Is the name 'Swing' justified?

“Mr Madan Mohan Chakraborty” is the kind of name which I would usually, and still, associate with a serious-bespectacled-government servant. One, who wears boring blue full shirts and uninteresting black trousers without pleats, is dedicated to his work and is a heavily responsible family person, is least interested in the cars flashing past him as he patiently waits for his bus to arrive. Goes home to his cup of tea and puffed rice tossed in onions and mustard oil.

Unfortunately the Madan Mohan Chakraborty I was to know is a shocker. Yes his wardrobe indeed was boring, loose shirts, bland hues, just too much knowledge “x-number of stitches-per inch shirts” rather than being stylish. But he adopted to my liking, started wearing colours, stripes, fits- his heart on his sleeve!!! I call him Mm. Happens to be my legally wedded husband, but I confess I like the friend in him more than the family-man.

His specks are many, and please do not hold him responsible if he happens to leave it at your place alongside his age-old “real leather” rip-curl wallet, and an extremely crumpled one-day old white handkerchief. And, his mobile phone, with the pathetically loud nostalgic ‘once upon a time we had black big telephone’ ring tone. He is passionate about his photography, proud of his achievements, loves his music- the handful chords he knows suffices for the many songs he efficiently harmonizes with wrong lyrics. Accredits Jadavpur University as if it were not just what made out of him and his popularity, but also sometimes for the right reason, his degrees.

Swing suited him. He is mad about food, irresponsible about timings, loud with his “I-used-to-do-this…”, “in-our-times…”, “I-would/n’t-have…” huh. Forgets everything that is asked out of him to be done, and somehow, in spite of all such characteristics, is tremendously ‘social’. Knows his to-do’s and not-to-do’s (and mine too). And thus keeps the mashi-pishi-kaka-jaetha-shoshurbaari happy. He swings from one ‘dhop’ to the other with panache. And spells it ‘p-a-n-a-a-s-h’. Is calm in crisis. Making him ‘The’ suitable groom. I am sorry I have digressed.

The story starts when we find that apart from his work circle the rest of the world knows him as Swing (and as I add “Da” as the surname). And each of us we ask him what made him beget this note of affection that stayed. And he really quite honestly answers back “When I was young I used to bowl swing deliveries in our cricket matches in Golf Green; they used to say ‘ei swing ta eshchhey!’ and thus you see, ‘Swing’”. Oh ya, we see. So much for his bowling abilities, right.

Yesterday there were many cricket matches being played at DKS, in the white team Mm registered himself. The entire gang- me, DSR, MSR (in gold), BSR, Abontika & family, Monish & family, Aadit, Alpy- we all awaited to see how true to his name ‘Swing’ would be. My mind was too distracted to fling a laugh at his now small-face as his game-time neared.

The Rafael Nadal made popular Babolat lemon-yellow ball left Swing’s hand…took two drops to reach the batsman, four times in the over. We cheered. Abontika patted him “tui gaan ta e bhalo korish Swing”…couldn’t have agreed more! Swing justified his name not in the talent of the adjective but in the motion of the adverb.