It was a short stop on our way to Bangalore. So we three decided to take a look at the city. 3 hours, a metro ride and some roaming around later I came to the conclusion that this is not a city I would like to visit again. That was my short visit to The City of Joy, Kolkata.
6 years later, today, the perception has changed. It was not love at first sight but slowly but surely I have come to like this city. While getting my document all ready to get them transferred I came to realize that now I am being disconnected from this city. Well, anyway I was not to be here for the next one and half year or so, but still the feeling lingered. And these moments are not me and my college, strangely it was me standing still and watching the soul of Kolkata rushing past me.
The fun filled outings in city, those late night parties at rest/bars whose list is endless .Returning back all senseless and drunk.
Asking addresses from strangers and when telling them” Aami bangla bujhte pari na”, their attempt at translating their answer into Hindi.
Our abuses for the crazy climate of the city. The heat was bearable but the humidity was a word that we came to abhor over the years. It was just too much.
The torturous bus rides, serene tram experience and the hustling metro trips. Not to forget the ferry rides and watching the sun settling down slowly.
Watching people standing in bus queue, for almost an hour, to get a seat in the next bus. Even till today I haven’t understood why they stand for so long to have an hour ride back home sitting. One of the most interesting scenes - whoever got seat in bus would fall asleep no matter if its journey to office in the morning or they are returning home.
The most famous one liner about Kolkata that I heard, “if you can’t get a girl in Kolkata you can never get a girl at any other place”. Well, I never agreed to this theory but my friends had enough instances to prove that adage.
The Adda culture of Kolkata is something thats sets the mood of the city. Groups of various age groups hanging out together in their locality was a sight.
I had just left MMD, had light a smoke that these memories came flooding and the rain just added that much drama into it. It felt like the rain is soaking me to the core. I was happy for there was no sight of taxi on my way back. But as Tanta and Dharam wanted to avoid rain, pretty sadly I had to return by taxi. Again I left taxi at their place and started my last leg of walk in the rain of Kolkata. Also had one last dig at not to be forgotten, tasty golgappas .
As my walk came to end the rain stopped and the sense of nostalgia was taken over by the memory of my first short stop at the city. I laughed and thought “How wrong first impressions could be.”
Whoever said that First impression was the last impression , was certainly out of his mind.
1 comment:
right on bro. kolkata is a place that you have to love as much as you hate it. i have myself had many memorable walks in kolkata. but i'm sure mumbai will charm you in her own way. do write about that first impression.
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