Chol jabo guru r bari
Literally translated means ‘let’s
go to the master’s house’, this Bengali term is used to describe a desire to
travel back to the ‘Guru’s’ abode. Guru, the one who guides through the
meandering darkness of ignorance, explains away the maze of complexities that
confront us, opens up the mind to infinite possibilities, shows the brilliance
of a thousand suns emanating primordial knowledge and teaches us how to tap
into the universal rhythm that has been playing since the beginning of time.
How can one, therefore stay away from such nectar for long. Again and again one
is drawn back to the guru’s abode to deep dive into this sea of nectar. This
journey back is as much spiritual and emotional as is physical. In fact more of
the former than the later. It’s the wandering mind’s return to the nest.
Through my life I have been lucky
to have met people who have shown me the ‘path’. I won’t get into the debate of
whether the path shown was ‘right’ or wrong…’left’. Early on I studied under a
brilliant man who we lovingly referred to as ‘Rantuda’. A physicist,
mathematician, poet and a former ultra leftist. Rantuda in one word was my
first hero. He introduced me to the world of Pete Seeger, Suman Chattopadhay,
Socialism, Idealism and of course my lifelong love for rationality and reason
over emotion. It was much later that I actually realized what a strong
influence he has had on the way I have shaped up today. In my strong opinions,
extreme views and refusal to compromise Rantuda’s shadow looms heavy.
But my association with him was short
lived and my education under him ended after a few years as our lives took us
on different paths. He landed up in Singapore and I in Gurgaon. It is here I
met the man who I consider to be the closest to what I would call a guru.
I met Virat on my first day at
office in Gurgaon and smiled to myself as to how appropriate his name was. He
was physically ‘Virat’ and looked more like a westerner than an Indian and certainly
nothing like any Gujarati I had known from Kolkata. He was diametrically
opposite of what Rantuda was. While Rantuda was a socialist, Virat was a
staunch Capitalist. To cut a long story short there was nothing common in
between the two individuals. Yet, today I can safely conclude that the two
could have been the one and the same individual. Their love for rationality,
logic, reason, music, zest for life, rock solid knowledge base and a never ending thirst for
new information in any disciple, anything to enrich the intellectual capital
was mind numbingly similar. In Virat I found someone who would qualify as my
guru. When I look back and wonder why, what was that one thing that made us gel,
I guess it was our love for things creative. Creativity in any form art, music,
commercial, non commercial, literature anything and everything. Avant garde or
classical it mattered not, as long as it tickled our sensibilities and
intellectual faculties. I have always admired his ability to be amazed at
something new. I don’t think there is anyone younger at heart and full of enthusiasm
as him. A more well read man I am yet to come across. His ability to recollect
names of books and authors is amazing. And read he has, and continues to do so
regularly. In fact he was singularly responsible for getting me back into the
habit of reading. Well traveled too if I may add and hence his experiences are
for real, not picked up from Wikipedia or Google.
Being a kind of a misfit myself I
found his company more and more enjoyable. He didn’t judge me as far as I know.
Every day we talked and talked about everything under the sun. But invariably
our discussions would roll towards creativity and music and literature and
movies and new stuff we had picked up on the net. My second education phase had
started. I believe I have learned more about marketing, philosophy, global
outlook through these conversation sessions that what my colleagues would have
learned at elite business schools. It was an amazing phase. And when I realized
that my time was done at said organization, it was these conversation sessions
which helped me maintain composure….
‘Chol jabo guru r bari’ was as
much physical as it was Meta physical. A trip to Virat’s house in New Friend’s
colony was as pleasurable as the conversations we had. A beautiful, warmly done
up apartment where we have spent many an enjoyable hour. Contemporary art
adorn the walls, books arranged on a massive book shelf, seasonal flowers
adorn the balcony, well stocked bar, fabulous mutton curry, Jim Morrison
singing in the back ground or us strumming the guitar, Rafa – the largest and
cutest Labrador that I have seen, lazing around the room… guru r bari – guru’s
abode ! Every invitation to visit his home was always met with great enthusiasm
and anticipation. Yes I have drunk his wine, ate his food, read his books,
picked his brains but more than anything trusted him and considered him as a
friend, philosopher and guide.
So today when we do not get to
meet every day, the emotional, Meta physical desire to get back to guru is ever
stronger. There is much left to be learned, be discovered, be amazed at and discussed.
Sure I miss those conversations but more than anything miss the comfort of
knowing that there is someone who understands my point of view, someone I can
just walk across and have a conversation with. Till we meet again and indulge
in a new conversation…
