Adventures of Subrato-Part-3

Long Fiction

SUBRATO had a good friend at college. His name was Naseer. He was his roommate in the G.C. Hostel. Naseer was from Bangladesh hailing from Bhairab area near Meghna river. He was tall and of medium complexion and was smart. While rising up in the morn, he will address in his funny Shakespearean way, ‘thou mewling plume plucked miscreant, wake up’-

Subrato would reply- ‘Thou, tottering folly fallen clack-dish, get away’. In the supper-room, his friend will tell -Thou, saucy,unchin-snouted pumpion, welcome-Subrata will retort– Thou unmuzzled rump-fed lewdster, take your seat- And they both got through Shakespeare. But with minimum grades. In the earlier days of boarding life, Subrato had acrophobia and was scared about going to the balcony on the 5th-floor and look down. His friend told him that the best way to cure fear is to do the thing we are afraid of. Once the mind convinces itself with direct action, it is another experience and can be repeated in life. This applies not only to fear, but every difficult action. Once over, the brain will admit it as a reality. We can laugh it away. Fear, of course, but do it anyhow. But never anything against life, yours or others’, as life is precious…Rustic landscapes stretched enormously. Distant gleams. And a few tents erected by gypsy groups at a distance…
For a while, Naseer was interested in Voltaire, Maupertius’s pursuit problem, the precision of the equinoxes etc…Then,he switched interests.
One day he asked the senior cook, ‘What is your age?’
The cuisinier said, ’38’.
Then Naseer said, ‘That is a lucky number, the number of the American roulette wheel’. Then he told the quizzical audience that he used to play online casino games. He knew, of course, many things, more than the lecturer. Once, about a teacher, he said that the gentleman should read, ‘The Peter Principle’. And he taught Subrato one day the Peter Principle, sitting in the Museum garden. It was evening time and the music was pouring from the open radio in the middle edifice which was designed as a hexagonal room with pillars and open spaces. After leaving college, Subrato met his dear friend once accidentally in Tuileries garden, and then both were with their wives. Naseer had a grown-up boy because he was espoused quite early in life. Subrato was newly wedded, then. Later, when the latter’s mother departed, Naseer sent a letter, to Subrato’s home address and Subrato did not know how his buddy got the address. Quite later in life, Subrato lost touch with his friend.
—(To continue)