Ajit Da aar nei.
Facebook aar orkut-er juge katha-ta je taratari boibe ta-to janai. Dekhe ektu abak holam… ektu thomke gelam. Aneke anek katha likhechhe… porlam. Anek kathai mone elo… bhablam share korte pari aaj.
Ajit Sengupta… prothom dekha kabe mone nei… tabe prothom interaction-ta mone aachhe. Class VII ki VIII habe… kono ekta monthly exam-e invigilator chhilen. Boi parar bhaan kore chashmar opor diye nazar korchhilen. Katha kam… jetuku beroy “BARITONE”. Tar aage aar pare baritone bolte ekjonkei chinechhi… Mr Bachchan. Jai hok, dekhchhilam uni aar sabai-ke jemon nazar korchhilen amakeo dekhchhilen… aar uni jatokkhon amay dekhchhilen, amio onakei dekhchhilam… besh maza lagchhilo… kaaron bujhte parchhilam je uni hoyto mone mone bhabchhilen je kono golmaal aachhe. Kintu dhorte parchhilen-na bole kichhu bolteo parchhilen na.
Eman samay Ankur-er (Ankur Banerjee) extra sheet-er proyojon hoye porechhilo… bhalo parashuno korle jaa hoy aarki. Time shesh hoye jaabe… taratari giye class-er dais-er opor uthe paper-ta niyechhe ki neyni ekta baagh-er mato kanthoswar…”Ami tomader Jahar Kali-o noi aar Banamali-o na… je amake parade dekhate habe! Ekjon shikkhok-ke eituku samman dite shekho.” Jahar-da aar Banamali-da NCC-te Army aar Air dekha shuno korten.
Porikkha shesh hole khaata dite gelam… khaata niye amay bollen… “nijeke khub chalak bhabchho”. Bollam… “keno Sir, na to!” Prottuttore sankhipto ekta jabab… “Sabdhan”!
Setai shuru… tarpar jakhon Saradananda Bhavan-e elam… roj sakal-e study hall theke ekjon-er gala jharar shabdo petam… bojha jeto aar minit 20 study hall-e katate habe.
Bhadrolok-er saathe aalaap holo Class IX-e uthe. Shunlam darun paran Life Science kintu prochondo raagi. Class-e elen… maante habe STYLE chhilo guru. Uttam Kumar-er pare dhuti Panjabi-te eto keta ami sotti dekhini. Sathe daan haath-e steel band-er ghori. Board-e lekhar samay ghori-ta jhakiye niche namano… paranor samay pa-ta table-er opor tule bhaaj kore dariye thaka… he had STYLE.
Prothom din eshei bole dilen duto khata korte habe… ekta class-e jaa bolbo likhe nebe, Aarektay hostel giye fresh kore likhe aanbe. He has been a legend. Ebong very soon, aamra jara or class kortam, we had this ego with us and somewhere that would reflect in our interactions with those who were not so fortunate.
Aamra kichhu chhele chhilam who were anti-establishment… rather we were perceived that ways. Probably, that was the reason je Ajit da ektu beshi sneho korten. Mone aachhe, extempore speech competition… Sr Section-er assembly hall-e. Amar topic porlo “kaguje baagh”. Anek kathai bolechhilam… etao chhilo taar moddhe je “ekhaneo amader maajhe hostel-e, school-e anek baagh ghure beray… tader prochur hombi-tombi… eta korbo seta korbo… kintu dour ek-talar ba diker ghar-ta abdhi (Ashok-dar ghar)… aarre baba je matha-y chul nei, she mathay tel diye ki laabh!” Chhelera sabai haashleo, teacher-ra sabai gambhiranando hoye gechhilen… ekjon chhara… Ajit Da heshe Ashok-dar kaan-e kichhu bolechhilen.
Parer din class-e eshe bolechhilen…”anek baagh-I to dekhlam!”… tarpar amar dike takiye swabhabsiddho chokh tipe hasha.
Ajit Da khub bhalo galpo bolten… chokh bandho kore thakle mone hoto je radio shunchhi. Aajo ekta galpo mone aachhe… spashto mone aachhe… ebong ami jaani je aami eka noi. Sedin jara chhilo gharta-y tader sabar monei thakbe.
Amader aneker-I 2nd half-e school-e jaowar samay paaye byatha hoto… juto na parar ichchhe aarki. Kono ek bishishto mahashoy (naam bolbo na) chheleder dhorchhilen. Ajit Da-o school-e dhukchhilen. Mahashoy Ajit Da-ke dekhe bollen… “ki din porechhe… chheleder eituku discipline nei… roj chappal pore asha… athocho khelte gele sab thik!” Ajit Da takalen, hashlen, bollen, ”ekta jug chhilo jakhon chhatrora shikkhoker pa-er dike takiye thakto… aar aaj shikkhok chhatrer pa-er dike… ki din porechhe!”
Parer din theke mahashoy-ke aar dekhini dariye thakte!
Ajit Da bhalo abhinoy korten… dekhini… shunechhi. Masterda Surjo Sen karar par auditorium hall-e sabai jakhon prochondo taarif korchhe amar abhinoyer, bhadrolok elen.. pith chapre bollen, “Sabbash, darun korechhis! Shudhu amar mone hoy haath duto ektu beshi narachhili… aboshho eta Dinu-r (Dinanath Da) saathe kaaj karar phal-o hote pare… o haath-ta beshi naare. kintu seta aaro beshi nazar-e aaschhilo tor haather aangti-gulor jonno. Surjo Sen ki aangti porten? Eta mathay rachis!” Parer baar-ta aangti khulei perform korechhilam.
Je loktake sabai saada dhuti-panjabi-tei dekhte abbhosto chhilen, I was amongst the fortunate couple of guys who had seen him in colours. Kono ekta chhuti porechhe… amar saathe aarekta keu chhilo. Amra auditorium aar college shurur maajhtay haatchhilam. Hathat dekhi chena STYLE-e ekjon hete jachchhe paash katiye… Blue Half Shirt aar Navy Blue pant. Abak drishti-te chokhachokhi hotei sei chokh tipe hasha aar paro muhurtei jharer bege hete beriye jaowa.
O kato baro shikkhok chhilen taar bichar karar joggota ba proyojon aachhe bole aamar mone hoy na. Ekbaar o-ke bolte shunechhilam bhalo shikkhok hote gele tin-te jinisher darkar… specifically tin-te “ba”… “Byaktittwo (Personality)”, “Boi (Book or Knowledge)” aar “Baangmoy (Communication)”.
Je life science-ke bhoy petam… Ajit Da sei bhoy-ta kaatiye diyechhilen.
Kono ekta porikkhar viva schedule hoyechhe. Sedin aabar Thums Up Cup-er khelao chhilo. Obviously khelte gechhilam. Parer din khub bhoye bhoye ek-talar life science department-er baire dariye. Bollam “Ajit Da kaal khela chhilo tai viva-ta deowa hoyni… aaj…”.
“Haan… aay… bosh… Congratulations!”
“Thank you!”
“Ta tui ki korish… batsman na bowler?”
“Wicket keeper.”
“Wicket keeper? Khub Bhalo! Ta… which is the muscle in the human body that is most active for a wicket keeper?” (viva shuru hoye gelo)
Bhebe bollam, “Calf muscles.”
“Farokh Engineer-er naam shunechhis? Wicket keeper chhilen. Abar opening batsman-o. sab opening batsman crease-e eshe stance nito, tarpar set hoto. Engineer naamto, petate shuru korto. O-ke jakhon sangbadik-ra jiggesh korlo Farokh bhai thoda set hone ka time to lenge, he said behind the stumps for an entire innings, my eyes are always set! Tahole… which is the muscle in the human body that is most active for a wicket keeper?”
“Eyes”
“Very good. Aay. Parer match-tao jeetbi to?”
Aaj mon kharap hochhe na… sotti bolchhi… anando hochhe… garbo hochhe… I am amongst the fortunate few who happened to cross the road with Mr Ajit Sengupta.
Ajit Da, aapnar STYLE chhilo… je chhele chhotobela theke leather band chhara kichhu porto na, porbe na bole thike korechhilo… aaj se steel band chhara ghori pare na. For me, you are a STYLE icon.
Pronam neben!
