Wind (Haoa)

The bus was running in medium speed. It had no hurry to reach it's destination. It is a bus from the CSTC (Calcutta, now Kolkata State Transport Corporation). This is a medium aged bus. At the most four years old, and the seats inside are arranged for the CSTC long distance service buses. So, it was a converted city bus. Earlier may be it used to run to a destination of 200KM or more, whereas it runs for 10-15KM per trip through the city.

It is a summer morning. Though it is around 9AM in the morning, the environment of the city is pretty hot. The traffic is medium, though the bus is full, like all other buses in Kolkata. No seat was left while as many as 40 people are standing inside this 52 seats bus. People were suffocating inside as the wind is not passing through the windows and is there is no cool breeze, only hot gust coming through the opened door and windows of the bus.

The conductor of this bus is wearing a dust-colored full sleeve shirt on a khaki trousers. That is the uniform of the government bus workers in whole India. While just like the private ran buses, the conductor is carrying a bag of tickets and money, and repeatedly asking the passengers to purchase their tickets. Some of the passengers are listening to his appeal for buying the tickets and paying, while others are just ignoring him.

Madhumita was going towards the south of Kolkata to her aunt's place at Behala to meet them. She has purchased her tickets and was looking out of the window of the running bus. She likes to look at the hoardings for advertisements. Though it has pretty restricted in Kolkata to put hoarding, banner, etc. some hoardings are still there with different advertisements. There are several big hoardings of the political party candidates, who are going to compete in the forthcoming Parliamentary Election. There are three main political parties standing in this election from West Bengal, the state of which, Kolkata is the capital. The ruling party alliance, the main opposition with an alliance and a third party which doesn't have much influence in this state. The ruling party is ruling for nearly 32 years continuously, when the main opposition has done the successful alliance with the other oppositions for the first time in history.

"OK, OK, now stop here." The bus conductor shouted to the bus driver. The bus suddenly stopped.
"What happened man? Why have you stopped?" asked the man in check shirt, who was standing just beside Madhumita.

"Yes, yes, why, why?" queries started coming from other passengers sitting and standing in the bus.
"Well, there is some problem with the left front wheel of the bus. It is loosing air. We need to pore some air it it, and there will be no issue." The bus conductor answered coolly.

This is not a common phenomenon. Almost all the passengers targeted this morning bus to avoid the inevitable notorious traffic jam of Kolkata and most of them were traveling this 15KM distance from extreme north to south of the city in this unbearable hot morning, so, the murmur started automatically among the sociable passengers.

"These fellows are government servants. The VIPs."
"Now that the salary is increasing, they will be more VIP".
"What they do in the bus depot? They are supposed to check all the problems."
"Where is the time? Why should they care for me and you? Political Union of the ruling party is there."

Madhumita heard some discussions as well, while she is least bothered about these. She is around 22 years of age. Working for a call center at Sector V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata. She never wants to know about the political issues and from her past and present experiences she has known that gossiping this way is just wastage of time. People of West Bengal, specially people working for the government cannot be changed. The ruling party will rule and the unions will become more powerful day after day. You want to protest, they will not let you. Here, in West Bengal, everything is governed by political colors. You have a dispute with your neighbor, the political parties will come in to get some profit out of it. West Bengal, the Bengali, will never change. Nothing can change the unwritten rules. Only thing she has in her mind is to reach her destination quickly.

The bus started to move again after poring some air in the left wheel and the murmur stopped almost instantly. The bus have covered almost two thirds way to its destination. Passengers are continuously boarding and leaving the bus. Madhumita just finished talking to one her friends through her cell phone. Things seemed to be normal, when suddenly The bus conductor shouted again to the driver and the bus started running in a off rout.

"Hey, what are you doing?" asked the man in white shirt.
"It is not the proper rout. This is getting far away from my destination at Park Street." the guy wearing the greenish T-Shirt inquired.
"What's the matter. You are going away from the rout." again someone asked.
The bus conductor repeated his old answer. "We need to pour air in the left front wheel".
"What? You should have said earlier. I have important works."
"So, what could I do?" The bus conductor asked.
"Means? Three other passengers charged towards the conductor.
"You must have informed us earlier. We could have chosen some other option."

The bus almost stopped now and some of the passengers started getting off. But the rest of the passengers became furious.

"What the hell do you do at the depot?" somebody asked.
"Don't you have shame? You people being public servants wasting the time and money of people."
"Low class people. Only shouting for the ruling party leaders and getting the monthly salary from the government."
The cursing made The bus conductor angry.
"So, we are low class people, why are you yelling on us. Please shut up", he replied.

That reply added oil to the fire.
"How dare you talk to the public like this. Don't forget that you are a public servant."

The bus conductor realized that whatever these people are saying has truth in it. Even today, while they were having tea at the tea stall near the bus depot, neither the bus driver nor he felt the urge to check the Tyre of the wheels. Only thing they checked is the engine condition, brakes and fuel. But, again, it is a fact that he is an active member of the bus-union of the ruling party and may be elected as the secretary very soon. And these fellows do not understand how much power he may enjoy once he become the secretary.

Thinking all these in this situation and hot wind outside made him hot in anger. And he shouted back.
"Of course I am a public servant but not your servant. Don't talk to me like this, or else...."
"Have it been a private bus. We would have taught you how to talk to public." somebody said. In India touching a public servant on duty may bring a lot of trouble to a citizen. May be he recalled that, but some passengers do not care for the rules.

"Else what?" Three young guys surrounded The bus conductor. One of them pushed him.
"Let me show you", one of them tried to catch his collar.

Madhumita got nervous. She is thinking of getting late and start the bus right now. This is a sheer wastage of time and energy. The three passengers heading to the bus conductor must be members of the opposition party. That's why they want to show the muscle power. Also there is no point to dispute with a poor bus conductor. Only thing they all should do right now is cooperate.

Some other people may be thinking like her. So, one of them said, "Let it go. Let's do our best to start the bus and get it moving. We all are getting late.

"Here, we have an agent of the transport minister." shouted someone from the back side.
"Agent, agent. Tell him to come by the side of the conductor.
"He will report to the transport minister. As we all know, there are hooligans working for him, we will be all punished" someone yelled in mockery.
"32 years we are suffering from you, this will come to end."
"Let the election come, we will show them this time." said somebody.
"Only eating,sleeping, gossiping and shouting for the ruling party cannot save you all the time."

The three young fellows who stopped after pushing The bus conductor, realizing the dire consequences they may had to face. Hearing the verdict and support of the fellow passengers they gathered some fresh energy and tried to push The bus conductor again. The bus conductor realized that the situation is going out of his control and just jumped off the bus to save himself from the angry mob. The driver also vanished in no time.


Madhumita got up from her seat and pushed her way outside to get some other vehicle. She also thought once to protest for the bus conductor and let him pour the air to finish this journey. She understood that, though most of the people she mix with and almost everybody around her workplace do not care for the elections and even do not cast their votes, the surrounding has really become anti-ruling-party. From her elder ones she has always heard only about good deeds of the ruling party. She even casted her vote in favor the ruling party in the last election.But after a few major mistakes of the ruling party to acquire land from unwanted poor farmers for industrialization and being unnecessarily rude to the village people, even some encounter deaths of poor farmers have changed something internally.

People has become impatient and a wind of change may be blowing deep inside their minds. She once thought about the hooliganism the three young guys started. This kind of intervention will increase suddenly if the ruling party looses this time. People will take the rule in their hands and will do something drastic, just to show that, they are powerful too. The same way the cadres of the ruling party does these days. She suddenly realised that there is a high possiblity of a civil war some day in the villages,suberbs, towns and even in this metropolis Kolkata, once the rulling party falls.


She felt the scorching heat of the sun outside and the burning sensation from the hot wind blowing . She felt as if the wind is the wind of change for this state that will burn a lot of things in the coming days.

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The Theft (Churi)

This is 11th April. Three days more and there will be "Nababarsha", the bengali New Year. Every shop has been offering "SALE". Every shop has been overcrowded all over the city of Kolkata, especially those places where there are numerous stall of different commodities on the footpath. On these footpath one will find everything they need, though mainly garments, one can find utensils, toys, sunglasses, glass made materials, CD & DVDs, magazines, handicrafts, photos, and more, and more. As it is a custom to wear new garments on the eve of the bengali new year, the "SALE" is on for garments mostly, and therefore most of the people are attracted into the garment shops. The crowd is mostly of the middle class and lower middle class of people who want to buy something special for their near and dear ones but do not have the financial ease to visit the nearby shopping malls. Those people who can buy something from the branded showroom in this occasion for a reduction of price up to 70% - 80%.

It is a summer evening and the clock at the head of one of the renowned theater at the "HatiBagan" is nearing to 45 minutes past 9 PM. This market is located at the famous five point crossing of "Shyam Bazar", north kolkata. This place is as overcrowded as can be. The five point crossing is always high in traffic and due to the crowd of people roaming and shopping and coming out from the four nearby movie theaters, the traffic is pretty slow.

Shamit was happy today. He is traveling with his family. Though it is around 10 PM and they need to hurry to home, he stopped on a nearby pan thela, a small shop selling pan,cigarettes, cold drinks, etc. He asked the shopkeeper to serve them some Coca-Cola, Sprite and Maaza. His wife Monali likes Sprite as it is color less and their 6 year old daughter likes Mazaa for the test of mango. Shamit and his wife Monali was carrying a couple of carry bags in each hands. They bought the gifts and garments for themselves as well as their relatives.

"The saris we have bought for your mother and my mother are really great. They are of great value for money and also looks gorgeous" said Monali. "And the two jeans you bought from Koutons showroom are really good". Shamit felt happy with these comments from his wife. He visited the nearby ATM to withdraw 4500 INR from his account, the most he could at this month at this time. He thought that the money will not be sufficient to purchase the garments they have planned, he was a bit tensed. Actually keeping one's wife content with the purchases you make is always very difficult. Specially if the wife is a "demanding" kind. But, Monali is a real exception to this. She is always happy from the small purchases made for her husband and daughter than for her own. Shamit nowadays tries to learn the secret of happiness from Monali. Even after a long married life of 8 years for now, Monali is still a wonder to his life. His happy family secret is Monali herself and from his hearts core he loves her very much. After all the purchases they made, Shamit had around 700 INR remaining in his pocket and was in a plan to take a taxi home.

"Dhur sala... life ta hell hoye gelo", Damn it, life has become hell, thought Manas as known as Bete (Short). Though he is nicknamed as "Short", he is 175 cm tall, strong built and very black complexioned guy. Hanging on the rod of the bus he works for and shouting a thousand times the next destinations of the bus he works for, he was really felt thirsty. The "SAIL" is going to be over, but the "malik", - owner of the bus has not offered them the bonus he promised to his staff for the "Nababarsha" occasion. "You people are thieves. You regularly steal the money from the actual sale of the bus and load extra passengers. So, I am not going to pay you any bonus this time. Of course, I shall pay the 'Durga Pujo' - bonus, when its time." He declared the other day. "Why? The other rout staff are getting as much as 300INR from their owners end, why not us? At least pay us the 250INR you promised the other day." argued Bete. "Don't talk mauch Bete, or I shall fire you", the owners last declaration in front of the ten other staff of different bus of the owner was a shock to the ears of Bete. It's not that he is always well treated by the owner. They are all habituated to hear the slangs everyday, but the way BiswajitDa, the bus owner said him about firing him if required, really scared him a bit. Yes, it's fact that they travel with some extra passengers for extra money which they never show to the owner and divide between themselves. It's also true that these days, as there are more passengers, the money is more and they get a better share, but that is a different ball game. If somebody has promised something and is not paying that in time, that is very unethical and a kind of theft.And if he is trying to protest the same, he is not doing anything wrong.

Bete's wife Mini was pressing hard for the last few days to buy some new frocks for their daughter and a sari for her own. With the 2800 INR, Bete gets as his salary from this bus and around 700 INR of extra income is not really enough for these purchases at this time of the month. He got this job only for six months and he had to pay the left out rents for their room to the landlord. Though he can do the purchase on any day, the rest of the month may become very hard for them. Mini works for some houses as house maid and she earns around 2200 INR every month and she has also received some bonus money from her bosses. So, she wants to go out one day to buy the things herself, but Bete didn't agree. "If I cannot buy the things myself, keep your money, I am not going to buy them with your money." that was his viewpoint. He was also against Mini's decission to start working as house maid once again, but finally had to allow her to work thinking of their financial condition. He knew and everybody residing nearby knew that he loves his wife very much.

"Let's hire a taxi." Shamit suggested. "Why waste money the buses are no more that crowded, let's go by bus. Hey, one is coming..." Monali hurried. The helper boy of the bus helped Monali in, he also took their daughter in and asked Shamit to get in. "Dada uthe parun taratari..." get up quickly brother, the bus will not stop. Shamit, with the handful of packets in his left hand, struggled to catch the rod of the bus with his right hand. He was running slowly as the bus started speeding slowly and taking a turn at the five point crossing of "Shyam Bazar". He kept his legs on the last pedestal of the rear door of the bus the helper boy is hanging behind him, and suddenly he felt he is being pick pocketed. He was totally helpless, only thing he could do is shout, "chor chor - the thief the thief".

Bete helped the man in and found the same guy shouting for the pick pocket. Instantly he tracked the right person with his previous experiences. The middle aged man in brown colored shirt, getting off from the bus started walking in high speed towards the five point crossing. His target is to ride another speeding bus and get away from the place. Bete started running after that man shouting "Dharun Dharun ... pocketmar" - catch the man please the pick pocket. Some shopkeepers after their tiring schedule of selling on the foot path were having a chat in front of a closed showroom. They also rightly tracked the man in brown shirt and started following. Finally the aged man ran into the traffic police camp to save himself from the mob. He was instantly pulled out from the angry mob and Bete started hitting him right away. "You bastard. Stealing money." he shouted. With all his anger and might he hit the thief on his face. The thief's face was bleeding from the blow and he threw away the purse of Shamit. Police intervened and the thief was saved from mob violence.

Shamit was totally dumbstruck for a few minutes. He, not only lost his money, but also the ATM cards, some non-reimbursed medical bills, some address cards. He could not decide what to do. Then he heard from the other passengers that some people started chasing the thief and then he realized that the bus has been stopped. "Hey man. This must be yours." the black complexioned guy handed him his lost purse. The man is carrying the bag of money as the bus conductors. Oh, that is the bus helper guy. Shamit started coming out of the shock. "Please check if everything is OK", the man said. "Yes, yes... ", Shamit hurried to find the ATM cards and the money. Monali came beside him.

"Wait", Shamit said to Bete. "You deserve a reward," he offered 350INR to Bete. "This is half of the amount I had in my purse, this is for you." "No, thanks", Bete replied, "Hater sukh to peyechi - I had a hand on the thief. That's enough for me to be happy with." "No, that is from your end and this is from mine, if you don't take this, I shall be very unhappy. Please buy something for your family with this." said Shamit. The other passengers also agreed with Shamit and insisted Bete to receive the money. Finally Bete could not avoid and had to receive the money from Shamit, and though it was not an end of a theater show,everybody around in the bus started clapping for Bete.The bus started to move again. Hopefully, it will be a real happy bengali new year for everybody.

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