The Other Side

Winter was on mist hanging. It was cloudy and gloomy day. We were returning from Phuntsholing to Thimphu with his new SUV, BMW X5. He gently manages to press on the music player button to play his favorite list, ‘nge thimphu-by misty terrace’ was the first song. I was struggling to pull cork of the wine bottle ‘la Crema’. Balancing force and tension with bumps on road, I finally opened. Cheers to your new car boss, I raised my glass to kiss his.

It was 7:15 PM when we reach his place. Both of us gathered near heater with bottles of foster. And he went into kitchen to get glasses for us.

His phone beeped, displaying ‘Yangsel- text message’. Oye! Sangay some one call Yangsel messaged you. As soon as I called him. He rushed from a kitchen with wai wai and maggi not with glasses. He unlocks his phone, and focuses his eye lens blinking very curious.

“Common dude, its party time lets enjoy” he said to me. He went outside and brought some more foster, it made me little curious about the message. We again cheered for another round of fosters with pigs intestine. This time both of our face displayed maroon, like a ripen pumpkins. It sensed something is wrong with him, actually he never drinks that much! It made me ask him what the problem is.

“Last year summer gila, I was returning from my tour, from investigation case at Trashi Gang. Early morning, it was raining and I was first one to board the bus. Slowly, all gathered and got settled with respective seats. But my seat mate, showed no sign. Driver horned angrily, and it made to asked him to wait a little on-behalf of my seat partner. Few minutes later, a girl banged on the door! She was completely drenched in rain. Driver asked her, ‘ausa nan gila mo seat number 11 ga’ nope she replied. My sister is going so I came to drop her, in instance her sister came and she sat near me and waves her hands to her sister. Eventually we marched to Thimphu.

At first it made me irritate and angry, but she was a complete stranger to me and can’t say anything to her. I too wanted to tell her that I asked driver to wait for her. She was gorgeous dude, amazing morab, her smile is breathtakingly awesome and her scent still lingers within my nostrils. Till Chazam, both of us were buried silent. Suddenly she broke silent, ‘I was late right?’ I answer, yap few minutes late. I could see her, the feeling of sorry of being disobedient. That made her cute and more beautiful. I offer her candy and she exchanged with ‘thank you, Atta!’

Another round of silence, we reached Mongar. I thought it’s my turn to break silence, I offer her window seat if she is feeling not well. She said, ‘I am ok here’. And it made me little uneasy. I asked her details of going to Thimphu and finally learned that she is a final year student of Royal Thimphu College and her name as Yangsel.

I was in love with her, she knew I am employed and made her to accept my proposal. (Using slang) I thought she is in love with me, she isn’t. Dude these days girls just need money, and when their purse if filled they change their SIM-cards. Be careful Yenten!”

Shit! Yangsel, the one messaged him right now, how could she do that to him. I know my friend; he is deeply and madly in love with her. I told him to call and ask what the problem was. He denied, and showed me message.

‘Sangay! Sorry to tell you. I think you are not the one for me, I tried to keep hold on but it’s very difficult. I know it will hurt you, but I must tell you right now. I need to go away from this garden, some garden deserves better so I need say good bye!! Sorry once again’

The modern era, modern girls and advanced style of letter writings!!!

Every Evening

All day after, wave her orbs to west,

Summoning, lovely crescent moon to shine,

With flowery drizzle and crystal drops,

Shutting the cover of universe,

Saying goodbye, closing her eyes,

Kissing horizon, so tenderly to say I enjoyed today.

Flapping sounds, thundering rush and eloping tunes,

She comes every evening to meet me,

We talk, dance, drink, eat and even we kiss sometimes,

I do help her to paint her wings, those wings already adorn beautifully,

And help me to harvest my day.

With wishes and prayers, we close our eyes,

Tomorrow! In early dawn she is lost and no remnants are left,

Rather her fragrance makes me felt her absence my pain,

I bid goodbyes, with another hope to see her again,

See her again, every evening.

Dear Beautiful Butterfly!

Your beautiful wings, stole my heart and left nothing inside me,

I build love in your memory, and in your absence.

But can’t tell you when you are with me!!!

Dear Beautiful Butterfly! I always paint love on your wings

Hope you find those someday!

Dear Beautiful Butterfly!!

Great Indian Plains to Mountains – Part II

Wai boss! Boss waii..!! wusho waii, wusho. Lunch rekpey waii! My friend woke me up. I hate people disturbing, especially when I am in a deep slumber, but we were just a half friend and that is the best part of being half if not I would have punched him already. We had our lunch together and resumed our journey.

Engine roar again, passenger mates were humming and my friends were laughing and finally we reached Phuntsholing. It took an hour to locate an inn, since many heads got different kind of choice and taste. We eventually decided to stay in Hotel Moonlit, where today it’s known as Puensum Hotel.

Phuntsoling was new to most of us especially my friends from east, since we had spent almost our entire lives in the midst of pine woods. While me and my friends were enthusiastically shopping and looking forward to our first college days, I was a little worried regarding the train we were to board the next day. I had never travelled by train before. In fact not to blame, I was young and journey away from home was little too risky for me. Without any information, and just relying on my guts I prepared for battle next day. 

On the early morning of 8^th September, 2010 we geared up to march our long journey to an unknown place. Yet destiny was set. Ahlipur Duar Junction was the station. Are bhai kedar janey ka?plaa..t fom lamber pata haii? Might be a question he asked me, he was an old man at the station. I was speechless, since I had no answer to what he asked as I didn’t know or understand Hindi very well. He passed and we paused with questioning eyes. Within an hour the train whistled loudly into the station, alarming us. Although we didn’t have any information we hurriedly boarded the train since we had only a few minutes to do so. 

Inside, the train’s condition was worse than ridding a farm tractor in my village. It was like people rushing in vegetable vendors, and the seats were already occupied too. Six of us stood with individual suitcases on the doorway, as if waiting for individuals turn like in archery match. After a while, we could settle ourselves but you know in India everything can happen in second. TT, black suit man, looking as if he is the king of the world raising his head very straight up came by asking tickets. We thought we had tickets since we paid hefty sum for six of us, but ticketing procedure in India is one thing I hate the most. Our tickets were in waiting list that means we can’t have seats, and have to bear penalty. Indians just need to get a chance, and then they smash things very badly. The TT asked us for one thousand rupees, and since we were scared we gave him the money without any question to rescue ourselves. When we finally reached our destination,  the auto waala tricked us by taking 500 rupees to reach us to our college, which otherwise actually cost us only Rs. 200. My welcoming note in India wasn’t that fun, but we all should experience this kind at least once, haha!

We were late by a month I think. We completed all admission process on the same day we reached our college and of course seniors were there too who helped us to complete all proceedings. It was hot late summer time, temperature was at average but humidity was very high. There was no electricity too, and the very first night itself, far away from Bhutan, I had my very first lesson on struggle for survival.  

Every morning I have a dream of doing something great, but every evening I used go back with regrets. Four years from 2010 to 2014, I was quite fortunate to pass without any big hindrance. College days weren’t so cool, unlike the colleges in Bhutan I have heard about. But facilities and exposure was enough that I got an opportunity to learn and explore. It takes couple of days to fix an Ethernet cable port in Bhutan, but in India you need to just give them some time. Indians are very cool and they taught me to control my patience too. To withdraw 200 bucks from ATM, we have to wait standing for couple of hours in long queue. Of course I have learnt a lot from India, and I am grateful to my friends and people of India.

It was the autumn of 2014 when we attended the National Graduates Orientation Programme. The number of graduate mates there overwhelmed me and got me thinking hard. When RCSC declared the result I had passed but I wasn’t selected and it gave me lot of pressure. However, I was lucky to get selected in MHPA, Trongsa.

Great Indian Plains to Mountains – Part I

It wasn’t my ambition and plan too. In my country youths has to carry beautiful set of academic transcripts or else they land up in nowhere. The story attacked my seniors and ultimately the decision was on their hands. So they pushed me and I land-up pursuing engineering. My friends told me I am placed somewhere in India, I am neither happy nor sad, was just feeling uneasy of moving ahead.

National Institute of Technology, ALLAHABAD! Was a college I am going to attend, my parents told me “NITs are high graded college in India. You will be sitting with friends scoring more than 90s”. It didn’t either inspire me or I wasn’t worried about it a bit too. My mindset was just trying to battle with notion that, my career is going to be different then what I wanted to be, area of interest will have to change though it isn’t late and to start a new, but probably it will take time to consume into it. The style of imagining things, worshiping and in fact life! is obviously going to be in another zone other then I use to be comfortable. This heavy list started igniting and combustion pledge to ruin all.

With jumbled motivation they sowed in me and confused inspiration, it let me think a little sometimes. Days folded to weeks, weeks turn to months and it was time for me to say good bye Bhutan.

It was early morning sometimes in autumn; Thimphu was very busy as always. Birds were singing very happy helping to harvest few endangered paddy field in Capital city. Dogs were busy dancing with sanitary pads and reading all letters from pits. Students were busy with books walking so abnormally fast and for a second, it took me all way back when I used to be in high school.

I was reading in class 12 science ‘A’, somewhat extreme east of nation, at Khaling. I used to snore sitting last bench most of the time in dzongkha classes and I got beautiful wang (blessing) from my teacher too. We used to turn pages and finish a text within an hour when exams are on doorsteps and expression used to change and today I saw students wearing that expression so humble and innocent.

Lungtenzampa, an old Bhutanese tradition bridge still strongly hang on two banks. People believe in receiving blessings are lucky sign on long venture, and I was fortunate to be pass by the blessed bridge and blessings would be enormous. I walked blindly and step down from other end of bridge to reach bus parking.

Bus terminal, one of the busiest spot, and you will witness people wearing different kind of look. Some are happy may be they are meeting their love ones, some are sad may be there dear ones are going away from them. By the way who will be happy of me and sad of me, I got no one to drop me. Within a light of my thought my new friends came, laughing lively they got their parents with them to wave for them, but my parents are far away.

We shook our hands, talked and cracked few high school jokes. Most of them are from west and only few of us from east, I remained silent but super raced within. Of course I was feeling sad by then, and missing my parents and home badly. I made myself comfortable at last seat of the coaster and we headed to Phuntsoling. Music has always been my companion and I played whisky lullaby by braid paisley for Thimphu.