By Nabendu Bhattacharyya
Part 1
It is7th January of 1972, and today, Machlandapur Railway Station has got its new handsome Assistant Station Master, Shivtosh Bhattacharya. Shivtosh is not only tall and good looking but also fluent in Hindi, English & Sanskrit, which is a rare attribute at Bengal at this point of time. Shivtosh has flare for understanding subtle nuances of different languages unlike others who brought up in Bengali lower middle class family. However, he was not happy with his job, and therefore preparing for the exam for officer post which is scheduled in two months from now. He was utterly perturbed due to paltry sum he used to earn every month as assistant station master. And he, therefore, put his heart and soul in preparation for the exam with eye on higher salary, which could help him tide over pitiable financial condition for which he can only blame his father who died long back prematurely.
Part 2
Almost twenty-five years back, whenten-year-oldShivtoshwas a very good student of Kashimbazar Govt. School of rural Bengal, his father diagnosed with cancer, throat cancer. And like majority of the cases, here also cigarette played the villainous role to instil seed of the royal disease in his fatherDebtosh’s throat. And after that life was changed permanently. Overnight the ten-year-oldShivtosh became guardian of widow mother and four sisters. However, being part of a joint family, with help of others, somehow days were passing with great hardships. At this point of time, he decided to earn his pocket money by doing a simple job, evening guard of a library which gave him liberty to read innumerable numbers of books. This helped him develop command over languages which supported his professional life up to a great extent. By guarding family of widow mother, sisters and library, Shivtosh become adult, completed I. A. and became temporary secretary of the local magistrate office with a paltry sum as salary. Then with passing of years, he married off his sisters and joined Eastern Railway at Calcutta as a clerk. Something is god gifted which god gives without much thought. Like here, Shivtosh was endowed with good look, fair complexion, baritone voice and good built which are prerequisite for matinee idol like Uttam Kumar, but not for him. His attributes were like excess baggage for a Railway warehouse clerk. Anyway, life was moving in snail’s pace until 1972 when he was chosen for Assistant Station Master of Machlandapur, a mufassil station of West Bengal.
Part 3
In year 1973, he was forced to get married as someone was needed to take care of his aging mother and domestic chores. So he got married to an educated girl from a well-known Bengali family from Calcutta. And within two years he became father of twin daughters and a son. Last year, he appeared for the internal exam for officer rank. Because of his command over languages, he was selected too. But, what we propose, God always disposes. He was chosen to be a Railway Guard of the Local Train as there was shortage, instead of cosy job of an officer. Because, guard-ship is equivalent to sheer hardship, which he could figure out in no time. No proper routine, no proper time to rest, no proper holiday as trains run all three sixty-five days nonstop. So, he could not devout much time towards family and in socializing. His life was as per the time table of Railway. And this sheer humdrumness of guarding the train everyday changed him completely. That soft spoken& good mannered Shivtosh died prematurely, who proficiently guarded his family, library and Railway warehouse at Calcutta.
Part 4
It was because of wife of Shivtosh, Shanti, the family was not broken. As Shivtosh become very unsocial and rude. And Diabetic due to anxiety and stress. Therefore, his children, his friends, his relatives started keeping distance from him. And no wonder that he was compelled to take voluntary retirement when children were in college. That was real testing time for the family. There is no crisis bigger than financial crisis. Meagre pension and earnings from tuitions of children were all they have to cross every painful day of every month. Here, when fish curry become more dear and rare, Shivtosh once again decided to work as he loved fish curry and rice more than anything in the world.
Part 5
With everyone’s astonishment, he got a job. But here also, God had the last laugh. He was taken by a Security Guard Agency for guarding a famous Jewellery shop at Chowrangee lane of Calcutta as a guard. Even that little amount brought some respite to the family, when childrenwere yet to finish their education.
Part 6
One cold winter evening, when Shivtosh was guarding the jewellery shop, robbers attacked the shop. And practically without anything, Shivtosh fought valiantly. But was shot down by one of the robber before leaving the shop. TodayShivtosh is no more. But his profound command over various languages and death like a martyr keep coming in the memory of all who knew him as Guard Saheb at every phase of life. As he was born to be a guard only.
By Nabendu Bhattacharyya
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