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'.