Thought: Five Hundred Ninety-Six
……………………………………………………
8 November 2014
Bachelors never grow up. Bachelors only grow older. The thing is,
I mean……………..
You have to understand.
I’m waiting for everyone. Is that clear?
You are advised to grow up by eating puffed rice.
Have some Sprite with it.
………. I mean, did you think I was an angel?
Do you still claim to be a bachelor? Judging from the samples of all the messages flooding your inbox that you’ve shared through your status updates,
it can be said with certainty that you lost your virginity long ago. How many women have ravished(*) you in their dreams is easily imaginable.
I’m not wise, I’m a typical sinner. And you are a sin-wise man.
I’m not sin-wise, I’m wise in sin.
8 November 2014
Chittagong
No landlord wants to rent houses to bachelors. Yet when marrying off their daughters, they look for bachelor grooms. They have no shame!
How pathetic!
If you were a landlord, would you rent to them?
……….. Are you a landlord?
Just get married once and for all!
Just once?
Getting both a wife and a maid is tough!!
No, today is Anti-Bachelor Landlord Resistance Day.
Supto’s dormant wisdom is finally no longer dormant.
……….. Does anyone’s wife belong to someone else in this world?
Find out if his mother is married yet.
You don’t become a wife through merit,
You become worthy by being a wife.
9 November 2014
This feeling is something else!
The boss is in the room hurling abuse. And from somewhere in my head, I don’t know where, a tune keeps playing and playing………..
Saiyaan dil mein aana re…..ah
Ke phir na jaana re…….. I’m trying my hardest to keep my face as sorrowful as possible in the style of a beaten puppy, but it’s not working. I just keep wanting to laugh, keep wanting to laugh! The more the boss gets seriously angry,
the more it strikes my head………….chham chhama chham chham………..
Working a job has killed my shame………….
………… Listen brother, my boss scolds less than I do.
………… I’m funny?! Who told
you??
No dear, I’m not humorous,
seriously! I’m serious! I’m just humorously serious!!
But we must also consider whether anyone has really swept at all.
10November 2014
How to manage friends?
Some ask me, how do you manage your
friends? The answer is simple. Managing your friends is something like managing
your no-friends (if not enemies) and haters. You have passed your life without
those people till date, means you can pass the rest of your life without those
people. You do not need everyone in your life. Make your own choice. Only you
yourself and your old good people are mandatory for your life. Everyone else is
optional; yes, just OPTIONAL. No use of ruining your present happiness dreaming
of being happier. Who does not make you feel good can hardly make you feel
better. No one else is bigger than the old and happy YOU. I often say, My friend-list
is big; well, so is my block-list. This is my own way of facebooking.
14November 2014
There was a time when not a single day passed without watching at least one movie. I now feel a fierce envy for those days. Movies I’ve watched, loved, and still remember—this note is about their stories. Take a look; many films will probably feel familiar to you. For those that don’t, if their reviews seem like your ‘cup of tea,’ spend a weekend or two with them. Happy weekend, friends!!
14November 2014
Happiness is, when you hear these
things about your father from your lawyer friend:
মেসোমাসিমা! Wonderful couple indeed! I let you know dost, Mr Paul,
Senior was my learned opposition lawyer in some civil suits. As far as I’ve
seen him, he is a man of cool blood; no hurries, no worries in submission before
the court. One thing that always drew my attention about him is that he showed
the same regards to the junior lawyers as he did to his seniors. He knows the
art of respecting others very well. An interesting thing I feel like sharing
here. I knew that he is your father but I never told him that Mr Paul, Junior
is my friend. Why? Well, as I’ve seen him, he is so kind-hearted that if I told
him it, so far I assume, he’d develop a soft corner about me and our battle
before the court would be reduced. I’m grateful to this great personality for
learning some life lessons.
My father is a lawyer. Proud to be
his son! Thank you dost Anupam for sharing these things.
Every son/ daughter must be proud of
his/her pa. Just by chance my pa too was a lawyer…….. and a freedom fighter
during British rule. Indebted. Memories haunt…..all through your life.
…….. respect
Thought: Five Hundred Ninety-Seven
……………………………………………………
14November 2014
Sushanta, wonderful! You’re truly doing something remarkable! You’re teaching people to dream and inspiring them to choose a beautiful path. I wholeheartedly applaud your efforts. I’ve been doing this myself for a long time. But I can only help those who come before me, or those I happen to meet. Their numbers are quite limited. I can’t write as much as you do. You’re writing for everyone. Your thoughts are reaching everyone through your writing. This is a tremendous undertaking — helping to bring positive change to people’s lives. You’re weaving dreams for everyone through free seminars. Our society needs this. Many might have the desire to do this. But how many actually do? If you have time, come meet me. I would truly enjoy it. I stay very busy, yet I make time to read your writings. I’ve become a fan of your work. May God bless you.
That story you wrote — the story of the happy cleaner. Rahim’s life story. Believe me, brother, I loved it immensely. Very good example, I must say! A story about loving one’s work, a philosophy of living the most beautiful life in the simplest way. This was extremely timely. Brother, I know how much struggle it takes to earn a single penny. Children of industrialists will never be able to understand this. I tell my senior industrialist friends: let your son recognize the path of the world. Don’t cripple him. Let them understand the labor through which you became who you are today. It pains me when I see that most of the time, none of them agree to this proposal. I tell them: let them teach their children how difficult it is to earn money. If they directly make their children directors/owners of companies, they’ll never have the experience of how to treat people. Because their staff will treat them as they should treat an owner, and in this way they won’t be able to see and understand the real picture of where the company’s actual problems lie. They could even start their careers as employees in the company, but never directly as directors/owners.
I was talking with Saumitra dada. (Dada, I’ve translated and written your words in Bengali. Please forgive me if there are any mistakes.) Dada is also a graduate of CUET. We’ve decided to continue doing such work together from social commitment. Throughout the entire country. Additional Commissioner of Income Tax Department, Badal Syed sir, has been doing such work personally or with various organizations for a long time. Sir has also become involved with my career chat program. I’m also involved with some of sir’s work. Under sir’s management, funded by Chittagong Rotary Club, my next career chat will be held on the 22nd at 4 PM at the Chittagong Theatre Institute auditorium.
Friends! Happy Dreaming!!
14November 2014
Marry the daughter of your boss.
You’ll get a BIG boss.
How, brother???
Marry uncle’s subordinate. You’ll understand.
Are you going to do that???!!!
How do you stay awake with so much wisdom??
A story comes to mind. There’s a song by Suman,
“First of all, I want you…”
So, after that song came out, everyone was saying,
Suman must have fallen in love. The ‘you’ in the song is his beloved. Hearing all this, Suman had said,
“Why do Bengalis have so little sense?”
The thing is, Suman once had to go to jail for some reason. He was in prison for about fifteen days. During that time, his only companion was cigarettes. Sitting in jail, thinking about cigarettes, he wrote that song. The ‘you’ in that song is the cigarette.
I wonder how equally relevant Suman’s words still are!!
Girls will be girls. They will never change!! (What else can I say!!??)
You will get a BIG BOSS……but your old boss will cease to exist as your boss. Damad (s’in law) in our society is the super-guest……bigger than god.
……….. So true, Sir!!
15November 2014
Growing up is optional…… Just choose your options…… Plus make your camera your great friend……let it hide your flaws…. flawlessly! Hahahaha…. Hiding flaws flawlessly!! Good idea, huh?……. Facebook is a great place to invent already known faces. Yes, you just have read it right. INVENT. You’ve a childlike soul; if you don’t have, make it so! Let yourself remain a child forever too…. Plan to be younger in your next birthday than your last one! No wrong in taking newer looks on Facebook. I feel like falling in love with some girls in Facebook at whom I even dare not look twice! It’s cool, na? Love yourself, otherwise others won’t.
……… Thank you for what you’ve done.
you are welcome my unique friend,Sushanta Paul, There is none at your level. I respect you from the bottom of my heart.
…………..your kindness
16November 2014
The mad beauties dwell beyond Facebook, in other quarters; here they cannot be found.
16November 2014
O my dear! Please keep my name secretly in the temple of your soul with the care that your love for me claims.
This is an English translation of the first two lines of a Tagore song. The translation is mine. Can you tell which song it is?
Bhalobese sakhi nibhrite jotone…moner mondire!
Beloved friend, in secret tenderness write my name in the temple of your heart’s heart…..learn the rhythm of that song which plays in my soul as well……So then, brother, what rhythm is playing in your mind??
Off-beat.
Thought: Five hundred ninety-eight
……………………………………………………
16November 2014
Friends, come, let’s play a game of songs. Write the first line of your favorite Rabindrasangeet. (Don’t think too much—just whatever comes to mind right now)
I’ll begin…….
Not just your words, O friend, O beloved, but sometimes give my soul your touch as well॥
Along with some others:
Why should I fear the unknown, O
So many words you go on saying
Springing forth from the source of darkness
The bee keeps going away, the bee keeps coming back
The sky full of sun and stars
Touch my soul with the philosopher’s stone of fire
There is sorrow,
there is death
Today come play the game of breaking games
Tonight in the moonlight everyone has gone to the woods
Today in the rice fields, in sun and shade
Today the new clouds’ melody has begun
Today in the lonely house at midnight
Today on this drizzling murmuring rainy day
Today I bow to you, I shall depart, O Lord
Half asleep,
eyes kissed shut
The stream of joy flows through the world
In the realm of bliss, in the realm of welfare
We are all kings
If you would bind me with the rope of work
In this very longing for the path lies my joy
You have made my life’s vessel overflow with sweetness
My midnight rain shower
What my soul desires
Who walked away
over my life
The person of my soul dwells within my soul
My beloved’s shadow floats in the sky today
My day that passes into evening
My mind accepts neither day nor night
Outside the corner of my mind
In my jasmine grove
Bow my head down to your
My freedom in light upon light, there in that sky
When I’m about to leave, someone calls from behind
The day when I was swept away in tears
Lighting the lamp of all my sorrows, the day
My golden Bengal
You were hidden in my heart
What my soul desires
Who will take me, brother,
I wish to surrender
You have made me infinite
I remain listening
I am only a dream, I have sown
I know you, oh I know you
I have knowingly drunk poison
In your love I shall bear everyone’s shame
I have bound my life to yours
I will not forget you in beauty, but in love
I am eager to speak my heart’s words, no one asked
Come then, companion
More, more, Lord, more, more
Light, my light, oh
In this cascade of light, wash me clean
Ah, today in this spring
You have done well, cruel one
A little touch suffices, a few words I hear
What grace fills this life
In which home today
They seek love for happiness, love is not found
Come to my home. Come forth, you who dwell within.
Come to the kadamba grove,
Come beneath the shadowed paths
Come, verdant beautiful one
Come, Boishakh, come, come
O firefly,
With what joy you spread those wings
This one heeds no prohibition
Upon the earth beneath that seat
That jasmine vine sways
O river, wild in your own current
O householder
O timid one,
The world’s burden is not in your hands
O beautiful one,
In my home today
How many times I thought, forgetting myself
When will you come, tell me
You made me weep with love’s wound
Last night
Dark bud, I call her that
From where sounds this ache of love
There is no prohibition against my getting lost somewhere
In what light do you kindle life’s lamp
Forgive my weariness, Lord
I have begun to build a playhouse
Open wide the doors
A bee has entered the house, humming
Thirst fills my eyes, oh this thirst spreads across my heart
Let me touch your feet
The dam of the moon’s laughter has broken
In the light of eyes I had seen beyond the eyes
With torn leaves I deck the boat
Night passes into wakefulness
Crossing the boundary of life and death
I will not call,
I will not call like that from outside
Yet remember if I go far away
My boat suddenly sinks
Are you merely a picture
You are a flower of which garden
You who came
on the path of ruin in the sleeping night
You who set fire to melody
You will remain silently in my heart
You are the evening clouds, you are my secluded devotion
I will sing songs to you
Hoping to find you anew
I will keep you in my heart
In your infinity, how far I race with heart and soul
In your open wind
The stream of your melody
My heart wishes to see you—show yourself to me
You alone I have made the pole star of my life
Whatever you all may say, brother, I want my golden deer
You stand beyond my song
My days could not remain in a golden cage
Day and night I seem to live in hope of someone
If you won’t receive sorrow. When will your sorrow end
Eyes cannot see you, yet you dwell in every eye
What is not sought can be found
Even if you don’t call, I’ll remain at your door
The flower that blooms for you eternally in the garden
In dense thick darkness burns the pole star
O sky wrapped in blue collyrium’s clustered shadows
On the blue horizon that flower-fire caught flame
You are a lost traveler
On the stormy day of mad winds
The east wind sways today, I’m dying, dying
How can you forget those old days, alas
In joy I poured out my heart
The heart desires,
the eyes do not
Filling the heart, quenching the thirst
In the spring breeze, in the breeze
Through flowers swaying, what flows
Friend, what light touched your eyes
Friend, do not be angry in vain,
do not be
In the midst of rain, waters of peace
Give me strength, give me strength, give power to my soul
Bengal’s earth, Bengal’s water
The first kadamba flower of the rainy day
Fate, those large eyes
Save me from danger—this is not my prayer
Separation has become sweet today
If you truly love, dear friend
I love, I love
Loving you, friend, in secret tenderness write my name
Breaking the key to my home
Sweet spring has come
Sweet one, I cannot find your end
My mind is companion to the clouds
What doubt did you leave in my mind as you departed
Who is it that dances eternally in my heart
In the universe, in space, in eternity
Sometimes I catch a glimpse of you
The doe wandering in the enchanted forest
The cloud has said it will go, will go
Sunlight has smiled in the cloud’s embrace
In what melody does my veena play
What wind has intoxicated my thoughts
In the secret, lonely chamber of my heart
When you came in the darkness
When my footprints will no longer fall
As long as you keep me seated on the outer path
If I had known
what was my sorrow
If I do not know him, how can that be
If no one comes hearing your call
The day passes,
the monsoon day passes
She who was the wanderer of my dreams
The night when my doors were broken by the storm
Where night comes to merge
In autumn today, which guest came to the door of my heart
Only coming and going, only floating in the current
Let it fall and flow like the monsoon stream
Playing the plaintive flute, who goes by
With such anguish, everyone there is weeping
Beloved, time has passed me by
Beloved, what do we call thought
Dear friend, dear friend, Radha calls
Terror’s bewilderment insults its own self
Cannot bear the torment
Days and nights without joy, enslaved
On the azure ocean, by the verdant shore
That was good,
that was good
That day we two swayed together in the woods
Alas,
in anguish words sink and drown, they go
A garland that knows defeat I’ll place around your neck
The heart’s this
shore and
that shore
O guest of the moment, you came at dawn
Reflection: Five hundred ninety-nine
……………………………………………………
16November 2014
Name the most heartbreaking Bengali film you’ve seen.
I’ll name two:
Meghe Dhaka Tara (After watching this film, I was deeply melancholy for several days. To understand what melancholy truly is,
either read Bhaskar Chakraborty’s poetry or watch this film. I love Neera and
Neeta. Sunil’s Neera,
and Neeta from Meghe Dhaka Tara. I love them far too much.)
Moraner Parey
(I watched it at the cinema with my mother. Even as a small child, I wept uncontrollably watching this film. Though perhaps the reason was also that
seeing tears streaming from my mother’s eyes made me cry. What anguish, what anguish!)
Shadow Of Time
The Japanese Wife
Agnishwar
Antaheen
Apur Sansar
Abasheshe
Ashikkhito
Aguner Poroshmoni
Anando Ashru
Amar Achhe Jol
Amar Bondhu Rashed
Alor Michil
Iti Mrinalini
Ei Ghor Ei Songsar
Etotuku Asha
Ora Egaro Jon
Chitrangada
Chaplin
Chutir Ghonta
Judge-Barrister
Jonmo Theke Jolchhi
Joyjatra
Jibon Theke Neya
Television
Titash Ekti Nodir Naam
Dipu Number Two
Dukhai
Nondito Noroke
The Light of the Eyes
Delay on the Road
Song of the Road
The Tomb of Love
Why is Father a Servant
Biraj’s Wife
She Doesn’t Understand, Doesn’t Understand
Give Rice
Monpura
The Great Hero
House of Clay
Cloud Upon Cloud
Red Sister-in-Law
The Conch-Blue Prison
Punishment
The Artist
Brother Shubho
Days of Monsoon Clouds
Truth and Falsehood
Truth Has No Death
Above All
The Manicured Garden
Siraj-ud-Daula
Shark River Grenade
18November 2014
LEAVE to LIVE.
no set rules!
……….. Size doesn’t matter
chopping wood.
Why only SHE or HE thoughts?? Think
about ideas.
What should we leave person/idea?
………….
depends………………. (an MBA reply!)
Learn to Live….and, more
importantly, Live to Learn!
and, Live to Love…………….
Live, Live & Live!!
and, Laugh to Live.
18November 2014
I’m sharing verbatim a Facebook status I posted on March 4, 2011, along with my comments in reply to friends’ responses. I came across it suddenly while sifting through my old writings. Reading these words after so many days, I find myself thinking: how relevant are these thoughts even today!
The status:
Some of my friends have asked me
through inbox, “Do you still support your Bangladesh cricket team?” I’ve
just answered, “YES”…. Can I ever call another beautiful woman
Mother only because my own Mother is ugly?…. NO!! NEVER!!…. Better days
must come, I believe!!
My reply comments:
: I’m humbly requesting all of my
Bangladeshi Facebook friends not to say anything if you don’t have something
nice to say about Bangladesh….. I really do mean it!!….. Please stop this
nuisance!!
: I may feel hurt by my mother’s mistake,
or scold her for a while!
But the deep anguish of this bleeding in my heart should never touch others in such a way
that they dare to pity me or my mother,
to humiliate us.
: Bangladesh is still very young. Consider this—our most senior player is only 28! I admit
they didn’t play well today, made many mistakes,
caused us pain. But they are our brothers! Our joy and sorrow revolve around them. We might give our brother a few slaps—there’s no harm in that. But
never in front of anyone,
never,
absolutely never!!
: Think about it for a moment—
just recently during the FIFA World Cup, we flew Brazilian and Argentinian flags on our rooftops. Brother, we didn’t even play in that cup!
Yet look, we are the host nation for this Cricket World Cup. But where?
I haven’t seen many Bangladeshi flags flying on anyone’s rooftops!
Truth is, we still have much to learn.
: Let’s raise our voices together
for Bangladesh, only for our Bangladesh!! Right or wrong, this is my
motherland, my mother!! I owe to her for every drop of my blood!!
: Brother,
we can’t be so disheartened,
we still have our next matches to play,
don’t we?
We will play,
that’s the truth!
They lose—
we don’t want this any more than they do. Friend,
I understand everything. My own mood gets quite foul too!
See, this is what love is! We’ll be angry, but never abandon them.
“Only one who loves tenderly has the right to chastise.” Say what you will, brother,
but if anyone speaks ill of my country I simply cannot keep my temper,
blood rushes to my head. Brother, what can I do!
I love her!
: Whether we speak well or ill,
whatever we say,
in our hearts we want this—
for them to play well! If you spit upward, it falls back on you,
doesn’t it? Better to stand beside them, let them rise again—that’s what we want! Seeing such offensive comments from friends of my country on social networking sites makes me feel utterly helpless. I feel as if the ground beneath my feet is slowly shifting away. What’s the point? This will only worsen our image crisis. Just because my mother’s face isn’t beautiful, can I ever
call another beautiful woman
‘mother’?
This country is my mother,
they are my brothers. In today’s dark hour we must stand by them,
to reassure them, to give them courage. If they are lost, we too will be lost.
19November 2014
Continuing the series of career sessions I’ve been hosting across the country, the next session will be held on Saturday, November 22nd at 4 PM at the Chittagong Theatre Institute auditorium. Like all my sessions, there’s no registration required and no entry fee. It’s open to everyone. Just show up at the venue at the scheduled time. The program is being organized by the Chittagong Rotary Club, on the initiative of Badal Syed, Additional Commissioner of the Income Tax Department.
What the session will include:
One. Motivational talks.
Two. Preparation strategies for BCS preliminary + written + viva examinations.
Three. Preparation strategies for Dhaka University’s IBA MBA written + viva admission tests.
The session will last about 3 hours. Please bring your questions about the topics we’ll discuss, written briefly. During the Q&A session, I’ll try to answer all your questions.
The next session will be on Sunday, November 30th at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium at Rajshahi University. I’ve been invited to speak at a program organized in conjunction with the university’s career fair. This is open to everyone. I’ll be joined at that session by my friend Rimel, a distinguished alumnus of that same university. All information about the session can be obtained from Imrul, President of the Rajshahi University Career Club.
I’ve also been invited to another session exclusively for East West University students, organized by the university’s career club. That session will be on December 6th. All information about this session can be obtained from Arafat, a faculty member at East West University.
Many people frequently request that I visit their cities to speak at career sessions. I have some limitations here. I can’t organize these sessions myself due to lack of time and opportunity. If you organize a session on behalf of your university, college, or institution and invite me, I’ll make time for it. However, the career session must be completely non-commercial. Brothers, you won’t even need to pay for my transportation. That’s why I want participation to cost no one even a penny. Many ask me why I conduct these free motivational seminars. What do I gain from it? I answer with the Bible: Man does not live by bread alone.
Friends! Happy dreaming!
(I humbly request you to share this post and let everyone know.)
Reflection: Six hundred
……………………………………………………
22 November 2014
: Bhaiya, would it be okay if I come to today’s seminar at 3?
: What are you going to do going so early, lay eggs?
: Why? You’re the one who always says to go early.
: Oh, I see. Well, good point. But why are you going today of all days? Didn’t you go to Muslim Hall the other day?
: Bhaiya, I want to see you on stage.
: Why?
What’s the story?
Why do I have to look?
Am I a zoo monkey?
: Shut up, you bad man!
I won’t come to your seminar!
: Very good decision!
Finally coming to your senses.
………….(conversation ended)………………
Friends! So we’ll meet at today’s gathering, we’ll talk. At 4 o’clock at the Theatre Institute.
Addition: Another text just arrived.
You got all proud, didn’t you?
Listen, I’ll come to your seminar, to see the pants-and-shirt-wearing monkey without a ticket,
just for that. Nothing else. Hmph!
Women are indeed the fuel of hell. I seem to have fallen into Abdullah’s trap.
23November 2014
(I got some serious feedback from yesterday’s career chat!
Sharing it!!)
Brother, you won’t know me. I didn’t know you either until yesterday. I’m not someone lost. I’m doing very well. I’m neither your nobody nor somebody. I’m pretty much anybody. No big deal. I’m quite fine like this. I eat, drink, sleep, and fight with my boyfriend. My life has only one goal:
to become a good housewife. I don’t have all those career thoughts. Yesterday my boyfriend forcibly dragged me to your chat session. He’s your follower on Facebook. You apparently didn’t accept his request. So he both likes and dislikes you at the same time. I went, I saw,
I listened, and I got answers to many difficult questions in my life. Very simple answers. These questions I perhaps could never have asked anyone. I gained something else too. One of my confusions cleared up. I’ve decided that I’ll marry my boyfriend. He surely wants what’s best for me. Otherwise,
why would he drag me there?
If he weren’t a very good person,
what fool would introduce his girlfriend to you? You’re quite risky in a good way!
Don’t mind my words, brother. Stay well.
Shipra…….just
wait a few more days,
the doctor said
I’ll have a daughter. When my daughter turns 18, I’ll be able to become your mother-in-law.
Shipra’s daughter’s name is Ant.
Hey, no! Bipra!
Bipra is the goddess of beauty.
Oh Allah!
Save me from the hands of my mother-in-law and her gang of bandits.
23November 2014
After yesterday’s career chat, I shared on my wall this morning a ‘somewhat different’ feedback I received. I had decided
that I would change the style of my discussions a bit. The funny thing is,
after sharing this feedback on my wall, some amusing comments came and I also received quite a few messages in my inbox. After this, I’ve moved away somewhat from my previous thinking. No!
This is exactly how I’ll teach everyone to live. Sharing some comments and messages.
Nixon: There’s nothing to change about yourself based on someone’s feedback, brother. If a girl doesn’t like your presentation style, that’s not your fault—everyone else likes it. It would have been more gracious if she had taken responsibility for not liking it herself. Why should we spread our own pettiness?
Though reading that piece, it somehow felt like a personal responsibility!!
Dear writer… Some people’s deeply personal struggles become stepping stones to dreams for others. No one goes to gatherings to take on the burden of feeling pain,
nor should they. Those who go, go to overcome the struggle. If you understand that taking this particular turn at this exact point in your life will prevent you from falling into the kind of trouble Sushant da faced,
then someone else’s life struggle becomes a lesson—
if someone goes for that reason, why are you speaking like this, brother?
I myself have never attended gatherings, not because of lack of time or opportunity,
simply because the opportunity never arose. But believe me,
I too want to succeed in life! (I’m also in a cadre job myself.)
Tell me, why did you say it like that, sister?
Do you know the agony of unemployment?
Have you ever said you’ve eaten ruti-kola from the footpath while unemployed and had dinner at a friend’s house?
Have you ever had to say while going to job interviews… the next job will definitely work out,
father! Have you ever avoided relatives,
just to escape being called ‘unemployed’?!
Didn’t you see Sushant da’s responsibility for showing so many young people their dreams? You only saw the responsibility of personal suffering!!??
Nipa: Sachin Tendulkar recently published a book called ‘Playing It My Way.’ Just like the title of that book, I want to say, “Brother,
play it your way. No need to change.” Besides, everyone has the freedom to express themselves in their own way. If someone doesn’t like it,
let them move away. Everyone else likes it anyway.
Ahmed: My dear emotional sister,
just tell us how many you have motivated,
how many times they told you that they would not give up only because of your help.
Zohra: Your sufferings,
your words don’t belong to you alone… When we hear your words, we begin to feel,
this is the story of my own life,
I’m hearing the words of my own heart… That’s why you don’t seem like a stranger to us. Hearing your stories, we learn to hope for light in our darkness-shrouded lives. You are great,
that’s why you tell us the stories of your life, even if it means diminishing yourself. Thank you for expressing yourself this way. Why should you change??!!
(This message came in the inbox) Brother,
can’t you understand that some people want to make you their personal property? Are your personal sufferings only personal? Aren’t they largely impersonal?
Don’t these words touch everyone around? Doesn’t everyone think anew about themselves after your seminars?
Then why would you withdraw into yourself after coming so far? Not in any way, not at all, never.
Final words. Tolstoy once asked,
what does man live by? I say, man lives by love.
Thought: Six hundred and one
……………………………………………………
24November 2014
What transpired during the nearly four-hour gathering organized by the Chittagong Rotary Club on Saturday, November 22nd at the Chittagong Theatre Institute auditorium:
One. Motivational talks
Two. BCS preliminary + written + viva examination preparation strategies
Three. MBA admission examination preparation strategies for Dhaka University’s IBA
Four. Question and answer session
I extend special thanks to Additional Commissioner Badal Syed from the Income Tax Department for taking the initiative to organize this gathering. Thirty to forty percent of what I shared during the session is available through the first and second links. The third and fourth links contain a motivational piece. Content from all four links was provided to event participants on CDs, courtesy of the club. In the fifth link, I’ve shared some of my own reflections on that day’s career session and feedback from participants. Those interested are welcome to read through them.
My next career session will be held at Rajshahi University’s Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium on Sunday, November 30th at 2 PM. Like all my sessions, this one too will require no entry fee. It’s open to all.
Friends! So we shall meet, we shall talk. Good luck!
I humbly request that you share this post to inform everyone.
24November 2014
Let them comment and also don’t
remove that comment to let some others like it to know whom to welcome to your
block-list and ignore-list. Send them an imaginary thank-you note for making
you alert.
PS, I like to maintain a BIG
friend-list and I do love to maintain a BIG block-list.
……… I don’t have time to care about everyone in the world, sister. Those who do care—I can’t even give them the time they deserve, and that regret keeps me awake at night.
……… Friend,
believe me,
I envy people for one thing—that they even have time to be envious. And I, damn it, don’t even have time to love. Despicable me!!
Friend, actually, you know what I mean,
what I mean is,
perhaps some people can’t help but be envious because you’re such a genuinely good person.
Friend, you’re absolutely right,
I really am sooooooo good!! Nobody understands, nobody understands……………
24November 2014
A few days ago I wrote a note titled “Fragmented Letters: The Scent of Flowers Brings No Sleep.” This note was memoir-like in nature. After reading it, she felt that the rural elements I had portrayed bore striking resemblance to her grandmother’s village. She then created this album, photographing the surroundings of her grandmother’s home in correspondence with my note, and shared it.
Friends, please read my note and view the album. See if it resonates with anyone else’s ancestral village home.
Ava, I would very much like to visit your grandmother’s village.
25November 2014
feeling despicable me!!
I don’t have time to care for everyone in the world. Those who do care—
I lose sleep over my inability to give them the time they deserve.
I envy people for this:
they find time even for envy. And here I am, damn it, with no time even for love.
You really are carefully careless
…………….. Yes, I’m! I wanna
really live as long as I’m alive!!
………. Sushantda,
you’ve already cared for them
(!) through your status!
What a brilliant comment!! This is exactly why I love this crazy one!!
26November 2014
A message waiting when you wake up can make the start of your day unexpectedly beautiful. I’m sharing exactly the message I received this morning.
“Identity is more important
than existence.” Or “We can never tell when or where life will take us……………..” And a few other such thoughts.
Dada, your words have smoothed my path
I I’ve become an Assistant Judge today I Your words were with me as inspiration,
are with me, and will remain with me I Please stay well, dada. I’ll fulfill my wish to see you in person very soon I
Please pray for me…….salute
Dada.
A number was given below the message. I called. He couldn’t answer. Later he called me back. He graduated with a degree and master’s in law from Rajshahi University. After yesterday’s BJS exam results were announced, among the close people he remembered, he thought of me too. If only he knew what a tremendous gift this is for me! Let me tell you in his own words: “Dada,
I’ve been following you on Facebook since 2013. Never sent a friend request. I had your mobile number too. Never called. Perhaps I was waiting for today. I regularly read your posts. I always felt
you were talking about my own life. Some of your words had embedded themselves so deeply in my mind that whenever I felt I was losing myself, I was losing myself, your words would inspire me to dream of living anew. I went through some very difficult times. When I was teaching at Stamford, the administration decided to cut some faculty. Being junior, I was on that list too. But I didn’t break down. Whenever I felt low, I’d read your writings again and again. A kind of courage would flow into my chest. I’m grateful to you for today, dada.”
Written on my cover photo: I want to inspire people. I want
someone to look at me and say, “Because of you I didn’t give up.”
Dear Farabi, I
dedicate those words above to you today. You’ve made my day!! My heartfelt wishes for you. Live well with people’s love. Go much further still.
Another different matter. Yesterday I posted a piece. A story without an end. I’ve received several comments on this story. Let me share an amusing one among them.
Listen here, Mr. Writer!
What exactly is your problem? You raised the girl, got her through honors and masters, then made her fall in love with just anyone. Why? Instead of arranging a good marriage for her,
no,
you threw her into life’s battlefield. What’s wrong with you?
Thought: Six hundred and two
……………………………………………………
26November 2014
Coming to Rajshahi for the first time. I’ll board the 11 PM bus from Dhaka tomorrow night. Should reach Friday dawn. I’ll stay on the university campus. My career session is on Sunday at 2 PM at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium at the university. I’ll return to Dhaka that same night. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until noon—I have a tremendous desire to explore (greater) Rajshahi extensively! What’s there to see in Rajshahi and its surroundings, what’s there to eat, and what’s there to do—give me ideas. Most importantly, if my friends, followers, or well-wishers who are in Rajshahi could meet me, roam together, chat together, I would be absolutely delighted. I’m available at 01716086921. Hello Rajshahi!
27November 2014
In Dhaka’s traffic jam,
the car moves…….
like a sulking snail
28November 2014
After seeing Puthia Palace, on the way to Sarda Police Academy…….
28November 2014
What feeling is there left in life!!
Today, seeing such a massive field at Sarda Police Academy
(where officers must run at least once daily during training), my feelings:
One. If this thing were shown to anyone before filling up the BCS form, not a single soul in the universe would choose BCS Police as first choice.
I can bet! (Thank God I’m saved!)
Two. Just for running on this field for one year during the training period, the police deserve our wholehearted love and respect!
I mean,
forget about the horses! They say you have to mount these in one leap! Each one is taller than me! (I’m 5-11)
Oh God!
Are these horses or beasts!!
God bless the BCS Police cadres!
Many, many thanks to Ferdausi 1, 2, and Masud bhai for arranging our tour.
Good thing,
I hereby solemnly swear that
until the goddess of sleep possesses me tonight, I shall play the tabla non-stop on the university campus, and if no one around demonstrates their nightingale voice, I shall immediately begin musical torture with my crow-like voice. I earnestly call upon all brothers and sisters of the university campus to join in groups, in processions. Come, let’s chat, eat puffed rice. I’ll pay for the ice-cold Sprite!!
Call 01716086921 and come over.
29November 2014
This isn’t sweet, this is
nectar!!
Just for the temptation of this sweetness, one could bid a smiling farewell even to hell!
At the Nice Sweet Shop in Gopalpur……..
On the road to Sonamasjid…….
29November 2014
Riverside chatter over coffee and puchka…….
29November 2014
A golden night, a silver guitar,
a campus,
a Paris Road, an Eblish Square,
a few of ‘those very ones’,
and some equally magnificent younger brothers. What else does life need?
The feeling……. of watching the chariot festival
and selling banana plants!
30November 2014
Life is a sleepless night with a
guitar!!
Life redefined!!
30November 2014
After wandering through the varsity campus, on the way to Barendra Museum…… I tell you, if you ever visit the martyrs’ memorial, come at dawn. The memorial at dawn will powerfully stir your entire consciousness and feeling. Those who lie here can be felt from within. Before you know it, your eyes grow moist. I intend to write about this,
about midnight on Paris Road. After roaming around Rajshahi University campus, I felt there’s perhaps no campus as well-organized as this. (I haven’t been to the Agricultural University or Jahangirnagar University campuses yet.)
Excluding my own city, my three most beloved cities are:
Rajshahi, Kushtia, and Mymensingh.
30November 2014
It was just huge!!! At least
2500participants were present in today’s career adda!!! Yes, you’ve read it right.
At least 2500!!! Rajshahi University rocks!!! Thanks to Rajshahi University
Career Club, all the sponsors of the job fair, all the media partners, and all
the participants.
Really badly missing all the
wonderful younger brothers. We had joy, we had fun. I love this city, I love
this varsity campus, I love the goddamn friendly juniors. Rajshahi people are
just awesome. They’re simple, polite, friendly. They know how to take life as
it is. They leave simple things simple, complicated things complicated. I’m
leaving behind many sweet memories in this heaven beside Paris Road. Here love
does live. I love love!!
Dear younger brothers, thank you for
being so wonderful. Please never stop being wonderful! I’ll miss you……….
Take care, dear Rajshahi!!
1 December 2014
Before the career gathering began, my younger brother Shaon, founder and former president of Rajshahi University Career Club, was saying,
Brother, our Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium has a total of 2200 seats. This auditorium never fills up completely. I’ve never seen students sitting on the second floor of the auditorium at any seminar so far. I have a feeling that today something will happen that has never happened before. I’m waiting to see this.
After the gathering ended………
After the release of Third Person Singular Number, Mosharraf Karim and Tisha came to our university to promote the film. Only then had this many students—or close to this many—come to our auditorium. For the first time ever at a career seminar, even after the second floor of this hall was packed, nearly 300 students stood or sat on the auditorium steps. This was a record for Rajshahi University.
Those words above are also Shaon’s.
Brother, I was on your campus for three days. I saw up close how much effort the Career Club members put in to make the entire event successful. (I kept remembering my own university, CUET. We had to work tirelessly day and night to organize each program beautifully.) So the complete credit belongs to Rajshahi University Career Club. Brother, the light you have kindled will never be extinguished—I can say this with conviction. The way the club’s current president Imrul is moving forward with the dedicated workers of the club truly deserves praise. What they are learning while doing this work will serve them best in the future. Those who enroll in university just to study are truly unfortunate. There is much to learn in university life alongside studies. Best wishes to everyone in the Career Club.
A Greek philosopher before Socrates, Heraclitus, said, “No one can step into the same river twice. For the next time, the river becomes another river, or the person becomes another person.” In my career talks, due to lack of time or because I forget to mention them, I can never say the same things in two consecutive sessions. Many necessary things remain unsaid. Still, I try. Speaking continuously for 3-4 hours in front of thousands of people is somewhat difficult. It’s hard for me to speak. But I speak because everyone wants to listen. They listen. The entire hall seems to fall asleep for those 3-4 hours. Pin-drop silence envelops everything around. I am truly amazed by people’s interest and patience. I think, what exactly do I say? I just tell stories the entire time. Stories of my own life, stories of not getting lost. I show dreams of touching success with the audacity of a tangent line. With intense emotion, I convince them that our misfortune is not that we are weak; our misfortune is that we fail to recognize our strengths and therefore cannot dare to ask Allah for something great. They love it. Only for this love do I endure so much hardship. I want no one to get lost. The pain of being lost is far too much.
The slide I took to yesterday’s gathering—I had also used it at the career session at Chattogram’s Theatre Institute. However, I can say with certainty that I didn’t speak the same words at both gatherings. My regret is that due to time constraints yesterday, many necessary things were left unsaid. Then again, yesterday I said some things that hadn’t occurred to me to mention at the previous session. I promise you, I will gradually share those thoughts as status updates on my wall. For now, here are some notes. About 30-40% of what I said at yesterday’s gathering can be found in the first and second links. The third and fourth links contain a motivational piece. In the fifth link, I’ve shared some of my own reflections about that day’s career session at Chattogram’s Theatre Institute, along with participants’ feedback. Those interested may read them.
I’ve been receiving much feedback about the Rajshahi University gathering, and it continues to come in. I intend to write about those as well. Along with that, I’ll also tell the story of walking hand in hand with those few dream-drunk souls along Paris Road—taking love, giving love.
Since morning today, memories of the past three days keep returning like birds. Swaying, making me sway. Love is such a terrible thing. Humans lack the capacity to bear intense love. It renders one deeply helpless and guilty. However much hatred you can return for hatred, you cannot return even a quarter of that in love for love received. Only those who have suffered like me know how excruciating this torment is. This genuine love from those who surround you constantly with supreme tenderness stings more, perhaps, than even hatred could. One can no longer allow oneself to become small. The responsibility of this love is a great responsibility.
Closing my eyes and thinking of nothing, these names came to me: Eahsun (what my younger brother would have done if he were with me, he did exactly that. I found him before I could even see my own shadow. Brother, what you’ve done for me—I don’t deserve it at all.), Nadim (he’s among those who love intensely yet somehow cannot say or show it. Brother, just thinking of people like you keeps one well.), Sumon (Brother, you can actually survive without being quite this good a person. Give it some thought.), Imran (I’ll only say this much to you—the strength I’ve seen within you, you haven’t yet discovered even a fraction of it.)… There are many others. Looking at them, it seemed to me that some people are born into this world with an infinite capacity for intense love, for no reason at all. They can neither be pushed away, nor can one bear the agony of drawing near to them. They are inhabitants of a different planet. On that planet, no one weeps from lack of love. That planet is called the Planet of Love. They’ve come to our planet to punish us—to punish us for our inability to love.
Through the initiative of my dear younger brother Noman, a teacher at East-West University, my next gathering will be on the 6th at 11 AM at that university’s campus. The two after that will be in Habiganj and at Chittagong University.
I’m requesting friends to share this post with everyone.