The lake whispers about that long lost Home

Much of what Kaleidoscope remembers about his childhood revolves around water. Their kachha house used to submerge in water during the monsoon. The street connecting outside world used to remain under rainwater for weeks, sometimes months during the monsoon. Much of the games that Kaleidoscope used to play centered around water too. A typical day would have started with taking a really long bath in his pond, followed by school where he often had to maneuver through the water-logged lane. A typical holiday would surely involve a session of fishing and a couple of longer sessions in the pond.

As the development entered into his neighborhood, water started to disappear from Kaleidoscope's everyday life, except while he drank, urinated and took a bath inside a tiny room. He has however always fascinated with water logged places which range from sewage to ocean! River has been the most loved ones. 

As 'development' rocked his life, it also gave his place a couple of highways, one of which actually goes through a lake. He never knew that lake exists. One-day while taking his parents for an eye operation he availed that road for the very first time. It was still boring stuff Kaleidoscope thought. Shops and vehicles. Soon the picture started to change. It was all low-land through which the expressway was constructed. To add to this good feeling, Kaleidoscope found a large lake on his left. The speeding car took a while to cross. Later-on, Kaleidoscope has used the road numerous times and always wanted to spend some time there, alone.

As he started riding a bicycle again, he took that road with app on to track how much he could do. Initially it was 8-10 kms would make him happy. He could see the low-land with all the vegetation which he used to make one thing or the other. The smell of dried up common water hyacinth, or the smell of drying mud under the scorching June Kolkata was slowly engulfing him. One day he reached a little far and while checking the map afterwards, he understood he was 'dangerously' close to the intoxicating lake. So, it was destined to reunite with water every once in a while.

Nostalgia has been a longing for a home that no longer exists... Kaleidoscope felt, at least he can see the home somewhere. If one doesn't really want to go back and stay inside, the home is there... in so far as we try to see it!

A beautiful combination of low land and the lake

Wings to fly

Water world

Procrastination is over - Revisiting the childhood memories - FOOTBALL

There was always a child somewhere calling up, everyday. The memories of rainy days, mudball (football in a muddy field), and those never ending swimming sessions were always there somewhere around the corner. One could easily catch that, but that was never touched upon. Procrastination - the word that seems more appropriate with people's pending projects, perhaps most suitable to define what people feel like doing, know they easily can do, but seldom do! One of which is to going back to the childhoods.

About five years ago, kaleidoscope in a rain soaked July afternoon, took a photo of a setting sun, glittering the mud-water soaked tract of land at Haldia where his students were playing football. He posted in the facebook to get flooded by messages from his school and neighborhood friends. Everyone, all of a sudden seemed very happy to see a small portion of their childhood living at Haldia, at the backyard of a little known degree college where once child, now grown up teacher was experimenting with his camera. Quickly it was decided that on 15th August everyone will participate in a football match at none other than their childhood playground Bharati Milan Sangha. Its very close to where Kaleidoscope lives, but he recalled he didn't visit that field for about five years. One of his friends urged him to inspect if it was possible to go back to the childhood memories through that place. The place was extremely important given the fact that memories are shaped around place and person. It was a known place, until Kaleidoscope paid a visit. One fine morning Kaleidoscope took a longer route to see the field. He found it was no longer a place, but it was converted to the space to him. It was fenced and a notice board was hanging that in order to protect the grasses playing inside the ground in monsoon is prohibited! Kaleidoscope couldn't believed what he just saw. So, if a kid has to play, he has to be 'disciplined' to be able to enter into what was now become a gated field. The club which used to remain open for hours was closed and he knew the last door to their childhood was completely shut. He felt alien facing an unimaginable space of disciplining. He had to declare that the plan was over. He knew that opportunities to live an unbinding childhood has disappeared (read My playtime, our playtime and vanishing spaces).

Kaleidoscope has also been a cycle enthusiast throughout the most part of his earlier life. A small accident, some pain in his lumber joints and a lot of other aspirations made him drift away from the pedal, spokes, wheels and the sound of wind that blows around your ears and neck. It was a decade long break from his usual routine that involved cycling to places. His long-term fieldwork was never complete without a cycle ride for about 25- 30 km per day. Sometimes, it reached to 50. Bicycle was not just a mode of commuting, it was also a bridge between him urban, car-clad appearances in the field and a relatable person on bicycle.

Fastforward to the Covid-19 led lockdown. He bought a bicycle. This time a little sporty one to go to distances at ease. So, now, the impossible to reach lake, open field suddenly became reachable. He wishes to share the stories of the repeated lake visits in a different post. Here he just want to ensure, that childhood does exist in nearly the exact form in which Kaleidoscope left it. On his way to the lake, which is about 10 km, there is this open field. Where kids play football, yes they do, especially when it rains.