"I often see myself, a five or six-year-old, in my mind's eye, riding a bicycle on the road, its bell tinkling. I remember our pond, the wild trees that grew around it, the moonlight that bathed the night, the gathering of fireflies, and my father returning home.
Father had a shop in Dhanua, Shibpur. I don't remember exactly what he sold. Every morning, I would hand him the shop keys. My siblings and I would spend the whole day waiting for him to come home. He would usually return around nine or ten at night. The tinkling of his bicycle bell would signal his arrival. He would bring us all 'treats'.
One day, Father returned home very late. I fell asleep waiting for him. When I woke up in the morning, I heard that my siblings had eaten my 'treat'. I cried so much that I turned the whole house upside down.
It was probably the month of Chaitra. There weren't many fish. The water in our pond had receded, leaving a layer of white sand on the banks.
One moonlit night, while fireflies danced around the pond, Mother, my siblings, and I were walking along the bank, waiting for Father. Suddenly, I noticed something glittering like gems in the dry sand. Excited, we thought we had struck it rich! After pushing through the bushes, we found it was a packet of chips. The white part of the packet was glistening in the moonlight. We all laughed heartily. Just then, Father arrived. Seeing us by the sand, he scolded us. But despite his scolding, he brought us chocolates and cake.
One moonlit night, while fireflies danced around the pond, Mother, my siblings, and I were walking along the bank, waiting for Father. Suddenly, I noticed something glittering like gems in the dry sand. Excited, we thought we had struck it rich! After pushing through the bushes, we found it was a packet of chips. The white part of the packet was glistening in the moonlight. We all laughed heartily. Just then, Father arrived. Seeing us by the sand, he scolded us. But despite his scolding, he brought us chocolates and cake.
A few years later, when Father was leaving for abroad, I thought he might go to the shop without his bicycle. Believing he had forgotten the keys, I ran out onto the road and called out to him, 'Won't you take the keys, Abba?'"
