SOUROV GHOSE

Category: NARRATIVES

  • Wandered Lonely As A Sky

    Wandered Lonely As A Sky

    So, I was waiting for this. The City. Prague. Yet I did not truly know what was worth waiting for in this vast European peninsula. It feels so dull, so lifeless here, with people carrying nothing but grumpy faces. The nature, as well, has been so frugal to give away anything beautiful to this landscape. Well, I know there will be disagreements. But, do they have that wild rains that would submerge the entire villages? Like the ones we see in our country and then only take boats to roam around from here to there. Do they have Kaalboishakhi- the terrifying storm followed by the sort of a healing breeze where you could smell the fragrance of earth and there are fallen mangoes all around? Do these people know that such a wonder exists? Do they wait for that?

    Hallway in the heart of the station

    The scepticism about the beauty of European Cities; I had been carrying it like a coat in the summer warmth. The moment I reached the city, I confronted one of the most beautiful hallaways I have ever seen in very heart of the station. The delicate geometry of the arches, the symmetry of the golden lights, the intricate art; I could barely look away. After the first sense of shock, I started roaming through the veins of the city. The city felt like the old lady of Chaillot that had held onto her relics of the past so dearly, that time itself was rendered powerless to harm even it a bit. The castle, the towering gothic spires cathedral, these were eyeshatteringly beautiful and magnificent. It seemed like I wasn’t looking at them, it was rather the ancient sentinels that demanded the fullest of my attention.

    Relics from the Past

    Moving away from the architecture, I reached the beautiful bridge full of tourists, Yet there were local artists, musicians, some were sitting exhaustion, some were drawn in work, and there were melodies all over. I pulled over and stood at the edge of the bridge looking at the river for some time. The Vitava was flowing beneath. So serene, so quite. Would it be able to look in the eyes of mighty Padma if they ever meet each other? Rivers meet somewhere, don’t they?

    Life on the bridge

    As my eyes were full of beauty all around, my stomach needed attention. I had my lunch and sat at the Kampa park for a couple of hours. Sitting there and watching people relaxing with their friends and family were really the call it a day things to do. I kept staring into the distance untill the sun slowly set.

    Staring at the distance

  • Zagreb: Comfort in the Unfamiliar

    Zagreb: Comfort in the Unfamiliar

    I have been travelling consecutively for the last three weekends here and there in Europe, especially where flixbus takes me for cheap. I travel at nights, Friday nights, step into an unfamiliar city in the morning, roam around with a one click chatgpt itenerary, and take a bus back to Vienna in the evening. More like cattle grazing in the field and getting home with the sun setting on the horizons. There is somewhat a unique rhythm to it. The last three Friday mandatory ‘attendance lists’ were Budapest, Prague and Zagreb.

    Morning Colours in the City markets in Zagreb

    Unlike other cities, Zagreb felt very different. I would not say exciting or beautiful, but it had certain something. At least for two reasons, I was joined by some mutual friends and enjoyed more than one could expect in the first meeting with some new people. And, there was the city itself. It was so calm, yet so lively. The city has sort of a magnetic pull that makes you sit at the same spot for hours. And, of course, it makes you not forget it. Maybe that is the reason I have decided to write something on it leaving aside some of the deadlines I’d rather not think about. I reached Zagreb in the morning, a bit after 6 o’clock. And, shortly, we started walking towards the city. I have not memorised the places I visited, so I will describe whatever I can remember and that will have to do. We started towards a park some fifteen minutes away from the bus station right after a slice of pizza, a very bad coffee and a mandatory morning cigarette.

    The Octagonal Music Stand that We weren’t very happy with and then came the berries

    We reached the park in a bit. Oh! it didn’t look very fancy. The octagonal iron music stand or pavilion, that was weathered. And obviously we weren’t very successfully visualising eighteenth century concerts being played and place a pat on our own shoulders on what a beautiful place we have ended up in and so we quickly left. In a few moments, we were at the market. A nice little village like market with amazing colours and cheap groceries. We had the tastiest strawberries ever from the market. There were birds all over the place, mostly pigeons. Other day, one of my friends was dissing the pigeons. They hated them. To them, it was like some fat with feathers. I couldn’t agree. I think, they were not hated here that much. They would not be so many in numbers if they were hated, would they? Can a human being stay at a place where he is hated? Maybe.

    The Flying Pigeon

    Note: I almost forgot to mention a statue of a horse rider which is so ubiquitious that it seems to be an obvious feature of all european capitals I have ever visited. How did I forget that? Do you think ‘Art’ loses its appeal when it exists in such an abundance?

    The Horseman

    At this point, Google Maps led us to some spiral staircases and golden alleyways full of flowers and dancing men drawn on streets reminiscent of the dancing men from Sherlock Holmes stories. I do feel that the city started unraveling its magic with the streets and its beauty. There were paintings on the walls, trees full with unknown small fresh fruits, and there was this sort of a perfect symmetry between the lights and the shadows. My friends were busy clicking their photos and I was busy taking the pictures that one would easily find in google.

    Golden Alleyways

    Yellows everywhere

    The city then embraced us with a certain comfort. A warm hug that we did not want to let go of. We spent the rest of the day drifting between quite breweries, local restaurants, or sun-dappled park. Zagreb may not have offered us much, but I can’t say it was any less of a beauty than the others I visited. The rhythm started to get slow and the sun was dipping towards the horizon. I also needed to pack my bag and head back to Vienna, which is home, at least for now.

    Peace