BONSAI

                          BONSAI:                                      

                                                    Dhobesh was a close friend of mine during our early years of job. He was very fond of gardening that too he specialized in Bonsai show piece on his drawing room and garden. He was very proud of his Bonsai and received lots of prizes in the annual horticultural shows. People used to praise him and encouraged him for his gardening hobby. Due to my frequent transfer I lost interest in gardening.

                                       Both of us were in all India transferable jobs. Dhobesh got married two years earlier to me. We were connected only through Indian Postal Service. There was no mobile nor any internet or email in India to share photographs .After my retirement me and my family had gone to Simla for sightseeing. One cold evening I met my friend at Mall road. I immediately recognized my Bonsai expert friend Dhobesh, even though both of us had changed a lot physically. I introduced my wife and daughter but he kept quite. I asked him about his gardening hobby and what he did to his wonderful Bonsai collection, while seated on the foot steps of that famous Church of mall road.

Dhobesh said “Friend, have given away my collection to the horticulture department”.

“But why” I asked.

“Can you see that small boy doing the skating?”

“Who is that boy?” I was interested to know.

“Friend, he is my 18 years old son who refused to grow like my Bonsai trees. He is a dwarf like my hundreds of Bonsai collection. God said-- you are interested in Bonsai, here is one .” Then my friend Dhobesh broke down.

Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy