Watch-out!!

Since mid nineties India and its Economic surge took the reverse route, good that it was upward bound and in this millennium we found it leaping forward like never before. Of course, poor remains poor but life style of others changed drastically. Six years back a boy, most probably studying in class seven coming to me with an expensive mobile, I was very surprised to see that how parents can pamper their wards by showering costly gadgets. I was scared for him, advised him to be careful while moving around with the gadgets. Frankly, at that juncture, I was yet to have a cell for myself and it was not even on my wish list. Things changed afterwards and myself bought a computer for my grandchild when he was studying in second standard and bought a new one two years back. Economy, needs and all other aspect take the backseat when we want to give something to our wards but lots of hesitation and calculation goes through the mind while getting a thing for myself; often I drop the idea to get an item that I was eagerly looking for. As a kid, we had a few options and scanty requirement apart from foods, clothes and footwear. Remember how, often I pleaded my granny to give a few coin to buy small goodies from neighbourhood groceries. My granny was having a trunk; most probably, it came all the way from East Bengal when family forced to leave their home. In my early days in Kolkata, I was eying that trunk and often told my granny to leave that stuff exclusively for me when she was going to die. When I was nine or ten we left for Jammy and thereafter other places and hardly gone back to that house. Being in Kolkata for last ten years, I visited our old home only twice. The place is no more the same place that I knew, with buzzing development and metro rail around, the place has changed considerably. Local promoters prowling like sharks around that property but we yet to fall prey. Today often I wonder about that trunk and its whereabouts, still imagine it with full of coins, my childhood reserve bank. After repeated pleading and when I about to give up my granny would feel little pity on me and gave away a few coin, of course that too at a barging rate, not what I asked for.

While in school in Jammy, we were having a radio with an antenna on the rooftop and that was the only electronic gadget around us apart from other electronic accessories like fans, lights and electric heater. No need to mention, that the radio had to go through vigorous routine to fulfill our heavy demand. When I was about to appear in school final examination, my paternal aunt promised me to give a watch, only if I score well but just before my examination some horrible thing happened in my life. I lost my MOM. I know everyone have to go but it was too early and equally unexpected and frankly that I yet to overcome from that disaster. I passed my examination but not as I expected. That watch, which I was eagerly looking for, was then no more a desired item for me and I never remind my aunt for it after.

First watch that found its place on my left wrist was one bought by me and with my own earning. While in aboard, some of my colleagues, mainly girls and those are from over the boundary lived a very lavish life, they drunk and smoked heavily but my life style was always a very simple one. During that time I fell for three things, can call it fetish, first one was collecting pens, just name it, Parker, Scheffer, Waterman and some other too. I was so possessive about those pens that no sooner I bought it; found a safe place before anyone could sight it. The second one was footwear, but nothing sort of like Imelda Marcos, only couple of good one, mainly Italian made and obviously bought with my hard-earned money, the final one was the watches. I was having a few famous Japanese made and one from Swiss maker too, during late eighties I bought an Omega watch from Singapore, it was a fav watch and was my favourite one too. That favourite watch of mine never liked my wrist and I lost it during one of my rare outing in a B.E.S.T bus while I was living in Mumbai. Subsequently, I lost interest on watches and thereafter I never wore any costly watches. Today, no more obsessed with any of those hobbies but still all are permanent tenants of my memory. My most desired pens are now reside in somewhere, may be in one of my deserted suitcase, no more fascination left for any costly footwear and since last ten years, I stopped wearing watches even there are a few numbers of expensive one still lying in my drawer. Funny but true that old habit never die down, while sitting in front of my computer and a mobile in my hand yet at the end always look back to the age old wall clock for getting the exact time.

!!!Watches cannot go beyond 360 degrees and life moves through straight yet bumpy routes there are no return back with a measured angle but memories can do it. !!!