By - ocauser
Everyone thinks chess players are nerds, and that is a stereotypical error arising due to improper research and faulty knowledge. When someone faintly talks about a “chess class”, the very vivid picture that instinctively pops into everyone’s minds is that of a claustrophobic room with a ceiling fan unable to cool down the entire room yet students are all grooving over a small chess board and a chess coach explaining them something which to a non-chess player might sound nothing less than Hebrew.
( 1/1/ 2024 ) – Everyone start a year with a Routine. We start the year off the routine. We thought of adding a little spice to the everyday boring routine and embarked on a journey to Mahakalpur on the very first day of 2024. Our chess coach, Deep Sir alongside Arpita Ma’am accompanied the Advance batch from the institution on its first-ever road trip. The group comprised of players belonging to different levels Sayan, Himadri, Diptayan and me.
The day kicked off with a grave horror. Idealistically speaking, guests are supposed to be a spiritual addition to any family but we all turned out to be not a whisker close to spiritual additions but a bunch of bulky rebels. My dear friends Diptayan and Sayan deciding to meet their unusual urge for their untimely gym work, decided to practice push-ups on the walls. However, the weak walls, not subjected to repair, were unable to withstand their weights and conveniently collapsed leading to all the bricks falling off. After this, I understood the true essence of “collective security.” Since Himadri and I were nowhere near the scene of the crime, we also had to accompany them to lift all the bricks which was an extension of“their” damage. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the process (actually I did not but since Sir told us we enjoyed it; we enjoyed it).
After the tedious work, we went out for sightseeing. It was a heavenly sight seeingamidst the mesmerizing views of the fields and the virgin vegetation of the lands. It was indeed a pleasure to interact with the locals and to gain valuable insights about farming and the livelihoods of the people there.
The best part about this trip was that there was not much of an internet connection which made everyone disconnected from the daily hustle and bustle of city life, therefore none of us did not worry much about their impending work and enjoyed freely here.
The evenings were much classier than mornings as everyone huddled in front of a bonfire after a scrumptious lunch. Everyone laughed their hearts out as Diptayan and I took the initiative to entertain their fellow audience with terrible dance performances. Soon, Sayan and Deep Sir joined it making it an unforgettable memory from the trip. Later we all chatted over a delicious dinner and dozed off with more excitement waiting for tomorrow.
Everyone woke at the crack of dawn (although none of them were interested in it) in the freezing winter and we were struggling to talk Normally without chattering our teeth. There is a very humorous anecdote that I would wish to highlight before outlining our enjoyment. We all had gathered to play football when Arpita Ma’am suddenly threw the football into the pond secretly hoping Sir to show his swimming skills. However, he was reluctant to jump into the freezing water and Sayan stole the spotlight as he dived into the pond, not sure whether to secure the football or gain appreciation from the locals. Later, we forgot about football and we all enjoyed a blissful dip into the waters and enjoyed it to the fullest. However, our bath did not end there and well again rushed to the tubewell to enjoy another blissful moment
After lunch, we even played a football match with the locals and won eventually (slight confession- I played the best). The most heartwarming insight from the trip was everyone in the village gathered for a feast where we served the food (for a change) at night in the super chilled weather.
On the 3rd, we all headed back to our homes with all our dusty books which were conveniently ignored by everyone who needed a reunion. Although none of us wanted to leave this place, the villagers agreedthat we should find more excuses to visit here frequently. Morover, with heavy hearts and tearful cheeks, we all again entered the boundaries of the busy streets of Kolkata, again.