Sunday, January 26, 2014

A letter to Jhumpa Lahiri




A letter to Jhumpa Lahiri


Dear Jhumpa mam,
                             
I was in a fix as to how I should address you. Addressing you as Jhumpa Lahiri would have been disrespectful while calling you Miss Jhumpa or Miss Lahiri would be too impersonal for my liking. So I thought of settling for Jhumpa mam, not only because I find it adequately respectful and satisfyingly intimate, but also because whenever I talk to you in my mind, I always call you Jhumpa mam. I don't know why I like calling you by this name. Perhaps, it makes me feel closer to you in a way we never will be. Or maybe, this is how I like to address all the women teachers in my life.
This is a good time to disclose that I have found a teacher in you and you a student in me. In your writings, I chose to seek shelter one day and have ever since been learning under your tutelage. The way you manipulate words to extort emotions out of them, you never realized that you breathed life in them. In turn, they mothered a writer in me and breathed life into it.
From you Jhumpa mam, I have learnt how to explore human relationships. My story 'A mama's boy' and 'The lady who loved tea too much' are as much yours as they are mine. It's only fitting that you have a copy of them and see if your student has done a passable job or not.
I may not get another opportunity to meet you. But I leave you with this letter and a couple of my stories in the hope that you remember me through my words, just the way I shall live my life through yours.

If possible, please write to me. Will wait in hope.

Lots of love
Ritesh Agarwal

Calcutta, India




*I gave this letter to author Jhumpa Lahiri when I met her that evening on 23rd January, 2014*





18 comments:

  1. Yes, Jhumpa is a good writer... Hope she responds to you!

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  2. Wow..Great to know,you met her :-) I wish she respond to you :-)

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    1. Thanks dear....that would be a great moment if she does :)

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  3. wish she responds to you ratty. :)

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    1. Yes Rat. If she does, you will be amongst the first to know :)

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  4. So lovely! You have put life in your words:)
    Now you can share with us when she replies to your letter :)

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    1. Thanks Anita. Yes, I would surely share in case she responds :)

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  5. When she responds please do let us know.
    I have a feeling she will.

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  6. emotions put in words
    hope she responds:)

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  7. Please let us know when she responds..recently she was in Kolkata too where her relatives still reside. I was actually amazed to see that she can speak Bengali..she still sticks firmly to her roots..I'm sure that she will respond :-)

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  8. Sure Mani. Thanks for your wishes :)

    Thanks for the smiley ekta

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  9. Firstly, I am really sorry for being so rare here... The new look of your blog, the new name..just didn't connect with me...
    Anyways, I am happy I dropped by today and happier to see that you are the same old' writer boy who loves his books and their authors :)
    Honestly, I have never read Jhumpa Lahiri(call it my bad) but after reading this post, I will make sure I pounce on one of her works asap! Glad to know her works struck some chords in your life and more glad to know you got a chance to pass on this letter to her! Wish you the very best and I am sure she'll respond :D

    Loads of Love and wishes,
    Your old friend,
    Bushra

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  10. Thank you Bushra.
    What's in a name? Have i ever told you that I don't connect to your fashion-chic name 'stilletomaniac' :P
    It sounds so girlish.
    I had to make this page more suitable for bookworms. So the new name. Hope you will begin to like it, bit by bit :)

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    1. Aage 'Confessions of' bhi toh laga hai :/ Huh! :P Anyways, Congos for the new domain. Yay \m/ :D

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  11. Arey, I love your blog name....it's awesome...

    I am just saying that it appears like a blog of a fashion blogger. And you do spam my inbox with your Pantaloons and Jabong hauls :P
    Lekin, fir bhi main bardhaash kar raha hoon na.... :D
    And even those posts are interesting and sometimes eye-opening. I will make my future wife go through your blog so that she knows how to shop best :O

    And thanks.... I spent a lot of time and efforts for the new domain.... Please say na that you like it *looks at u with a puppy face*

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