Spring does not last forever
Spring does not last for Ever
Surajeet was in a jovial mood. In fact that was his normal disposition. He laughed and joked and everybody enjoyed his company. He was perennially planning out outdoor excursions and parties. His very presence would liven up the whole gathering. He was everybody’s favourite and got on well with children as well as with those in their second childhood. He was good at his guitar and he would compose witty songs and sing along as he strummed the delicate strings. He bragged about his one and only hobby. It was eating. He boasted that no one could have as many rossogollas in one sitting as he. Before an awed audience two dozen globules would disappear in no time. He challenged his friends to have twenty chapattis which he ate with relish with not a sign of discomfort. This is in short a description of the young man, greying at the side-burns, in his mid- forties. It is unnecessary to add that his once streamed-lined figure now showed an unbecoming protrusion in the centre.
Deepika his devoted wife was diametrically opposite in temperament. Deep lines furrowed her forehead, which became deeper as she watched her husband. Her thin lips were forbiddingly turned downwards. This made her look angry at all times. She and Surajeet always clashed. She being a traditional Indian wife believed that looking after the well-being of her husband was her prime duty. She watched with consternation Surajeet devouring rasagullas one after the other. As a last resort she grabbed the container full of the milk white soft, spongy balls and emptied them in the bin. Her husband was indignant. He considered her action obnoxious and humiliating in front of all his friends, just a feminine ploy to control him. But Deepika felt she was justified as Surajeet had put on a lot of weight and the doctor had warned him that he was heading for trouble. It was always some excuse or the other by which he tried to justify his action and exonerate himself of the blame. He would not admit that he had no control over himself-- always giving way to temptation. Then he would declare with angel-like innocence that his explanations were not an excuse but a reason. Sometimes he would say that he would not get the opportunity to have such a rare treat in the near future as it was the last of the season and he would have to wait for another year, a duration of time which he considered absolutely too long a period. Or else he would feel perfectly justified as someone special had prepared the delicacy just for him and it was impossible for him to hurt the person’s feelings. The net result was that his waist size had increased by four inches and he had to get a new wardrobe. But the sad part was that the more Deepika tried to stop him from eating all the unhealthy stuff, the more he became adamant and refused to comply. His ego made him angry and all her well-meant actions turned him against her.
It was on Independence Day that Surajeet planned out the picnic for the entire building comprising of forty flats. As he had taken upon himself to be the Organiser, he was determined to see that it was a success .He went from flat to flat and got everyone to participate whole heartedly. The teenagers were in-charge of arranging the music. The ladies were told to organise the games. The senior members were asked to chalk out the menu, where -as the gents in the party were to buy the requirements. He had made arrangements to take gas cylinders, big burners as well as utensils and crockery from the caterers. Chopping and cutting of vegetables, cooking and serving of food was left to the volunteers. Surajeet was the Master Chef. His material contribution was the famous Ganguram Doi, so creamy and thick. Needless to say, he had already gorged on a kilo of the dessert in the guise of tasting and sampling, He justified his action by convincing himself that it was his duty to see that the food offered was A Grade!
In the morning Surajeet started the day in front of a huge cauldron full of bubb ling steaming ghee He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself frying the bobbing dimpling balloon-like luchis.The aroma of the cooking medium pervaded the area , for after all it was the pure desi ghee made from cow’s milk. The boys who were rolling out the luchis could not keep up with the demand, as they disappeared as soon as they landed on the gleaming stainless thalis-such was the voracious appetite of the picnic revellers. The potato relish or ‘dum aloo’ made as an accompaniment of the luchis was an attraction by itself as its colour and smell made it highly delectable. Then in a renewed spurt of energy, Surajeet rushed about with a tray laden with golden jalebis dripping with syrup from table to table, whilst putting a few in his mouth before anyone could even protest. His helpless wife in the last stages of a nervous break-down fluttered about incapable of action---only the furrows on her forehead became more pronounced. Surajeet could sense that his wife was glowering at him though he did not dare to look at her. Inexplicably a cold sweat drenched his body and he sat down because of shortness of breath. A panic button made him lose his self -confidence and composure. Was he experiencing the preliminary stages of a heart attack? Then he felt his heart hammering away like an angry carpenter taking out his frustration on his work. He was definitely not a coward and neither could a female ever deter him in doing whatever he was determined to do. This fleeting thought was like an assuring hand in the aid of a drowning man. He got up with some effort and continued nonchalantly. He picked up the packets full of ‘Joynagarer Moya’ and started distributing them—announcing in a loud voice that they were the best in the town and those not eating three at onetime would be losers and repent their entire life, As he believed that example was better than precepts, he devoured a few of them with great gusto and licked his fingers appreciatively.
Then it happened. In a frightening moment he saw only darkness around him, he felt he was losing strength and helplessly collapsing. He tried to hold on to the table but in a blinding second everything came crashing on him. With that Deepika gave a sky-piercing cry and rushed to Surojeet’s side. The picnickers looked on dumb-founded. The Gathering crowded round him. Deepika at that moment of crisis did not lose her presence of mind. She requested the onlookers to move away as her husband needed fresh air and then very politely asked them to go home as now Surojeet needed medical attention. Quickly she dialled a number and asked for an ambulance to take him to the nearest hospital. She felt his wet clammy fingers entwining round hers as if to get assurance from her that everything would be alright. At that moment of crisis he clung to her just as a child would to his mother.
The distant wailing cry of the ambulance announced its approach. Surojeet’s whole body stiffened and he whispered,” Don’t leave me Deepika or I will die.”Deepika’s motherly instinct being aroused she ran her fingers through his hair, pressed his hand gently and assured him that he would be alright. But inwardly she panicked because she found his head drenched in perspiration. She hoped against hope that the attack would not cost him his life.
The uniformed men in white jumped out with alacrity. With professional expertise they picked up the patient and in no time Surojeet was rolled into the Emergency ward. Two Doctors bent over the patient and began to meticulously examine him. He was advised a dozen tests. Deepika anxiously awaited the results. She paced up and down, biting her finger nails in suspense. Whilst Surojeet felt unbearable pain in his chest and waited apprehensively for one side of his body to become paralysed.
The Doctor with a stern countenance called Deepika to his chamber. “Mrs Nandi” he began, “there is nothing wrong with him physically as far as I can see”.” This is a psychological case. He is imagining he is getting a heart attack and therefore he is experiencing symptoms as if they were happening. I am referring his Case to the Psychiatric Department. “Deepika gave a sigh of relief and thanked God for His Mercy. As she was quick in grasping the problem, she gave up the idea of hospitalising her husband but decided to take him home. The mental problem could be tackled by the Specialists at the Out Door Department.
With the greatest difficulty Deepika managed to take him to the Hospital. He was a bad patient and expressed his suppressed nervousness by refusing to go. But Deepika’s determination paid off. Next day they met Dr.Sen, a renowned Psychiatrist by appointment. He spent two hours with him and then called Deepika to explain Surojeet’s psychological mental state and told her that she was the only one who could help. Her husband had an inferiority complex and so by not listening to her he tried to portray himself as the big boss. Another factor which was a matter of concern was that as regards eating, he could not control himself. He knew he was not doing the right thing by gorging food as he had been fore-warned by the doctor. He felt guilty but in front of his wife he put on a show of bravado. This contradictory situation played on his mind and the more he indulged in eating, the more convinced he became of his getting a heart attack and then the time came when he actually started to experience all the symptoms of cardiac failure. This mental condition could be corrected only with Deepika’s help.
Deepika cared for her husband immensely and was determined to erase the fixation from his mind at the earliest. She spent a sleepless night trying to think out a way to get Surojeet from his obsession with food. If he stopped gorging on food he would definitely lose weight and his fear of getting a heart attack would vanish. With well thought of plans she began the very next day on her project.
Deepika announced at breakfast that she was going to start a catering business at home as Surojeet could not go to work with his ill health. She made arrangements to distribute hand written chits in the locality publicising her catering business. With efficiency she managed to employ well qualified chefs for preparing the food. The name and fame of her catering business spread like the mouth-watering aroma of the cuisine made in her kitchen. Night and day the smell of food pervaded in her home. She would take out big helpings of meat, fish and eggs and offer them to Surojeet. He ate the first two or three days but after that he could take no more. The constant smell of food became nauseating. Deepika brought plates full of biryani and mutton korma and put them in front of Surojeet but he could not stand the sight as food now repelled him. He begged of his wife to shift her business elsewhere as the aroma of food was making him sick. He swore he would stick to his diet of fruits and bread all his life as he could not tolerate anything else.
The saying goes that every cloud has a silver lining. It was very true in the life of the Nandi’s. Deepika’s catering business flourished. Orders started pouring in so much
that she found it difficult to meet the demands. Her small business was bursting in the seams. She went in for massive expansion and asked Surojeet to join and help out. Her husband’s jovial temperament coupled with his fun-loving warm behaviour towards the customers made him and the establishment very popular. They both worked as a team and Surojeet immersed completely in his work did not get a moment to think about food.
Deepika lost the frown which she always wore previously. Her lips did not droop downwards any more .Radiance suffused her face as she looked at her husband, handsome with a stream-lined figure. He did not avoid her eyes guiltily as he used to do previously but they looked at each other in perfect understanding and smiled.
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