Maayer Puja

(Poetry in Bengali)

-Tamal Ghosal

Mahalayar shokal bela, chayer peyala haathe,

Radio er switch on kori, 4ter samay prate.

Birendra Krishna Bhadrer shlok, janaay maayer agomoni,

Aschhen Maa aabar bhunye, niye ulu dhwani.

Debi pakkher prothom 5 din, protikkhay kaate,

Anondo, asha buke niye, mon khushir pothe haante.

Kono kaaje mon lage na, oi bujhi maa elo,

1 bochhorer niraash mon, abar asha pelo.

Shoshti er din maa ke aani, kori taar bodhan,

Pujar prostuti shuru kori, kore moner shodhan.

Astra, shastra, gahona, bastra – diye shajai maa ke,

Mone jaage ullas anek, haashi thonter faanke.

Saptami te puja shuru, shobai notun beshe,

Maa eshe puja nilen, pitri grihe sheshe.

Paaray paaray ghure ghure thakur dekhar pala,

Mandope mandope shobha paaye, maayer pujar dala.

Ashtami er shokale ditei hobe, maa ke pushpanjali,

Durga Pujar Mahamantra dhwani, chhoray ali gali.

Dupure maayer anya bhog, mile mishe kheye moja,

Dhaaker baddyi, dhunuchi naach, raate sandhi puja.

Nabami er shokal shokal, beriye pora chai,

Pujor ei to shesh din, aar je samay naai.

Thakur dekha, khawa dawa, chootiye aadda maara,

Anondo uttejanay shobai, maatay sara para.

Dekhte dekhte dashami, maayer bidaay nebar bela,

Maayer samne meyera taar dekhay sindur khela.

Bisarjan yatray mon kandiye, maa nen biday.

Aschhe bochhor abar hobe, roilam protikkhay.

FIRST RAIN

All is well, so beautiful around,

Everything looks so new.

The thunder roars, the first rain falls,

Makes me remember you.

My love for you, as soothing as rain,

That washes away the summer heat.

I used to pray we live, laugh and love,

As long as our hearts beat.

The smile of yours, those wet dark hairs,

Tell me how not to crave.

The love for you, the pain for your love,

I’ll take with me to my grave.

The breezy wind, so cool so moist,

Like the flying scarf of yours.

That voice you had, was even sweeter

Than the melody of rain pours.

When you were near, so good was all,

Life was so full of boon.

Summers, winters were jealous of us,

There was eternal monsoon.

I still feel those days by me,

As I see the rain.

The romance of the downpour

So overwhelms my brain.

Emotions though beat intellect by miles,

And I listen to just my heart.

The first rain of the season still

Makes me wish we were not apart.

But oh nostalgia, it makes me cry,

Makes my heart so sore.

I put down my pen in the pain of love,

As the nimbus clouds roar.

- Tamal Ghosal

LOOKING BACK

– Composed by Tamal Ghosal.

In my heart, I don’t know why, I hate to look back,

When all I see are obvious facts, no matter how I ransack.

The year that came a year ago, was only an infant fry,

And now I see it’s a year old, about to say goodbye.

Summer was hot; monsoon wet; the winter was bitterly cold,

The year was full of extremes, we saw, we felt, we told.

And now that the infant has grown old, and about to be our past,

A million memories flock my brain, I now look back at last.

The cup of life, India won, made us all so proud,

Tsunami sabotaged Japan, consequences were loud.

Laden killed, Gaddafi slayed, Kishenji the Maoist shot,

In memory of our dear Steve Jobs, iphone 4S we got.

F1 in India, oh what news! Made all our minds so keen!

34 years old red flag at last in West Bengal, made way for tender green.

2G scandal was one nuisance; nothing else in TV was then to be seen,

Tennis star Novak Djokovic, ate grass at Wimbledon’s win.

Shammi jee, Dev Anand sahab, you’ll always be missed,

Temptations of Jagjit jee’s songs we still wont resist.

Bhimsen, Chaurasia, Hazarika’s melody, always plucked the right chord,

SRK learnt from RA-One, Don 2, he isn’t no more the reigning LORD!

Mumbai blast, oh what tyranny! The doers deserve to burn in hell,

The fire that burnt AMRI, very few lived to tell the tale.

Sehwag breaking Sachin’s twin ton, a big news at last.

Anna still in hunger mode, to change the world with fast.

Prince William and Kate tie the knot, happily ever after to live,

Captain of India Pataudi, finally was held by death captive.

Peepli live, India sent to Oscars, which the academy drops,

Ash’s girl would call BigB grandpa, and Abhishek as pops.

13 hours debate in Parliament, Lokpal bill not passed.

Market swinging up and down, investors Aghast!

 Kolaveri di, the nation hummed, no language barrier music knows!

Egyptian protestors shed their blood, as their voices rose.

Baba Ramdev, scandals, uproar, so needless all was,

Earth quake in India, was no boon, the loss was enormous.

Petrol price rising high, Sachin’s 100^th ton yet to come.

Let’s see who makes century first, hope wait be less tiresome.

For all those who think 2011 was so full of loss,

I love to say I enjoyed one loss, at the transfer of my Hitler boss.

Celebrated all festivals with fun, nothing could subdue the joy hike,

Only to add a master’s finish stroke, “yes! I got myself a bike”.

No grief can stop us on our way; no blow can tear us all apart!

No calamity can conquer us, or reduce the love in our heart.

So looking back was far too long, but it taught me nothing is to fear.

I say, all keep 2011 in your heart, and wish you a “HAPPY NEW YEAR”.

An Experience Worth Sharing

A very reputed market name, HDFC. Or so was I told. A stupid looking thin and simple man named Prasenjit Dhar once told me. He was an agent of HDFC credit card division. I was very much in need of credit card those days since I was eager to buy few stuffs online from amazon.com which required me to have visa card. So I took the offer from Mr. Dhar and got myself a platinum visa card.

Frankly speaking, it was an amazing few months with the visa card. Life was much smoother. The card was universally accepted everywhere and there was hardly any need to carry more than few hundred cash with me. However, too much greed is bad. Little did I know what future awaited me then.

It was may 2011 last week. Prasenjit Dhar gave me a phone call in the afternoon saying my credit limit has been revised and upgraded. I’ll now be given a new visa world signature card. For that all I needed to do was send a photograph of the front side of my card and a scanned copy of self attested previous credit card statement. I did the same. However, few weeks passed by but I go no new card from HDFC. I almost forgot about this whole issue. When all of a sudden on June 17^th 2011 I got an SMS from HDFC thanking me for using my card for a transaction worth Rs. 34, 960 /- to TATA AIG Life insurance Co. I was taken by surprise. I was then on my way to Vadodra on an office tour so was not in a position to send a disute statement immediately. So I waited for 5 days till I came back to Haldia and then filed a transaction dispute statement immediately for that transaction. I had blocked the card from Vadodra itself. However, this was just the beginning of the harassment.

Every alternate days I called up HDFC customer care for this dispute. They told, investigation is in progress. However, on September mid week I got a letter from HDFC that the payment has already been released and no dispute can be entertained now. That the sum has been utilized to open a Life Insurance policy at TATA AIG. The company policy has certain features for reputed companies like TATA AIG etc that transactions using HDFC card may be made in these banks without even requiring o produce pin code or even CVV number. I was told that the policy payment has been authorized by my signature and card number. Then I remembered I gave my self attested card statement and card front photograph (bearing just card number) to Prasenjit Dhar for card upgradation. I then called him up. To my utter surprise, he denied even knowing anything about card upgradation and that he never gave any such offer to me. It took me no more time to do 2+2=4.

I went to the nearest police station to lodge a diary or FIR against Prasenjit Dhar. I even managed to find his residential address and handed it over to the police. Police took 2 weeks just to file the diary, and about action, I got none whatsoever. Every alternate days I visited the police station only to listen to lame excuses like they are busy, or they forgot to look out for that man etc. In the meantime I also had filed a progressive dispute form with HDFC declining to own any responsibility of the transaction whatsoever since, on the day the policy was signed in Kolkata, I was in Haldia. However, they replied negative once again. It was then October. They declined to dispute the transaction and asked me repeatedly to make the payment. They also disclosed the policy number opened with my card in TATA AIG.

I cut my credit card into two and sent it to HDFC. In the mean time, I enquired directly with TATA AIG about my problem. They showed me the policy details. I learnt that somebody had used fake photos and sign forgery to get the policy done. TATA people, however, were most cooperative. They readily registered my complaint and within 3 weeks, refunded my Rs. 34,960/-

All this time, HDFC guys kept calling me everyday asking for the money back. I had lost mental peace due to this incessant harassment. I didn’t know how to react. The amount had summed up to Rs. 40,959 /- by the mounting interest of 4 months. I paid the original sum of Rs. 34,960/- as soon as I got the refund from TATA AIG. But HDFC people were not going to spare me so easily. For the balance Rs. 6,000 /- interest, they gathered my home phone number and began to threat my parents for the money. For a mere Rs. 6,000 /- , a reputed name like HDFC could go so low, was beyond my imagination. I had fought with the bank, insurance company, police, thug, everyone so long since it was I who was involved. Now I couldnot risk my family’s peace. So I paid the interest as well and closed the chapter finally on Nov 1^st week.

I had no need to share this silly experience of mine over here, but just to prevent others from ever falling into a similar trap I did. I wont go into the moral of the story. It is for you to infer and learn from whichever part of the story that has appealed to you most.

Thanks for reading till this point.

Transitions in career

Don’t know how far is this title of the blog a misnomer, but before one takes pain of reading it and deciphering the emotions behind writing it, I hereby admit that I’m frustrated, pissed off and under tremendous mental pressure as I pen this down.

I still remember those days when people looked up to me for help, for assignments, for cheating from in exams. I was the only guy who’d help all not only because he wanted to help but also because he only could. I was the merit guy, the uncrowned class representative, the topper, etc Shri. Tamal Ghosal. Didn’t know that topper would topple so easily when real life tested his true merit.

“True merit” is a really deceiving set of words indeed. What is true merit? Is it the art of saying “yes” to every single thing just to appear positive in life and approach? Is it the talent of coaxing or cajoling? Idealistic college chaps with good marks would say “of course not”. But there’s where they are so mistaken. A person’s knowledge, his efficiencies, his capabilities are all mere parameters that would help him clear a job interview and get into a place called “the real exam centre”. The place that recruits people based on excellence in those parameters which it itself teaches to be null and void subsequently in life. In our initial training, we were taught that work life is to learn, unlearn and relearn. I didn’t know the relevance of this line then. It actually means to learn academics in college unlearn it by mere exposure to frustrating and least technical works ever and finally relearn the art of flattery and buttery to get to the ultimate goal, promotion.

It was on a fine June summer when I went to join my company for the first day in Gurgaon. Hardly had I known anything about the future that awaits me there. A warm welcome and grand stay of 15 days did really boost me up morally. It was amazing a experience. I was in a company that surely would treat merit with its due reward. I loved it.

From there, we were dispatched to our respective locations for on the job training of approximately 3 months duration during which we shall be able to avail all facilities and earnings of a full time officer. We were sent to Haldia, a remote place, so called industrial hub of West Bengal. We had a 3 months pleasant stay there amidst other trainee friends. Time did go by like a storm. Then suddenly, on fine evening, our final postings came. Turns out most of the people were transferred away and I was to continue in Haldia only. I was no disappointed then since it was near my hometown Kolkata. So it was more or less good news. But alas! I was wrong.

I was given an office order, henceforth, to report to an Inspection Manager. I shall not disclose his name in my blog due to obvious reasons. He was a tyrant in saintly camouflage of divine spiritualism. A God fearing person, who, I now know, must’ve feared God for his own tyranny and shrewd politics. I was made full time in charge of LPG mounded bullet inspection. Our HOD seemed to have a special something for this mounded bullet project, for reasons yet unconfirmed. He made me find flaws in the construction of the bullets and report them on daily basis. It was sort of disturbing intention towards the contractors. However, I obeyed his instructions and found new checklist points every single day. This was to the utter dislike of my boss who often expressed his irritation by tearing and throwing my reports right on my face. I do not exaggerate. Things went on like this until I was given new offsite piping job under me too. I had to work day and night at site for this and hence didn’t have to face boss a lot. So I was happy and my efficiency rose to a great extent. I used to work from 7:30 hrs to 21:30 hrs every day along with frequent night shifts included. I had spent more than 4 sleepless 24 hours for my work sometimes but never regretted one bit of it since I loved to work hard. Pleased with my work, at least I thought so then, I was added the additional responsibility of the upcoming Hydro cracker and Hydrogen generation projects. I was boosted further and worked even harder. My HOD was apparently very impressed and promised me, after commissioning I was to take charge of the inspection of the running hydrocracker and hydrogen generation plants. That would be high profile indeed. So I was very happy and did put my 150% in job. The hard phase went on for another 6 months almost. I had gained confidence of the top people from production, project, maintenance, process departments as well as those of top managements including ED, GMs. Little did I know of the fact that my boss was such a jealous politician who was so jealous of my growing popularity. He thought I was overshadowing him too. Two days after the plant was commissioned, I was withdrawn from it and sent to fuel oil block for a major revamp shutdown. And that time, Hydrocracker and Hydrogen block was handed over to his favourite good boy, let’s call him Mr. X. And henceforth I was out of it. My boss also succeeded in ear poisoning my HOD against me which was evident from the evaluation he ended up giving me.

Revamp shutdown lasted for another 2 ½ months. Surprisingly I found my enthusiasm back and worked hard here too. It felt good to see, even here, other department people were really looking up to me. I was enjoying the reputation as well as praising from top management. This plant was smoothly started up too. Things were in great shape. Then one day, my boss played his role again. I was withdrawn from fuel oil block as well. Then I was handed over to Lube Oil Block (LOB) and new sulphur recovery block.

LOB is often considered very dirty and low profile zone. But to my favour, in three months from my joining, there were two major parallel M&I shutdowns in LOB. Again it was my chance to show my efficiency. I kept working hard and harder. People from all departments in this block also took special fondness for me seeing my work. I got accustomed to this block as well. Then finally comes the shutdown. My new HOD (former transferred) and boss were both becoming more and more insane and irritating. 3 people already had quit the company out of frustration and dislike for them and one senior person took his transfer by all sorts of pleadings. I was asked to check the alloy composition of each and every pipe components of the entire 2 units within a week along with regular shutdown jobs. The first time I denied a job considering it was impossible. I didn’t know that all I had to do was to say “yes”, and after that even if I didn’t do it nobody would remember. All a person here has to do is say “yes”. I was mistaken and so was thrown to nightshift for 7 days considering I was having a negative attitude towards job. However, here also I didn’t lose my enthusiasm. The systematic way in which I did night shift coordination and prepared daily reports turned out to be exemplary and got my reputation even higher among people around me.

Yes, you must’ve guessed by now. I was thrown out of LOB as well. I was then handed over to thermal power plant of our refinery. I daresay it’s the worst zone of the refinery. People here are all bloody politicians and nobody gives a damn about what work is to be done. Everybody is an arse here. And now, situation is that, I have learnt to say “yes” no matter what. I say “yes” and then do not do the work but I am always undisturbed. I butter people above me and they tend to stay happy. I do not try to get reputation out of the way and so nobody is jealous. But I realized it too late. These things may prevent further downfall but cannot get me back high ever again. As I stand today, I see a few old rusted boilers, fire water pipes and fire extinguishers. The sovereign eagle had his wings chopped off and sabotaged. All he can do now is limp and pick grains scattered on the floor.

Thus, a guy of merit and a topper has toppled in life and just trying to find one hand which can pull him up and say “move on buddy, you can still do it”. But that hand seems to be fictitious since it never comes. Even after my boss’s recent transfer, the situations didn’t improve. Nobody still thought to give me back what I truly deserved. I think, may be, I deserved this only.