Tuesday, July 3, 2012

"You look like Calcutta ..today"



The rains always give romance and a place, an altogether different personality. It was a rain washed afternoon in Kolkata, a few years ago..as it is perhaps today. I was invited to a friend's house, a semi formal get together. I am often prone to wearing white and that day too I chose to wear a white Orgenza Saree. The gathering had people from different walks of life. As everyone walked around the rain drenched slightly damp gardens, I stood in a corner sipping my wine and enjoying the conversation glide around me.

Suddenly I realized someone's hushed footsteps on the soft grass behind me. As I turned, I saw a gentleman leaning against a tree watching me. As I smiled hesitantly at the unknown face, he asked me, "Have you ever seen the Victoria Memorial on a rain washed day?" I shook my head slightly in the negative.

The man looked away then, his eyes hazy. He said, "Every time it rains I try to go and see the Victoria Memorial, it looks like a beautiful woman sitting resplendent in her finest hour, without a care about the world. Soaked in rain from head to toe, she is ethereal and something that only the mind of an artist can touch, because the brush and words fall short...you have shades of her today, you look very Calcutta today".

The man vanished I never got to know his name, but till today whenever it rains in Calcutta, I'm reminded of a wet afternoon, strangers with a sense of romance like the wild winds and the lady in white.


*The highlight of this piece is definitely not me or what I wore..it is an attempt to portray, an elegance that was/is Calcutta. And the romance associated with the rains.

( Image courtesy Google Images)

10 comments:

Nirvaan Baid said...

Being a Kolkatan by birth and by heart I can totally relate to this description of a rain soaked Victoria, and to get compared to that beauty must have made you proud..:D

S.V.Sai baba said...

A nice post on Rainy days in Calcutta where I lived during 1977 to 1982. A very nice place to live and I enjoyed the five years and used to marvel the architecture of Victoria Memorial Hall,Ramakrishna Mutt etc. It used to rain heavily and some times I had to walk in knee deep water to go to office.

Thanks for the post

A Homemaker's Utopia said...

Visiting Kolkata is one of my dreams..:-) very nice post..:-)

Ranita Sinha said...

Never been to watch the Victoria Memorial on a rain drenched day..will definitely after reading ur post..nice post..

umashankar said...

That is a breathtaking photograph. Your small piece is like a romantic canvas even with that starred comment.

Rahul Roy said...

I need to Meet u!
Oh i So need to meet u!

U made my day :)
Beauty dis is!

""You look like Calcutta ..today""
Girl, u should copyrite dis!!!

Alka Gurha said...

It's a pleasure to read your words. Never been to Calcutta but I want to now. Beautiful.

Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury said...

Rahul, thank you :) ..maybe I will.

Alka, thank you so much & yes do visit the city :)

S. Susan Deborah said...

That's a lovely compliment to an equally if not more lovelier woman! I can perfectly imagine that compliment and how it must have made you fee that day! Thanks for allowing us to partake your moment with us.

Joy always,
Susan

P. S. And like Alka, I want to visit Calcutta now!

Anonymous said...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder !!!