Pujo is around the corner!

Anandabazar khullei pujo niye hajar article... kon celebrity kabe kothay kibhabe pujo katiyechhilen... ebar pujoy kothay ki bhojer ayojon... baluchori making path for georgette sarees... parineeta saree vs. Bubli kurti... the list is endless!

Tao to amra miss kori shei shob details je gulo web version of the newspaper e beroy na... last baar India giye shara din Anandabazar niye pore thaktam... patar por pata jure advertisements... nichhe khude akshare na lekha thakle bojha mushkil je ogulo bigyapon... mone hote pare regular article... ei rakom i besh kichhu mone porchhe... kichhuta apon moner madhuri mishiye likhlam adda bondhuder jonno... (lekhaTa ektu meyeli laagte paare... kintu believe me, these kind of ads that get published in the daily are way more 'meyeli' that mine :-)

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Sharmi aar Rajlekha beriyechhe pujor bajar korte. Weekend e bajar korte jaoa mane bokami... sha ye sha ye lok er shonge ThelaTheli... bhir e dam bandho hoye ashe! Tai dui bondhute plan kore Shukkur baar beriyechhe. Rajlekha to roj i free... chhele ke DPS er bus e tule diye karta Opel hakiye office chole gelei shara din free. Sharmi r i shomoy hoy na, byasto chakri niye. O bhaggish ekta din chhuti manage korte parlo! Noile, bondhu r shonge pujor bajar na korle hoy naki?

Sharmi aaj chole eshechhilo shakal shakal i. Karta takhon o beroy ni. Ektu boshte holo oke... ki aar kara jabe. Oi phanke Sharmi o ektu living room e rakha magazine gulo ulte nilo... Shananda y latest fasion er haal hakiqat beriyechhe... jhaliye nilo.. noile office e to aar eshob er shomoy hoy na! Ei shob magazine dekha thakle shopping korte berole shomoy nashto hoy na. Prothomei ekta andaj hoye jay je Taant er opor spray painting er kaaj kara saree Dakshinapan chhara aar kothay better paowa jabe na. Otoyeb, onno kothao jaoa bekar. [author's note... ei para graph tar sponsor Shananda]

Egarota nagad Sharmi driver ke gadi hankate bollo.. shidhe gariahaat. Bhaggish aaj or karta Zen ta niye gechhe, noile Opel chhara pujor bajar hoy naki? Prothom gantobyo dhakeswari. Boring athocho kintei habe, emon bajar gulo shere felte habe prothome. Dhakeshwari ekhono phanka phanka... etai Shukro barer mauja. 'bhalo taanter shari dekhaben.. boyesh, ei dharoon, ponchaash'. Byas! eshe gelo nana rakom... ebar pujoy 'cool thing' holo fusion. Shey kato variety! Taanter jamin er opor baluchori kaaj, embroidery, kantha stitch, aari kaaj... emon ki zardousi o! Boredom udhao. Sharmi to sharurir ta kenar agei nijer jonno ekta kalo ar kamala r combination kine phello... bomkai paar, bhetore mirror work. Shashurir jonno zardousi on taant ar mashi shashurir jonno taanter opor baluchori design, fantastic! Rajlekha jodio taant pore na, tobuo, ekta halka neel kantha kaajer taant na kine parlo na... egulo bhishon tempting byapar! [author's note... ei para graph tar sponsor Adi Dhakeshwari bastralay]

Porer dokan jamdani ghar. Dujonei nijeder mayer jonno kinlo dhakai jamdani.. ebar er fashion holo white on white.. shada jominer opor shomosto saree jure shaada butir kaaj. Mental note, maake bolte habe, ota ekdin porte debar jonno. Kintu tatei ki shesh naki? Showcase e shajano tissue saree r opor gujrati design aar beads er kaaj kara jamkalo saree ta? Ota ki chaara jay? Shutorang, otao bag-ostho holo Sharmi r. Rajlekha bollo, ei Sharmi, amar mamato bhai er biye December e, meye gujrati... tor theke eta kintu takhon dhaar nebo! 'Ofcourse!' [author's note... ei para graph tar sponsor Jamdani ghar]

Next destination Dakshinapan. Karon to agei mention korechhi. Okhane abstract motif er opor spray painting kara saree bikochhe ekta boutique e. Sharmi kinlo gota charek. Rajlekha tinte. Egulo dujonei debe boudi der aar Jaa-der. Nijeder jonneo oboshyo ek khana kore rakhlo... bishesh kore spray painting er opor embroidery kore highlight kara saree gulo. Sharmir ta Tussar, Rajlekhar ta bangalore silk. [author's note... ei para graph tar sponsor Dakshinapan er boutique ti]

Dakshinapan e jakhon ashai gechhe, takhon bachhader jinish gulo o ei belay kinte habe. Ek chhader niche eto bachhader designer garments aar kothay i ba paoa jabe? Kena holo Bonny r sherwani suit, Isha r lehenga choli, chhotto ritam er jonno four piece kurta payjama r set. Protyekta unique.. dokandar claim korechhe erokom aar ekta dekhate parle poysha pherot! [author's note... ei para graph tar sponsor Dakshinapan]

Abar gariahaat, ebar kingbadanti, punjabi stores er chattore. Baba, kaka, shoshur moshai der jonne eke eke kena holo kaalo dhakka parer dhuti, jamdaani kingba kashmiri kaaj kara punjabi. Ei phanke sharmi nijer kartar jonne kine rakhlo ekta fantastic kalo r opor kaaj kara three piece ethnic churidaar punjabi set. Bonny r jonno ekta second pair kena holo, multi colored ethnic suit, haal fasion er zardousi kaaj kara uttoriyo dewa. Ekhon chhele ta porlei hoy... o to pujoy Spider man T shirt chhara kichhu portei chay na... naki 'uncomfy' lage! Ta, pujoy ekta din nahoy ektu uncomfy lagloi, ta bole tui fashion durostho hobi na? Ajob! [author's note... ei para graph tar sponsor Kingbadanti, provided PUnjabi Stores does not get a mention]

Kena kata korte korte edike khide peye gechhe. Byas, shopping e biroti diye gari chhutlo elgin road. Oh KOlkata! Ek Dhile dui pakhi mara ar ki... bhojon o habe, abar Shoppers stop e bajar tao shere neoa jabe! Shomoy thakle inox e ekta movie o mere dewa jay... problem ki?


Ta khaoaTa bhaloi holo. Oh Kolkata y buffet byabostha ek kathay daroon! Ta chhara eshob bengali khabar to aar aajkaal barite hoy na, tai mukh paltano bhaloi holo. jhinge postoTa Rajlekha thik enjoy koreni, o asholey jhinge jinishta bardasto korte pare na, kintu Sharmi bollo 'it tastes fanta!' Raju barong mochar ghanto aar shukto kheyechhe veg section theke. Bak phool bhaja Ta dujoner keu i thik shahosh kore nite pare ni. Non veg er modhye chhilo kakrar jhal, daab chingri, murgir du tin te dish (naam gulo bhishon confusing) aar kausha mangsho.. 'ekebare grand'! Tarpor jalpai er chatni, mishti doi aar rabri (aaj aar diet er katha bhebe labh nei.. mental note: pujor por next one month only soups and cucumber. Promise!) [author's note... ei para graph tar sponsor oh Kolkata]

Khaota bhaloi holo. Mishti paan mukhe diye neme asha maatir kachha kachhi, mane sixth floor theke fouth floor e, shoppers stop er men's section e. Sharmi plan korei eshechhilo, ebar kartar jonno ekta sherwani kinbe, shonge crushed churni. Kintu variety dekhe math kharap habar jogar! Konta chhere konta kinbe? Raju help korlo. Bechhe dilo ekta coffee e opor cream color e kaaj kara set. Ekdom unique! Raju nijer barer jonno kinlo ekta swarovski crystal set kara olive color er shewani, etar shonge churni nei. khoshlo bhaloi, kintu, pujor shomoy shey katha bhable chale na. [author's note... this paragraph and a few more below are sponsored by Shoppers Stop]

Tuk tak aro kayekTa shirt kena holo. Mama to bhai, dewor.. era shob achhe. EkTa Zodiac er tie kinlo Sharmi. Raju kaar jonno jiggesh korte, lajuk heshe bollo, 'for my handsome boss, re!' Raju bhablo, tai to, oi je shamner flat er college porua chheleta, je apon mone baranday dariye guitar bajay, tar jonno ekta kichhu kinle kemon hoy? Porokkhonei mone porlo, chheleTike Bonny dada dake, orthath, Rajlekha holo kakima.

Aro niche nama, second floor e. Jekhane ladies garments hoi hoi kore bikri hochhe. Kena holo dozen khanek kurti. Du char te nijeder, baki gulo bhaijhi, bhagni der dite habe. Salwar suit o kena holo gota kayek. Egulo shob i nijeder... ektu daam beshi... kintu 'worth every penny' Sharmi Rajlekha ke ashwasto kare. 'erokom designs tui aar kothao pabi?'

Baire beriye ekta daabwalar kachh theke duto daab kine garite oTha. Tarpor shoja new market chattor. Okhane na gele bangalir pujor bajar shesh hoy na. Sriram arcade er dokan theke cosmetics, perfume kena. Aro kayek ta salwar kameez (ki korbo, chokh pherano gelo na!), aro ducharTe kurti. Bonny r jonno kayekTa T shirt. Costume jewellery. Carrom theke dujoner aadh dozen juto. Bakider gulo pore habe... ora na ele size thik habe na. Phoochkaa. Fruit juice. [author's note... Sriram arcade was approached for the sponsorship, they declined, saying too much mention of other stuff]

Vardaan market. Ekhane agey khub bhalo ethnic salwar kammez paowa jeto. Ekhon aar... Kintu ebar paowa gelo. Jute aar wooden beads er kaaj kara cotton er salwar kammez. Punti r kaaj kara scarf. Zardousi shawl. Kantha stich aar mirror work er bag. Shonge matching costume jewellery. [Vardaan market authorities were delighted to get asked for sponsorship, so they sponsored this para as well as the previous one]

Sheshe aar garite bag rakhar jay nei. Tao bhaggish Zen noy, Opel! noile Shoppers Stop ei iti Taante hoto! Gharir dike takiye mathay haat. Oma! already adh ghanta late! Ekhono Trinca's jete another half hour lagbe! tori ghori cell phone e call. Kichhu tuki taki baki roye gelo... ki aar kara jabe? Ekdine pujor bajar hoy naki? Tao shomoy er obhabe Rajgharana y jaoa holo na! Eto baro sacrifice karta ra bujhle hoy! [In addition to the first paragraph, this one also does not have a sponsor. So, the author is paying from his own pocket]

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[author's note: no one sponsors the following section, that is why they generally don't find space in the pages of the daily]

Odike, kolkatar onno ek kone, ekTi Thanda office e,
'Shubham, are you ready?'
'Na yaar, Prit, give me another 15 minutes.'
'Come on! The ladies are waiting at Trinca's'
'You come on! Meyera shopping korte giye late habe na? Are you crazy!'
'But, ami bhabchhilam ektu agey giye ekta early start nebo, noile Sharmi aajkaal bhishon jhamela kare'
'Arre, amar o to ek i problem. Raju o du chaar peg er beshi khete dey na... bale, beshi khele ami naki tipsy hoye jai!'
'Then lets go now!'
'Relax yaar, she just called me.. they'll be another hour late.'

Shubham aar Prit (orofe Prithwish) er mukhe molayem hashi chhoriye pare. Minute kuri baade lift diye namte namte tukro kath barta...
'So, another pujo!'
'Yup! Another four nights of endless drinking'
'Don't forget the kababs... ekta notun restaurant er khoj peyechhi... they have about 25 types of kababs... each of them is a gem!'
'God! I love durga pujo!'
'Thakur dekhte berobi naki?'
'khepechhish? ei chaardin holo amar time to achieve nirvana'

Another half hour later, Trinca's. Ladies have not arrived yet (bodh hoy Rajgharana Ta gurei ashbe). Shubham er haate scotch, Prit is nursing his vodka.
'bolo, Durga mai Ki!'
'Ek peg ei matlamo korchho guru?'


Footnote: This article may look at little dated, for, I visited Kolkata last in 2003. Tarpor ganga diye kato jal boye gechhe.. tai updated ekta version bartomaner kolkata bashi/bashini ra post korle mondo hoy na.

Oh, another thing... I have very little knowledge about sarees.. so whatever I have mentioned here has been taken directly from newspapers... so bouquets or brickbats should be directed towards Prafulla Chandra Street, please.