Demanded With Love

I had the following conversation recently. In it, I received an unusual request. Actually it was more of a demand.

Initially, I was taken aback by the request. But I understood that only a person who really loved you could make such a request.

Read the conversation to find out.

NOTE: The conversation was in Bengali so I am firstly reproducing it verbatim in the mother-tongue. On request, my father translated it into English too. You will find the English version below.

***

THE CONVERSATION

me: recently shorir ta khub ekta bhalo thakche naa

didi: chi chi chi.. baaje desh. ekebaare baaje desh. sustho shobol chele-ke niye rugno kore dicche. ami bolchi kriti... tumi ekkhoni phire esho.

me: hee-hee-hee

d: naa shotyi kotha.... by the way, jaano ekhon ami 72.

me: (ami mone mone bhabi je 72-er ulto hocche amar boyesh... kintu naa, amar boyesh to 27-o naa)

didi: (continuing) oboshyo ami not the least bit sad about that. haan ei komor-e byatha, paaye byatha ei gulo beshi holey tokhon kharaap laage.

m: ki je bolo didi.. tumi 72 hotei paaro naa... onek onek kom... anyways amaar khobor shunecho ki? june-e india aschi... tokhon dekha korbo tomar sathe..

d: haan shei khobor taa peyechi tomaar maa'r kaache... maa khub excited hoben. ekmatro chele bole kotha... amader barite ele tomaake alu-bhaat-e khawaabo... jeta tumi eto gorbito hoye tomar okhaner shob bondhuder kaalkei khaiyeccho.. shotyi kriti, tumi odbhut chele botey.. lok dekey alu-bhaate khawaao...

me and d: ha ha ha

d: accha shono to kriti.. ami bhabchi tumi june maash-e koyek din-er jonno ashbe.. ek du baar amaader sathe dekhao korbe.. abaar jei ke shei... abar shei phone-er opekkha... aar dekha petey gele ek bochor wait kora...

naa... tumi ebaar eshe amar sathe dekha koro naa...

me: maane?

d: naa tumi amar sathe dekha koro naa. ei tumi chole jawaar pore amar prothom-e khub dukkho hoyechilo.. keno kriti chole gelo USA-te. o ekdom theek kore nii... tarpor ekhon aste aste obhyesh hoye geche..

aar abar tumi dekha kore USA pherot choley jaabe... abar shei shuru theke obhyesh korte hobe..

naa tumi amar sathe ebaar dekha korbe naa..

me: accha theek ache korbo naa

d: naa koro naa.. taai bhalo... accha kriti, tumi jodi phire porashona shesh kore India pherot asho jeta ami 100% sure je tumi phirbe naa, tumi aar koto bochor-e phirbe?

me: aar-o 4.5 theke 5 bochor...

d: paaaanch bochor? ho ho ho.. taa holey to totodin-e tomaar didi chobi hoye jaabe..

me: ha ha ha

d: naa eta ami sure. tomar dada oboshyo eeya boro ekta frame kore amar bhalo chobi lagaben... jokhon taar bou shundori chilo

me and d: ho ho ho ho

***

THE TRANSLATED VERSION

me: didi, I am not keeping all that well lately.

didi: Tsk...Tsk...Tsk...I am not at all surprised. Simply awful country you have decided to go and do your Ph.D. in, simply awful. Look they are making a healthy person sick. I am telling you again. Come back as soon as you can, when you still have a chance.

me: hee...hee...hee

didi: don't snigger like that; I have given you a very good piece of advice. By the way, you know I am running 72?

me: (I mentally calculate that if I interchange the digits of her age, I get my age... 27... Oops... I am not even 27.)

didi: (continuing) ...except when I get the occasional joint aches and pains, that’s when I do feel a bit down in the dumps.

me: Come on, didi, you cannot be 72. you are years younger. Anyway, I am coming to India, when we can meet, just like old times.

didi: I have got the good news from your mother, who is naturally very excited about it. I have decided that when you come, I shall treat you to parboiled rice and mashed potatoes, just like you seem to entertain your guests with in the USA. You really are the limit, Kriti, and the funny thing is that your friends seem to like the stuff, according to you. I really can’t understand it at all.

me and didi: ha ha ha

d: now, seriously, though, Kriti... I know that when you will come for your short trip in June you will probably visit us a few times, we will more than likely relive the old times, then you will have to go back to the states...back to square one ...the same old yahoo/Google talk routine...and then wait another 12 months or so before we meet again ...no, I am beginning to think that we better not meet when you come home...

me: what do you mean didi?

d: we will have grown accustomed to your presence during your stay in June/July... suddenly, you will have to pack up and leave...to go back to the USA...then we in Cal will have to again start living without you being in our midst...no. don’t meet me this time when you come home.

me: OK, if that’s the way feel, I shall make it a point not to meet you in June.

d: No, please don’t... that will be far better...but tell me Kriti ,if you do come back to India after completing your course – I am of course 100% sure that you won’t come back to settle in India -how many years will that be?

me: another 4.5 to 5 years

d: fiiiive more years... ho ho ho... By then your didi will be a photograph on the wall

me: ha ha ha...

d: No I am dead sure... Of course your dada will put up a photo from much younger days, when his wife was far better looking than now... You can’t blame him, poor thing...

d and me: ho ho ho ho

***

PS: If anyone wants some short pieces in Bengali/Hindi translated into English, contact me. I'll request my father to do the translation. And he usually enjoys it quite a lot.