The darkness seems very deep. Recently the excitement of mosquitoes is so much irritating in the town. Either day or night, that’s no matter to them, they are singing restlessly. Mona looks at the fragments of bowing darkness. The hundred pieces evening hangs with many pieces of lights. Most of the street lights are blind of order, occasionally one or two of those cast as stunned with deem sights to the eyes of the evening. Some of those are fixedly stand just like a joker with turmeric color icterus puts on their one eye’s. Do they want to indicate that the disease which decomposed the liver, is being frigid in the heart of the town? Destroying the backbone of light inwardly?
Unconsciously, a long and deep respiration goes rolling on the air. Today is very hot. All the flats of the first floor of the frontside building are clearly visible from here. The beside one-decked is also. Most probably that’s a mess-building. A flock of teen-agers is seen to make crowd together at the evening. Occasionally they play cards till deep night. Life is insignificant, of insignificant here. Seeing those boys, a feeling wants to sing with a pathetic tune which was died long ago, an older wound wants to awake by removing the silt of time from the heart. The memory is always pleasant, always pitiable. Where had Mona read it, where? Mona cannot remember. A unbearable horn of a vehicle hurts violently to Mona’s door-panel of feelings. Breaks the recollection. At the mess-building, the idle takers company arethen full of crowd and enthusiasm with the light of candle. Like other day, a sound of undertoned cry spreads out on the air by split the screen of a window from the third floor of frontside’s building. To stop that sound sometimes a drunkard roaring is heard from that screen. It seems that the roar gives a sound beating with a whack on the harlotry of the town, suddenly. A drunkard voice tries to reign, Hey pig! Shut up! Just shut up!
The roar goes to whom, the tune of her undertoned cry gets more strong, the pig of the town don’t concentrate any more to this silly matter. She stands like shameless, brazen-faced, by embracing her body with the cover of hundred-holed darkness and with the sounds of horns and the noise of urban lives on her heart. Very few street lights hang like the fragmental mucus of light on the night’s eyes. Slanting against the grill of balcony, with contract eyes, Mona looks at the town. Is the town just like her? The outside, very attractive, charming! But inwardly nauseous pith of drain are overflowing!
There was a spread rooftop, large. When the sun slanted in the west, then a piece of afternoon alighted there. A piece of happiness. Then, Mona and others stepped hurriedly on the staircases with heavy noise. They ascend on the rooftop. The coconut tree didn’t defeat by the competition to being taller with the rooftop till then, by crossing the rooftop the tree moved her leaves with a fluttering noise proudly by bearing on her head with some cluster of green and ripe coconuts till then. She dangled her head with much delight. Then Mona and others made revelry on the whole rooftop, spread the naughty early youth. At that time, Mona’s room on the third floor flushed by coating the light of twilight. The glow of that twilight sparkled with very charming beauty upon the golden coloured door-panels, grills of the window. Then the youth of the frontside one-decked building, a university student, played the record player with high volume, `tomar chul baadha dekhta dekhta vanglo moner ayna…’
After then, he ascended on the rooftop of that one-decked building with a binocular on his hand. By keeping eye on that binocular, that youth looked at Mona’s rooftop with a gaze. Who doesn’t want to get that type of glorification at that age! Sometimes Mona would throw a piece of smiling, a slice of side-glance to him. The young would make himself just soften on that. A smiling was just bloomed on his face as if he had got the wealth of seven king just for the gracefulness of Mona. Hours after hours he awaked at night by opening the window and looked towards Mona’s window. Each of them had the reading table beside the windows. A brief and casual talk was talked at passing by the way, very rarely. The convenient time was not very available always, not the courage also. When Mona and her friends raised on the rooftop, the mess-building also awakened by the noisy of their playing. All the youths raised on the rooftop of one-decked building to shove one another noisily. Many thirsty eyes of swallow looked at. One youth of them was, kept eyes upon eyes. Talking was going on just by that. Mind upon mind? Never. Parents were searching for a cage. Got it. They got just a cage. Mahmud was a civil servant. A Police. How much honour! How much happiness! Governments quarter, car, body guard! What more!
handful carbon-dye-oxide goes on the air slowly. A peace of cold wind has flowed at now. The air conditioner is useless. The IPS is damaged also. Till the evening, no electricity is there. Mahmud won’t come back today. He doesn’t come back every day too. He stays with Daisy at government’s quarter. Mona has takenthe possession of this newly bought flat with insistence. At first Mahmud wanted to prevent her. After that he has become silent to stop talking, may be by the beckoning of Daisy. Childless Mona hasn’t wanted to be burdened with Mahmud and Daisy’s family as like as a causeless person. Does she love Mahmud? Mona asked the question herself many time. Then she has shrunk to herself with aversion. Why she hasn’t left Mahmud? Mahmud, who distresses her by these type of neglect and insult, why she embraces the shadow of that Mahmud till now? Then, is she using Mahmud as a buckler, as an armour of her? But why? What is her indigence? She is highly educated, engaged with a senior post of a foreign NGO. She has got more than one tour abroad in every year. A handsome salary has deposited on her account in every month. She is a vocal about women’s right. Many oppressed women are inspired to look at her. Then why this type of wood-mite makes a nest into her mind! Why she turns into an ant-hill of this kind inwardly! Mona shrinks with hate. The greed! Greed for security, comfort, social status! Leaving Mahmud is the meaning of moving away from the shadow of Mahmud, moving away from the bangle of his security, and fully handover his social status to Daisy! The envy pokes to heart! No! She won’t give Daisy to live with so peacefully. She will be hanged like a septic boil in front of daisy’s eyes, will prick as a thorn to her neck. She won’t give release to Mahmud so easily. She will be burnt, that’s no matter, but the warmth of security of Mahmud is very pleasant to her. For Mahmud, hatred would be deposited to her heart, for also her own. The peace is better than that of happiness, this proverb will be so appropriate in her life, who knows before!
From the concealment of the front building, a slice of moon appears her darkish, orange coloured, mysterious face. Mona sits leaning against her easy chair slowly. She opens the bottle carefully, which was kept by Fulon, pours water and whisky in absence of light by supposition. Takes two pieces of ice from the ice-case and gives into the glass. She looks at the floating pieces with frown eyes by that dim darkness. Two pieces of white ice floats on water by downing the half of their figure. Being small to small they get vanished slowly. They mix with water, without keeping any evidence. Mona drinks some of that cold, bitter whisky with a ease-loving draught. Ordinary cold with hawk continuously. The whisky will act well at that time. Fulon has already ignited the coil. Nevertheless, it seems unable to stay for the oppression of mosquitoes. Mona will have to sit to internet when electricity will be available. Many office works are pending. A special seminar will be held at the office on‘women’s day’.
She will have to complete the seminar paper. She was thinking about how to do it with an absent mind, at that time a sound of a car comes from the underground. Somebody is parking a car into the garage. The whimperof the wife of the third floor has stopped. May be her drunkard husband has slept, a sound of snore is heard loudly from here. The buildings are so adjacent that if anyone sits on the balcony, a piece of word, common sounds arelistened. At the underneath, the light of candle has extinguished of one-decked mess-building. All that young guys are assembling in the dark. After finishing the hole days’work, they come back home at the evening and join in an assembly of idle talking till at deep night at the previous night of weekend. Today is that day. Mona looks at thosedark building inattentively for a while. The youth hasn’t risen on the rooftop today.Why? Most of days he comes on the rooftop at least for once. Looks at gazing to this side. Who knows what he sees! At the deeper part of Mona’s heart, a very strange type of sorrow of well feelings moves in a swarm on that time. A rooftop ofmany years ago was recollected in her mind, many afternoons blooms as flower, also many nights. Just in this darkness, in this type of faded moonlight night, Mona waited beside her window just like a shape of mystery. At the rooftop of opposite side’s one decked building, or beside the window, the youth also awaited as like as the
The peace is better than that of happiness, this proverb will be so appropriate in her life, who knows before!
shape of shadow. In that darkness, nobody can see anyone clearly. How many things would be seen still then! How many untold story would be told on that silence! Time goes on. How cruel scratch does he imprint on heart still then! The scratch mark doesn’t expunge. The wound of pain doesn’t remove. How much father affectionate Mona! Mother also! But they didn’t want to know just for one time what she wanted, in what was her happiness. BCS cadre, Mahmud was a desirable person. He is Mona’s happiness, they cherished surely. Mona had never made any allegation.Keeping all her dignity, distress, anger and hatred on her mind, Mona acceptedMahmud closing her eyes. Could Mona’s parents understand that they were wrong? Mona doesn’t know. Never she wants to know. That parents, who immolate their own daughter to the altar of greed just for getting a desirable person, Mona has no faith on that parent’s affection. She has no faith to her own. That parents haven’t given any chance tobe strong of her base of faith. They planted a creeper on a tub. They haven’t given chance to develop the root, haven’t given to fall of sunlight on her. Before knowing the tree by thefaded creeper, they collected a tree(?), named Mahmud and screwed the creeper, Mona, with him. Never there has fallen any more sunlight upon Mona’s colourless,extremely mortified mind. Haven’t increased the green extremity of faith and self-confidence. She is grateful in spite of that. To Mahmud. To keep up self-status, Mahmud inspired Mona to carry on her study, gave cooperation to get the job also. Or, he truthfully wanted that Mona would get the taste of self-reliance. Mona is self- dependent now! But why her base is so flaccid! Why she wants to be detained with Mahmud, his wife daisy and their child, and with their happy family till now! Fulon is steadier than She. She is the tree by herself. The plant.
Mona sits with movement. Nothing is new. Many women come to her. Talk too.
There was an office program on that day. So far from the town. In a village. The goal was to show up the real situation of grassroot levels women. Mona was giving motivational speech. The veins of her throat were puffed up by her fire-like speeches. There were blazing fire of enmity and defensein eyes of present oppressed, tormented women with her speech. Hey woman! Just wake up! Make up defense! Stuck on your mind, on your thinking, at first you are a human being, woman after that! Throw away the gender discrimination, infringement of only one chromosome! Nobody has the right to take your ownership for that! The Earth is yours! Not as a man or woman, just bring up as a human being, be a person with humanity! Many fascinated eyes were rolling on Mona’s reddish, drenched face. The flash light wasblazing. On eyes of that laborious, oppressed village women, Mona is a Goddess, a Queen then. Her bright, painted face is coruscating by the speech of freedom at that time. Fulon was also present there. After finishing the program, when the preparation was going on to get on the car, then tired, fatigued Mona got downfrom thestage, and was pressing the button of her mobile by sitting at a corner. Mahmud didn’t receive her phone call for the last two days, didn’t make any phone call too. About two daysago he made a phone call to Mona while the meeting was going on. Simply Mona didn’t receive that. That wasn’t possible then. After finishing the meeting, Mona called back to Mahmud and she had to get melting in sweatto make him understand that she was in a meeting. Mahmud didn’t believe at all. To make him understand the fact,Mona was engaged to request importunately and repeatedly. Who will say then to see Mona that just few minutes ago, her speech has given a strong mental strength to full of one room’s oppressed women! She was the Goddess on their eyes, was a messenger of heaven just few moments ago! If that women would see her now, how much depressed they would? The sorrow of breaking dream would how much burn their plainfaith? Mona was thinking herself. Sometimes false-faced person’s mask opens veryimproperly. Somebody gets much pleasure seeing these as like as her boss. When Mona was talking over mobile, Iftekher Ahmed, was smiling then by sitting beside her. The laugh of sarcasm was attached with his lips. When Mona finished her talking over mobile, then he ordered his wife over mobile to cook those items of food which he would like to eat that night after returning home. Even then, his wife is doing better job than he in a government organization. Mona grudged with anger. She endured the insult silently. She pretended to be inattentive as a necessary.Mahmud haven’t wanted now that Mona would go any tour so suddenly in domestic or abroad, whatever. But why? He himself has married to Daisy showing the cause of having child and continuedtheir conjugal life before Mona’s eyes in full swing. Then why he is so protective to Mona’s job? Doubt? Distrust? But which? Why the person who himself is polygamous wants to resist the right of Mona’s independence livelihood? The bravery of only onechromosome! Ha ha ha! Mona laughs with sound as a mad. Just at that time, the voice is heard by Mona. A hesitating, afraid female voice is felt with a tune.
Madam, I have a little talk to you! The woman comes to infront of Mona with breaking down the screen of shady afternoon. Mona looksat her. Not more than thirty. Striking figure. Straight nose. Cloud-coloured. The solidity which sticks to the woman’s face, that attracts notice of Mona, at first. Mona sits with movement. Nothing is new. Many women come to her. Talk too.
Everybody does the mistake with attractiveness. Very few person’s eyes fall on inside. What types of talking? Who are you?—Motionless, disinterested voice of Mona. Would you please give me a work? I need a job. I am very much inspired by your speech. I am in a great danger. Give me a chance, please!
Mona feels disturbed. It’s really a problem. If she comes with a program in village side, she has to face this type of deception. The villagers are very simple. Foolish.
What’s your danger? What happens?—Mona asked with no excitement. She doesn’t expect the answer, no needs too. But the woman doesn’t become depressed for Mona’s coolbehavior. Till then she is regenerated, inflamed, by Mona’s motivational speeches of the stage. She comes too nearer to Mona, speaks with a low voice, Madam, I’m Fulon. I’m in a danger. Would you give me a work, please? Would you keep me with you?Now, Mona looks at her carefully, think something, then asks, what type of work will you do? Which type of work do you want?I will be able to do all the work of your home. Take me with you please. I will do all of your home task.
A solitary face of a woman is seen from the hidden side of the mask. Wet with tears, faded. The sunlight never falls on that face.
Mona thinks for a moment, calculates a little bit. After that she asks, Can you go with me today? Just now? If you want you may stay at my flat, with me.Fulon agrees then and then. On the way, Mona listens to Fulon’s story by sitting beside her. The story is very short and simple. Nothing is new. Uneducated, poor girl. Very early marriage. Child.Oppression fromthe husband. He needs to a dowry. There was no place for Fulon when she tried to go back to her father’s home. Father, mother, brother, nobody would get back her. They got Fulon’s married, their duty was over.
They have intertwined the creeper with the tree. The tree can do anything for hishappiness. The creepers duty is to embrace him. That’s the fate. Fulon hasn’t abided by the fate. She has begun her journey on the way putting her child under the care of a childless couple. She will take free breath, water. She will be the tree, the plant. She herself will be the shade to her child, to others. She has suffered a lot, no more.
Can Mona feel the breaking sound of her own mind sitting beside Fulon? Is the wave of hate be stirred up into foam in her heart, fallen on her own! Fulon isn’t educated. She has no education; she has no higher wisdom. In spite of that the self-confidence, the feelings of self-respect, which she has, where is that with Mona! By ignoring of husband’s all insult, by rejecting his all warmth of security, the boldness, which has shown by Fulon, why is that absent with Mona! Is there should have the right to give anymotivational speech, that should have to Fulon, to give to Mona! By sitting beside Fulon, Mona shrinks by her mind. When Fulon will understand that Mona is an artificial face, an empty, inflate woman she is, what will Fulon say that day, who knows!
The electricity comes back. By igniting the bed-switch Mona sits on the bed with the laptop. She has to make the seminar-paper ready, has to give some motivational speech, and also has to make all classes of people aware at the women’s day.
Not the creeper, you have to be the plant, women! Spread this principle from door to door! Start the resistance at your own home! Flame the light at your own mind first, and spread the flambeau from generation to generation!
—After writing these few lines, Mona feels very thirsty for tea. Fulon has slept. Would Mona call her? Mona goes infront of her room by stepping. Stands for sometimes. The sound of Fulon’s slow snoring is coming from the inner side of half-closed door. Mona left from there silently. She goes to kitchen very carefully, without making any sound. Fulon is sleeping. Let her sleep. Some trees grow up in hidden. One day the Earth will grow up with flowers and fruits again. The watery lives of water-hyacinth like Mona will end. The ear of air will be filled with the sound of swelled laughter, not with the sound of whimper. All Mona will spread root at the deep of soil. Not the malignity nor the discrimination, only human being will grow at the tree of love. All discrimination of titular will be removed except only one chromosome.
Mona thinks that looking at the effervescing in the bubbles as a result of boiling at the tea-cattle. She is overwhelmed with the dream to ignite the light by hiding the darkness of her mind. She comes to her bedroom and sits again with a cup of tea. A handful moonlight rolls on her faded-dark bed with very fun by crossing the window. May be to remove the mask of Mona, a little piece of moonlight falls suddenly on her bright face.
A solitary face of a woman is seen from the hidden side of the mask. Wet with tears, faded. The sunlight never falls on that face. There is a thirst for the sun, gratification of light on that face…
Comments
0 comments
