Peter Mukherjee

Peter Mukherjee

Peter Mukherjee, is just any other young man in this world. The World that may be too big a place to put Peter into for a comparison, a little smaller place would do adequate justice for a man like Peter Mukherjee. Peter Mukherjee was born in Calcutta in the year Nineteen Hundred and Eighty, on the twenty eighth day of the month of November, a date only important to few. By the time Peter outgrew his adolescence, and stepped his foot into youth, with some reasonable amount of maturity, the city had also changed a lot since his first steps as a toddler, the city was no more Calcutta; it was Kolkata, the city was no more the fireball of revolutionary youth; it was now the city of magnetic youth, the city was no more the charitable city of joy; it was the city of mirthless mercenaries.

Peter was the second offspring of his parents. Peter’s father was in Italy when, Peter was Born. Peter’s Father was so much in awe by the Saint Peter’s Church that when, he trunk called his wife from Italy, he playfully named the young one as Peter. This name stuck with Peter for the rest of his life and he had a subliminal sense of pride every time he would say his name to a stranger, his head would slightly move up.

Peter’s life was going to change after his marriage. Funnily, Peter was completely bamboozled with the all new helm of affairs. But he loved it, he loved his wife, he loved the petty squabbles and also loved the sequence of events that followed to console her, he loved the furtive snatch of glance amidst his parents and all the relatives in the house. Peter was having the best time of his life and was sincerely trying and was also succeeding in giving a joyous, ceremonious, and contented life to everyone in the family.

Like the beauty and the beast, like light and dark, like matter and antimatter, like The God and The Devil; everything has two faces, two sides. Similarly, life too has both happiness and sorrow. It is important to realize that what follows the other, as the one which comes later always has a stronger influence, but also the former leaves an indelible mark behind, influencing the latter in every form. Peter’s marriage was an arranged marriage. Peter courted his wife for five months before finally both making a nod for the marriage. The marriage was consummated in full glory with many relatives, friends, and well wishers attending the marriage to bless the newlyweds. An air of piety and blessedness hung around the couple for many days even long after their souls were united over the holy fire and in witness of all the Gods.

Peter had already celebrated five marriage anniversaries and both the husband and the wife had grown into each other to such an extent that they were not only one soul, but also, it was one body. Sooner or later, every parent has the desire of becoming a grandparent; Peter’s parents were no exception, every now and then, they yearned for it, often by drawing comparison with the neighbours or with one of Peter’s friends. As the days passed into weeks, weeks passed into months and months passed into years, yearnings kept on increasing. Peter was increasingly becoming restless with every passing day and it was affecting his peace of mind, yet no moment of un-equanimity was shown on the exterior. On the inside, even Peter desired to become a Father and wished to bring the child in himself once again, forgetting everything in the cryptic babble of the infant and in the tantrums of a toddler.

Peter’s unborn fatherly love was not having respite and was becoming fast impatient. Suddenly everything was deprived of tranquility; just like a child, when sees a nightmare, wakes up shaken, and no amount of comfort of the mother’s bosom gives warmth to the harried child. To break the monotony, Peter decided to consult a Doctor and seek an expert’s advice. The Doctor Peter and his wife, Bhavna visited received them very warmly. The Doctor gave her full attention and consoled them earnestly that there is nothing to worry. She also mentioned with élan that she often receives such cases and couples go happily out of her clinic. She referred for a few tests on the couple, and bid them farewell. Peter’s demeanor was much relaxed after the visit and was quite hopeful for a positive outcome.

Three days later, Peter and Bhavna again visited the Doctor. The Doctor once again presented a gentle, homely welcome. A chill went through the spine of Peter as the Doctor opened the detailed report from the envelope and started with her diagnosis. Peter with a detective’s sharpness was trying to gauge the expression on the Doctor’s face as she flipped through the reports. But, the Doctor was equally composed all throughout. The Doctor returned the anxious couple with a charming smile and asked for one more test for his wife. It was an Ultra sonography test and apprised them where it can be done. Peter was getting restless again, he held his wife’s hand and asked in trepidation, “What is the matter?” The Doctor, this time, with a gentle thick voice replied that, she will be able to confirm with certainty only after the final test and returning immediately with her professional and trademarked smile, “There is nothing to worry.”

There was no sleep for Peter in the night. He tried to comfort Bhavna, but to little success. She was silently rolling out warm tears in Peter’s arms. The next day, the couple visited the Doctor again and found the Doctor in the same disposition as they had left. Peter and Bhavna were eagerly waiting for the verdict, like an innocent convict waits for the Judge to declare the decree for which the innocent is falsely indicted. The Doctor opened the file and curtly addressed the couple, with some professional sympathy, with some womanly empathy, with some agonizing gravity and said that they will not be able to conceive ever in their life. The reason as stated was partly because of Bhavna and partly because of Peter. Their conjoined biological deficiencies magnified their chances of an unsuccessful conception.

The same night it was again a sleepless night, but this time, it was a sleepless night for the entire world of Peter. Like the God’s World which had small small boundaries, Peter’s world also had small small boundaries as walls. Inside the walls, there were walls, and there were walls inside to that. It was like a maze to Peter. Peter could listen to many voices, all the voices known to Peter. Peter ran for one of the voice, frantically searching for a door, opens it and opens the eyes to find Bhavna back to fulfill the daily chores. Peter wakes up with confusion, like walking in the walls inside walls and listening to many voices and trying to identify who spoke. Peter walked in the maze of walls for months together, listening to people with opinions and listening to people with no opinions, only failing every time to understand what they meant, both the candor and the reticence. Amongst all the voices, there was a voice when no mortals spoke around and it was annoying. Annoying to the extent which it can make Peter annoyed. But, that annoying voice is the one which knows one the best and always gives a direction. This ever speaking inner voice leads Peter to shower his fatherly love by way of adoption. Peter and Bhavna, happily adopts a baby girl and were completely mesmerized by the charms of their daughter, Pristine Mukherjee, for the rest of their life.