The rhythm of life

Her name is Ru. Right from her birth, she got introduced to the magical rhythm of tabla by an uncle next door. She used to fondly call him Bajumama ( mama means maternal uncle in Bengali). They were all distant relatives staying in adjacent houses who were once uprooted from Bangladesh during the Liberation War of 1971 and has taken refuge in the city of Agartala in the northeastern corner of India. Finally, they made a home in the same city, and gradually those families started thriving together. 

Ru got accustomed to falling asleep while listening to different Rythm(Taal) being played by Bajumama’s magical fingers creating music and even wake up listening to it. During rain, the 'Dadra', 'Tri Taal', ‘Keherwa’, ‘Rupak’ of tabla used to get fused with the drops of rain and attain a different motion with the magic of the music. The infused smell of the wet mud and the pouring rhythm was a part of the rainy season as important as those crystal clear pouring droplets. Summer, winter, autumn, and spring had a different rhythm, variable notes as expressed by the recital of his tabla.

Just as different essence of life and part of growing up, gradually those ‘Bol’ and ‘Taal’ of the Tabla, Bajumama, many other neighbors became feeble existence in Ru’s life as she became busy in her new life and studies. She had to go, dancing classes, singing classes, painting classes after regular school hours. In summers swimming class and visits from her cousins and visiting cousins used to keep her busy. While in the fourth standard they moved to a new house in the same lane and hence she got completely disillusioned from that part of her life.

It was several years after that. She was in the tenth standard gearing up for her secondary exams. One morning she wakes up with the hush in the house and a gloomy mood all around. When she went to the verandah, she could spot the neighborhood full of people. Everyone was busy in some discussion and it was quite obvious that the topic is something severe. After several inquiries, her mom spilled the bin. She was in utter shock from what she heard. That day Baju mama was being sent to a mental asylum as he was acting insane for the last few days. It seems he was already under medication. Recently things move out of control when he started acting violently. He was agitated with the entire society and especially with his parents.  Since his parents lost complete control they decided to hand him over to the asylum.

The flashback of those bright eyes, the wide warm smile of assurance and affection for a little curious kid and magical finger creating music started pouring back in Ru’s mind. There are so many talents who are getting lost unacknowledged. There is not enough provision for those talented people for jobs and to carry out a livelihood. After a certain time, they all face the reality of earning alms, fulfilling societal terms. Unless and until you are exceptionally brilliant in performing arts with good connections with the affluent and influentials, your talent gets lost in the crowd. Some people find out an alternative and settle down with some adjustments. Unfortunately, few like Baju mama who used to live in Rhythms and talk through the beats of tabla get frustrated and lose hope after a certain time. Only a few smiles, little encouragement would have made his life worthwhile.

Ru started wondering as she heard once that music is the healer of every wound …what if music is the cause of your wound?? There must be many such unaccomplished singers, artists, and musicians who are every day losing the fight and deciding to quit. She started weaving a dream that one day she will try to create some platform for those talents so that they can bloom a little in a worry-free life... She wanted to scream and let the world aware of their existence.

আমার জীবনে রবীন্দ্রনাথ

রবীন্দ্রনাথের লেখার সাথে প্রথম পরিচয় হয় যখন,তখন আমি বাংলা পড়তে বা লিখতে কোনো টাই পারতাম না।  তাই দাদাভাই এর মুখে 'বীরপুরুষ' শুনতে শুনতে নিজের ভাবনাকে সঙ্গে করে চলে যেতাম অনেক দূরে:

আমি যাচ্ছি রাঙা ঘোড়ার পরে
টগবগিয়ে তোমার পাশে পাশে

নিজের অজান্তেই আমার শিশু মন ভাবতে শুরু করতো আমি  বুঝি মায়ের প্রহরী, প্রচন্ড প্রতাপশালী। বাস্তবে ফিরে আসতে ইচ্ছেই করতো না।
মা এর সাথে প্রথম খেলা, একে ওপরের কাছাকাছি না থাকার ব্যাথা প্রথম অনুভব করেছিলাম, আমার মা যখন  আমাকে 'লুকোচুরি' পড়ে শুনিয়েছিলো:

আমি যদি দুষ্টুমি করে
চাঁপার গাছে চাঁপা হয়ে ফুটি

মা যখন বকাবকি করতো, আমি ভাবতাম আমিও কোনো গাছে ফুল হয়ে ফুটে উঠি।  মা আমায় আর খুঁজে পাবে না, কিন্তু আমি মা কে সবসময় চোখে চোখে রাখবো। আমি দেখবো আমায় দেখতে না পেয়ে, মা আমায় কিভাবে খুঁজে বেড়াচ্ছে। মা তখন স্কুল এর শিক্ষিকা হবার জন্যে ইন্টারভিউ দিতে যেত।  আমার খুব রাগ হতো ।  মনে মনে ভাবতাম আমাকে এত অবহেলা। আমাকে ফেলে স্কুলে পড়াতে যাবার প্লান হচ্ছে ।  সে আমি হতেই দেব না ।  যদি সত্যি সত্যি যায় তবে দেখাবো মজা ।  নয়নতারা গাছের ফুল ই হয়ে যাবো আমি । নিজের অগোচরেই কখন যে কবিরতার অংশ হয়ে যেতাম, কখনো বুঝতে পারি নি । ফুল হয়ে তো আর ফুটতে পারি নি , কিন্তু রবীন্দ্রনাথ অবশ্যই মনে কুড়ি বেঁধে গিয়েছিল ।

আমাদের বাড়িতে দশ পুরুষের পুরোনো প্রতিষ্ঠিত কৃষ্ণ ঠাকুরের যে বিগ্রহকে নিত্য পুজো করা হয় উনার নাম 'গোপীনাথ' ঠাকুর।  তাই ছোটবেলা 'রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর 'শুনে শুনে ভাবতাম উনিও বুঝি আমাদের ঘরেরই আরেক ঠাকুর ।  মনে মনে তাই ঠাকুর ঘরে প্রনাম করার সময়, রবীন্দ্রনাথ এর উদ্দেশ্যেও একটা প্রনাম করতাম। মা কে জিজ্ঞেস ও করেছি বেশ কয়েকবার যে 'রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুরের' কোনো মূর্তি কেন নেই ঠাকুর ঘরে।  মা বলেছিল যে রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর শুধু ঠাকুর ঘরে থাকে না , সব জায়গায় দেখতে পাবে।  তাই আগরতলা র রবীন্দ্র ভবনে একবার 'রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুরের 'মূর্তি দেখে কি যে খুশি হয়েছিলাম। আসতে আসতে বুজলাম যে রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুরের  ঠাই  বিশ্বজুড়ে।

"রাজব্যবস্থা" আর "বড় এসেছে বীরের ছাদে" এত বার আবৃতি করেছি  যে এখন ভাবলে মনে হয়  ওরা যেন ছোটবেলার একটা অংশ ।  কাবুলিওলার খুকী আর ডাকঘরের অমল যেন ছিল অতি পরিচিত বন্ধু।
নাচের ক্লাসে "শীতের হওয়ায় লাগলো নাচন" আর "পাগলা হওয়ার বাদল দিনে" শুনে বুঝতে শিখেছিলাম প্রত্যেক টা ঋতু কে যে আলাদা করে ভালোবাসা যায়। আমার এক দিদির কাছে প্রথম গান শেখার হাতেখড়ি ।  'আয় তবে সহচরি' আমার শেখা প্রথম গান। "আমাদের ভয় কাহারে" যখন গাইতাম তখন সত্যি মনের মধ্যে কি যে একটা অদ্ভুত আনন্দ হতো ।  ঐ প্রথম জানা, প্রথম শেখার অনুভূতি গুলো যেন রবীন্দ্রনাথ সকলের জন্যে সাজিয়ে দিয়ে গেছে। বড় হবার সাথে সাথে অনুভূতি বদলেছে।  বদলেছে ভাব, ভাবনা, ভালোলাগা, মন্দলাগা, বন্ধু। কিন্তু যেটা অবিচল থেকে গেছে, সেটা হলো রবীন্দ্র রচনার সঙ্গ।

আমার ছোট কাকু আমাকে প্রত্যেক বছর জন্মদিনে একটা করে খয়েরি মলাট জড়ানো বিশ্বভারতীর প্রকাশিত রবীন্দ্রনাথের লেখা  বই উপহার দিত ।  বলতো খুব মূল্যবান উপহার দিচ্ছি।  এখন বুঝি মূল্য দিয়ে ওই উপহারের কোনো ওজন হয় না ।  মহা সম্পদ দিয়েছে আমাকে ।  সারা জীবন দিয়ে  আমি ওই সম্পদ ভেঙে চলতে পারবো, তবুও ওই সম্পদ ফুরাবে না । রবীন্দ্রনাথের 

রচনা " সারা দিন সঙ্গোপনে সুধারস ঢালবে মনে"।

আসতে আসতে তালগাছ ছাড়িয়ে, বড় হবার সাথে সাথে অনেক প্রশ্ন সাথে নিয়ে "গোড়া" আর "নিরুপমা" প্রবেশ করলো। পরে এলো এক এক করে 'চিত্রাঙ্গদা', 'চোখের বালি' আরো কত গল্প।  সবগুলো যেন মনের ভেতরে মিশে যেত। কখনো কোনো কোনো গল্প পড়ে গল্পের নায়িকার প্রতি খুব রাগ হতো। কোনো কোনো গল্পের প্রধান চরিত্র কে আমি বাস্তবে খুঁজে বেড়াতাম ।  উনার লেখনীর মধ্যে যেটা সবচাইতে ভালো লাগতো তা হলো নায়িকাকে জীবন যুদ্ধে জিতিয়ে দেওয়া। তারা প্রাণ ত্যাগ করে হলেও সবসময় জিতে যেত । 

আমার যে পিসি আমাকে সবচাইতে বেশি পড়াশোনা করতে সাহায্য করেছেন সেই পিসি কে দেখলে মনে হয়তো 'কৃষ্ণকলি' যেন রবীন্দ্রনাথ আমার পিসি কে দেখেই লিখেছিলেন। পিসির গায়ের রং চাপা হলেও কারো চেহারা যে এত সুন্দর হতে পারে তা পিসি কে না দেখলে কেউ বুঝতে পারবে না। যেন তুলি দিয়ে একে রাখা কোনো প্রতীমা । "মুক্তবেণী পিঠের 'পরে লোটে। কালো? তা সে যতই কালো হোক, দেখেছি তার কালো হরিণ-চোখ" ..  কারো সৌন্দর্য যে গায়ের রং নয় তা উনি বার বার উনার রচনার মাধ্যমে চোখে আঙ্গুল দিয়ে দেখিয়েছেন । নারী শিক্ষা, বিধবা বিবাহ সব কিছু একে একে গল্পের মাধ্যমে সবাইকে জানিয়েছেন। 

কোনো চরিত্র ভালো লেগে গেলে মনে হতো ইস আমার নাম যদি ওটা হতো।  যেরকম 'চিত্রাঙ্গদা'।
আমার 'তনুকা' নামটা ও তো উনার লেখা কবিতা 'ক্যামেলিয়া' থেকে ধার নেওয়া।  তাই ভাবি এই অহংকার তো উনি আমাকে দিয়েছেনই 'আমি গার্গী নই, মৈত্রী নই, হৈমন্তী নই, চিত্রাঙ্গদা ও নই..আমি 'তনুকা'।

অবশ্য শুধু কি প্রেম আর আবেগ? আত্মত্যাগ, শিক্ষার মর্যাদা, দেশপ্রেম সব কিছুতেই আমার জীবনে তুমি প্রথম । আর তার কখনো বিকল্প হয় নি আর হবেও না ।  যতই দিন কেটেছে ঘুরে ফিরে আবার সেই রবীন্দ্রনাথ এর লেখাতেই ফিরে এসেছি ।  জীবন সকল প্রসের উত্তর যেন এখানে ।  মনের সকল শান্তি আর ভালোবাসা যেন উজাড় করে দিয়ে গেছেন উনি মানবজাতির জন্যে।  মন যখন খুব অবিচল হয়ে ওঠে তখন মনের ভেতর থেকে উনার ই লেখা পংক্তি গুলো গর্জে ওঠে "ভগবান তুমি যুগে যুগে দুটি পাঠিয়েছেন বারে বারে" কিংবা 'ক্ষমা করো সবে' , বলে গেল "ভালোবাসো- অন্তর হতে বিদ্ধেষ  বিষ নাশো"। চারিদিকে দাঙ্গা হাঙ্গামা দেখে বার বার কি মনে ফিরে আসে না সেই দেশের খোঁজ যার স্বপ্নের বীজ রবীন্দ্রনাথ আমাদের মনে গেঁথে দিয়ে গেছে "চিত্ত যেথা ভয় শূন্য" লিখে।

চলতে চলতে কখনো হাপিয়ে উঠলে মনের মধ্যে যে প্রথম গানের আওয়াজ ভেসে আসে তা হলো "ক্লান্তি আমার ক্ষমা করো প্রভু "

উনি লেখার মাধ্যমে শিখিয়ে গেছেন  আমরা যেন বিপদ কে ভয় না পাই "বিপদে মোরে রক্ষা করো এ নহে মোর প্রার্থনা ...বিপদে যেন না করি ভয়।"

কখনো কবিতার কিছু লাইন লিখতে গিয়ে আমি যখন থমকে যাই, ভাবি কি করে উনি এক জীবনে এত এত কাব্যের রচনা করলেন। এ হেনো কোনো মুহূর্ত নেই যা রবীন্দ্র রচনা তে ব্যক্ত হয় নি। তাই জীবনের প্রত্যেক  মুহূর্তে যেন উনার লেখার মাধ্যমে উনার উপস্থিতি অনুভব করি । রবীন্দ্রনাথ  আমার ছোটবেলা থেকে বড় হয়ে ওঠার চিরিসখার সেই চিরসখা ই। 

mesta jelly/ mesta plant and Gongura

We used to have a Mesta tree in our garden of Gopinath Bari. One day I saw Thakurma(my grandmom) collecting the strange-looking buds/fruits from that tree. When enquired she said it is a wonder fruit and she is going to make jelly from that. One strange thing about the jelly she made from those buds is that she tempered it with Kalonjee seeds or something black. Though the purplish/mauve color of the jelly was very attractive, that seasoning was something that caught my attention. She said I can taste the leaves. The raw leaves even tasted delicious. So that was my first introduction with the Mesta tree. I have no idea what happened to that tree after my grandmom passed away as my mom and neither of my aunts has any interest in such out of the box stuff.#Mesta Jam #Mesta Jelly #Tangy juicy leaves #Indigenous plant#Sorrel Leaves #Roselle Jam #Roselle Jelly

After relocation to south India, I saw and ate many delicacies using 'Gongura leaves'. I love the south Indian daal with Gongura leaves which they call 'pappu'. The scientific name of the red-stemmed one is Hibiscus sabdariffa. In fact, I bought bunches of 'Gongura leaves from the market so many times for making that Pappu. # Gongura Dal #Gongura Biriyani

I never tried to relate both, as it never stuck my mind. I never could draw a link between a plant, whose leaves are used for making Pappu can be the same with the plant whose fruits are used for making jelly.

Last weekend my husband got a few bunches of Gongura leaves for making Biriyani. Out of curiosity to know its scientific name and English name I did some google search. I was so overjoyed to know this is the same Mesta that my Thakurma used to nurture in her garden. I realized that these are indigenous plants and adapted in different cuisines in different forms blended according to taste. The Tangy leaves for South India and the fruit buds for Bengal to satiate their sweet tooth. Well, I couldn't take pictures of the leaves as we already cooked them by the time I was done with my research.                                                                                                                                                   

 

I was so much thrilled that day while relishing the tangy, spicy Gongura Biriyani as if my mind was playing an orchestra by looking and creating long lost flavors in known food. 

'Bor esheche Birer chade' and 'Amader choto nodi chole anke banke

During my childhood days, we used to learn and recite the poetries of different poets. According to Ma, I was always an avid learner though I have enough doubt about my memorizing power. So much doubt that I bought some Brahmi tonic and nut powders for myself while I was preparing for GRE. When I was a little more than one year, she used to read to me all the short rhymes of both Bengali and English. I started talking clearly at the age of 10 months. So one day my aunt asked her why she spends so much time reading to me every day? So she instead asked me to recite and my aunt was surprised that I could recite most of the poems by heart.

Poems by Tagore were a part of Bengali culture and learning those at a very early age is always a must in our kind of houses. Raj Byabostha was one of the first poems I have byhearted and I used to enjoy reciting that.

Moharaja bhoye thake
publisher thanate
Ayin banay joto
pare na ta manate... I used to recite that looking at the sky/ceiling in a very serious tone!

Soon a cousin elder sister was about to get married. So my Grandma taught me another piece from Tagore to recite that in front of the groom. She asked me to recite that to him whenever I meet him first. I really couldn't get the metaphors of the poem at that age. In fact, later I realized that I learned and recited one word wrong throughout. Instead of 'Birer chad' I used to tell it 'Biyer chad'. Since there is 'Bor' which means the groom is Bengali and 'shyaali' meaning sister in law (brides sister), I thought that was reason enough to make it appropriate for the occasion.

Once learned something by heart.. it will always be imprinted in your mind. So was this poem:
Bor esheche Birer chade  - By Rabindranath Tagore
Bor esheche Birer chade
Biyer Logno atta ( 8 ta).
Petol-ata lati kandhe
galete galpatta.
Shyaalir shathe krome krome
slap jokhon uthlo jome
Raybeshe nach nacher jhoke
mathay marlo gatta.
Shoshur kande meyer shoke
Bor heshe koy-"Thatta"!

Later, I learned poems like 'Amader choro nodi chile anke bake' in class one, Talgach and so many others...poems were an important part of giving shape to our mental frame of imagination.
We used to get frequent load shading every day. In the summer, during evening load shading which used to be for more than one hour, we all used to sit in the courtyard lighting kerosine lamps /hurricane lamps. We used to sing, recite, dance...elders used to drink tea and 'muri chanachur'. Sometimes neighbors used to join us. Still, it seems to me like we used to stage some theatrical performance every day. There was no technology, entertainment used to drip from heart and soul. There was no lack of enjoyment and people used to enjoy each other's company.

The undeclared cultural program used to get over when power used to come back. We used to get back to studies with a satisfied heart.

Again another bengali new year knocking at the door............

Oh....today is chaitra sankranti and tomorrow NabaBarsha or poela boiskakh! or our Bengali new year! Which year it will be? Well for a person like me it really need not to stress my head to remember all such nity gritty  as I just search it and found out from Google. 1421 it will be from tomorrow!!!...............Actually for me those years, months hardly matters now. Almost for nothing do we follow those bengali dates. But what really matters is those sweet memories of celebrating all these special dates which we still live in. Week before Sankranti I could remember Grandma , ma and all others busy in washing and cleaning everything right from all the storage jar in the kitchen. They all used to be so busy. And the excitement used to continue by buying new clothes that we will wear to welcome the new year as if the new year will be noticing us for our dresses. The Day before chaitra Sankranti all the ladies used to get busy preparing sweets and cutting Raw Jackfruit for making 'kathaler Echor' a special bengali delicacy and then Raw mango Dal which are a must in the menu of Chaitra Sankranti. Well to keep those memory alive today I went out in the scorching heat of Hyderabad to see if I can get a little piece of Raw jack-fruit ( I was ready to take all the pain of removing all the sticky glue like enzymes and making it ready for the curry) but couldn't really find it anywhere. Well so for me today Raw mango dal is all there to satisfy my taste bud and sentiments from the memory!! I am missing every moments of those frying sweets in Dalda and the tempting smell. On Nababarsha, we used to touch feet of all the elders to take there blessings and used to visit all the shops and business centres to wish them good business for the coming year. They used to celebrate a ritual of worshiping Lord ganesha 'Godishite' if I could remember it correctly. They all used to give us boxes full of sweets. As it was impossible to eat in all the places, I used to collect all the boxes in a plastic packet and get them home. And later used to open and see and compare with my other cousins how much more or less sweets I have collected! So as I told, for me those moments really matter..........as I know I have left them far across and there is no way to get back there. Visiting Lakshmi Narayan temple in the morning can be replaced with some temple here...........but I cannot get that same smell, same feeling and same excitement in reality.........but only by walking down my memory lane. Still will like to celebrate it my way keeping the spirit alive and wishing all the elders over telephone........Welcome new year....Welcome 1421!!!

Ghosts in my dream and a Red Hand print in the wall

I don't know when I actually got introduced to ghosts or 'bhoot,petni'. Probably from the pictured epic of Ramayana for children or from the time my mother scared me telling that while eating food if it spills on my clothes and I don't change them I will definitely see ghosts in dreams. Sounding funny??? Well for the first time even I thought so. I thought she is playing a trick on me so that I eat carefully without spilling. But that night I dreamt of a horrible ghost and I still remember it. An ugly looking person with long curly hairs and sharp teethes dancing in front of the map of India and there was fire all around the border of the map.
It sounds funny and you won't be able to draw any correlation between a ghost and the Map of India. But that was my dreadful dream. I got so much scared that from that day I always eat carefully and till today carefully change my clothes in case of food spills.
I always used to stay away from any discussion on that topic and used to divert my mind with positive thoughts. I have seen something natural about being drawn towards positive while you get to know about the negative. I rather choose to believe that a positive aura will always sail our boat through anything negative.
I was forced to stay alone in my small rented flat in Bangalore when I was a student of masters. My roommate got her leg fractured and couldn't join me after the vacation. Initial few days I literally begged few friends to come and stay with me. They had all their important appointments and reasons to show a tantrum. I decided that I have to learn to be self-sufficient. So I started staying alone. I used to read Gita every day before going to bed and avoid discussing anything negative throughout the day even in college. In that span of 20 days, not even a single day I dreamt anything bad. Hence I became more confident that its all in our mind. We should always choose the bright over the dark and the +ve over the negative.
That was just the beginning. After marriage when I relocated to Hyderabad I had no idea about the extent of the summer heat of Hyderabad. Since there were possibilities of my husband getting relocated to Europe and I wanted to pursue research for at least a year, I chose a flat affordable enough to pay from my stipend of a Junior Research Fellow (there was nothing fancy about it). It was on the top floor with a long verandah adjoining the hall and a bathroom at the end of the Verandah. There was one more bathroom attached to the bedroom.
Before the onset of the summer, my husband went to Switzerland for a month. Few days after he left, the summer suddenly appeared and I have completely swept away with the extent of heat. I mostly started staying back in CCMB  labs the whole night and working throughout the night and used to come back home in the morning and sleep till afternoon. I used to eat my meals at CCMB. I never got time to look around the house. Atanu's stay got extended for 10 more days due to some volcanic ash ejection. So finally the day before his scheduled flight, I decided to clean the house, do some grocery and stay back home during the night. After all the cleaning and cooking when finally I went to bed, I found it literally impossible to sleep because of the dry heat. I came out and made a bed in the hall. Shifted the air cooler to that room ( I thought the circulation will be better as there was verandah all around. But still, I was feeling scorching heat as if the whole house is on fire...... It was already past midnight. I decided to splash water on the floor as that might cool down the room. So to get the water, instead of going to the inside bathroom I went to the bathroom outside. I kept the bucket under the tap and after putting the tap on, I felt a little relaxed with the cold water touching my feet. I was just moving out with the filled bucket that suddenly a small plastic mirror attached to the pin in the wall fall down. It was framed with plastic all around. I took it keeping the bucket in the side and placed it back to the position and suddenly my eyes went to a red handprint on the wall. A feeling of chill ran down my spines and I immediately ran to the hall with the bucket. I shut the door and started reasoning my mind. I was scared to the core and have no other option but to control myself. I just lay down in front of the cooler and was praying to god. I don't remember when I finally fall asleep.
My husband was supposed to reach home by 6 A.M. When I woke up, I checked the watch ( I never ever take off my watch except while taking shower) and it was already 7:30 A.M. Yesterday's memory was out of my mind and I started wondering if the flight is late. Still, I decided to go and check outside. I opened the door and I saw him sitting on the stairs. He said after knocking the door constantly for half an hour he had no other option but to wait outside and wait for me to get up. I usually have a very light sleep. But probably because of the sudden fear and anxiety I slept like a dead ( being in the hall also I couldn't hear all those knocks). I was really happy that he was back.
After having breakfast I gathered all the courage and asked him if there is any red handprint in the outside bathroom. He said that he has seen it there as it was there from before. But he too found that incident of mirror falling down a bit strange as no wind was blowing at that time( even with the wind blowing, the probability of that moving the mirror is very less)!!
I never dared to go to that bathroom again during our stay in that house even after though there was no precise proof of abnormal activity other than that afterward.

I know where the sun resides

Who knew then that the sun and the moon whom I see everyday, whom I refer to as mama (meaning maternal uncle in bengali) are actually so distant habitat. At least I never knew it then as a 3 years old. The Ramnaar road no 4 road has a end from where it bifurcates into lane which are lying perpendicularly to the main road. And at that junction where all the three lanes are meeting there used to be a Mosque. So if I used to look at the left hand side standing in front of our gate I used to see the Mosque which was about 0.5km away. Every evening I used to observe that the sun used to go and hide behind the Mosque. So the genius in me assumed that the Sun must be staying somewhere behind the Mosque.
I requested my mom several time to please take me to Sun's home once. Every time she used to tell that she will take me later. So one day I decided I can't wait anymore and started preparing for the visit. One day the opportunity came as I found my mother occupied with some cooking in the kitchen. Slowly I came out of the house and started walking towards the sun. That was evening and the sun was about to set. Few of my neighbor saw me walking alone in the street and immediately stopped me. They forcibly brought me home and told my mother everything.
Being terribly upset I kept on crying for my failed mission. Later one evening my mother took me to that area. By the time we reached it was already late evening and the sun was already set. So I keep on roaming fromone lane to another forcing my mother to come along in search of the suns house.I came back home bing upset that I could not identify the Sun's house.
It was only later when I got to know about rotation and revolution I realised  how stupid I was!!