The first impression of city for me was that I have started loving the city. So, I was seeing everything of the city through those spectacles only. While encountering any situation, I was feeling like, its OK it happens and I will face the situation of the city because I like this place. I have faced many tough times in this place but I never have felt frustrated of the situations since I loved this place.
Now it’s 20th February 2011. It again was a Sunday, but a little cold evening. It was a time to bid Adieu to Credible Raipur (What the CG Government says in its advertisement). I got transferred to Kolkata from Raipur. This is the third time when I would be coming to Kolkata. Once in 1996 when I came here to appear in some entrance exam and second time in 2005. The second time I came here just till airport as my connecting flight from Patna to Mumbai was via Kolkata. I still remember my 3 hour stay here at Kolkata Airport. The time gap of 3 hour between my connecting flights had forced me to stay here at the airport, a little captive kind of situation where the time was not that much to enjoy the city. So the world for me was airport for those 3 hours. My experience during that 3 hours was, God, its so very dirty airport with lot of flies keeping you engage with them. The floor of the airport with lot of dirty black spots that even after cleaning had stayed in my memories.
So again I reached the City of Joy. It was a low flying ATR flight that actually gives you a clear view of the ground while flying. As I was nearing Kolkata, those beautiful city lights started sparkling. The sparkling city light scattered in a very maverick manner. The first impression during that time was, Oh what a beautiful independent city that is. A city of Joy in real sense. Where even the lights are so joyously sparkling independently.
With the announcement of Pilot about our landing in the city, I already had developed a kind of Goosebumps. Another new experience is waiting for me. This time in a city that is know for its traditions; the soothing music; the joyous attitude of people; the yellow taxi; white dressed policemen; the 2 coach trams; the women with cotton sari, big bindi and curly hair – perhaps the most sensuous ladies of the world; the men with kurta with a nice embroidery near its buttons, a little talkative; the land of Rabindra Sangeet and lots of talent and the land of communists. The nearer the carriage bus was coming to the terminal, the more my heart started skipping some of the beats. The nearer the bus coming to the terminal, my past two experiences started flashing in front of eyes – the beautiful city, flying pigeons, metro trains, trams, low fare buses, and dirty airport. And to my utter surprise, the Kolkata Airport didn’t have changed much in these 5 – 6 years. It was not that clean, flies were still there. The only different was stains on the floor. It was not there, perhaps because the flooring was new.
After a waiting of around an hour for the cab, I actually had started running on the roads of City of Joy. Can’t believe that. Once again, I started feeling the vibes of the city was syncing with my vibes. Same kind of feeling as it was when I was in Raipur. Hope to see lot of good experiences and memories I could treasure during my stay here in the City of Joy.
