The Bordolois

It was my second visit to Delhi. This time I was a little more confident with a pre-booked accommodation at Assam Bhawan. It was newly built, the pantry was yet to start. For lunch and dinner all occupants had to come down to Assam House at Kautilya Marg, and normally used to have fish curries. Once I fell sick and overhearing my tele-conversation with my then employer Mr Kanak Sen Deka, Dr Ram Dutta Bujarbaruah (then Superintendent of Mahendra Mohan Hospital, Guwahati), prescribed me some medicines and asked me not to have fish at least for a couple of days.

My return train ticket was not confirmed. I got a broker at Assam Bhawan itself, and he gave me a ticket. And when I boarded the train, then only I came to know that my ticket is waitlisted, and to my horror I learnt that the ticket was in the name of some teenage girl. I had no seat to sit. No berth to sleep. Without a seat the pantry refused to give me the food although that was not a problem for me.

Dr T.C. Bordoloi of Madhyam Khand, Uttar Guwahati was recently been transferred to Delhi. Mrs Bordoli, their son Dudul (Debajit) and elder daughter Junu (Jayashree) was also traveling by the same coach to Guwahati. The coach I boarded was a Guwahati coach. But in spite of having maximum Assamese passengers in that coach I could not manage to get a place to seat. It became unbearable for the Bordolois and Mrs Bordoloi offered me share the berth with her son. I was overwhelmed. Perhaps the year was 1986.

And that was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

My next visit to Delhi was immediately after two months. When the Borodolois learnt that I was staying at the Assam Bhawan, they almost forcibly made me vacate the room and shift to their house. Thereafter whenever I came to Delhi, mostly I used to stay with them.

Once Bordoloi Baideo and Dudul were in Guwahati, and they were staying at my place. Since mine was a single room accommodation, I shifted to the next room with Mr Sen. Early next morning a cousin of mine came from Bokakhat and knocked at my door. Baideo opened the door and saw an unseen face. My cousin too was surprised not to see me. And they introduced each other, "I am Firoz's brother" and "I am Firoz's sister".

A couple of years later I too sifted to Delhi, and then the Lal Quilla bus incident happened. Baideo is very kind hearted, in fact all of them are very kind hearted. Even when I was drafting this write-up, I just called Baideo, and she immediately responsed although I was dialing her number after more than four years. With Dudul, whom I was calling for the first time on his mobile, I just had to give him a clue, "I am the one with whom you once shared your berth". They remember me that well, and I too remember them very well.

When Jolly (Deepanjali), the youngest Bordoloi went for an interview in a Delhi school, the first question they asked her was, "You name is Deepanjali, what is Geetanjali?". Even Bhindeo (Dr Bordoloi) was shocked and thought how did the school authorities knew his other daughter's name though it was not Geetanjali. But smart Jolly got the question alright, and she answered it correctly.

Dudul works in Gurgaon and the father of a one-year-old daughter Dimpy. Junu works in Air Tel, and lives with her husband in Dwarka. Bhindeo, now retired, enjoys the time with granddaughter.