Four
doyens of industry in Kolkata agree that what you
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Tarot reader Ritika Talwar foretells...
Last
week I watched spellbound as a cat was chased by a ferocious
looking dog; obviously a few other people too were struck
by the sight from what I could observe. When I mentioned this
to my friend Lina Mathias, she put into words the reason why
perhaps the sight had struck me: That in an otherwise bewildering
world, something as “normal” as a dog chasing
a cat would seem out of place. We then went on to discuss
how such a sight was a comforting one in a complexity-ridden
world which made me start questioning what constitutes the
normal. My mother insisting on my eating an orange just as
I am rushing out of the house to make it in time to office
is normal. My niece leaving the water tap on and me exasperatedly
shutting it is normal.Last-minute panic no matter how well
in time one is for the magazine’s deadline is normal.
And then there are times when the abnormal shakes us up into
questioning the so-called normal behaviour. Last week Mumbai
was shaken by a 57-year old retired customs officer killing
his 14-year old neighbour in a fit of rage. He was later shot
by the police. Apparently, the noise from the renovation of
a flat above his was driving him to distraction as were a
lot of things that he found unjust and objectionable. The
tragic episode brings so many factors into focus but mainly
how people in our cities and big towns are literally living
on the edge, even if on the surface everything appears normal.
On a lighter note, I attended the wedding of Sanjiv and Preeti
Goenka’s daughter Avarna to Devansh (son of Nandita
and Vivek Jain) in Kolkata on February 10. The Goenkas are
among the most sought after and prestigious families there
but Sanjeev Goenka was like any father of the bride. Tender
and anxious to see that everything goes off perfectly-And
that too is so normal, isn’t it? The wedding was a dream
especially the Goenka hospitality. Everyone, just about everyone
was on their toes ensuring all the wedding guests felt at
home.
Kolkata always fills me with a sense of contentment with its
old world charm and languid air. To add to my feeling of wellbeing,
Sanjay & Minu Budhia and Alka Bangur were delightful hosts.
Sanjay and Minu piled me with scrumptious delicacies and Alka
introduced me to an array of blooms that I have only seen
on the screen. The venerable Agri-Horticultural Society of
India is an institution to be proud of as despite low funds
its office-bearers, members and patrons ensure that its pre-eminent
reputation is maintained.
So as we ponder about what is normal and simultaneously prepare
for a long and hot summer ahead, we invite our readers to
participate in a new column that we have introduced in this
issue. It is called ‘First Person’ and will feature
the writings of people from the community on a subject close
to their hearts. We hope you get motivated into writing to
us and suggesting/ contributing after reading these two first-person
accounts.