It is something that glitters forever

[This story has been written to say, knowledge always glitters in any circumstance.] 

                                       Debasish Dey

No longer all incidents persist in mind but some of them haunt us often and they are very special to be remembered life long. 

In my school days, we were acknowledged of some world's great scientific discoveries by our science book, and that, probably, had explored a new dimension of thought and brought a significant change in my belief and this change had inspired me to reckon all surrounding matters through a scientific vision. Truly, I became a maniac of science. I used to spend most of the time finding out the logic behind all happenings instead of paying much attention to the regular studies. As a result of that, later I had to stay away forever from my long-cherished desire to be a scientist. However, soon after, I managed to continue my study but, somewhere, in my subconscious I still feel the existence of a grown-up tree full of fruits, those are completely ripened with logic, hanging from branches and of which the seed has been sown since then when I often went to my physics teacher Bhajanbabu with some unsolved questions.

Bhajanbabu, whom I know as a physics teacher, was very popular with his students because he had great intuitive judgement for his student's intellect.

My overwhelming enthusiasm regarding science was intensified more with the introduction of new books in our class, especially, on physics. A miraculous change also had been taken place in my thought and that also might be brought about a change in my belief. As time went on, this change of belief in acceptance of all conventional practices, which I followed to do all in my surroundings, influenced by our science books pushed me to judge everything by experiment and that exclusiveness sometimes seemed to be the cause of internal conflicts in our family. One incident, that I can remember, for instance, had happened so vigorously to me that I never forget. It was happened then when the chapter on the magnet was taught in our science class, and then, overwhelmingly, with an experimental mood, collecting two magnets from somewhere, I went to reveal its mystery. I was taught that iron and magnet are very friendly when they come close together, they attract each other. 

No sooner did I have the magnets in my hand, than I tried to make an experiment with it. That was a very funny thing to me. Whenever a piece of iron was found in my sight, I brought the magnet as much as close to it so that it works properly and I could feel it's amazing force. Meanwhile, my father was gifted a new costly watch by someone on his twentieth marriage anniversary which, perhaps, was one of the most liking objects to him. One day, filled with an uncontrollable emotion I went to carry out the experiment holding a piece of magnet in one hand and my father's watch in another hand thinking that it was a kind of metal and suitable for the experiment. But, in a moment that terrible incident happened. As soon as the two objects came closer, I saw through the watch-glass that both arms coming down from its place were laid at the edge of the dial board like dead soldiers. It was of no use anymore. A great confusion filled up my mind and with a remorseful gesture, I hid it in a place for a moment so that I could find out a way to tackle the disastrous situation immediately. Then, after a short struggle with myself, desperately I decided to confess the whole incident to my father. And soon, a thought of something more terrible situation awoke in mind that might have been waiting for me with my father's arrival in the evening. However, before his return, I kept it on the dressing table so that it could be seen easily. A few hours later, he returned home.

" Charu, please, once come here," he called my mother. His voice was much normal than I expected. 

" What has happened to my watch. Look, it's not working because all arms are displaced. How is this possible?"

After a little silence, she said, " I was so busy in the kitchen that I couldn't get a scope to touch your watch for a moment, even, I didn't have a look at it also."

This time I realized that I shouldn't be silent. I approached slowly and remorsefully and with every step I sensed a tremor beneath my feet as if it was shaking my entire body. But my determination led me desperately to stand before my father with courage.

" Baba, it is completely my fault, so, only I deserve to be punished, please don't say anything to mamma." I finished all in a single breathe and then waiting for the next reaction.

" But how did all these happen? "

"I was experimenting with a magnet to know that how does it work on metal and then.........." Before finishing it, a muffled voice chocked my throat. Still, staring at the floor I was waiting for listening something from my father but this time, also, he did not react. Moments went on. Suddenly, I sensed his approach to me. My heart started beating faster and the inbuilt power of toleration in my body automatically activated and that boosted up my reflex actions to defence my body from the random showering of blows. But, he did nothing as I thought. He kept his hand on my right shoulder and said," I am impressed on seeing your courage of confession and I 

have no more regret because to all parents their children are the most valuable assets and so, they always try to show the right path of life." Taking a pause he said again," Don't worry, tomorrow I will take it to the shop for repairs. Keep it up. Don't hesitate to tell me whenever you desire to have anything for your further experiment." Having been encouraged by my father, no longer I could hold back my emotion and that burst into tears flowing down the cheeks. I embraced father with my all efforts and then nothing but only a deep sobbing sound came out from my heart and filled the air inside the room. Gaining some momentums by the incident, on the next morning, I ran out to Bhajanbabu and described to him in detail what had happened last night. But, that day he was in an indifferent mood. Sitting like a statue, lost in reverie, he shed tears that flowed down the cheeks as if his silent cry burst with indignation and that perplexed me so much for asking him anything more. Before apprehending the situation, I was listened to by him," Please, go now, I will call you back later." Having been startled by his confusing behaviour, I picked up myself from the chair and approached the door.  

I left his home with great despair without knowing the mystery of his grief. On the way back, a thought came to my mind about a simple relation between a teacher and a student. It was something like priceless bondage with someone beyond blood relation, who had spread light over the darker part of my mind and enlightened me with his light of wisdom. But a rapture in such a relation can never destroy mental bondage completely.  

That was my last visit to his house.

Meanwhile, forty years have passed through many pleasant and unpleasant moments of life. My black hair almost turned greyish and some wrinkles are found at the side of my eyes. The soft soil is being baked slowly by the fire to be formed a hard brick. My overwhelming attitudes of those days are mitigated by the power of self-control but all memories still exist in the depth of shining daylight.   

Rajabazar science college, one of the most leading universities in the country, is only a stone's throw from my house. And, whenever I pass before it, staring at the building I get a little opportunity for a moment to cherish my old melancholy of past that is still hidden at the deepest bottom of my heart and then automatically the thought of Bhajanbabu occupies my mind. 

Two years ago, one day, on going to a certain place I was waiting at the bus stop for a bus coming. Suddenly, I saw a crowd outside the gate of the science college watching something very curiously. Since it was a little far from me, I couldn't understand what had happened there. Having been engrossed by curiosity, I no longer could resist myself. I strode towards them and saw there a man surrounded by many people. I recognised him as I had seen him on the same morning at the same place. Then, I didn't pay much attention to him because this place is often occupied by some beggars, vagabonds and half-mad persons and we are very familiar with this sight. I was amazed by the striking sight that this man having a most unimpressive look, sitting there, was solving a complicated sum of calculus with a small piece of brick on the footpath. His face was almost covered with a greyish beard and his greyish, long curled hair, coming down to his neck made a distinctive feature of a half-mad person. In addition to that, his shirt was completely soiled and hardly its original colour could be defined and that had also many holes of different sizes. Some bare parts of his body were revealed shamelessly through these holes. A smudgy substance, combined with dust and sweat, layered his whole body showed that he hadn't bathed for a long time resulted in a bad smell around him was prevailed there. Despite all these, he had something special in his eyesight. It was intensified with the power of wisdom - the wisdom that glitters forever and that neither be suppressed nor be destroyed, had made it possible to a beggar-like half-mad person to be richer than the richest.

Finishing his work, he threw a satisfactory look with a soft smile on the face over the crowd ignoring all and muttered something. A humming sound was raised among the people. They looked unrestrainedly at each other.

After noticing carefully a voice said," Strange! It is a complicated sum but he solved it using a simple method. Who is this guy? " 

Another voice said," Hey! Are you listening to me? What's your name?"

The man laughed placidly but not responded.

The voice sounded again," Hey! What's your name?"

This time he answered exotically as if he asked himself," My name, My.......name." 

Then he turned around his face to a filthy, torn cotton bag and then brought out a piece of paper something like a certificate in which a passport-sized photo was fixed at a corner. Pointing to the picture, he said," Who is this man, do you know him? It's me."

He pointed himself with a childish triumph and again he said," what name is written under the photo?"

One of them picked up the paper and tried to read and uttered," Bha...... Jan....all Mukherjee." The man started laughing boisterously like a child. As soon as I heard the name, I felt something like an electrical shock in my body passed through each cell to cell. A past remembrance of my school days filled my thought again. I went closer to him and asked," Sir, could you recognise me? I am one of your students, sir."He put a pitiable look on my face and tried to find out something that he had lost in a long time ago and his look, I realized at that moment, was quite undefined but familiar to me and perhaps that had many unspeakable hidden truths that he never uttered.

I requested someone to call a taxi and then with the help of others I picked him up and took him to the nearest hospital where he could get at least a proper nourishment. On seeing his condition, the hospital admitted him and started treatment immediately. They committed me to provide the best service to him. Fortunately, the visiting doctor was found as one of the past students and who was also deeply shocked by his teacher's condition. He thanked me at the time of my departure and said, " Don't worry, I'm very lucky to pay my tribute to him. For him, everything must be here at our level best. keep in contact with me. This is my cell number, please save it in my name, Dr Pranabansu." 

When I was coming out of the hospital leaving him there in a forlorn world, he was sleeping exotically lying on the bed in tranquillity. 

Six months later, suddenly on a day, I got a message from the doctor's number.

"Sir is no more. He left us last night forever. Before taking his last breath, he whispered Newton's third law,' To every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction and action-reaction forces act on the two different bodies.' .........I couldn't understand what he wanted to mean. If u wish 2 come, please."

Reading the message, I closed my eyes and a jolly face with the resplendent eyes of my physics teacher was raised on the screen of my mind.

A few hours later, I stepped down at the crematory. Pranabanshu was talking with someone at a little distance. He came to me as soon as he saw me and said with grievous voice," I took him in my house about three months ago. His condition was going better but today, within two hours, a massive heart attack snatched our teacher forever. Believe me, I did all as much as I could do for him but at that moment I couldn't save his life." he wept tears from his eyes. I said," I know all. This is his destiny. What you could do for it." 

Meanwhile, everything was ready for cremation - the last journey of my physics teacher. His body slowly was pushed into the electric furnace, the doors shuttered cutting long time bondage forever between us. He went to an unknown destiny leaving his wisdom outside the furnace's door and from where he will never come back to us as a physics teacher. I left the funeral immediately.   

Anguish plunged me again into a fathomless thought of past when I had carefree bondage with him - the bondage which was exactly not moulded with a fatherly affection but maybe something more. It has no connection with my real life. It is so personal to me that I hardly share it with anyone.