আমি বাঙালি

I won't ask you how you like your coffee, rather I will like to know how you like your bed tea(cha). The cheese in your lasagna is not my concern, I want to know which fish recipe you want me to cook next. I will see you gulp down an entire plate of mutton biryani with a piece of potato, how your chicken burger tastes I don't care.  Let alone the veggie mc puff let me treat you with a beguni, paanta bhaat and mudi bhaja.
I won't hear about the Mexican wrap you ate the other day while I am busy devouring my mutton chaap roll.
Let me know what's your favourite place of adda or which street food corner you like. I don't want to drive to the plush restaurant rather walk with me to my favourite puchka stall.
Yes being bengali is a lot about food but it is also about art, all kind of art- literature, music, paintings, everything so read me Gitanjali when I am down and hear me reading Feluda. When we sit together to relish some music then turn the volume up for the rabindra sangeet instead of rock jazz.

Are you in hurry? Then you can walk, I will rather choose tram and sit back to enjoy the laziness. Don't talk about the air conditioned Delhi metro to me,  the real essence lies in the open window metro I board at Kobi Nazrul and de board at Mahanayak Uttam Kumar.

Keep your memoirs of London bridge in your mind, my heart always belonged to the Howrah bridge which I crossed on my foot in 5 minutes of Kolkata.

Cross the Hoogli with me in 'Nauka' and we will see the setting sun hand in hand.

I will take you to that place you heard the melody of drum coming from and the band culture of Bengal will amaze you more than Backstreet Boys.

You want to fall in love with me, then do so by watching me wrapped in the elegance of a tant er saree instead of the short red dress.

Tell me 'আমি তোমাকে ভালো বেশি' in your hindi accent instead of 'I Love you'.

For the love of self!

"I thought of changing my hairstyle to hers,
then I thought of getting a piercing like that of the other.
What if I adapt her dressing sense,
Let me tattoo my body parts as she got it
done.
What if I dye my hair brown, will they then look at me like I am wearing a crown."
Many such thoughts crossed my mind and I catered them all.
One day I stood in front of the mirror tall.
"Who are you?" It yelled at me.
"A part of every girl they turn their head towards." I sobbed.
"And you lost yourself totally apart." I thought.
"You let go your soft curls and charming smile just to grab a look for a while?
What are you doing to yourself?" I asked.
"I don't know, I was seeking attention, I guess." The inner self replied.
"Got enough?" I mocked.
I just sat by the wall and thoughts occured,"Whose enthrallment am I trying to seek? Why am I losing myself for people unknown to keep?"
While finding the answers that were already known, a few people told me things unheard.
"You are beautiful!" someone said, the one who matters to me the most.
So, why to give up on myself when I have people who love the real me the most.

Realization has hit and has hit a bit harder but one thing I understood that it is the soul that at last, matters!