It was an unusual monday morning in December. The sun refused to shine and Kolkata never anticipated a heavy rainfall a week before Christmas.
17th December, 1998:-
Tanushree- "Yes, Kamala, He is doing well these days"
Kamala-" I'm very relieved to hear that Mrs. Tanushree", while keeping the cleaned utensils in the kitchen. "What about Babu? Has he started going to school?"
Tanushree-" Yes, he started going to school from last week and today after a long time Karthik and I are going to pick him up from school"
Kamala-" Even the weather is not doing great, anyway I will come early tomorrow and wash the remaining clothes and get Babu ready for school"
Tanushree-"See you tomorrow, Kamala"...
A noise comes from the bedroom..
Kamala-" I'm very relieved to hear that Mrs. Tanushree", while keeping the cleaned utensils in the kitchen. "What about Babu? Has he started going to school?"
Tanushree-" Yes, he started going to school from last week and today after a long time Karthik and I are going to pick him up from school"
Kamala-" Even the weather is not doing great, anyway I will come early tomorrow and wash the remaining clothes and get Babu ready for school"
Tanushree-"See you tomorrow, Kamala"...
A noise comes from the bedroom..
"Karthik is that you?" asks a mellowed voice of Tanushree
Karthik-"I am getting ready Tanushree, We are going to take Babu out for lunch today"
Tanushre-" I am excited as well, after a long time"
Tanushree kisses his husband's forehead and goes to the room to get ready
Karthik is driving after a year. He was in the asylum after a very unusual mental disease. The doctor promised that he will get well but it will take time. He came back in October just after the city celebrated its most coveted Durga Puja.
Karthik-"Tanushree, now that I am getting better, I want to narrate one of the most weirdest nightmares I had when I was in Babu's age, I promise it won't have any grave repercussions"
Tanushree(After an expected silence)-"Ok but you should slow down the speed of your car"
Karthik-(Taking a dig at the Jadavpur Thana Jam, takes a deep breath and starts narrating the incident)
As I said I was in Babu's age and I don't remember the exact date but it was December, I don't remember the year but it was a weekday. I was with my grandmother in Ballygunge and as you know AGs is very accessible from that area.
The Sun was shining bright and there was no hint of rain. The weather was chilly and I woke up around 3a.m from a very distasteful dream. I shouted and cried and never wanted to go to school that day but I was in between my 3rd term examinations in school.
I was awake for the rest of the night and got ready for school as soon as the clock striked 7. I couldn't stop thinking about the dream I had. It came back to haunt me in my washroom, when I was putting on my school uniform, when I was in the car, when I was crossing the road, it was there everywhere for the rest of my life as you can see.
The signal was green and Karthik again took a deep breath to get into the dream that took his life to a different path. As he was driving through the streets of Dhakuria he started....
As a 12 year old kid, I was having this dream of owning a car someday and exploring the City of Joy like no one ever did before. I saw myself wearing a spotless white tuxedo, driving a premium sedan and enjoying the charm of my city.
Tanushree interrupted with a question that every girl would ask
"Were you going on a date? Exploring Kolkata was just an excuse, isn't it?"
Karthik ignored the question
I would always pass by my school with a smile and look for known faces in the streets. So I planned my trip via Mullickbazaar-Park Street.
Kolkata had a different allurement back in the late 60s. It was easy to drive, traffic was sober, people would keep their mind straight and honk only if it was necessary.
Karthik-"I am getting ready Tanushree, We are going to take Babu out for lunch today"
Tanushre-" I am excited as well, after a long time"
Tanushree kisses his husband's forehead and goes to the room to get ready
Karthik is driving after a year. He was in the asylum after a very unusual mental disease. The doctor promised that he will get well but it will take time. He came back in October just after the city celebrated its most coveted Durga Puja.
Karthik-"Tanushree, now that I am getting better, I want to narrate one of the most weirdest nightmares I had when I was in Babu's age, I promise it won't have any grave repercussions"
Tanushree(After an expected silence)-"Ok but you should slow down the speed of your car"
Karthik-(Taking a dig at the Jadavpur Thana Jam, takes a deep breath and starts narrating the incident)
As I said I was in Babu's age and I don't remember the exact date but it was December, I don't remember the year but it was a weekday. I was with my grandmother in Ballygunge and as you know AGs is very accessible from that area.
The Sun was shining bright and there was no hint of rain. The weather was chilly and I woke up around 3a.m from a very distasteful dream. I shouted and cried and never wanted to go to school that day but I was in between my 3rd term examinations in school.
I was awake for the rest of the night and got ready for school as soon as the clock striked 7. I couldn't stop thinking about the dream I had. It came back to haunt me in my washroom, when I was putting on my school uniform, when I was in the car, when I was crossing the road, it was there everywhere for the rest of my life as you can see.
The signal was green and Karthik again took a deep breath to get into the dream that took his life to a different path. As he was driving through the streets of Dhakuria he started....
As a 12 year old kid, I was having this dream of owning a car someday and exploring the City of Joy like no one ever did before. I saw myself wearing a spotless white tuxedo, driving a premium sedan and enjoying the charm of my city.
Tanushree interrupted with a question that every girl would ask
"Were you going on a date? Exploring Kolkata was just an excuse, isn't it?"
Karthik ignored the question
I would always pass by my school with a smile and look for known faces in the streets. So I planned my trip via Mullickbazaar-Park Street.
Kolkata had a different allurement back in the late 60s. It was easy to drive, traffic was sober, people would keep their mind straight and honk only if it was necessary.
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The little Karthik who was dreaming about all this had a repeat telecast of this dream but this time he was awake. He kept mum, he asked Bubun Da,his driver, to get him down at the Park Circus mor so that he can take a walk till his school.
The little Karthik who was dreaming about all this had a repeat telecast of this dream but this time he was awake. He kept mum, he asked Bubun Da,his driver, to get him down at the Park Circus mor so that he can take a walk till his school.
He was pretty unobservant about his surroundings. He tried to sing one of his favourite Pink Floyd tunes " There's someone in my head but it's not me.
And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon"
Co-incidence isn't it?
But it did not help.
And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon"
Co-incidence isn't it?
But it did not help.
He could see a red sedan car taking a turn from the 7-way Park Circus mor and it is heading straight towards him.
He could barely see a man he had seen in his dream, wearing a white tuxedo with a black polka dotted bow tie that looked like he was heading towards a very special ocassion.
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However, the young Karthik's mind was encapsulated with the speeding car which he refused to go by without stopping it. "He has a girlfriend too? Hey that's me, right?" and then the speeding car tried its best to make use of its brakes, the squeaky noise that woke everyone from sleep crashed into the young Karthik and further went on to crash against a potruding pole.
He could barely see a man he had seen in his dream, wearing a white tuxedo with a black polka dotted bow tie that looked like he was heading towards a very special ocassion.
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However, the young Karthik's mind was encapsulated with the speeding car which he refused to go by without stopping it. "He has a girlfriend too? Hey that's me, right?" and then the speeding car tried its best to make use of its brakes, the squeaky noise that woke everyone from sleep crashed into the young Karthik and further went on to crash against a potruding pole.
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Babuuuuuuu...........faltered a fragile and shaky voice
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Babuuuuuuu...........faltered a fragile and shaky voice
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Ending sequence
Crowd gathers, ambulances rush in.
Next day's headlines
"The past and the future kill the Present"
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"The past and the future kill the Present"
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Just like we lose our present to an indelible past and a precarious future..
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