Goodbye Party For Miss Pushpa T.S.

Goodbye Party For Miss Pushpa T.S. by Nissim Ezekiel

By

Bijay Kant Dubey

A lover of Pushpa here speaks in as the protagonist of the poem and he is none the else but the poet Nissim Ezekiel himself unable to contain in the feelings of his heart, expressing the unputdownable on paper. Let us see how he is receiving or taking her to the airport as for going to foreign and Pushpa a distant acquaintance of his relative taking tips from a London returnee. As an announcer the poet starts the poem, friends, ladies and gentlemen, our dear sister Pushpa is going to foreign in two to three days, wish her Godspeed, have a nice journey.

Addressing the friends, the poet says it we all know it how sweet is Miss Pushpa, what sweetness is it her, we do not mean to say only external, internal sweetness in her and lo, hearing it, Pushpa is smiling and smiling. Perhaps Nissim too is smiling, saying and smiling. He is chuckling from his within.

Pushpa is from a very high family as we know it. Her father is an advocate which he fails to remember it now. But he knows it not exactly, seems to have forgotten.

Pushpa has never known to say no. She accepts it all whatever say you to do she will do it without minding it. Nissim knows it how to make one climb up the tree. One can feel it in the praise he is doing.

It is neither a birthday party nor a farewell party, but a goodbye party slotted for Miss Pushpa, a Gujaratgi girl leaving for foreign, but for what purpose we know it not, as can’t say all about the hushed matter of Nissim. Nisiim is a very cunning and crafty fellow as suppresses he the love story of his life. Who is this Pushpa says he not, keeps us in the dark, saying this or that. Who she is? How has he come to know? Where is she now? A sister or just an acquaintance of his relative? Who will say it on Nissim’s behalf searching his dead letters?

Miss Pushpa is but the ironical Lucy Gray of Nissim Ezekiel whose identity know we not, can never reveal it to. As ask we out of curiosity, who Lucy was so is the case with, who Miss Pushpa T.S. is ?

Lastly, the speaker asks other members to say something, but what do they know more of Pushpa? Nissim actually even though may be an Indian Maharashtrian Jew is trying to express like a convent boy arranging the showy goodbye party in emulation of the British natives. Pushpa will sum up finally when everybody says it.

Nissim’s modernity lies it in saying please and thank you, see you, hi-hello, goodbye; bidding good morning, good evening, good night. He likes to say, nice to meet you, hello, how are you, love you, hi, see you. The cinema hall, the library, the theatre, the party, the park, etc. are the things of his stock.

Friends,
our dear sister
is departing for foreign
in two three days,
and
we are meeting today
to wish her bon voyage.

You are all knowing, friends,
What sweetness is in Miss Pushpa.
I don't mean only external sweetness
but internal sweetness.
Miss Pushpa is smiling and smiling
even for no reason but simply because
she is feeling.

Miss Pushpa is coming
from very high family.
Her father was renowned advocate
in Bulsar or Surat,
I am not remembering now which place.

Surat? Ah, yes,
once only I stayed in Surat
with family members
of my uncle's very old friend-
his wife was cooking nicely…
that was long time ago.

Coming back to Miss Pushpa
she is most popular lady
with men also and ladies also.

Whenever I asked her to do anything,
she was saying, 'Just now only
I will do it.' That is showing
good spirit. I am always
appreciating the good spirit.

Pushpa Miss is never saying no.
Whatever I or anybody is asking
she is always saying yes,
and today she is going
to improve her prospect
and we are wishing her bon voyage.

Now I ask other speakers to speak
and afterwards Miss Pushpa
will do summing up.

People say it that Nissim herein is mocking at the use of English which the Indian use and apply in speaking. It is but a Gujarati girl’s Gujarati English he is mocking which but the convent boys and girls do it everywhere in India. Nissim’s fun and cleverness everyone knows it, can understand it how he befools, outwits others. To keep the readers in doubt and suspense is the job of the poet.

The poem though written in praise of Pushpa and the goodbye party given to her is but a deviation from the central theme and hinges towards faulty English, our weak sentence construction, unknown use of words and poor word-stock. Nissim, you accept it or not, keeps the comments secret.

Nissim though writes with clarity is but a simple English using writer. His English too is one like that of his geopgraphy department professor friend’s and Pushpa’s though she has listened to it all, has not said anything else in response and instead of it, Nissim is caricaturing her, showing his convent-school learnt English, a boy in ironed shorts and shirt and polished boots and necktie going to school and returning back with the sweet words of courtesy, manner and etiquette.