The four cross lane at the corner of Regal ground where one road leads to the Colonial Regal building, one corner having Muslim Library, one lane leads to Tata Main Hospital and other one to DM Madan girls high school. At that corner, there was this ground. it used to be quite a thick green plain land with slight ups and downs in places and next to it there were small one room Tisco quarters. This place had one annual festival that was a large Kali puja which would pull a huge crowd, eminent singers would be invited from Kolkata and singers like Shri Dhananjay Bhattacharya, and many other would come and perform. Once came Shri Birendra Krishna Bhadra. Iconic voice of whom is deep embedded in every Bengali’s veins. Durga Puja cannot start even today or the whole feel doesn’t appear if this voice is not reached to the ears.

Over the years this ground slowly started getting encroached by the small time food stalls. Some selling, tea, samosa, some selling dosa, idli, slightly off bit looking Bright Yellow colour carts selling Mumbai Bhel, some selling Paani puri etc.

An evening Bisu returned from office, told his wife Suprity, let us go for a ride with our two sons this evening. Moment the joyride reached the ears of their elder son, he started jumping out of excitement. Younger one was too small for indulging into that happiness.

After about an hour or so the family of four reaches to that particular ground riding on their Lambretta scooter. Bisu parks his scooter. Elder son who was standing between the scooter handle and his Father, now get down from the scooter and was wondering why have they suddenly stopped there. Leaving his family standing close to the scooter Bisu walks towards the food stalls and returned after sometime holding nicely wrapped rolls in his two hands. As he walks closer to his family, he smiles and says have Egg Rolls. It’s really nice.

Bisu’s family was thus introduced to a new trendy food called Roll. A smartly packed hot crispy paratha with topping of eggs, a stuffing of fresh chopped onions, carrots and bit roots and just before it is rolled, a large fresh lime quizzed up and down with a quick shake of salt and pepper from top created this mouthwatering roll.

Yesterday while enjoying a sumptuous egg roll in the vicinity, old days came alive in front of the eyes. It was so beautiful to see my cute younger brother seated on the rear seat of our loving Lambretta scooter, young parents standing close to their two sons and a happy family of four relishing every bite of the egg rolls.

Memories are more precious than the actual occurrence.

Remembering Dad. Late B N Biswas (Bisu)

#digitalillustration #jamshedpur #regalcinemajamshedpur #tisco

Facebook post on 20th June 2021