The Blessed Year
2022 was the most awaited year that arrived with hope and apprehensions. It proved to be the year that broke the shackles of a life-threatening epidemic—the monster named Covid.
Earlier years that had forced the world to seclusion, cope up with living within four walls of one’s home with the same set of people 24/7—with squalling babies, children and elders vexing each other’s nerves often; mothers and teachers complaining incessantly about their work load due to no domestic help and virtual schooling, men finding household chores a curse.
And then as suddenly as the dark dismal clouds ‘In all its wiles, defeated and repulsed’ our fates, the Sun appeared shining brighter than ever, the Moon smiled, Spring brought back the pleasantness that the ugly head of the disease had usurped; the year ‘Recovered Paradise to all mankind’ (Paradise Regained by John Milton). The blessed year had arrived.
In retrospect one realizes how much one had benefitted from the impossible situations! In the absence of the household help, one had actually learnt ‘The art of living’—there was time to introspect, develop patience and respect each other’s whims and fancies. Bored with cooking the same stuff, YouTube provided enough variations to try new recipes. The family came together sharing loads of household chores. Learning to operate computers became essential to those, who knew not its benefits.
One envisaged with a shock that the endless junk cluttering the house is a burden on our minds. Even the cupboards loaded with clothes proved worthless. Realization dawned that Life could be made simpler with less of everything other than the empathy, love and compassion for each other.
It was by the end of March that life’s humdrum began again. The usual political upheavals, markets opening up, mask gradually disappearing, educational institutions breathing in life with chirpy children, mothers heaving a sigh of relief. Menfolk stretching their outreach to the real world once again, the road rage back in force, and the superpowers of the world flexing their muscles by indulging in destructive war.
Away from all this hustle-bustle, authors quietly craved to have their works published, which had been waiting impatiently in the long queue, delayed by the lockdown of almost two years.
My memoir Doordarshan Days finally switched on its TV screen on the book cover against the dim background matching the era of the eighties. A brilliant cover by the star designer, Sourish Mitra. It was complimented by all. The eminent publishing house Readomania with its Captain, Dipankar Mukherjee, and the Navigator, Indrani Ganguly supported me fervently through the hard task of delivering this very special baby. Special because it was travelling back in time, almost four decades to bring out the Gems of the only channel available those days—Doordarshan, which was a synonym for TV back then.
The TV stars of yesteryears, shared the panel for Doordarshan Days’ launch at IHC, later we huddled together celebrating it with lunch reminiscing and sharing our hilarious moments of the bygone era—the memories that were nourishing our souls and creating some more for future keeps.
The year ended with another happy news for me from a Marathi publisher; they took the rights for translating my earlier book The Dance of Death in Marathi. It should be out by May 2023.
There are many milestones that I wish to touch in the New year, but I would rather keep them to myself till I reach there, except one—the Hindi version of The Curse of Nalanda that I penned a few years back—I hope and pray that it gets published soon in 2023.
The cold wave lashing its icy cool breeze has now come to announce the last few flickering Sun rays of the blessed 2022.
A new dawn full of suspense, aspirations, hope, and dreams is lilting around the corner.
Before bidding a final farewell and big salute to the wonderful 2022, here is wishing a very happy & promising 2023 to all of you dear friends with a couplet in Hindi that I coined:
सपनों की नरम राहें हीरों सी जगमगाएँ
फूलों की बेल दर पे महकें खिलें मुस्काएं
आपके दामन में खुशियां भरी हों इतनी
तारे भी आसमान में जितने समा न पाएं
Manna Bahadur
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