My maternal uncle's place is at Sodepur, Panihati, 24 Parganas, West Bengal.
It is just beside the Ganges river and almost 80 years house. The house has been demolished, and a multi-storeyed building has been built up.
When I was a child, we used to go there every two months, though night staying was not very common.
I had many attractions at Panihati. Of course, my first attraction was my grandparents.
My grandpa was basically from Bangladesh and worked there as a ticket collector of the steamer.
During the conflict, he had to come to India and stay in the rented house at Panihati. He was fond of Football, Swimming, Kabadi, and Chess. He was a good swimmer and a pretty sound football player, and he was a good cook.
Every morning, he went to the market to buy fresh vegetables and fish. He was short-tempered and got angry in minor incidences. He was very fond of his grandchildren and used to feed us by his hand.
He used to take us to the Ganges for swimming, and we spent around an hour there. In the afternoon, we went to the playground and watched a football match.
He used to cry when we returned from Panihati to our house. My grandmother was a quiet person, and she was basically from Assam and an excellent cook. She used to tell us stories and gave us some gifts.
My grandfather died before my grandmother.
My next attraction was bathing in the Ganges river.
We used to go with my grandfather and later with my uncles. Once, I was drowning while bathing at the Ganges, and one of my uncle’s friends saved me.
My other attraction was the tasty food we had at noon. It was varieties of vegetables and fishes and ‘Misti Doi’. My grandmother used to give us small betel leaves after the food and told us to chew for good digestion.
Another attraction was the football match we used to see, as most of the players are from 1st division clubs of Bengal. My inclination towards football was from there only.
In the evening, we returned to our own house with broken hearts.
