My Bong Connection

This is one thing I always wanted to write, but I always procrastinated because I always felt I won’t be able to do justice to these two wonderful people I have met in my life! But today somehow something happened and it gave me a nudge to finally make an attempt to pen down/key down my feelings. Afterall, most of my posts have come during my semester exams :P haven’t they? 

Okay. Rewind.

July of 2006:
 Engineering Admission. Coming to Mumbai was a serendipity, shall post about it sometime later. So discovered that the college I took admission in has no girls’ hostel and I had to look for my own accommodation. Fine. Initial 20 days, I sought refuge in UDCT (later MUICT, later UICT) and now ICT, my college-in-law ( ;P ) And later, since my in laws were very stubborn about not letting it out to VJTIians, we had to search for hostels or Paying Guest accommodations. Hostels.. in july… ha! Ye hai bambaiii meri jaan.. everything is booked well in advance. Some hostel we checked near college, had a waiting period of one year ! :D

We knew a family in Mumbai and they generally kept a PG. We approached them but they already had a ‘bengali’ living with them. But they suggested us about Mr Mandal (Bengali), who also keeps PGs on rent. And this flat was just above Chaurasia’s in the same building. The result- A smile on my mom’s face. Hehe !

Mandal (Mondal) was the family I was destined to spend the BEST DAYS of my life with!!! College days are the best days, aren’t they? Engineering+MBA… ie 6-7 years you spend with someone, they sure become a part of your life. For me, uncle and aunty are my second mom & dad.

We celebrated birthdays, marriage anniversaries, and festivals together. They have tradition of making ‘payas’(rice-kheer) if there is anyone’s birthday in the family. They did it on my first birthday with them. I still remember how overwhelmed I was. Then to add to it, aunty gifted me a beautiful dress! How these small things matter a lot in life. I never felt I stayed away from home. And that always pacified my mom and dad.

Since they are Bengalis, I even learnt iktu-iktu Bangla, just by hearing to their conversations :P. First time in my life I was surrounded with people ALL of whom loved Saurav Ganguly, the LOVE OF MY LIFE! I felt like I’m in Bengal already :D  Sooo many Bengalis out here… Mr Das, Mr Pal, Mr Dasgupta Mr Chattopadhyay, oh the list just goes on ! We supported KKR together. We fumed in anger when Chapell-Dada tiff happened. We partied when Dada hit a double century! We were sad when he retired. We enjoyed when he led KKR. Again we abused Shahrukh for keeping Dada out of KKR. And now, we support Pune Warriors India! :D We call ourselves M.A.Ds= Mad About DADA !

I taught Shubham and his friends Mathematics, Science during their 10th/12th.I was always there to solve their doubts in the midst of their exams, you know, just like i'd've been there for Akshay, my brother. Still can't forget the smile on his face after his M1 paper of 12th boards, because 2 sums that I taught him the morning just before the exam, appeared in the paper :D.... running all the way to me and saying "Didi, you are the best!" Though I wish i'd've been there for my bro too :| ( but that's a different thing )Our Carrom nights ! Post-dinner, Me-Shubham, Uncle-Aunty, Carrom board, some cold drinks and hours of Carrom on Saturday nights !!!! Wonderful!
Our Badminton nights, me shubham and aunty used to play badminton at nights. Ofcourse, can’t have more of it now, ‘cause my college timings don’t allow me to  :|

Well, That’s the fun part. But how our relationship has grown from strength to strength is one thing I can’t stop wondering about. To be honest, I never had to pay them in currency (I mean 3500/month with food and everything is not a huge amount in bombay) We dealt in love and care. They loved me like a daughter. I loved them like I love my mom dad. When I finally got admission to MBA and was searching for accommodation again, Aunty offered me to stay with them, just like that, without even the minuscule 3500. Isn’t this a gesture of pure love? An unwritten and unexpressed bond of love.

The extra care she took during all my exams. Tea at regular intervals, so that I did not doze off. My favorite Aloo posto she’d make atleast once during exams. Oh and not to forget, Dahi-shakkar before I left for every paper of every semester exam !

Small things in life, eh !
Totally lucky me ! :)

Goodnight/day !