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Let's Shop in the Past

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Let's Shop in the Past

I sell lots of stuff—paints, food, cars...My client list includes Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray. Contact Indrajit Dutta(9836636656).

Where can you find me?In a book called Heritage Retailers of Calcutta by Ashish J Sanyal.Buy me!

09/01/2022

Read about UN Kundu& Sons (est:1882), a heritage shop in Calcutta in in Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press. Also, read a fictional tale called

There’s a Lot of Stuff In This Shop By Indrajit Dutta

So recently I went to UN Kundu & Sons.

I am supposed to write about this shop.

I’ve read it’s a hardware store meaning they sell adhesives, nails, screws, pipes, doorknobs, bathroom rails, rings

Oh there’s Mr. Kundu.

“Good morning, Mr. Kundu. My name is Indrajit

“I am not Mr. Kundu. I am an employee of his.”

“Well, I need to talk to him.”

“Come back later.”
1 WEEK LATER…

“Is Mr. Kundu there?”

“No he’s not.”

Oh.

Now what was I going to do, dear reader.

2 WEEKS LATER….

“Hallo, my name is Indrajit Dutta. Can I talk to Mr. Kundu?”

“He’s not well. He’s had an operation. He’ll take some time to recover. He’s not available now. Call back afterwards.”

Uh oh.

This is not good, dear reader.

I have to finish this write-up fast.

So what am I going to do?
I KNOW!

I am going to write a story.

A fictitious story.

Don’t have any other option.

Let’s start.
1 HOUR LATER….

I haven’t even started.
2 HOURS LATER….

Nope. Still not even one word.
3 HOURS LATER…

Nope. Not even

“I can help you.”

Who said that?

“Me. I am Upendra Nath Kundu the founder of Kundu Hardware.”

“Well, I am looking to write an interesting story so

“I know. I know. I do have something for you. One day an Englishman called Brown came to my shop. In fact you can see him. He’s the guy wearing the coat and the top hat. Anyway, I’ll go and talk to him.”

‘Hallo, Mr, Brown. How can I help you?’

‘I need some gum, Mr. Kundu.’

‘Sure. Why don’t you sit?’

‘Okay. Can keep my hat somewhere?’

‘Please give it to me.’

10 MINUTES LATER….

‘Here’s your gum, Mr. Brown.’

‘Thank you, Mr. Kundu. I am off.’

TWO DAYS LATER….

‘Kundu what the hell have you done? What’s wrong with my hat? You did something to it, didn’t you?’

‘Well, Mr. Brown I…
“So Indrajit what I did was….

I put the gum on his hat and he couldn’t get it off wherever he went, even when he went for a bath. FUNNY!”

“You can use that for your story can’t you, Indrajit?”

“Yeah I love it!”

“Good. Use that. But listen write about other stuff also, not only something frivolous. In fact why don’t you listen to what some of our customers say and include that in your write-up.”

2 HOURS LATER…..

“I am a plumber. I always buy my pipes from U N Kundu.”

“I like their electrical goods.”

“I bought a saw here in the 2002 and I still use it.”

“It’s a good hardware shop.”

“There you go, Indrajit.”

“Oh you’re back, Mr. Upendra Nath Kundu.”

“Yes. You should have enough material to write something”

“I guess.”

“Well, then start. Write something good about us.”

THE END

Hope you enjoyed reading this. PLEASE SHARE!

This is a completely fictional story which is not in any way intended to mock or show anyone in a bad light. This story has been written to promote a book called Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press.

https://notionpress.com/read/heritage-retailers-of-calcutta

https://www.amazon.in/Heritage-Retailers.../dp/1646785827

https://www.flipkart.com/heritage.../p/itma0e66a01b21e7

For details contact Indrajit Dutta (9836636656, [email protected])

Writer -- Indrajit Dutta (His page on facebook--https://www.facebook.com/Indrajit-Dutta-2347721861984140 )

Photographs taken from Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal.

09/01/2022

Read about Russell Exchange, a very old establishment in Calcutta, in Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press. Also, read a fictional tale called

Another Weird Story By Indrajit Dutta

GOING ONCE!

GOING TWICE!

AND
SOLD!

What am I talking about, ladies and gentlemen?

I’ll give you 10 seconds to answer.

10, 9, 8, 7

Quickly, quickly, ladies and gentlemen. You’ve seen this in many movies.

5, 3, 2, 1

And
I’ll give you a hint.

CHRISTIE’S, SOTHEBYS

This should be easy now.
AFTER 5 SECONDS….

You still don’t know, ladies and gentleman! What’s the matter with you people?!

I am talking about an
AUCTION!

Ladies and gentlemen I have come to Russell Exchange, an auction house in Calcutta.

It’s one of the oldest auction houses in India. It’s a British-era auction….Oh there he comes….

Meet Mr. Arshad Saleem, part owner of Russell Exchange. He’s been working here for more than 50 years.

“Tell us something about your shop, Mr. Saleem.”

“Well, Indrajit, my elder brother Anwar, Ms. Sarfaraz Begum and I run the shop. It was started in 1940 by my grandfather, Mr. Abdul Majid. We are going strong. We still draw a big crowd.”

“What kind of objects do you get there?”

“A mixture of old and modern-day stuff. A gramophone player from the 1940s, chandeliers from the early 1900s. The Brits used them, but I’ll show you something else. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”
2 MINUTES ARE OVER. MR. SALEEM HAS BROUGHT WITH HIM

“A stack of CDs. You want to buy them, Indrajit?”

“I wish I could, but I am broke. Although I still have about 80 or 90 CDs in my house, but tell me something……. when do these auctions happen?”

“Sunday. And we get a lot of people. Tell you what, Indrajit. Why don’t you come this Sunday and see what goes on?"

“Okay.”

“Don’t miss it! Our Sunday auctions are special.”

SUNDAY IS HERE. I AM IN THE RUSSELL EXCHANGE AUCTION HOUSE. MY BROTHER, BHASKAR HAS COME WITH ME. HE WANTS TO PURCHASE AN OLD LAMP. HIS HOUSE ALREADY HAS PLENTY OF LAMPS….OH THERE’S MR. SALEEM….

“Hello, Indrajit.”

“Hello Mr. Saleem.”

“The auction has already started. Grab a seat. I’ll just go and announce what’s our next item.”

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OUR NEXT ITEMS ARE TWO TEETH. YES, YOU HEARD THAT CORRECTLY—TWO TEETH. THESE ARE NOT ANY TWO TEETH.”

“THEY BELONG TO A FAMOUS…..WELL, HOW SHALL I PUT IT? WE SEE HIM IN A WELL-KNOWN BOOK, BUT MANY OF US KNOW RECOGNISE HIM AS A FAMOUS MOVIE PERSONALITY. ANYWAY, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO THESE TWO TEETH BELONG TO …..
COUNT DRACULA!

“You got be joking, Mr. Saleem!”

“I am running away from here. This Count Dracula guy scares me!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, calm down! This is no joke! We certainly do have Count Dracula’s teeth. Don’t run away, sir! We are not going to steal your blood!”

“Everybody please settle down and let the bidding begin-Rs.5,000!”
“I’ll buy it, Mr. Saleem!”

“Anybody else?”

“I’ll pay Rs.10,000.”

“Anybody else?”
“GOING ONCE!”

“GOING TWICE!”

“AND!”

“I’ll pay Rs, 40,000!”
“ Indrajit!”

“Yes, Mr. Saleem. I want the teeth.”

“Are you mad, Indrajit?”

“ I am not, Bhaskar. I just want to make a style statement.”

“ But you can’t pay for them. You don't have 40,000 bucks in your bank account. In fact you have

“I’ll take a loan.”

“This is a joke, right?!”

“GOING ONCE!”

“GOING TWICE”

“AND THE TEETH ARE SOLD TO INDRAJ

“Stop. I’ll pay 2 million!”

“It's me-- Count Dracula. I want my teeth back and I'll pay 2 million for them!”

“Well, you can’t have them back. I’ll pay 5 million!”

“INDRAJIT, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!

“They are my teeth, not yours Indrajit.”

“Don't think so, Count Dracu….wait, what are you doing?! No….don’t come…..stay far away from me. Oh wait! Why should I be scared of you? You don’t have your weapon—your teeth. You know what? I am going to do something to you. I
And I knocked him out with a punch.

And then….

1 billion page views!

COUNT DRACULA NEEDS DENTURES

BEST TEETH AWARD GOES TO INDRAJIT DUTTA

Yes, dear reader, I had gone viral.

Finally!

After so many years of trying.

But then there was something.

So I
“You need to pay back the loan, Mr. Indrajit Dutta.”

Oh no! How was I going to pay the loan agent? I had no money at all. I had spent it all.

Wait a minute!

I have an idea.

“Okay, Mr. Loan Recovery Guy, just go to the next room. Please wait there.”
So dear reader, while the loan recovery guy is waiting I am going to show you something. I had recently bought recently. Just wait here.

5 MINUTES LATER …..

I bought this, dear reader.

This! This! This!

Don’t look scared!

I am going to show you what this device does.

“MR. LOAN RECOVERY GUY, COME HERE!”

“KNEEL. PUT YOUR HEAD THERE!”

AND
I killed him.

I executed the loan recovery guy.

I chopped his head off with a guillotine—the device that I bought.

And guess what, dear reader?

YOU’RE NEXT!

If
You ask me for money!

THE END

Hope you enjoyed reading this. PLEASE SHARE!

This is a completely fictional story which is not in any way intended to mock or show anyone in a bad light. This story has been written to promote a book called Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press.

https://notionpress.com/read/heritage-retailers-of-calcutta

https://www.amazon.in/Heritage-Retailers.../dp/1646785827

https://www.flipkart.com/heritage.../p/itma0e66a01b21e7

For details contact Indrajit Dutta (9836636656, [email protected])

Writer -- Indrajit Dutta(His page on facebook--https://www.facebook.com/Indrajit-Dutta-2347721861984140 )

Photographs taken from Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal

08/01/2022

Read about Satramdas Dhalamal, a well-known jewelry shop in Calcutta, in Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press. Also, read a fictional tale called

I Can’t Believe This By Indrajit Dutta

This is going to be a boring day.

I am going to finish writing about this jewelry shop fast.

There’s the shop.

I’ll make this quick.

I’ll just ask few questions and I will leave…..WAIT A SECOND! WHO IS THAT?! SHE LOOKS FABULOUS! OH WAIT! SHE’S GOING INTO THAT SHOP! TODAY IS MY LUCKY DAY! I AM GOING TO MEET….
AUDREY HEPBURN!”

She’s buying a ring…..Wait a second! This ring—I’ve seen it somewhere!

Where?
Where?
Where?

Yes!

GOT IT!
Breakfast at Tiffany’s!

So this is where she bought the world-famous Breakfast at Tiffany’s ring!

Oh she’s coming in my direction!

Today is my lucky day! BRAVO!

Did I say today was going to be boring?

HOW WRONG I WAS!

Oh she’s smiling at me!

AUDREY HEPBURN IS SMILING AT ME!

STUFF OF DREAMS!

She’s coming my way!

She’s

Alright dear reader, I’ll stop. I can see that you don’t believe any of this, but hey I can dream, right?

The truth is that I read in a newspaper the owner is a big Audrey Hebpurn fan.

On fact there comes the owner—Mr. Raj Mahatani.

“Hello, Mr. Mahatani, could you say something about your shop?”

“It was founded in 1880 by my great-grandfather, Dhalamal who named the shop after himself. He came to Calcutta from Sind which is now in Pakistan. He set up Satramdas Dhalamal where Moulin Rouge used to be located. In 1904 he moved the shop to our present location in Queen’s Mansion.”

“I read in a book that you learnt about the jewelry business in Antwerp, Belgium?”

“That’s right. I spent 9 years there. I even set up a company called Solitaire. In 1999-00 I came back to India. But I’ll tell you what, Indrajit? I am going to show you something. This is going to blow your mind. It's fantastic! It's my favourite! It's....no more talking.....just come with me.”

20 MINUTES LATER…..

“Where am I?”

“This is a museum, Indrajit. You know what that object is?”

“What object, Mr. Mahatani?”

“The shiny one. Oh it’s so beautiful.”

“Er….that’s a…that’s a…..YES! I KNOW WHAT THAT IS! IT’S THE
Wait! What just happened?! Where is….

You must be really confused now, dear reader.

Well, I Indrajit Dutta, have a confession to make.

I did something bad.

I have never done something like this before.

I
I
I
Keep scrolling.
This is a bad bad crime you’re going to read about.
I should go to jail for
Stealing the pink panther diamond!

Well, I couldn’t resist it.

It looked great.

It’s as beautiful as it looks in the movies.

And you know what is the best part?
I’ll get paid for this.

And you know how much money I’ll get?
10 billio…….

“Where is Indrajit Dutta?”

Oh no! That’s the police. There’s Inspector Closeau also.

I am going to get arrested now!

I shouldn’t have done this!

I
I
I
Alright, dear reader, this is when I tell you this is obviously not true…..WAIT! What’s that?! Something crazy’s happening! I was watching TV and this guy came out of the TV! YES, I AM NOT KIDDING! There he is…he’s walking in my direction….what is he doing? He’s trying to make me wear something! This is a strange outfit! Oh I get it! I know what he’s trying to do!
He’s turning me into the Pink Panther!

What a great idea!

THE END

Hope you enjoyed reading this. PLEASE SHARE!

This is a completely fictional story which is not in any way intended to mock or show anyone in a bad light. This story has been written to promote a book called Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press.

https://notionpress.com/read/heritage-retailers-of-calcutta
https://www.amazon.in/Heritage-Retailers.../dp/1646785827
https://www.flipkart.com/heritage.../p/itma0e66a01b21e7

For details contact Indrajit Dutta (9836636656, [email protected])

Writer -- Indrajit Dutta Indrajit Dutta (His page on facebook--https://www.facebook.com/Indrajit-Dutta-2347721861984140 )

Photographs taken from Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal

This was partly inspired by the The Pink Panther movies.

06/01/2022

Read about The Russa Pharmacy, one of the oldest homeopathic clinics in Calcutta, in Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press. Also, read a fictional tale called

It Was a Crazy Day At the Doctor’s By Indrajit Dutta

What a long line....

There must be what….Let’s count…

10, 20, 30…. people!

I don’t think I’ll ever get to meet the doctor.

I have been standing here for 1 hour.

I'll wait for some more time.

AFTER 60 MINUTES.....

The line has reduced considerably.

This doctor works fast.

Only 5 people in front of me.

“Indrajit Dutta.”

"That's me doctor."

Gotta go, dear reader.

I have a bad cold.

15 MINUTES LATER. THE DOCTOR’S GIVEN ME A MEDICINE. HE’S TALKING TO ME….

“ You should have come to me before, Indrajit.”

“Yes.”

“Go home and sleep. In fact you should……

“DOCTOR! YOU SHOULD SEE THIS.”

“I can’t. I am with a patient now, Moumita.”

“DOCTOR I AM GOING TO FAINT! I AM GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK!”

“Are you Dr. Mrinal Kanti Ghosh?”

“Yes I am and I am really busy. Come back……WHAT THE HELL?! GET AWAY FROM ME! WHAT ARE YOU?”

“I am a mummy. I am 5,000 years old. I stay in Egypt. Don’t run, doctor. Don’t be scared. I am real. Hear me out.”

“I haven’t been able to sleep for 2,000 years. I have gone to a lot of doctors all over the world. They gave me many many pills, but none of them work.”

“One of my pharaoh friends told me that you’re a famous Homeopathic doctor. He told me only you can cure my sleeping problem. What do you say, Dr. Ghosh?”

“Erm….”
“Erm…”
“Er….”
“Er…”
Yes, dear reader, this was actually happening. I can see that you don’t believe any of this! Oh no….no….don’t…you won’t believe what this mummy is doing! There’s pandemonium here! Listen Mr. Mummy don’t remove your clothes! I don’t want to look at a 5,000-year old skeleton!

“Doc, this mummy's gone crazy! You better give him what he wants?”

“I am going to Indrajit! I can’t find the sleeping medicines! I can’t think clearly! I have never seen a real mummy before! WHERE THE HELL ARE THESE MEDICINES?!”

“Doc, you better find them fast. This guy is going to…..WATCH OUT, DOC…HE’S STEALING THE MEDI
15 MINUTES LATER. THE MUMMY HAS LEFT. THE DOCTOR IS TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT HAPPENED…..

“My clinic is in a mess. Let me see what he’s stolen, Indrajit.”
30 MINUTES LATER…..

“Well, he’s stolen all the sleep medicines.”

“Sorry to hear that, doc.”

“You better go now, Indrajit. I’ll have to clean up this mess.”

“Yes. See you…..WAIT A SECOND! DOC, COME QUICK! YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!
STANDING OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR IS
A VAMPIRE!

THE END

Hope you enjoyed reading this. PLEASE SHARE!

This is a completely fictional story which is not in any way intended to mock or show anyone in a bad light. This story has been written to promote a book called Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press.

https://notionpress.com/read/heritage-retailers-of-calcutta
https://www.amazon.in/Heritage-Retailers.../dp/1646785827
https://www.flipkart.com/heritage.../p/itma0e66a01b21e7

For details contact Indrajit Dutta (9836636656, [email protected])

Writer - Indrajit Dutta Indrajit Dutta (His page on facebook--https://www.facebook.com/Indrajit-Dutta-2347721861984140 )

Photographs taken from Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J San

06/01/2022

Read about Women’s Friendly Society, a NGO in Calcutta, in Heritage Retailers of Calcutta by Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press. Also, read a fictional tale called

Always Ready to Help By Indrajit Dutta

THE YEAR IS 1886. WE ARE IN ENGLAND. THERE’S SOMETHING HAPPENING…

Mister Horrible: “Marry me, Audrey.”

Audrey: “Yes. Let’s get married today.”

Mister Horrible: “But let’s wait a little bit, Audrey. We’ll get married in India.”

AUDREY AND MISTER HORRIBLE COME TO INDIA AND THEN….

Audrey: “It’s been two months. When are we going to get married?”

Mister Horrible: “Soon. I just have to go to England. When I come back we’ll get married. I promise.”

MISTER HORRIBLE GOES TO ENGLAND. FIVE MORE MONTHS PASS. NO SIGN OF HIM. AUDREY IS FURIOUS…

Audrey: “Where the hell is he? I haven’t eaten in two days. Let’s see how much money I’ve got.”
Audrey: “Oh no I have no money. What do I now?”

Unknown Guy: “You can come with me.”

Audrey: “Who said that?”

Unknown Guy: “Me.”

Audrey: “Who are……Oh wait! No not you. I am not going to…No way! There is no way in hell I’ll become a prosti
Yes, dear reader, what you are reading actually happened in the 1800s in India.

Several women of European origin in India after being promised marriage were brought to India and then left here.

As time wore on these women ran out of money and were forced to become pr******tes to survive. They led a terrible life till two women….there they are. Let’s hear them speak…..

Lady Rivers Thompson: “We have to do something for them, Mrs. Pugh. What they are going through is sickening. We need to help them.”

Veronica Pugh: “Yes, Ms. Thompson. This is making England look bad. Queen Victoria is appalled. There comes another group of ladies. Let’s hear what they have to say.”

Lady 1:‘I don’t have a place to stay in.’

Lady 2:‘I can’t do this anymore.’

Lady 3: “I hate that zamindar. Total sleaze ball!

Lady 4: ‘I have to beg.’

Lady 5:‘Somebody help us.’

AFTER 2 HOURS. THE GROUP OF LADIES HAVE LEFT. LADY RIVERS THOMPSON AND VERONICA PUGH ARE TALKING…

Lady Rivers Thompson: “What do we do, Mrs. Pugh?”

Veronica Pugh: “Well, Mrs. Thompson I really don’t know. I haven’t able to sleep since I heard about those ladies. They deserve better.”

Lady Rivers Thompson: “Absolutely. But what can we do for them? We have to put our thinking caps on Mrs.Pugh.”
3 HOURS LATER…….

Lady Rivers Thompson: “I have an idea. I think this may work. We are going to create…

WOMEN’S FRIENDLY SOCIETY
THE YEAR IS 1890.

THE VENUE: LADY RIVERS THOMPSON’S BUNGALOW.
THE EUROPEAN WOMEN WHO WERE FORCED INTO PROSTITUTION WERE RESCUED BY THE WOMEN’S FRIENDLY SOCIETY.

THEY WERE GIVEN A PLACE TO STAY IN AND IN DUE COURSE THEY ALSO FOUND WORK.

THIS WAS A BETTER EXISTEN…..YOU KNOW WHAT, DEAR READER? WHY DON’T WE DO SOMETHING?

LET US SEE WHAT THE WOMEN ARE DOING.

Lady Rivers Thompson: “You see that lady there, Indrajit. The one that’s making a night-dress. She suffered a lot. She would’ve starved to death if she hadn’t come to us.”

Indrajit: “What about that other lady there? The one in the red dress.”

Lady Rivers Thompson: “Her family still does not know what’s happened to her. Her fiancée dumped her here. I don’t know how her family would react if they knew that she had become a pr******te. But you want to know something about her?”

Indrajit: “Yeah what?”

Lady Rivers Thompson: “She loves making clothes for her children.”
Indrajit: “It looks very good. So all of these women are paid for the work they do, Mrs. Thompson?”

Lady Rivers Thompson: “Oh yes. They….wait a minute, you came alone, right Indrajit?”

Indrajit: “Yeah.”

Lady Rivers Thompson: “Then who are those two people behind you?”

Indrajit: “What are you talking about?”

Lady Rivers Thompson: “Look behind you?”
AFTER 5 MINUTES OF LOOKING BEHIND….

Indrajit: “I don’t see anybody, Mrs. Thompson.”

Lady Rivers Thompson: “There they are. I can see them.”

AFTER 5 MORE MINUTES….

Indrajit: “I don’t see anybo…..Oh wait a second! I see them. Who are they?”
Rani Rashmoni and Raja Ram Mohun Roy.”

“They are saying something, Mrs. Thompson.”

Rani Rashmoni And Raja Ram Mohun Roy: “The Women’s Friendly Society is doing fantastic work. Keep this going. We, however, urge you to help the local Indian women also. Some of them are oppressed by upper-class people.”
THE YEAR IS 2016 OR 2017 OR 2018

SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN THE YEAR 1886 WOMEN’S FRIENDLY SOCIETY HAS HELPED PLENTY OF WOMEN FROM MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN CALCUTTA.

THE CHAIRPERSON OF WFS IN THE YEAR 2016 OR 2017 OR 2018, MRS. PREETI ROY HAS DONE A COMMENDABLE JOB, HOWEVER, SHE IS NOT HAPPY.

BUT WHY?

LET’S FIND OUT…..

Mrs. Preeti Roy: “What’s the problem?”

“Earlier there were 80 women working here. Now there are 40.”
“Why? Why? Why? We offer decent wages, lots of benefits….. Just can’t understand this!”

“This is not a good sign.”
Tough times for WFS, dear reader, but wait a minute, there’s something happening.

There are a group of women talking.

Let’s hear what they are saying……

Lady 1: “I loved working for WFS, ma’am.”

Lady 2: “Today I am a successful businesswoman. I thank WFS. They saved my life.”

Lady 3: “I stay in Bombay now, but whenever I come back to Calcutta I always visit WFS. They gave me a new life. Thank you!”

Well, dear reader, Women’s Friendly Society has been a beacon of hope in bleak times, a friend to hordes of women, a

“MY FAVOURITE SHOPPING PLACE!”

Who said that?

“Me……
“MADHUBALA!”
THE END

Hope you enjoyed reading this. PLEASE SHARE!

This is a completely fictional story which is not in any way intended to mock or show anyone in a bad light. This story has been written to promote a book called Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press.

https://notionpress.com/read/heritage-retailers-of-calcutta
https://www.amazon.in/Heritage-Retailers.../dp/1646785827
https://www.flipkart.com/heritage.../p/itma0e66a01b21e7

For details contact Indrajit Dutta (9836636656, [email protected])

Writer-- Dutta Indrajit Dutta (His page on facebook--https://www.facebook.com/Indrajit-Dutta-2347721861984140 )

Photographs taken from Heritage Retailers of Calcutta by Ashish J Sanyal

06/01/2022

Read about Butto Kristo Paul, an old and a renowned medicine shop in Calcutta in Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press. Also, read a fictional tale called
The Medicine Guy By Indrajit Dutta

That’s a nice house.

It’s definitely not new.

I’d say it was built in the 1800s.

Who knows maybe I’ll meet Charles Dickens.

I’ll talk to him about writing.

“You know Mr. Dickens maybe Great Expectations…

“Talk about the house, Indrajit. Not Charles Dickens!”

Who’s that?

Oh that’s you dear reader.

Okay back to the house.

So the house, which is actually a medicine shop, is owned by the Butto Kristo Paul family.

There comes Mr. Barun Paul whose brother Anup Paul owns the shop.

“How’s business, Mr. Paul?”

“Bad.”

Blunt. To the point.

“I am sorry to hear that Mr. Paul, but I need something for my story on your shop. Do you have anything more to say?”

“No.”

Well, dear reader what do I do now?

I am in a fix.

I thought Mr. Paul was going to spin a yarn…. tell me a nice story. Something like…..“You know Marie Curie came to my shop and it was here that she thought of radioactivity.”

Unfortunately that did not happen.

Why did it not happen?

Why?

Why?

“You listening to me Marie Curie.”

“Why could you not have discovered radioactivity in Butto Kristo Paul?”

“I could’ve written something nice about it.”

What do I do now?

TELL ME DEAR READER, WHAT DO I DO NOW?!
I…
I…
I…
I am running out of time.

The clock’s ticking.
15 seconds to go before I experience wild panic!
10 seconds…
5 seconds..
4, 3, 2, 1
And…
Relax, dear reader, I’ve thought of something.

I will…
I will..
I will…
I will…

“Make it quick, Indrajit!”

Yes, dear reader and impatient personality, I am getting to it.
I will go back to the book—Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. I am going to steal something from here.

Let’s start the stealing process.

This looks good – Mr. Edwards, a senior official of the Bengal government, dropped his saddle bag containing gold and silver coins while riding in the area( it was open fields back then). Young Butto Kristo Paul found the saddle bag, quickly…

NO! NO! THIS IS NOT!

I should stop. I should write differently.

What I need to do is create a story.

A story that has action, suspense and crime. Let’s start!
AFTER 1 HOUR……

I got nothing, dear reader.

No action, no suspense, not even something funny. I have nothing!

Total panic setting in! I need to write this fast!

“Mr. Butto Kristo Paul where are you?”

“Sitting in my shop, Indrajit.”

“You gotta help me out! I am writing about you. Did you do something exciting in your life?”

“Well, Indrajit once I…you were reading about it…the gold. You know what I did with it?”

“Please tell me you stole it.”

“No I did not. I returned the gold.”

“You call that exciting, Mr. Butto Kristo Paul?”

“Erm…yes.”

“Well, it’s not! It’s not exciting at all! You’ve neve been a writer! I was hoping you would say you had poisoned Queen Victoria! That would have been fun!”

“I am sorry, Indrajit I did not.”

“Well, you gotta give me something. Think, Mr. Butto Kristo, think! Were you the one who were invented cyanide?”

“No no…definitely not, Indrajit! I wanted to help people, not kill them! But I’ll tell you what, I did invent a tonic. I also

“Great! This tonic had some poison, right?!”

“NO…NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! FORGET ABOUT THE POISON!”

“Alright, alright…calm down, Mr. Butto Kristo Paul I am not going to write that. Let’s talk about your shop.”

“I founded it in the year 1858. I invented this medicine called Edward’s Tonic. It’s named after an Englishman called Edward. This tonic can cure as many as 35 ailments. In fact on one occasion the Calcutta Municipality spent a lot of money trying to fight Malaria using our famous Edward’s Tonic. They came to..

“Stop, stop, stop. I am sure you and your family have helped a lot of people with your medicines. But I am looking for… I’ll tell you what, I’ll think about something.”

AFTER 2 HOURS…..

Well, dear reader, I got nothing.

I don’t know how will I write this.

I need something extraordinary.

Something which will make people sit up and take notice.

Something like….wait a minute!

I got it!

I know what I’ll write about.

It’s a lie, but who cares!

I am going to write Butto Kristo Paul was the man who invented
LAUGHING GAS!

THE END

Hope you enjoyed reading this. PLEASE SHARE!

This is a completely fictional story which is not in any way intended to mock or show anyone in a bad light. This story has been written to promote a book called Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press.

https://notionpress.com/read/heritage-retailers-of-calcutta
https://www.amazon.in/Heritage-Retailers.../dp/1646785827
https://www.flipkart.com/heritage.../p/itma0e66a01b21e7

For details contact Indrajit Dutta (9836636656, [email protected])
Writer and Photographer-- Indrajit DuttaIndrajit Dutta(His page on facebook--https://www.facebook.com/Indrajit-Dutta-2347721861984140 )

Photos taken from Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal

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THE BAR IS ALWAYS OPEN!

Read about Bissonauth Law & Co, an old alcohol shop in Calcutta, in Heritage Retailers of Calcutta By Ashish J Sanyal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press https://www.amazon.in/Heritage-Retailers.../dp/1646785827 https://www.flipkart.com/heritage.../p/itma0e66a01b21e7 https://notionpress.com/read/heritage-retailers-of-calcutta For details contact Indrajit Dutta (9836636656, [email protected]) Also read a funky booze video story called THE BAR IS ALWAYS OPEN! Writer and Photographer—Indrajit Dutta ( Facebook profile-- https://www.facebook.com/monniker/ ) Video editing done by Indrajit Dutta (https://www.facebook.com/monniker/ ) This is a completely fictional story which is not in any way intended to mock or show anyone in a bad light.