The City of Kolkata
There is a thing about cities that move slow. There is an inevitable nostagia that engulfs you upon returning there. Such a city is my Kolkata.
Kolkata is a city that has stood staring at the face of changing times. It still is. But, don’t mistake this immutability for nonchalance. Kolkata isn’t aloof to the modern day problems, it has often solved such problems before half the world even conceived of them.
For example, think innovation. From the first elevator in the country to the first subterrenean and underwater transport systems, first 5G connectivity, and beyond. Besides, while we can argue the pros and cons of Kolkata’s excess historical baggage, the city continue to be among the top 3 largest cities in terms of its GDP. Funny how the lazy fish eating Bengali looking for a good siesta post lunch has also chiseled a survivable economic landscape.
Yet there are issues. The extreme comfort, the lack of UPI-enabled roadside shacks, people who smile at you, jobs at cool MNCs, and lack of unicorn start-ups, to name a few.
For 24 years, Kolkata was the world I knew. The city that cradled me in its arms, teaching me the rhythm of life with its gentle chaos and quiet moments of peace. I grew up in its embrace, surrounded by the familiar sounds of rickshaw bells, the scent of fresh kachoris, teas, and the endless hum of adda in streets that may sometimes be empty after dark, but somehow, never sleep. Come to think of it, this warmth is also what made my trips and time away, much more cherishable.
Anyway, leaving was like stepping away from a major part of myself. The city stayed behind, but the idea of it lingered within me. In the two years away, I often found myself yearning for the simplicity of Kolkata’s mornings — the sight of the first rays of sun filtering through the mist at the Maidan, the warmth of the first sip of tea from a maatir bhard, the comfort of knowing that some things never change.
When I returned, it was as if time had paused for me. The city greeted me like an old friend, unchanged yet somehow more precious. The streets I once walked every day felt like familiar chapters in a book I had put down for too long. The narrow lanes and old houses, welcomed me back with a silent nod and smirk, all saying “We’ve been waiting.”
In Kolkata, I found the part of myself that I had left behind. The city’s gentle embrace reminded me that some places never truly leave you. They wait, patiently, for you to return and pick up right where you left off. And as I walked through its rain-soaked streets, with gleaming thoughts and multitudes of emotions, I knew that Kolkata would always be my home.
