Kashmir trip - April'2025

 Choti choti batyen of Friends

Changes are not easy from the knowns: I am from West Bengal, and I love Bengal. After retirement, I chose to settle here because of my deep affection for my hometown.

But… something has happened recently that left me disheartened for being here in the first!

While returning from Howrah to Rajarhat, I realized I didn’t have smaller denominations to pay my Toto fare. Hoping for some help, I approached a vegetable seller from whom I have purchased vegetables many times. However, he told me he didn’t have change for my ₹500 note.

Next, I went to a nearby grocery shop where my wife and I have been regular customers, having bought several items in the past. But the shopkeeper, despite knowing me well, profusely expressed his inability to provide change.

Still hopeful, I tried my luck at a sweet shop near the Chatterjeehat crossing, where my wife and I are also frequent customers. In fact, just the previous day, I had purchased goods worth a few hundred rupees from him. As I approached, he searched his cash box before returning to say he didn’t have the required change. However, I had already caught a glimpse inside and was certain I had seen a stack of ₹100 notes! It was evident that he simply didn’t want to help me.

At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder—why were all these Bengali shopkeepers unwilling to assist?

With little choice left, I decided to approach a Bihari shopkeeper. I had known his father 30 years ago, but today, the son runs the business. I explained my situation, and without hesitation, he took my ₹500 note, went to his cash box, and happily returned with the change.

I was overjoyed, but for him, it was just business as usual! Very professional indeed the boy is!

Dementia & age: For short trips, battery-operated 4-seater TOTO rickshaws are rampant in Howrah city. The other day, while traveling from Chatterjeehat to Mandirtala—where I planned to hire a cab—I got into a Toto where two elderly men were already seated. One of them was telling the other that he had missed their much-awaited morning adda session the other day. The reason? While trying to take a Toto to Nimtala Club, where their adda sessions take place, he had suddenly forgotten the name of his destination. In other words, he couldn’t recall where he needed to get off. So, halfway through the journey, he got off the Toto and returned home without joining the session that day.

Curious, I asked the man, “How is that possible? You look completely smart and normal!”

With a graceful smile, the man replied, “Gentleman, I’m past 76, and dementia is creeping in… but I never let that number bother me. With my friends, I’m perfectly fine!”

Before getting off, he offered me a piece of advice:

“Never worry about the number. Stay with friends and loved ones, and always savor the juice of life!”

Allergy & it’s variety: The other day I was with my school friends at Howrah. Majority of my friends are retired now and like me they too have enough free time to talk about anything under the sun. One of them was Su… who was a very successful medical representative during his time. The talk was going on about allergen and it’s variety! Su said he has witnessed some strangest allergy attack in his life.

My friend was meeting this Senior doctor in his chamber when this elderly lady was describing her allergy related problem - She gets blisters whenever she finds long line of ants moving along any wall! The ants might be running meters away from her but if she gets a look on them she will have blisters on her skin in no time! The general medicine doctor was senior enough to understand the dilemma & prescribed her some light dose of antacid and told her to take the medicine immediately without delay once she gets a look on the disdainful ants! She should rather carry the medicine always with her!

Su took a sip of tea, smiled, and leaned in as if revealing a secret.

“A few weeks later,” he continued, “I met that doctor again and casually asked about the elderly lady. The doctor chuckled and said, ‘Oh, her? She’s perfectly fine now!’”

I was intrigued. “The antacid worked, then?” I asked.

The doctor leaned back in his chair, shaking his head with a knowing smile. “It wasn’t the medicine, my friend. I prescribed her a mild antacid—nothing more. Her allergy wasn’t physiological, it was psychological. Her mind associated the sight of ants with an immediate physical ‘stung by imaginary ant’ reaction. The moment she believed she was being treated, the symptoms vanished.”

Sometimes, belief is the most powerful medicine! 

Here’s another intriguing instance where the mind can trick the body into illness—and just as easily, into healing.

The other day, an elderly gentleman visited the same doctor, complaining that he had difficulty passing urine. It takes him a long time to start the flow, and even longer to empty his bladder completely. My friend, being in the medical field, could tell that the doctor was covering all possible angles with his questions. But nothing seemed particularly alarming. His medical reports were excellent, and while his prostate was slightly enlarged, it was normal for his age besides he was already taking a small dose of tamsulosin [for prolong release].

The doctor handed him a pill and asked him to take it with a full glass of water, then wait outside for fifteen minutes.

Ten minutes later, the man returned and said he felt the urge to use the washroom for release but warned that he would need at least fifteen minutes for the entire process.

As he headed to the washroom, the doctor discreetly instructed his assistant to go into the adjacent washroom and turn on the tap, ensuring the sound of running water could be heard clearly.

To everyone’s surprise, the elderly man returned much sooner than expected and, with visible relief, declared that he had finished quickly this time!

The doctor smiled knowingly. Sometimes, the mind just needs a little push in the right direction.

Morning breakfast: The other day, while I was in Howrah, I suggested to my school friends that we go for a roadside proletariat breakfast the next morning. To make things interesting, I even offered a free breakfast to whoever arrived before 7 AM. However, only three friends showed up—and all after 7:30 AM!

We went to a roadside café where a special kind of paratha is sold by weight. As we were enjoying our meal, to our surprise, Su turned up. We hadn’t expected him to join us at all—it was, after all, his ward’s wedding day, and many of us were in Howrah specifically to attend the wedding in the evening.

After devouring a few bites of paratha, sipping on a cup of tea, and lighting a cigarette, Su casually declared, “Since morning, I’ve been forced to fast for the wedding rituals, and they’ve even put me on a smoking ban! That’s why I had to escape and join you all!”

We all burst into laughter—some traditions may be sacred, but an old friend’s hunger and habits? Unstoppable!

Not new behind wheels: A friend of mine recently retired from job and, to celebrate his newfound freedom, got himself a brand-new car. Now, both of us have been wheeling around for quite some time—whether within our state or across the country—but driving in Kolkata, and especially maneuvering in and out of the ridiculously tight garage spaces in Howrah, is a whole different nightmare!

I’ve already managed to give my new car a few ‘signature’ scratches here and there, and so has he. That’s the price we pay for driving ourselves! But the other day, he was looking especially miserable. Turns out, his newly hired driver had banged the car into the garage wall, leaving a lovely dent on the fender.

I sympathized, of course, but before he rushed to claim insurance, I advised him to check the impact on his no-claim bonus. With a deep sigh, he admitted, “I’ve already claimed insurance twice before.”

That’s when I couldn’t help but grin and say, “Ah, so you’re a seasoned expert now! Why let a little fender-bender bother you anymore?”

 

Here are a few whereabouts of my friends ….You may identify yourself 

1️⃣ Su1…. (The Wise One): – A veteran medical representative and a once-popular lane cricketer, he always has bizarre yet fascinating stories to share. His knowledge is unmatched—but his love for tea and cigarettes might just surpass it!

2️⃣ 33x10⁷: (The Body): – A businessman & a self claimed physician having an opinion on everything ranging from politics to the best liquor shops in Howrah. Pulling Su2’s leg is his favorite pastime. He loves making ambitious tour plans for the group—only to fail spectacularly! Street dogs can’t resist chasing his big, shadowy stature! 🏃‍♂️🐕🍻

3️⃣ Ki… a wildlife expert: A retired wildlife expert, a fabulous motorcyclist, and a notoriously poor timekeeper—you’ll only spot him on Sundays! 🦜🏍️⏳ Only God knows what he does the rest of the time. His deep knowledge of birds, animals, and remote trails makes every trip an adventure. Just don’t expect him to arrive on time—nature doesn’t follow a schedule!

4️⃣ Su2… (The Ever-Young):  🎭🏇 – The most colorful and unstoppable one in the group! You may find him at the racecourse or in mysterious corners where no one else dares to go. His witty and unmatched collection of experiences make every conversation both hilarious and thrilling! If you plan something at 7 PM, remind him at 7 AM to make him appear by 9 PM—because he forgot the meaning of punctuality long, long ago! ⏳😂

5️⃣ Su3…. (The retired Gentleman) –  Only two things are certain about him: he never utters slangs or speaks ill of others, and before retirement, he was seen once in a blue moon. Now, after retirement, he’s completely off the grid—hardly spotted, as if he retired from social life too! 🌙🚶‍♂️

6️⃣ Su4 (The chote rustam ) – Ever since his ward’s recent marriage, he has practically vanished! Rumor has it that he snagged a Buy-1-Get-1 honeymoon package—one for the newlyweds and, mysteriously, one for himself! 🏝️😂 Since then, his frequent trips to the doctor have raised quite a few eyebrows! 🩺🤔

7️⃣ Fa.. (The 3rd umpire) – 🎩🧐 – No one knows if he’s retired, about to retire, or simply dodging it forever! Claims to have been a great sportsman once, and to his credit, he still maintains a good physique. ⚾📖 Good-natured and full of stories, though finding eager listeners is a different ball game for him! Just when a conversation seems to end, he magically finds a new angle to keep it going. 🎙️😆

8️⃣ Pi.. The Snow (wo)man – ❄️🥃 – Perhaps God originally planned to make him a woman but had a last-minute change of heart, balancing the scales by making him a man instead! ⚖️ Blunt and brutally honest, he calls a spade a spade. 🗣️💥 A master accountant and an even better storekeeper—no matter how late it gets, he can magically produce an Old Monk bottle even when all the shops are shut! 🍾🕰️ That’s why, on our offbeat adventures, we never worry about running out of stock! 😆🍻

9️⃣ Ku… (The Recent Smoker) 🚬 – If someone lights a cigarette, he’ll be there to claim the last few puffs for sure! A good-natured and well-established businessman, often compared to Su4 for reasons only the mischievous ones understand. Always fashionably late but never misses a meet-up—eventually! ⏳😆

10️⃣ Al… (Over Seven Seas): Once in a blue moon, he appears from across the seven seas. How and when? Only God knows! But one thing is certain—his most “bujum” friend is 33×10⁷! In any gathering, if 33×10⁷ is absent, rest assured that Al will be missing too!

The other day, I was in Howrah, and a small get-together was arranged at Su1’s spare flat. Upon arrival, I found Al already seated. As more friends trickled in, someone asked, “Is 33×10⁷ coming?” Without hesitation, I replied, “Of course, he’ll be here soon!” Because ……, 33×10⁷ can never be far behind! 😆

Few more will be featured soon…