Reader caution advised: No poem this, but poetic licence it has!
Come to think of it, it couldn’t get more cosmopolitan than this:
Maaru company, with office inside building at crossing of Chowringhee Road and Park Street
Park Street having been recently officially rechristened Mother Teresa Sarani
named after the Albanian almost-saint
Sarani the quintessential Bong for avenue
also found in Lenin Sarani and Karl Marx Sarani
in respect of Roosi pioneers of communism
Chowringhee Road for its part renamed J L Nehru Road
after India’s first Pradhan Mantri
a man of Kahmirian roots born in heartland U Pradesh
corner view from office partly blocked by ad cum route marker for American burgers
with a Scottish name
reminding me of company’s early Amreeki links
and customers now in 50 countries
Or could it not?
“Cha khaiyega ka?”
Liveried attendant – throwback to Raj days – not that old this company??
Cha being Bong for tea in English, chai in Hindi and chaai in airhostesspeak
khaiyega commonly attributed to corrupted version of pristine Hindi khayenge
but more a natural part of khati, or pure, Bihari Hindi
but Cha khaiyega an apoplectic adaptation of Cha khabe in Bong
the language in which solids, liquids and gases are all eaten, or khawa jaye
ka not as naturally part of khati Bihari Hindi as khaiyega
more the case of corrupted and easy pronunciation of pristine Hindi kya
favoured by migrants from eastern cowbelt and northern minebelt
the rustic Taan, or accent, making me smile
“Thora der baad,” I consented, doffing my hat to cosmopolity. AbNQ
