Chowringhee - A Dark Memory

My evenings were mostly free after mandatory training classes and visits to physicians. The dormitory of Assam House, located at Russel Street, a walking distance away from office was my place of stay. Park Street, which was a stone's throw away from Assam House became my regular evening destination. The busy and lively Park Street, replete with restaurants sporting neon glowsigns and dotted with cafes and pubs became my regular evening hangout destination. The smartly dressed young girls walking past the busy thoroughfares were an added attraction.

Despite repeated reasoning within my mind and a great amount of cajoling from family and friends, I could not convince myself to spend yet another two years for an MA degree. The urge to be financially independent and hence the consequent decision to get into a job was bugging me incessantly. The BA results were out and I was surprised that I had scored higher than my expectations. Since I had scored well, my parents started persuading me for higher studies. Anyhow my decision remained unaltered and so BA marked the end of student life for me.

One fine morning, a letter from the Employment Exchange, where I had registered myself as an unemployed educated arrived through the postal peon. It was an offer to appear for an interview for the post of an assistant sub inspector in the Assam Police Force. I knew life was tough for a police inspector and the training tougher. However, I decided to appear for the interview that was almost a fortnight away. In the evening I found the paper missing from my table. I soon learnt from my younger sister that everyone in the family were against my appearing for this particular interview and had unanimously decided to stop me from going ahead with the matter. The prospect of studying further came from my father again at dinnertime. "What's your problem? What makes you bent on looking for a job? Isn't there enough to eat at home or has your age surpassed the age for academics? "I did not answer.

Six months later a letter arrived again from the Employment Exchange. It was the job of a medical representative this time. Quite a good career prospect. In 1973 rupees eight hundred as salary and incentives on performance was not bad indeed. The company offered one way second class train fare to Calcutta (as it was known in those days) and three days accommodation at the Company guest house with an allowance . The interview at the Chowringee office of the medicine firm went off well and I was one among the selected. The six month long training with a stipend of rupees four hundred and an allowance started right away.

My evenings were mostly free after mandatory training classes and visits to physicians. The dormitory of Assam House, located at Russel Street, a walking distance away from office was my place of stay. Park Street, which was a stone's throw away from Assam House became my regular evening destination. The busy and lively Park Street, replete with restaurants sporting neon glowsigns and dotted with cafes and pubs became my regular evening hangout destination. The smartly dressed young girls walking past the busy thoroughfares were an added attraction.

I completed one month into the job. It was a day for which I had waited for nearly a year after finishing my graduation. 500 rupees was the first ever salary I had earnt. I paid the amount for my stay and food at the Assam House. After paying my dues for laundry service and repaying petty loans that I had taken as my pocket money I was left with rupees two hundred fifty.

As usual at the fall of dusk, that very day too I went to my usual destination Park Street and walked further down to Chowringhee . A makeshift book stall next to the pavement drew my attention and I picked up a book that had interested me with due consent from the hawker. All of a sudden it occurred to me that a very beautiful woman who was standing few meters away from me was giving me a knowing smile. I was surprised but her mesmerising smile seemed to have acted as a magic potion and soon I found myself walking towards her. We were at the edge of the pavement and all of a sudden a taxi stopped close by. The door of the taxi opened and I was literally pushed inside by the beautiful woman. The taxi picked up speed and the beautiful woman became invisible in the crowd.

" Hey ! Do you have a place for the job? The older among the two women asked me. By now I had known what a trap I was in. The beautiful woman was the bait and I was in a mousetrap laid by these two sex workers. "I stay at the Assam House", I replied . The two of them had a good laugh over my answer. "This man seems useless. Let's keep some money from him and let him off," the young looking woman suggested. " Now will you keep quiet, let's take him to our Kalighat place," the older and the bulkier one snapped." Hey ,give the driver a hundred rupees"' she ordered . I handed a hundred rupee note to the driver. The taxi travelled a distance of few kilometres and my heart rate was rising rapidly. I was absolutely nervous and cursed myself and my foolishness of getting so mesmerised by the beautiful woman.

But finally the escape route appeared and it felt laid by the Almighty, literally. The taxi had stopped at a traffic signal and I opened the car door stealthily and got down from the taxi pushing aside the skinny woman who sat next to the door. I then ran towards the opposite direction from which the taxi had travelled. I stopped at a safe distance and bought a bottle of coca cola and finished it in almost one gulp. I learnt that the place I was in was Alipur. I soon took a bus for Maidan and reached Assam House with a great feeling of relief.

This 'extremely beautiful' woman and the taxi incident stopped me from venturing out of Assam House for the next week or so. I tried hard to forget the incident. But could I really forget the incident? On my outing after a long gap of ten days I found myself back in the place where the incident had occured . The book stall was there and to my horror the beautiful woman too was there at a distance. This time she didn't smile at me and was busy with other prospective victims . The entire episode came alive within my mind . As soon as she recognised my face she vanished from the scene and mingled into the heavy crowd.

Bhaskar Phukan

bhaskarphukan67@gmail.com

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