Susnato Mukherjee in Mamata Banerjee’s lane. (Amit Datta)

● Johannesburg, 11am, Friday (2.30pm IST): NRI Susnato Mukherjee is tracking election trends on the Net.

● Calcutta, 10pm, Saturday: Mukherjee is outside Mamata Banerjee’s house, going click-click with his Nikon D40X.

Electrical engineer Susnato Mukherjee had promised himself long ago that he would be back in Bengal to witness change when it finally came.

So as Friday the 13th unfolded, the 46-year-old hurriedly packed his bags and stepped out of his Johannesburg residence to catch the first available flight to Calcutta. Mukherjee, who works at the University of Witwatersrand, reached the city at 8pm on Saturday after a long journey via Dubai and headed straight for Harish Chatterjee Street instead of his parents’ house in Behala.

“I had already missed a day’s celebration and didn’t want to waste more time,” he said. “I wanted a glimpse of Mamata Banerjee but she didn’t step out when I was there. But I did take many pictures.”

Mukherjee was back in Mamata’s neighbourhood on Sunday, dressed in a shirt with South African motifs. When Mamata briefly stepped out of her home, he tried hard to get close to her, only to be pushed back. But he hasn’t given up hope of meeting her.

“I will be back. I want to meet her once before I leave,” said Mukherjee, scheduled to return to Johannesburg on Saturday.

Mamata had told the Sunday gathering that she would interact with them after returning from Delhi by Tuesday.

Mukherjee, a former student of the erstwhile Bengal Engineering College (now Bengal Engineering and Science University), intends writing about his experience once he returns to South Africa. “There is a large Bengali population in Johannesburg. They are very excited about the change. We all sincerely hope that things will change and Bengal will regain its importance.”

Like many who had deserted communist-ruled Bengal for better professional opportunities outside, Mukherjee had left India in the early 90s.

Wife Soma had come to Calcutta to vote on April 27 but he couldn’t. “She felt that this was going to be a historic election for Bengal. I wanted to come as well but I had to stay back for our daughter, who is a student. Also, I couldn’t afford two trips in 30 days,” smiled Mukherjee.