Cotton Curtains Forever!

 

Calcutta speaks to me through a lot of things, the latest one being, cotton curtains!

Amidst the satin and silk, the laced and layered, the solid color and dual fabric, I have always loved curtains of all sorts. However, today, I have put blue colored, footpath bought, cotton door curtains, through spring holders on makeshift wall nails, and nothing, nothing has made me feel so much like home than this, in a long time.

Just that at home, all curtains are yellow and red (The home shouts East Bengal!).
Cotton curtains are so much Calcutta, so much Amma bari, so much Jadavpur.

Cotton Baatik printed bedsheets to be appreciated, next!

Independence Everyday

 🦁🦅

Be fierce and fearless

This 15th of August and always.

Be unapologetically, you!

Happy Independence, EVERYDAY.

Jai Hind 🇮🇳

P.S. Canva is the new MS Paint 

Hold Back, Heart

Hold back, heart
Keep your guards up.
Filtered sunsets, unfiltered songs,
You know how things end, you know how things turn;
Don't give in to temptations,
This is where you stop!
Hold back, heart
Keep your guards up.

- Abhishikta

A Decade Since College Day1

 

10 years ago, today, I wore a maroon kurti, changed 4 sets of public transport to reach college. Day1.

10 years to hating and loving it. Pailan gave me my first flavor of true independence. Looking back, that orange-blue-white building which saw us jumping walls, breaking tube lights and missing bus for one more round of 29; has never been acknowledged. The cradle of our childhood, adulthood. Learning and growing up.

How much we mocked that place!
How much we wanted to get out of there!
How much we compared it to others, betters!

Today, looking back, there is a sense of repentance. Not about missing anything during college life, I still believe I had one of those Bollywood Blockbuster prospect college life stories; the repentance is not for giving Pailan its due.

So here is to the Alma Mater, less talked about, less liked, less thanked.

Pailan,
For the Bangla songs that I would have never known, the guitar that I would have never bought.
For the million mannats that I would have never kept, the interview night that I would have never experienced
For the stage, the dreams, the graphs, the poems.
For the best friends.
For the first love.
For SD16-S31-76
And so much more.

Happy First Decade
I have always secretly loved you.

আ মরি বাংলা ভাষা

 

It was just the other day when you asked
“Ab kya ho gaya? Muh kyu fula li? Bas call karna hi toh bhul gaya main”
And I had to smile and say ‘Arre, Koi Nai’
Arre Koi Nai kyuki I have no way to explain Obhimaan to you
That feeling of your heart tearing apart
That feeling of failure at a fresh start
The feeling of losing everything that ever mattered in a pinch, and yet, not really.
How would I ever explain Obhimaan to you?

It was just the other day when you asked
“Abbe gussa hui kya? Bas tera gift kiya hua coffee mug hi toh tut gaya”
And I again had to smile and say ‘Arre, Koi Nai’
Arre Koi Nai kyuki I have failed to explain Obhimaan to you
It’s not a mood swing
It’s not one of those days
There is a feeling that is not anger or remorse
There is a feeling that can change your entire day’s course, tiptoe-ing  into your conversations and staying, quietly
All along

Obhimaan

Languages can fail you big time
Languages which otherwise shine, can be so shallow to not accommodate Obhimaan
And Obhimaan,
Obhimaan needs time, love, warmth, long puffs
Obhimaan needs Cha aar fau phuchka
Obhimaan, needs Black Magic Bangla

It was just the other day when you asked
“Tum Bangaliyo ka mujhe samajh nahi aata. Pohela baysaakh toh matlab pub mein bhi saari pehenna hai? Awww! Amar sonaar bongla"
And this time, this time I did not respond because,
Because
Obhimaan

-Abhishikta

August.

Self pity

Rant

Repeat

People will talk of sunshine. You will speak of rainbows. Eventually, it might just boil down to a room with blue curtains, totally reflecting your mood.

Self pity

Seclude

Repeat

People will talk of empowerment. You will speak of dreams. Eventually, it might just boil down to the last midnight puff in the stock, totally reflecting your quota of happiness.

Self pity

Grey

Repeat

People will talk of forever. You will speak of faith. Eventually, it might just boil down to a shout in oblivion, totally reflecting your zilch audience.

Self pity

Sigh

Repeat

People will talk of staying. You will speak of moonchasing. Eventually, it might just boil down to 'Winner Takes It All' on loop, totally reflecting your life in general.

Self pity

Write

Repeat

-Abhishikta