Her Family and Trivia (told by Chitrita)

Dad and Ma

Born in Guwahati, Assam (India), I have travelled throughout India, most of my life. Being born to a scientist dad and a school principal mom both serving in the Ministry of Defence, I had practically become used to living life on the go. Some of the finest lessons in life were taught by them and I cannot ever tell how much I owe my life to them. Pa (my maternal grandmother) is the most progressive minded lady in my life and I owe a piece of my mind to her. Abu (my maternal grandfather) taught to me life’s reality chapters but left me alone in the journey 7 years back. I still remember and cherish your last guiding letter written to me,a year before your death... Dadu and Dida (My paternal grandparents), I faintly remember them, they having gone long time ago but nonetheless, they were wonderful people in their own way.

Being born to an administrative mom, I always attribute my impulse and way of approach to her. She carries the laurel of being the biggest confidant in my life, something she proudly acknowledges and brags about. Dad is the epitome of the “Protector and Provider” theory and someone who goes out each time to prove that he is nothing short of the BEST. I consider myself lucky in this department.

I did most of my schooling in Kanpur (India) and moved to Uttaranchal (India) to graduate from Kumaon Engineering College. Ever since then,  I have been working as a Software Professional with the Tata Consultancy Services. Though I am not close to being extraordinary in anything, I at times try my hands at writing…. something which feels therapeutic to me.

Ma and Dad if there is a make believe song that speaks of how much you both mean to me, it is then...

I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
'Til I found the truth
And I owe it all to you...

His Family and Trivia (told by Chitrita)

Tirtha memory lane1

He was born and raised up in Bhatpara, a suburban area of Kolkata (India) metropolis where he and his parents lived most of their life. He was born to a Personnel Manager father and a professional photographer and businesswoman mother. Coming from such a background, it wasn't a surprise that he had all of the artistic genes in him. Out of School, he joined the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and thereafter took to US for his doctoral studies and post doctoral research. He is finally coming home, to India, to join Fairchild Semiconductors.

Surrounded by a close knit and loving family, he has been gifted with some of the most wonderful people for whom loving and caring sees no boundaries. His Dad is supposedly the most well known person in the city and is immensely sought after. His Mom was the most loved person of the city, not for her profession but for her attitude and behavior and had in possession the gentlest demeanor. The greatest regret for each one of us is that she did not live to see this day but as Tirtha says, she is around us, never ever having left us. Abba (his maternal grandfather) was his greatest influence and it is he who can be credited for what Tirtha is today. Dida (his maternal grandmother) is certainly the most beautiful and lovable lady I have met and to say the least we are great friends now.

Credit it to his genes, or his upbringing or his individual toil; he is certainly a body of talent. Where the world sees him to be a great research scientist one day, I see him as an artist, who believes that beneath the scientific philosophies lies the greatest artistic causes and a guy who loves to scribble his thoughts and who could someday be the finest theatrical actor, scriptwriter and director. Did I say I feel blessed…?

About Her (Tirtha gets a chance)

Well, here I am... busy with last minute preperations for coming home from USA (including last minutes parties thrown by my beloved friends here in Chicago). So, Chitrita decides to create and maintain this wedsite almost entirely on her own. Naturally, she had to write 'His' and Her's' page... heaping me with profusion of prasies, almost elevating me to the ranks of genius (Hello Dr. Richard Feynmaan, could you be a research scientist and a scriptwriter and a director and an actor like Dr. Tirthajyoti Sarkar.. ehh?), being mysteriously silent about all my follies and devilaries that I could not hide from her... I thought I should at least get a chance to write few sentences about this girl...

To put it simply, I call her my 'Lily Evans' :) And who am I? Severus Snape.. of course... with a caustic, sharp humor, always declaring something very similar to '...potion making is an art..." (artistic DNA, remember?). Yet, this 'body of talent', when troubled, when agitated, prefers to shy away from all the talented manuovers that he can master and instead lean on the shoulder of this simple girl .."not close to being extraordinary in anything"... for an assured voice, for a caring touch, for an 'ordinary' chat, perhaps.. for just the simple knowledge that she exists ... there ... for me.

So the ancient adage goes ... 'Picture is equivalent to a thousand words'. You know what 'Chitrita' means, right? In Bangla, it means 'something which has been drawn'. Here she is, not a person of too many words, just like an engraved picture on my being :)