The last poem, Shillong and Rabindranath

Darjeeling and Shillong are almost similar in climate and topography. After that why Shillong except Darjeeling? One reason, ‘Darjeeling has crowds, no people.’ Amit also found ‘man’ in Shillong, in a not-so-happening ‘accident’ on a hilly road. That man is beauty; Lavanya descended from the car: ‘She appeared like a clear picture painted on a line of electricity—distinct from all around.’

Anyone driving towards Shillong along the beautiful winding roads of Sylhet’s Tamabil-Dawki is sure to experience the thrill of driving along the hilly road and the ‘new-to-death fear’ on the other. The clouds will come and hug you while slowly climbing up the hill from the plains of Bangladesh towards Shillong. The joy and fear of swimming in the clouds will make your chest heave. Shillong Police Bazar Point (Shillong city center) is a four hour drive from Sylhet. If you look back and forth, you will understand that today’s Shillong is not much different from Rabindranath’s known Shillong. Only the facilities have increased. Electricity has been ensured, clean drinking water has been abundant, educational institutions have increased. Universities have been established and mountain coal is endless. A city made like a picture by cutting a groove on the mountain. Like a shaggy-haired youth, most of the hills stand topped by rows of deodar-pines and mountain trees. The entire city can be brought before two eyes by climbing the Shillong Peak. The fountain of silver water melting from the chest of the mountain and the rain of Cherrapunji!

Its beauty is indescribable, its enchanting passion. Amit decided that he would make a Meghdoot with the clouds of the New Monsoon at Dak Bungalow on the ridge of Cherrapunji. Still those clouds and peaks can make anyone amat, even Lavanya. But Rabindranath never stayed in Shillong during monsoon; Vacationers or tourists are not much here during winter or monsoon. Rabindranath stayed from April to June. That is the best time to visit Shillong. During these months, Bangladesh is experiencing the heat of summer. Shillong can add to our hot and sensitive body with a gentle touch of cold at this time. Interestingly, the expensive hotels there have air conditioning but none of the hotels have electric fans. A fan is never needed during the year.

The poet’s address in Shillong was Brookside Bungalow in Ribong. He was in that house for two consecutive months. He wrote the poem at the end of another novel. A spiral road ahead, flanked by pines, eucalyptus and cedars. Rabindranath is seen standing as a huge statue from a distance. A gabled house surrounded by a car porch at the back, a sloping roof at the head, what is called an uneven type house in this country. The house is now a central government museum, although there is not much except a few pictures, furniture, etc. Still, it seems that if I peek through the curtain, I will see Rathindranath, who came to Shillong with his father, standing tall on the sofa, what is Pratima Devi doing by the fire place; And the poet is busy reminiscing with his biographer Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay.

You will meet many Bengali families, whose ancestors fell under the spell of this beautiful and mellow environment. In the words of the ‘Last Poem’: ‘Here the sensation is stagnant and stagnates – like a fountain is stopped and becomes a lake.’ This city is incredibly beautiful; It is as if the mountain-nature is wrapped in motherly love. This explains why Rabindranath chose to go to Shillong Hills; Why did his Amit go!