It wasn't an easy task to capture my admiration for the Bongs and
Calcutta in words. The only expression that does thorough justice, according to
me, is the ubiquitous 'Ye'. Of all the Bengali I've managed to grasp and gobble
down, Ye is what I adore the most. Pronounced as 'E-Y-E-A' or 'Y-E-A-H' with a
peculiar accent, this all-encompassing term is used and abused as a noun, verb,
adjective or just ye. Every language has a Ye, for instance, in hindi it's
'Woh'. In tamil it's 'Adu' and if that doesn't help your case, you could always
resort to 'Idu'.
My first brush with Ye happened while I was trying to figure out
the monsoon in Calcutta. Romantic when it rains; moody,confusing and humid
otherwise. So many emotions, yet only ye describes it aptly. Once I realized
its true potential, I went on a Ye rampage. I bought everything from tomatoes,
mishti dhoi and movie tickets to harem pants using ye. I've observed that the
Bengalis do not fuss about specifications. You could always mention Ye and
you'd have still conveyed the message loud and clear. The ye where my PG is
located has a lot of buildings with typical Bengali architecture. I love
walking back home as I like ogling at these Ye-s. Thanks to my poor sense of geography,
I've had to ask around for directions to my PG. Ye came in handy when I
couldn't recollect names of the landmarks.
Some of the popular usages include 'Kothay jachho? Eito ye' ( I am going to ye), ' Ki korcho? Kichuna, ye' ( I am doing ye), 'Janish shedeen ye r sathe dekha holo' ( I met ye the other day), ' oke besh ye lagchhilo aajkey' (he looks very ye today).
This multi-faceted,
multi-purpose word connects you to the dynamic city and its people. Just as how
the whole of Calcutta is tied together by the Ganges and the Metro Railways.
Reading sessions with Naveen Kishore, ferry ride to Belur Math, Shantiniketan
drenched in the rains, Masterclasses—with John Donatich, Ronnie Gupta, Jennie
Dorny, Manjula Padmanabhan, Aswathy Senan—captivating Sundarbans, tram rides,
intoxicating walks through College Street, the Ghats, my tour through Calcutta
is made up of ye emotions.
Ye has a kind of
comfort that I found in Seagull's artwork-filled classrooms, easygoing
Calcuttans, and the unhurried pace of the city. I came to Cal looking for newer
horizons and I am contently going back home with ye.
Simply put, a little bit of exploration teamed up with ye is all it takes to understand this adventurous city.
Simply put, a little bit of exploration teamed up with ye is all it takes to understand this adventurous city.
In the words of
Sunandini Banerjee:
‘It's a kind of universal application, which can describe a person, an emotion, weather. Anything at all can be summed up as Ye. Have you seen my Ye? Have you seen my lost wallet, lost eggplant, my dog . . . depending on the concept along with some strange hand gestures, ye is indicative of a word that doesn't ring in your mind.’
On that note,
All Hail Ye!
‘It's a kind of universal application, which can describe a person, an emotion, weather. Anything at all can be summed up as Ye. Have you seen my Ye? Have you seen my lost wallet, lost eggplant, my dog . . . depending on the concept along with some strange hand gestures, ye is indicative of a word that doesn't ring in your mind.’
On that note,
All Hail Ye!
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