and unanswered questions , exactly as it should close.
In this world nonsense making sense is applause worthy. That we are able to humour what is regrettable perhaps keeps us going. Maybe the answers to uncomfortable questions lie in the resounding silence that lingers on.
This is the exact way it has always been.
This is the exact way it shall always be.
a very interesting piece GC! ❤
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Thank you very much Carol Anne
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Such an interesting read Geeta ji. Thoroughly enjoyed it. 😊
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Thank you very much Rajeshwari. It’s a slice of life which I hope has improved for the better.
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You connected the dots well.
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Thank you very much Reena
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The people who impress me most are those who get ahead through hard work and perseverence with few to no advantages, such as you write about here, Geeta.
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That is very true Mary
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A wonderful read! I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of writing.
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How very interesting Geeta. You’ve seen lot of drama.
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Yes, Sadje. It’s lamentable as well as memorable.
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Indeed. Lives in big cities in our part of the world are like this.
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Sadly and regrettably yes
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🙁😔
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The ending reminded me of the phrase, meet the new boss same as the old boss – or how you said it this is the way she’ll always be
This was an interesting read
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Thank you very much Yvette
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Geeta, what an interesting and thought-provoking piece! I found myself smiling at the characters you described, particularly the gentleman on the bus reliving his old job interviews and the man outside Writer’s Building who suddenly became very quiet whenever the Chief Minister’s convoy appeared.I could even imagine Sir Rambo there! 🤣
There is certainly humor in these observations, but beneath it lies a rather sad reality. Imagine having the education, the ambition and the willingness to work, yet finding yourself with nowhere to put all that knowledge and energy. Prolonged unemployment and disappointment can take a terrible toll on people, and believe me, I can relate to that more than I’d like to, especially living here in South Africa, where unemployment is such a serious challenge.
I also found your closing reflections particularly meaningful. Sometimes we laugh at situations because the alternative is to acknowledge just how deeply troubling they really are.
Thank you for sharing these memories with us. Your storytelling brought those scenes to life, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. ❤️
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Thank you CS. I am traveling at the moment. I will give a detailed reply after a while.
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Oh, no problem at all Geeta and answer when you can sweetheart. I am in no hurry. Travel safe. 🤗❤️
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Dear CS,
We are the largest democracy but we create Frankenstein through the electoral process. We vest power in the hands who become callous and irresponsible. All the instances I have mentioned in the post are man made. These could have been avoided. I get for the powerful and ignorant perhaps off-its-mind junta is convenient because they won’t ask for accountability but they will surely manifest the kind of social order that has been built by self centred oligarchs.
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Thank you for explaining your thoughts further, Geeta. I understand what you’re saying, and I agree that accountability matters. Whatever the political system or the people in power, it is often ordinary people who feel the consequences when things go wrong.
I may not know enough about all the political complexities to comment on them in depth, but I do know that many people are struggling, and it’s sad to see how difficult everyday life has become for so many.
Thank you for sharing your perspective and for giving us something to think about. ❤️
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Likewise, thank you for deeply engaging with the post. Sometimes engagement is brought about by our personal experiences which make us more empathetic and appreciative as readers. Loved your comments, thoughts and sharing on this post. Means a lot to me as a writer.
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You are very welcome Geeta and I feel the same way. Appreciate you and wishing you just all of the best and hoping to read more of your lovely posts. 🤗❤️
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बिल्कुल जैसे हमारा CM कहता फिरता हे मेरे हाथ में हाथ में क्या हे ,सारा दोष centre का हे.
एक कश्मीरी कहावत हे
Asaw nae ti lasaw katie
If we don’t laugh,we can’t live.
खुद को जिंदा रखने के लिये इन गंभीर स्थितियों में भी हंसना पड़ता हे.
और फिर आपके लिखने का अंदाज– कमाल का
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स्टेट और सेंटर की तो हमेशा से ही ऐसा रिश्ता रहा है। फंसे बीच में आम जनता। जीने के लिए हंसना जरूरी है सांसों से भी ज्यादा शायद। पर यह सत्य है कि कोलकाता ही केवल एक मात्र शहर है जहां पढ़े लिखे पागलो की कोइ कमी नहीं थी एक वक़्त। इसके लिए कौन ज़िम्मेदार है यह सवाल किसी ने आज तक नहीं पूछा होगा। केवल उन हताश नागरिकों को भीड़ का एक और हिस्सा मान लिया गया।
पर आप को बहुत बहुत मुबारक। आपके सी एम साहब शादी के पवित्र बंधन में बंध गए।
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हां दी,बंद ही गये CM साहब
इश्क़ पे ज़ोर नहीं हे यह वो आतिश ग़ालिब
कि लगाए न लगे और बुझाये न बुझे
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Hehh….Hehh..well said
यह ईश्क़ नहीं आसान
एक आग का दरया है
और डूब के जाना है
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You have presented the reality of that era very beautifully, GC. Many old memories have been brought back to life. Beautiful and thought-provoking.
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Nicely constructed
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Thank you very much Derrrick 🙏
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A thought-provoking piece. The humour is undeniable, but beneath it lies the tragedy of unrealized dreams and a generation left waiting. Sometimes those dismissed as mad are simply voicing truths that society prefers not to hear.
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Thank you very much Indrajit. Sometimes the deepest of hurt and frustration can be layered under the funny and the weird.
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Absolutely!
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Profound for me. Happy weekend, gc
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Happy weekend Hazel
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Thanks, gc
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