Special Story: Dancer Doyle Dies Quietly Of Cancer, On Aindrila’s Death Day, The City Witnesses Another True Friendship.

Bihangi Biswas and Megha Mandal

The poet wrote, ‘In the 20th century, the lifespan of human mourning is one year…’. Coming to the 21st century and going against this idea, when people are crying over the death of Aindrila Sharma, the people close to her are shocked to lose another ‘Aindrila Sharma’. People don’t know the story of that fight. He doesn’t know about a fighting man who lived his life with a smile despite the pain of cancer in his whole body, his desire to live, his body wrinkled by chemo, and his hair growing out. Name Doel Chowdhury. Dancer by profession. In the middle, he also did salon business. He used to teach dance and perform. When Aindrila’s fight stopped at noon in a private hospital in Howrah on November 20, Doyal’s heartbeat also stopped in another private hospital on the same cursed day. Aindrila was followed by her lover Sabyasachi Chowdhury, and Doyel was followed by her friend Arundhati Dasgupta. The city silently witnessed an amazing friendship. That is the story Arundhati shared with TV9 Bangla… Before reading this story—which is a ‘story but true’—a little fact: Today, November 30, is Doel’s (Jhumpa) memorial service at the ‘Eastern Metropolitan Club’.

In Arundhati’s statement…

“Doyle is not my childhood friend. Although I knew him since 2008, he suddenly became close in 2018. Very funny, stylish, lively. We did business together. Doyle was a very good dancer. Suddenly one day in 2019, his health became very bad. Fever-cough, bloating… whatever. We thought it was cold. The doctor was shown. He allowed me to do several tests. It was revealed that Doyle had cancer. Not just cancer, but in stage 4, metastasis. That is, the first cancer cell is seen in the ovary, but it has spread throughout the body. Couldn’t think, you know… chemo started. Her dancing stopped. It was very broken. But did not understand anything.

I still remember a 12-hour surgery. Just as the body is cut lengthwise in bypass surgery, Doyle also had to be operated on from the chest to the abdomen. 50 stitches were done. The real journey began after that… Doyle returned home just fine, but couldn’t have been home for more than five days. Infections were frequent. On the other hand, her husband Mariner (), daughter is studying in Canada… It was not possible for them to stay in the country all the time.

That’s how 2020 came. I took him to the hospital for stitches. He had a fever. test hall The doctors said that fluid has accumulated in the stomach. Check whether it is malignant or not. Doyle was very afraid of stings. On the day he was taken to take the first test, an incident happened. He went inside to check, I was outside. Suddenly I was called from inside. I was scared. I went and saw that it was trembling.

Anyway, after a month and a half of storming, Doyle recovered a bit. Came back home. I remember, during the second chemo, when the hair was falling out, it went and shaved. He didn’t want to tell his mother about his cancer. Her grandfather died some years ago, my friend didn’t want her mother to know that her daughter was so sick. Someone used to ask if this is her style or fashion trend.

February 1, 2021, was his birthday. A few days before that, Doyle fell ill. Cough, fever. The exam is his. And on the birthday itself, the bad news came again: the disease had returned, this time involving the lungs. Chemo was not working on her body. His cancer is genetic. Anyway, back to treatment. Chemo, medicine… He came back home with some recovery. Impossible mind power. No one will understand that the body has been hurt by chemo and surgery many times. October 30th. It was a friend’s daughter’s birthday. We all went. What fun Doyle also had. But after returning home, the body is sick again. Severe vomiting. The body is very bad. He was admitted to the hospital again. This time he looked a little more tired.

On the 4th I had to go out of the country a bit. Her husband though was here at the time. I went to visit the day before my departure date. He suddenly said, ‘You don’t go’. Then he managed himself. I was allowed to go. He didn’t want to leave her. I saw through the door of the hospital and looked in a way.

18 November. By that time I also returned from outside. Seeing her, I and her husband are leaving the hospital. I see how Doyle’s body is shaking. As soon as we said we were going to stay, they sent us home by force. On the morning of the 19th, when I called the hospital and asked how he was, they informed me that Doyle is not well. Provided in ventilation. The situation is bad. I went to the hospital. His whole body was on life support. As I was leaving, a strange thing happened. Doyle straightened up about 45 degrees and tried to grab my hand again and again. I held her neck tightly. Just as I expected, his first big test day. Her daughter has already returned from Canada. November 20, Sunday, the evening I am in the hospital… sitting in her room. The doctors and nurses asked me to leave the house immediately. I could sense something bad. In his moments before my eyes, my friend, my duel… went to the land of no return. I sat quietly. I could do anything that day.

No doubt, it’s been a week. We used to talk for an hour and a half every night. That phone hasn’t rung in the last week, it never will. Doyle will not return, as Aindrila did not return. We, Aindrila’s family, people close to Doyle will spend the rest of our lives cherishing this grief.

About Doyle Former RJ and current teleserial actress Shree

“I have known Doyle since 2015-2016. We are members of the same club (the ‘Eastern Metropolitan Club’-Memorial of this Doyle). My closeness with Doeldi is from 2018-19. Duel’s family is close to my family through club friends, relatives, family friendships…etc. What can I say about him? Doeldi is a complete woman. When I first met Doeldi, I thought that the person is so beautiful! Not only outer beauty but also inner beauty. So sweet-natured, so smiling and talking… always smiling. What an incredibly beautiful dance! And such beautiful choreography. Not ‘could dance’, I think he’s still here—can dance.

Doyle knew how to enjoy life. Doeldi and I have some common friends. When I used to see Doeldi, he used to hang out with friends, travel around, and wear themed clothes. He enjoyed life immensely. Doeldi lived alone. Doeldi’s husband, Amitda, spends most of the year aboard the ship due to his work. The daughter studied in Canada. Somewhat to relieve this loneliness and Doyles naturally loved people, hooligans. So he lived happily for a while. Then towards the end of 2019, Doeldi was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Am Swami (Saptarshi Bose) is a doctor, he said, if it is too much, Doeldi has six more months. It was impossible for all of us to think that Doeldi would not last more than six months. I couldn’t think how such a lively person… But I saw strangely what happens when a man has vigor and vitality. Where I heard six months to eight months, from 2019 to today 2022, these three years that we, his friends, family, and close people fought, but it is not. How did that man fight this disease alone… there is no family at home. Some sit in the middle of the sea, and some in Canada. Mother was at home. But he did not let his mother know that he is suffering from cancer. He has been fighting this dire situation alone during covid. He must have had friends, but I would say he fought alone. Every friend of his was by his side.

I will mention Arundhati Dasgupta in particular. Just as Sabyasachi was by Aindrila’s side, 24 hours, so Arundhati Dasgupta was by Doyal Chowdhury’s side. Arundhati was always by his side, taking him to the hospital, and waking him up at night, in case of need. Even Doeldi holds Arundhati’s hand while leaving. This is a fierce fight, I have never seen anything but a smile on Doeldi’s face. Never heard him talk about his suffering. Instead, I saw myself making fun of myself.

It’s about making fun of myself… my hair is up, and it’s painful inside, but making fun of myself on the outside… Doeldy changed this in her fashion sense.

Doeldi loved to dress up. After his hair grew, he started wearing a turban. I posted a picture of me at the wedding. He was completely clean-shaven and looked like a queen. I also heard that Doeldi is seriously ill in the morning and unable to get out of bed. It’s my son’s birthday in the evening, he calls me in the afternoon and says, leave me now, I can’t go.

On the day Aindrila left, Doeldi also left the same night. That afternoon I visited Doeldi for the last time. The body is on ventilation, the whole body is tubed, and the central line is running here and there, still holding Arundhati’s hand and trying to get up to see who has come to see her. This is the vitality of a human being. Doeldi went on to say, “No one will be sad after I die.” These are heard from the mouth of Arundhati. He said, “Don’t decorate me with white flowers. Decorate me with red and yellow roses. Give me lots of chocolate, ice cream. I love to eat them.” Whatever Doyal Di wanted, Amitda, friends… everyone tried to fulfill those things. Hopefully, Dwellee is in a better place. Stay well, Doeldy.