Anamika

Again Shantiniketan and I sat down front to front to continue our gossiping. This time he asked me to tell him some unsaid and unknown tales of my life. He stood as my intimate friend in every phase of my life. So I couldn't avoid his interest. I started to speak.

When I was at Shantiniketan, I loved to wander here and there in my leisure time. At that time if any newcomer asked me to show him any place in Shantiniketan, I used to go with him to show him various beautiful places of Santiniketan. Perhaps, then I was a student of B. A first year. Actually, at that time, I was not so mature to know the real world. So, sometimes I faced different problems. Then, I learned how to avoid these types of people.

I loved to play with dolls. I had been arranging the birthday of my favourite doll, getting my invitation they came to my home to attend the birthday party of my favourite doll. There was a sewing machine in my parent's house.I. had an interest in sewing. I used to stitch new frocks for my cute doll. I loved cycling. When there was nobody to go for a walk with me, then I used to ride my cycle. Santiniketan heard everything very carefully. Suddenly he told me that I was naughty in my girlhood. I didn't share some secrets of my life. I said, no, no my life was like an open book. I was not a naughty girl, but Santiniketan didn't believe my words. Then, I told him to give me hints about my secrets. He told me had forgotten that event which happened once in "Paus mela''! I began to recall.

Santiniketan had a peculiar power to keep patience. Actually, I could remember that event at last. Paus Mela was held every year in the month of December. Once my elder brother went to see Paus Mela'' at night. Various types of entertainment programs like Luto gan, Kabi gan,yatras etc were held there. My father did not like us to go to mela at night. So generally we didn't do this. My brother went there without listening to my father. Actually, at that age of time, I was curious to know everything around me. So when my father went to sleep, I went after my brother silently. When we reached Paus Mela, a yatra was going on. We sat there for a while. After a few times I couldn't see my brother anyway. So leaving that place I began to search for my brother. At last, I found him with some elderly people. All of them were drunk. I didn't know, how I had so much courage to face the situation. Going there I could see a known person, the father of one of my friends. I told him it was not fair to do this because he was a gentleman and also a responsible citizen. Perhaps he was ashamed of himself. Uttering not a single word, he left the place immediately. I took my brother home.