In Folds Of Smile

I just finished reading this beautiful book called Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. This isn’t a book review ( You can read my review on good-reads if interested) This is about a part of the book which resonated with me the most i.e. the struggle of the protagonist with the identity and absurdness of his unique name which reminded me of my struggle to fit in with the nickname given to me by my mother unlike the names given to me by my previous admirers and the bullies in school.

Born in a Punjabi household it was a trend for everyone to have 2 names – pet/nick name used mostly by close friends and family and the legal name used on birth certificate, documents, passport and all the essential first pages of books in school. My nickname is Bosky which according to my mother means – delicate and soft. Its based on a cloth material found mostly in Russia and is apparently softer than silk. She named me that because her favorite writer’s daughter has the same nickname. There are many more meanings for this word on the internet, a geek, a small wooded area or as Merriam Webster describes it – Having abundant trees, bushes, or shrubs.

Growing up it agitated me when people could never get the phonetics right despite of my attempts to correct them. I always thought bosky is a cool name only when people pronounce it right. I used to argue with my mother on why did she have to name me something that has complicated pronounciation. Boshu, Bosu, Bobo, etc. are some examples which many people have conveniently shortened it which used to leave me thinking of it as such a weird absurd nickname.

Until I discovered that there was another person named the same on a reality TV show called Spiltsvilla on MTV. I remember the day vividly when my sister called me and told – hey there’s a girl who shares your nickname on the show. I never liked the show but i used to watch parts of it so that I could understand how people on the show pronounce the name. Somehow as I watched the show I connected it with a cool personality which I mentally noted I could never accept. But I was so wrong! When i first came to America, I realized that I missed being called by my nickname. My roommates, friends and people who I’d hangout with often never really knew about my nickname. It was only on calls with my family and cousins back home I realized the beauty of the nickname and all the fondness and memories ‘Bosky’ name bought. It reminded me of the time when my mother used to shout at me every-time I forgot something or did something wrong, and then showering me with immense love while caressing my hair. 

I have very few friends who still call me as Bosky and it instantly makes me feel special and an important part of their life, someone who is very dear.

Thank you mother for picking such a beautiful nickname. Every-time someone asks me about having a nickname, it makes me ecstatic to share my nickname and explain it to them how to pronounce it along with stating the story behind it. This is a part of my childhood like a little piece of my heart which is extremely precious and the nickname I love and use as my blogname, insta handle and might someday publish a book on this name. who knows. 😛

Nickname – Bosky
Pronounced – bo·skee (UK) baa·skee (US)
P.S. The title of this blog is in bengali taken from the same book.

Leave a comment and tell me of any nicknames that you have been given as a child.