It was a beautiful sunny morning today almost after a
week of rainfall. I woke up early at 5.00 a.m.
Walking through my garden’s lawn barefooted I could
see the Sun peeping its way out from our ‘Assam type Home-sweet home.’ It
spread itself bright on our lawn where I stood on the lawn barefooted. The
greenery of the lawn bloomed as the Sun kissed it slowly. I stood there
mesmerized watching the beautiful painting on the sky formed by the blue,
orange, yellow and red colour. I felt the Sun kissing the nature slowly like
mother and as if whispering, “Wake up my Child; it’s a new day”.
Moments later brightening our lawn I saw the Sun
brighten the veranda of our temple situated at one corner of the lawn. I walked
slowly towards the temple and opened the gates of the temple and sat there
watching slowly the beauty of nature.
Various beautiful flowers have bloomed all around the
lawn. At one moment I supposed I forgot to wink my eyes even. Everything was so
beautiful so serene. Moments later I saw ‘baba- my father’ returning from his
morning walk. He walked towards me passing through the lawn and said,"The
Spring is here ma, the spring is here”.
Saying so, baba pointed his fingers towards the Pomelo
fruit tree (Assamese- Rhobab tenga) present at other corner of our lawn. I tried to find out what baba was trying to
show me. Through the creepers grown over the Pomelo tree I could see what baba
was trying to show me it were the ‘foxtail orchids- Kopou Phool’.
Kopou Phool-the foxtail orchids symbolizes the Rhongali
bihu-new year of Assam. After two long years I am at home during spring. I
breathed in the soothing chilled air and felt that, “Spring is here”.
I rushed home took my bicycle & rode through the
road. I rode through the road with tea gardens on both sides. I stopped by the
tea garden and touched the tea leaves which reminded me of Bhupen Hazarika’s
song “Ek kaali dwo pattiya -one bud
& two leaves”. Yes it was on every tea shrub. Yes of course I thought,
yes of course because “Spring is here.”
I waited there for moments to breathe in the fresh
aroma of the brewing tea coming from inside the tea factory nearby where fresh
tea leaves were being converted into tea powder. It seemed the fresh air too
meant “Spring is here”.
I rode over the bridge under which the stream flowed.
Due to continuous rain it has been transformed into a large stream. There is
greenery everywhere. Butterflies everywhere.Flowers everywhere, but I didn’t
stop I rode past my school “Don Bosco” and entered into a small ‘kaccha rasta’
which was leading to a village where my “Choto-ma” stays.
There I heard the beating of ‘dhols- the Assamese dhol
is made of leather and tree bark and is beaten by a stick on one side and with
hand on the other side’ , blowing of ‘pepa- the blow horn made basically from rhinoceros
horns and whistling of ‘hutuli- a small whistler made from wood.
It reminded me of my memories how amateur dancers like
me and my elder brother ‘Jeet’ practiced bihu before Rhongali Bihu with the
professional ones who were to go for performing ‘Husori- a ritual of Rhongali
Bihu where dancers go to different houses to sing and dance and pray for the
house-owners so that the God would shower blessing over the House’ and this
reminded me yes “Spring is here”, “Spring is here”.
I returned home riding my bicycle and while entering
home brought ‘garam jalebis’ from the famous jalebi shop of my home town and
returned . While entering home I heard my 'ma- mother singing Rabindra nath Tagore’s
song, “ Aaji Bosonto Jagroto Daaare- Today Spring has arrived at my door-step”
and I responded “ Yes, Spring is here”.
Joyeeta Talukdar
30/03/2016
