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Miss Bengal Sour Grapes Meditate Preordain Peace



The Yoga School cum Fitness Centre of Sri Bissau Gosh was one of the best in North Calcutta. Body builder Sri Bissau Gosh had won the title of Mr India.



Health is wealth conscious; he set his goal determined to bring awareness amongst the youths in an implied manner.



Thus, he ran Fitness branches in Muhammad Ali Park Central Calcutta and planned to open one near Southern Avenue.



On invitation, Mr Gosh travelled abroad giving demonstrations and lectures supported by his daughter Mitu Gosh a Yoga expert.



Measured from innumerable visits with his group to Japan, his popularity in the Land of the Rising Sun was obvious.



He conducted a Mr Bangla, a Miss Bengal yearly feat, to make known the importance of Yoga discipline in life.



Regularly Trichina Dastur journeyed from South city to take Yoga lessons. Tall and well-contoured Trichina shared her experiences of Yoga Asana, elucidated the benefits of Yoga in her neighbourhood, very much motivated.



Not habituated at distances braving the same, after taking consent from mother, occasionally Tulle accompanied Trichina to North Calcutta by bus to Yoga School from Southern part of the city.



Often Trichina dragged her other locality juniors to the Yoga centre, proudly demonstrating her supple postures along with other regular attendees.



After watching them, some children, worked out easy postures at home particularly the lotus position.



“Concentration work wonders” Mitu lectured. Crisscrossing through rows of bent heads, she corrected their figurine bear with a light tug here and a push there. Mitu took pain to bring by perfection, amongst the trainees.



The centre’s doctor examined entries before semester begin, at the Yoga School. A special diet pattern with normal meals, mustard oil or herbs rub and massage, alternative hot and cold footbath for those with pain in their ankle --Advice came free, for problem zones.



Nevertheless, background compositions, sometimes-happy sometimes melancholic, life progressed midst furious inconsistencies around the world corners.



Visitors from newfound Bangladesh poured into the city. Their brand new independence brought an added rhythm in Bengali life including Tollygunge films.



Bangladeshi actors Babita need mention. The Yoga Centre at North Calcutta flocked with curious takers from next-door Bengali Muslim men, and women alike.



Hopes soared. Sweet nothings exchanged between the partitioned.



However questionably settled -- an assassination of freed from prison Bangladesh leader, Sheik M Rehman shocked world.



Stay away from Political Science. Many could not, Political Science chosen as subject for their exams.



Same time in Calcutta the road to renowned Presidency College strewn with garbage, stench from rotten perishable extended the upper deck of the Double Decker.



Window seated, hankie pressed hard on nose, Tulle Chatterjee inside bus, forced to inhale foul air. Nevertheless, cover, obnoxious petrol, and putrid stink infiltrated her lungs.



Struggling to breathe free, Tulle opted to study in a stone’s throw away from her residence, reputed Lady Brabourne College for women.



Nonetheless, division one at school leaving certificate, having passed the compulsory admission test, must Tulle relinquish the granted opportunity to study in Heroic Co-educational Presidency College.



Down to earth Tulle let go a sigh.



“Surely, a daily ride torture to College Street was unbearable,” she thought in mind, fleeting look on the road and pavement full of congestion.



“Covering distance midst pollution would leave her no time for studies” wise girl reminded herself. Beside few were lucky like her to qualify admission test and get a chance in Calcutta’s best women’s college too.



Not to waste time waiting, Tulle’s schoolmate serious Firoza took admission in Loreto College while the rest like Tulle awaited Higher Secondary batch results.



Calcutta University session begin, equalised different times, of students coming to join from various Universities.



Firoza had a slight better score in school certificate than Tulle, but failed in admission test of Lady Brabourne College and envied Tulle’s admission there, insisting her father Mr Said who worked in the education department help her get in.



Using legal arguments Mr Said, left no stones unturned to admit Firoza in Lady Brabourne College, primarily built for women coming from Islamic background during colonial rule.



Initially though Tulle underwent spite of Firoza their endurance in amity, made both forget bitterness within few days.



This brought schoolmates Tulle and Firoza often walk together to college in Surawardi Avenue for the next three years... Firoza too came from the same vicinity as Tulle but lived in the enclosed Government Quarters.



On the other hand, in the same area, ambitious Trichina tried to gather decorative candidates for the annual Miss Bengal contest of Sri Bissau Gosh. She approached Miss Firoza Begum Said, who refused.



She convinced Putty Pal and insisted Tulle joins because Mitu Gosh wanted her to come.



Her, dance lessons discouraged, Tulle knew, father would disapprove, her enrolment. She declined participation.



Not to upset her friend, she managed permission from her mother to accompany Trichina on the day of contest, as moral support.



Tulle Chatterjee, Putty Pal, Rinku Maiti wore sari for the occasion.



Trichina was sure to win with her tall number eight figure. All were contestants, except for Tulle, wrapped in a red-bordered white sari.



Warm welcome from Pageant Committee Member Mitu Gosh pleased the girls. She guided them into the green room where more participants waited.



Names called out with statistics from potential Miss Bengal contest list, sent shivers through the spines of eager maidens.



Mitu named the judges. Film actor Miss Hansu Banerjee, Industrialist Mr S. Sashay, Writer Sri Dijon Day, Comedian Bulbul Khan, Bangladeshi business tycoon Mohammed Shiraz...  



The spectacle started with music and dance followed Yoga demonstration by fresher group consisting of young talents in gymnastics.



Soon it was time for the contestants to go on stage carrying their personal number shield. Step rhythmic one by one; the contenders entered the stage to a cheering crowd in Mahajati Sedan.



In split seconds from the wings, Mitu hauled Tulle, tucked a shield marked with number ten and pushed a stunned girl who literally stumbled on stage but stylishly managed to strut along with rest of the beauty pageant.



Thunderous applause followed an announcement Number Ten Tulle Chatterjee declared as 1972 Miss Bengal. Was she in midst of a whirlpool? Unable to grasp situation she transformed into a robot, perform under winding key.



The first and second runners up walked to Tulle while the rest left the stage including crestfallen Trichina. From all corners cameras clicked. Cups awarded, the three showered with gifts from sponsors.



Off stage secured in the green room, Tulle asked Trichina arrange a return home. She had promised to accompany Trichina but not take part in it thus. Tulle dumped all her gifts to Trichina.



The Coco Cola team scared her to death waiting to shoot her. Angry tears escaped her eyes. An impossible mixed feeling overcame Miss Tulle Chatterjee and she did not know how to respond.



That moment all she wanted was to run home. She disliked everything around, fearing her parents’ reaction. She was remorseful of her disobedience that made her lonely and sick.



“What would happen if they came to know in College?” panicked Tulle pale. “She would never disclose the incident and brush it off as a nightmare.”



Next day, ‘Jugantar’ newspaper carried the information; she heard her name declared over radio.



A culpable embarrassed Tulle silent about the episode, expressed surprise at the name of Miss Bengal 1972 and her father was unsuspicious. She was pacified.



“An unwanted chance leading to a win could be a nuisance,” pondered Tulle because following days Trichina interacted utterly green.



Terribly hostile and sullen to Tulle, she continued to hassle her further, proclaiming the judges as fools to choose her Miss Bengal.



Envious, ganged up against Tulle who was on the verge of retort, “Grapes are sour, Trichina” but held back deliberately.



It took time to heal the wounds of overconfident Trichina losing the beauty contest to an unwilling candidate.



Though she gossiped against Tulle, slowly she realised destiny was unavoidable. Thus overcoming selfishness, she accepted Tulle’s success and made peace.



Later Trichina revealed that Meditation helped her overcome the crises. “Really?” questioned Tulle, “It helped me too, to keep cool!” she disclosed.