Jhumpa Lahiri

The Namesake Jhumpa Lahiri

HIS LIFE WAS FULL OF ACCIDENTS; IT STARTED WITH THE ACCIDENT TO HIS FATHER`S TRAIN. THAT ACCIDENT BESTOWED THE NAME GOGOL UPON HIM. THEY COULD NEVER KNOW THE NAME HIS GREAT GRANDMOTHER HAD SELECTED FOR HIM. HER LETTER WAS LOST DURING THE JOURNEY FROM KOLKATA TO CAMBRIDGE. HE HAD TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO DECIDE ON HIS NAME, HIS FATHER REMEMBERED THE ACCIDENT WHICH WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM, BUT THE BOOK HAD SAVED HIM, GOGOL`S BOOK; HENCE HE WAS GIVEN THE NAME. BUT THIS VERY NAME HARASSED HIM FOR MANY YEARS. WHEN HE WAS QUITE OLD, HE CHANGED HIS NAME BUT STILL THE CONSEQUENCES ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED HIM, THROUGHOUT. WE NEVER KNOW OUR FUTURE. EVERYTHING HAPPENS ALL OF A SUDDEN. WE CANNOT PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE HAPPENINGS. WE CARRY FORWARD THE BALANCE OF THESE PAST EVENTS AND LEAD OUR LIFE THROUGH THE FUTURE. WHEN WE TRY TO FIND OUT THE HIDDEN MEANINGS OF THE PAST, THEN WE REALIZE THAT LIFE IS FULL OF EVENTS WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AT ALL OR WHICH HAVE A MEANING TO THEM OF WHICH WE ARE NEVER AWARE.