Articles

Anecdotes

by Kunal Roy

A couple of days ago, I witnessed a pretty interesting event on the bus. I was simply returning from college after the day’s end. After a while, a couple of hijras entered the bus. The traditional claps to prove their identity and the ways and means adopted by them to seek money from the passengers to meet both ends!
  However, nobody on the bus agreed to do so. Little did they know what was in store for them! A fist of fury gripped them. And to everyone’s surprise, they began with their famed slang, thrown like pebbles at someone. The slang ranged from physically intimate terms to extreme moments of closeness with the madams in the office. They were even enquiring of the fact whether the close bond was with the madam at the computer or the one frequently visiting the washroom! No one even dared to speak! They even opined that they were not even afraid of the police. They confidently uttered that they were intensely able to thrash them with their gender identities!
  I laughed at their gestures. But couldn’t continue for obvious reasons. The man sitting next to me confessed, ” I have heard such words for the first time in life”.
  You can view them everywhere. You can laugh at the way they talk and display their body language. Be it in the open street, lonely lanes, crowded trains, or any other mode of public transport, especially private bus, a different feeling is always in vogue. An experience that really caters to a different dimension, much to your fun or dismay!
   A couple of days ago they again came into the bus I boarded to return home after the busy schedules at my workstation! The same traditional claps accompanied a kind of enforcement for a few bucks. And usually, the passengers inside refused them. This time they didn’t utter any slang or abusive language, except a few words that tickled the funny bone! All of a sudden a quaint event took place. Once more they came to the passengers sitting at the end! And to the utter surprise of everyone, planted a noisy kiss on one of the sunken cheeks of a male sitting beside me. I couldn’t stop myself from bursting out into laughter. A senior citizen beside me added a few more words to enhance the ambiance. He frankly told, ” Tomake kiss korlo, tumi paisa dile na (She kissed you but you didn’t give her any money) “. People began to pull his legs. And he muttered to himself, ” Asobey bhalo lage na ( I don’t like such stuff)”, as he tried desperately to wipe out the spit from his face!
   The time ripened and they dismounted. A roar of laughter still followed inside. However, I was blessed by them. There is no doubt that people love to be kissed, adored or smooched, but not essentially from a typical transgender! My destination came and I alighted from the bus. But such memories often behave as a killer of dejection and help you get the fresh doses from life!! Any opinion?
About the Author:
Kunal Roy was born in Kolkata. He is a bilingual author. In 2007, he received the best award for his dissertation on “The Bhakti and Sufi Movements – A Socio-Religious Perspective” from the department of Indology and Research Studies, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata. He is also acknowledged as a poet and translator. His special areas comprise art, literature, art, philosophy, sociology, mythology, and astrology. Currently, he is working as an Assistant Professor of English Language and Communication with the George Group of Colleges. He is a permanent resident of Kolkata. He can be contacted at kunalroychowdhury81@gmail.

Comments are closed.