The following was sent by my brother Mukul Mahant, to his second
grandson Grant Robert Mahant of Kenosha Wisconsin. I am posting it
without seeking his permission :-), thinking netters might find it
interesting.
And I will also post a Granduncles story next :-).
cm
At 7:02 PM +0530 10/3/06, mc mahant wrote:For My Dear Grants Collection of Memorable Events in the Family
The World War II was over. The special Trains carrying American Soldiers stopped plying either way at our Namtiali railroad station. We had nothing interesting happening here.
It was in 1946 May, I think.
I was walking back home , alone from school 2 miles away.
I was remembering a few things from our English textbook Our India which I had to read out loud at class today.
The lesson I read was Calcutta the city of palaces.
About the Victoria Memorial, the Fort William, Howrah Bridge, the Trams .
Exciting visions of strange things, ships unloading automobiles, policemen on horses .. kept passing through my mind as I was passing a small wooded bend on the road.
Wouldnt it be nice for me to visit such an exciting place I thought---but how?
As I passed the bend, I saw a senior relation of mine coming my way.
We used to call him Mohan Koka - he was a distant uncle of my father. He used to manage a small tea garden and visited home in our village only some Sunday.
He recognized me and was glad to talk to me. He told me he was going to Calcutta in a few days on business matters. Owner of the tea garden that he managed lived in Calcutta.
Something made me ask him Koka, Can you please take me along-I shall not be a bother-I promise.
He laughed and almost said First Grow up - little boy!
But no! he said On my way back from the station, I shall talk to your Father.
I ran home to tell my Mother. I was only scared - my Father may not agree.
Mohan Koka did turn up and had a long chat with my Father . But I did not get an answer from anybody. I was sad. I lost hope.
But a few days later my Father told me to get ready to travel to Calcutta and that I should always stick to Koka and never venture into the busy streets of the big city alone. He went to our school and convinced our Head master to let me be absent for a few days.
The day I left home with Koka my dear Mother wept and prayed for my safe return from the far away city. Nobody from our village had ever been there- so far away.
We traveled by Assam Mail- the only fast train. In Assam trains ran on a 1 meter gauge rail system. We crossed the River Brahmaputra in a ferry and took another train which took us to Parbatipur Junction in present day North Bangladesh. There we had to change to another bigger train. From here onward the trains ran on Broad Gauge Rail Tracks all the way to Calcutta.
We passed over endless flat rice lands and crossed the River Ganges over a newly completed Bridge which was named after Lord Hardinge ,the Viceroy. Next morning we reached Sealdah station which looked like London Rail stations I saw 12 years later.
I kept my promise to my parents-stuck to the Koka wherever he went even to offices-business houses- everywhere. He took me one day to the Zoo. That was exciting. And once to a circus.
But in a week Koka told me that he will need to stay another 2 weeks his work is not done. At that time I became anxious to get back to schoolmy lessons are lost! I told Koka: Please send me home and school. This was a crisis for him. There was nothing which would persuade me to stay on- I must go back! He had to relent. He took me to Sealdah. Looked around for a passenger in the Assam-bound train who will take care of me. He found a big Sikh gentleman who was going to sell Auto spares in Shillong. He would leave me at Gauhati-can I handle the rest? I said Yes.
Let us cut it short. That is a scaring story even for me today. But I made it alone from Gauhati to Mariani. Even went to the Dining Car , ordered a meal and first time in life tried Knife and fork in company of Europeans -who were the only dining car customers. Waited for the next slow train some hours later , and look ,I was at Namti back home alone from Calcutta. My parents were dumbfounded but happy.
The rest is History!
Many years later, Calcutta, the City of Palaces became your Dads home . And he did grow up in a palace -like Bungalow with lush greenery, gardeners,chauffer,cook and many servants. May be these are not good things. May be self-help is better.
We love you so- Dear Grant! May you three brothers grow up to be gentle, kind, hardworking citizens of the world.
Your Koka
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