Writer Humayun Ahmed, Love Story: Shaymal Shadow

Shaymal Shadow

 

She was awakened by a loud noise.

For a few moments, she couldn't breathe, her breath caught. This is what happens to Rahima when she suddenly wakes up. Today has been a bit excessive, her throat is dry with thirst, and her whole body is drenched in sweat. Rahima was scared and called out in a broken voice, "Majid Mia, oh Majid Mia."

Majid was at the end. The sound of his voice shouldn't have reached that far. Still, Rahima thought that Majid had gotten out of bed, opening the door with a noise! ​​It was like coughing again. Rahima called out a second time in a soft voice, "Oh Majid Mia, oh Majid."

But no one came. Majid couldn't hear her. Tears came to Rahima's eyes. After waiting for a while longer, gasping for breath, the pain suddenly died down. Her breathing became normal. She didn't even remember the feeling of dying that she had felt a moment earlier.

Story Wirter Humayun Ahmed

Rahima got down from the bed silently. She took a match from under the pillow and struck Hurricane. She opened the door very slowly, taking a long time. Majid was annoyed when the door clanged open at night. It was quite cold outside, a cold wind was blowing. Winter had set in at the beginning of the month of Kartik this time. Rahima stood next to Majid's room, holding Hurricane high in her left hand and stomping her feet. Peeking through the window, she saw Majid still awake. He was lying on his back with a pillow under his chest, reading a book. There were half-smoked cigarettes on the floor of the room. The acrid smell of cigarettes was coming. Rahima didn't make any sound in response. She stood quietly by the window and started shivering in the cold.

Rahima couldn't imagine what the boy was up to all night studying for. He had finished studying for the exam when he had finished. Rahima stood for a long time with Hurricane in his hand. When he felt sleepy while standing, she called out softly, "O Majid Mia."

Without looking up from his book, Majid said, "Call me mother. Why do you always say Mia Mia?"

Rahima was a little unprepared. (When Majid was called Majid Mia, he got angry, but Rahima didn't even remember) Rahima said, "Lie down, Majid."

You go to sleep. Don't whine.

Rahim said softly, "Shall I close the window? Cold air."

Majid didn't answer. He started turning the pages of the book. Rahima still stood there. She didn't want to sleep. Who knows, she might wake up again, and the pain of suffocation would start all over again. Majid said angrily, "Don't go, mother, don't stand there."

Rahima moved away from the window. Majid was afraid of her. But when she was born, she was so small. She cried day and night. Majid's father used to say, this boy won't survive, if you show more affection, you will suffer.

Shit, shit, what a shameless thing. How can a father say something like that? That's the way this man speaks, there are no parents in his words.

Rahima came and lay down. She doesn't like to sleep. So she thinks about various things to chase away her sleep. She doesn't have many things to think about at night. She thinks about the same thing every night. It's as if she's sitting alone in a decorated room. There's a lot of noise. She's not feeling well. She's scared and she's about to cry a little. At that moment, the big-hearted Majid's father entered the room and said, "Bring your things. Now, both of you, think about it together." Saying this, he slammed the door shut from outside. Rahima was sitting stiffly in her new saree. She couldn't even look up in shame. She couldn't even think of what to say. At that moment, what the hell happened. There was no conversation, the man vomited loudly and flooded the bed. Rahima came and caught him, feeling ashamed. Her eyes watered as she thought about it. Oh, how shameless the man must have been in front of his new wife. It was so long ago, but it seems like that day.

After lying down for a long time, Rahim sat up. He took water from the betel nut. He chewed the betel nut. With the betel nut in his mouth, he quietly peeked into Majid's window as before. No, he hadn't slept yet. Rahima couldn't understand anything about Majid. If a son of an uneducated, stupid father and mother gets a scholarship and passes his M.A. while passing, then he becomes incomprehensible.

At one point, Majid's eyes fell on the window. What is this, mother, are you still wandering around? Why don't you sleep?

Whatever, father, let's go.

Rahima felt very helpless. She came to the veranda and sat alone. A half moon had risen. Everything was dimly visible in the light. He feels lonely at night. He feels like he's in a hurry. He doesn't feel so bad during the day. There are so many chores to do at home. There are no servants. He has to do everything himself. Time flies by. There is a microphone shop near the house. They play some kind of song, some kind of half-song all day long. It's quite nice.

Majid's father also liked music. Once upon a time, he would shout, "Fake class, fake class." Majid's father was a big fool for fun and games. He was a bad-tempered man. Fun and games were not his lot. One day, he might have put on a suit and gone to the cinema and was happy. He came back with a black face. Either he didn't get a ticket, or his pocket was broken. When he received an invitation to a wedding, he went smiling but didn't get anything to eat. The food ran out before he could eat. When his own son finished his studies, got a job and gave his father some comfort, he ended up lying in bed without a word or message. Rahima even said from the kitchen— Why sleep at an untimely hour? Will you have tea, will you make tea?

Rahima sighed thinking about that unfortunate man. There are people in the world with such bad luck: Even at the time of death, no one is by their side. Majid was nowhere to be found. Where did he go to a meeting? When his father was put in a shroud and put on a bed, everyone shouted La ilaha illallahu Muhammadur Rasulullah, then Majid got out of the rickshaw. He asked like a fool, what happened?

Oh, what a pain that man has endured all his life. What a pain! What a pain! How much more is the mechanic's salary? Majid sold the land and property in the house to pay for his education. Majid is in this condition today after spending so much money. Friends come as evening falls. Meetings are held at the house. Trade union, fisheries cooperative society, whatever. Shit.

Who knows what bug got into Majid's head. How much did Rahima tell Majid's father to let his son do all this?

Do it, the police will catch him one day. Majid's father only said - he is a wise and learned boy, I am a fool, what can I say?

Rahima was feeling cold, she went inside the house. When she entered the dark room, she bumped into something. How far did the brass vessel roll with a clang? Majid said in a sleepy voice, "Who is who?"

Me.

There was no further response. When Rahima was wondering whether she would lie down again or not, she heard Majid laughing loudly. What is it? Rahima called out, "It's Majid Mia."

What?

Why are you laughing?

Laughing like that. Go to sleep, don't whisper.

No, Rahima really doesn't understand Majid. Not only Majid, but Majid's friends also seem strange. They come right in the evening. What kind of eyes do they have? They talk, stopping and laughing in low voices. Their conversation goes on for hours. The room fills with cigarette smoke. Tea comes in spurts from the nearby Raisuddin tea stall. What are they talking about? Rahima puts her ear to the door and tries to listen.

No, there won't be an election. I understand clearly.

But if not, what can we do?

We need to know what Sheikh Sahib is thinking.

Sheikh Sahib will compromise. Let's be clear.

Sadeq is exaggerating. If he isn't a little more careful...

Everything seems incomprehensible to Rahima. Yet she puts her ear to the door every day and listens. And if a girl named Shikha comes, it doesn't matter. Rahima sticks to the door like a hawk. Shikha comes with a long designer bag slung over her shoulder. She doesn't dress up at all, but she looks so beautiful. She knocks on the door laughing. Majid from inside said seriously, who is who? (Although Majid understood who he was just hearing the laughter, he still wanted to act like this.)

I, I am Shikha.

Agnishikha or not?

No, I am Pradipshikha.

As she spoke, the girl burst into laughter. Majid opened the door and came out. Majid's eyes looked different then. Rahima didn't like it after seeing him. Who knows, maybe he liked Shikha. Maybe he had decided to marry this girl or maybe Majid's father was happy that Majid would marry that brunette girl from Sutakhali (he even gave a saree from Lalpar in Tangail to that good girl named Hasina. Rahima hadn't seen the girl, but she had heard that she was a very soft girl and very Lakshmi). Ah, Majid's poor father couldn't arrange the marriage! Ah!

How many times had Rahima seen Majid become restless whenever Sikh came. He just laughs. He gets up to bring food with tea. In the middle of the conversation, he blurts out, "I don't feel like having any more elections or filings today. We'll talk about something else today." Those in the room are upset, but they don't object. Not only does he laugh, but he also sings. Shikha sings occasionally, so everyone has to work hard for her. She's a very arrogant girl.

Rahima doesn't understand how women can hang out until this late at night. Majid's father never spoke to him even after seeing all this. He just said, "You're an intelligent, learned boy, what should I do?"

Was Majid's father any less intelligent? What would happen if he had kept quiet? He would have understood the current state of the world. How many times did Rahima think that if he had been able to study, this man would have chatted with his friends in English in the evenings. Fate wouldn't let him. Honest people are miserable.

Rahima got out of bed again. She turned on the lamp. I don't like being alone in a dark room. The price of oil has gone up after the war. Who will keep the lamp on all night? In that room, Majid is coughing in his sleep again. There is a new frost. How many times has Rahima told him to sleep with the window closed. But Majid won't listen. He feels suffocated in a closed room. Majid's father also had this bad habit. He wants to keep the window open even in the winter of Magh. Once, he reached out through the open window and took his shirt and jacket. There were six taka in the shirt pocket. What a problem. In the end, Majid's father went to the factory wearing a short shirt. Oh, the man didn't have a single short. It was a low-paying job. He was addicted to saving money. He was saving money to get Majid married with great fanfare.

If Majid had not met the girl from Shikha, Majid would have married that girl from Sutakhali long ago. And if he got married, would Majid leave his wife and go to war? No way. He would hide with his wife in the village for a few days. Then when it got cold, everyone would come back.

But it didn't happen like that. The girl Shikha kept coming with a spring bag on her shoulder. She kept coming. And the girl kept getting prettier day by day.

Then a lot of chaos started. Majid's house was crowded with people day and night. Shikha's sharp smile could not be heard like before. Rahima understood that these were very bad times. The situation in the country was not good. But what would Rahima do with the situation in the country? She only saw that her own face was bad. If she didn't have a bad face, would Majid tell his father - the situation in the country is very bad. I don't understand what is going on. You go to the village.

Majid's father said, if you go, we will go.

Hey, what are you talking about, you crazy person. How can I go? I have so much work to do now. Tell me when you will go? I will make all the arrangements.

Majid's father didn't answer that and threw a bidi at him and Majid suddenly changed the subject and said in a low voice, "You don't mind if I marry Shikha, do you?"

Majid's father, not at all surprised, said, "When is the wedding?"

She's late. Tell me if you have any objections.

No, why object? It's better to get the wedding done early in the morning. Okay. Don't worry about the money. Your wedding money is deposited separately in the post office.

He couldn't go to see his son's wedding. When Rahima came to the kitchen to check on the man, she knew it was all over. It was all Allah's will.

Then the war started. Majid left Rahima in the village house. So many rumors came to his ears. Somewhere a hundred Mukti Bahini boys had been captured. Somewhere the military had burned four Mukti Bahini boys to death. Rahima just said it like a mantra, "May Majid's life be blessed, O Allah. You are righteous. Hasbunallah."

Niyamul Wakil Niyamul Maula wa Niyamun Nasir. Rahima could not sleep at night. She spent the night awake. That was when the illness started. When she suddenly woke up, her breathing stopped. Her chest became dry and stiff with thirst. It felt like death had come to her chest.

The war stopped. Majid came to the door one day with a smile on his face, leaning on crutches and called out, "Mom, I am not dead. Look, I am alive."

Rahima's illness then worsened. When Majid walked on one leg, making the sound of his crutches, Rahima's chest throbbed. What a pain, what a pain. She tried to think like Majid, for a freedom, this loss was very small.

Majid did not say anything, but Rahima knew that Shikha was married. That boy certainly did not walk on crutches like Majid.

This loss was very small for freedom. Rahima tried to think like Majid. But Rahima is not Majid. Life has not extended its vast arms towards Rahima. That is why she cannot sleep.

At night, when the sun sets and the stars shine brightly, she quietly stands by Majid's window. She calls out in a broken voice, "O Majid Mia, O Majid Mia." Majid's sleep is not awakened by that faint voice. Perhaps it is because he studies until late at night that he sleeps deeply towards the end of the night.