One more of those hilarious conversations with mom…
I was having my daily call with mom this morning. We were just chatting about how the day went for her when she suddenly asked “Badambhaja kachchis?” (“Are you having roasted peanuts?” – this, by the way, is a very common snack for Bengalis). Completely taken aback (after all, I was just having my first cup of coffee in the the morning that time), I replied “Na. Keno bolo to?”. (“Nope. Why?”). To which she responded “Naah. Hotat badambhajar gondho pelam monay holo”. (“Oh! I thought I just smelt some roasted peanuts”).
And I am like “What? I am talking to you on the phone” 🙂 🙂
A similar incident had happened a long time back. I was talking to her from my mobile phone near my cubicle in office. I was talking a little softly (unlike other days where I would have stepped out of the office and called her). She asked me if I was sick. (BTW, my mom  jumps straight to the conclusion that I am sick if I do anything different from what I did the previous day 🙂 ). I, of course, said No and asked her why. She said that my voice was very muffled. So, I explained to her that there were other people around me who did not understand Bengali and I was trying not to be rude – so I was speaking softly. She immediately hushed her voice and said “Oh! that is a good point”.
And I am like “Why are YOU hushing your voice?” 🙂 🙂
We still talk about that incident once in a while….
The second incident is very common. If you talk on the phone in a hushed tone for a reason, the person at the other end often reverts to a hushed tone as well, without reason, perhaps as an equal and opposite instinctive reaction.
All mothers have the same behaviour.They have a lot of affection for their son.
Rajib, the affection of the mother comes through in your writing.
You are giving ideas to apple for designing the next iphone…haptic..tactile…smell..affect..guess what; its all in their roadmap now…
So, Sudipto Chatterjee and I, back in the day, were hanging out in his Beliaghata residence. We were both in our teens. My father called Sudipto in his landline (that was the only mode of instant communication then).
Sudipto and I were smoking at the moment, you know, experimenting and all that.
True to the norms of the society, the moment Sudipto heard my father’s voice on the phone, he hid his cigarette behind his back…
Why??
:-)))
Once I saw a police official giving salute to his senior on phone.
Satyajit Ray envisaged the concept of ” Smell o stant” phone long time back in his ” Ak Dazan Goppo”. So nothing is impossible, lol