Humayun Ahmed
07. The birds are calling under the pillow
The birds are calling under the pillow. What does this mean? The heads of the birds of Dhaka city are a little aula. This does not mean that some of them will go under the pillow of man and shout for happiness. The object I found under the pillow in search of birds was a mobile telephone. Conversation device given by great aunt. The ring tone of this instrument used to play, now it is as if the birds have called.
Hello great aunt!
Were you sleeping
Hmmm.
Ten o'clock, are you still sleeping? I don't have an office, I can sleep as long as I want.
So you will not have a timetable? I'm going to ring you, I'm going to ring.
Did something happen? That girl is gone.
Which girl left? Hu-si.
Why did you come?
He doesn't know Bengali - why would he say that he has come! Saying nothing. Just smiling.
I do not understand the way?
He brought a bunch of vegetables and tubs in his bag. Looks like he wants to cook and feed me. You leave.
Why should I leave? He doesn't want to feed me.
My idea is to feed you. He is the telephone to you
Said to do.
How did you say that?
He pointed to the telephone with his hand near his ear, then said, Himi. I was calling you Himu Himu that day, he remembered when he heard it. Himuta made Himi. You leave.
What's on the menu?
I don't know what the menu is. Didn't unload all the items from the bag.
There are no snakes - what?
What a pain! Why will there be snakes?
Snakes are their very special dish.
You're just talking long, come on now.
There's a little bit of that problem.
What's wrong?
I have another invitation today.
Who will invite you to eat?
Mr. Khalu has received the invitation. I'm going with Fao.
Invitation to Flower's house?
Hmmm.
Are you free?
E. I am also going with him as an assistant.
By now I understood why your khalu has been so fast since morning. Well! Himu, will you not let me know in advance what happened to the invitation?
I told you. If you know in advance. The invitation is at one o'clock in the afternoon, you know at ten o'clock. Three hours ago. If you want to go to action, you can go. Three hours is a lot of time.
I will not go into action now. Let's eat your open invitation, then let's see what the action says. You must not go with your khalu. You will come here for me. There is a surprise for you.
What a surprise?
There are surprises in advance? Come and see. That's not fun.
Joy in Majeda's aunt's throat. He is bringing the issue of flowers to the fore. No, it is understood. He's busy with something more fun.
I rang the bell of my great aunt's house around one o'clock in the afternoon in preparation for the flash. Hu-si opened the door. The great aunt has arranged to shine with Hu-si. She is wearing sari like Bengali girls. Beliful garland around the neck again. Belly flowers are not available at this time. Fake belly flower garlands can also be.
Aunt Majeda said with a smile, are you shocked?
Huh.
You have seen how beautiful the girl looks in the sari! I want to call Kazi right now and marry you to the girl. If you don't get married by force, you won't get married. Wandering along the way.
Hmmm.
Why are you just huh huh? Do you have any objection to marry a Chinese girl?
No.
Who knows whether that Bengali girl is willing to get married or not! Asking him that there is no way to know. One caste does not understand Bengali. Of course I started teaching Bengali. While teaching others, I realized that Bengali is a very difficult language. But the girl is learning fast. Wise girl!
The aunt took a cup in her hand and looked at Hu-si with inquisitive eyes, Hu-si said, cup.
The smile on her aunt's face spread far and wide. He took a glass of water in his hand.
Hu-si said, water.
Aunt knocked on the glass. Hussey said, glancing.
This time the aunt put her hand in her hair. Hu-si said, hair.
Aunt said in the manner of a winner, I see, how much have I learned in one day?
I said, that's why I'm watching. Well aunt, it may be that this girl knows Bengali well - pretending with us as if she knows nothing!
Aunt said with an annoyed face, you have been a donkey all your life. Your life was cut short by assholes. Donkey donkey.
At noon we ate the ugly soup of Hu-sir cooked fish. The stench made my stomach turn upside down. Aunt said, wow, the sun is well! Original Chinese. The original Chinese has a little bit of a sense of urgency. The smell is the specialty.
Fish items after soup. Whole fried fish. Alluring to look at. I was stunned with a piece of face. Fish is ten times sweeter than rasgolla.
Aunt Majeda said, wow good!
I said, you do not feel sweet?
Cooked with honey must be sweet. This is their cooking style. Why would they cook Bengali food with a bunch of chillies, bata chillies? They will cook like them. It is your nature to catch flaws. Eat in comfort.
I said, you eat comfortably. See if there are stale pulses. I eat rice with stale pulses.
The girl is so interested. Will you insult the girl by eating rice with pulses in front of her?
I will. The thing that prevented it deserved the humiliation.
Really, if you eat rice with pulses, you will never be able to enter my house again. Never. Eat rice with only the fish except the broth. Peel a squash, grate it and squeeze the juice. Then it will take a little less sweet.
Hu-si and I got out of the flat together. She is wearing her own clothes instead of the sari given by her aunt. Blue skirt. This dress suited her better than a sari. My idea is that only Bengali girls like sarees. This dress is not for foreigners. My aunt gave me the responsibility to take Hu-si to his work place in a yellow cab. Aunt said, I want the two of you to ya.
I said, yay what?
Do you understand what yay? Knowing this, no one will marry bull dung like you. When love is different. When it becomes love, the dung of the bull also seems to be rasgolla.
I'm walking down the street with Hu-C, looking for a yellow cab. Hu-si said, you didn't eat. I'm ashamed.
I said, there is nothing to be ashamed of. I cooked but you couldn't eat. Not everyone can do everything. You can press your feet. I can't.
Do you consider tapping your feet with a bad eye?
I said, not at all, pressing Grandma's feet is part of our culture. But no one outside can do this. The one who presses the foot must be one of the family.
Hu-si said, I have never seen a good man like your aunt in my life.
Not to be seen.
Hu-si said, I am very sad to see his kindness towards me.
Why?
Because I'm not a good girl. I'm a bad girl.
I said, he who can admit that he is bad is not so bad.
Hu-si said, I don't want to talk about good and bad. Why are you walking barefoot?
That's it.
Not like that. There must be a reason. In mainland China, there are some saints who walk in light blankets even in severe winters. They are called Musumi. Magician. Are you a magician?
I'm not a magician.
Your aunt's idea is that I am very beautiful. What do you think?
Of course you are beautiful.
I'm not married yet.
Your wedding flowers did not bloom. You will get married on the day it blossoms. Even if you try a hundred times before that.
Explain what a wedding flower is.
A flower blooms. She gets married on the day the flowers bloom. Not before that.
All the girls are never married. Do they have no flowers?
Everyone has flowers. They do not bloom.
I looked at Hu-sir. There are tears in her eyes like Bengali girls. It is not understood that tears flowed from the words of the wedding flower. Girls like to be mysterious. Maybe he is. Wanting to be mysterious.
I dropped Hu-si off at his work place. A one-story house, called Hong Kong Parlor. There is a nakchapta sitting on a plastic chair on the veranda of the house. It is difficult to understand the age of the Nakchapta variety, but it is understood that its age is around sixty. The skin of the throat is drooping. The eyes are yellow and dull. Old Nakchapta is looking at me suspiciously.
I looked at the old man and shook his hand. I smiled. The old man's eyes did not soften. I also saw Hu-si panicked. He lowered his voice and said, "You take this car and leave."
I said, how do I rent a car? I don't have a Punjabi pocket. Money is a far cry.
Ninety rupees per meter. Hussey handed the three hundred rupees note to the taxi driver and said, "Take Ina." He will take you wherever you want.
I said, Hu-si, who is the old man sitting on the verandah with an owl?
Hu-si said, my boss. I went without telling anyone. I think so. He is angry.
Will you kill me?
Hu-si said nothing and walked towards the parlor with a worried face. The owl has now risen. His gaze was on Hu-sir. Don't really kill the old girl. I wanted to see the scene. The cabbage is equally honking. I had to get in the cab.
A thrilling scene was waiting for me. The scene did not take place on the porch of the Hong Kong parlor. The scene is messy in my room. Very thrilling scene of Bengali film. That scene is to give tension music from beginning to end. The scene -
There is a man lying on my bed with only a lungi on his bare body, covered in blood. One of his eyes closed. The swell is hanging like a drum. One hand is hanging out of the bed. The fingers of the hand are numb, blood is dripping from there. The mess manager stood in awe at the door.
I said, who?
I'm your big brother.
Your same situation!
I think he would have killed me. Somehow I know I survived. Money, watches, glasses have all been taken away. He also took clothes. Naked and left on the side of the road.
Where did you get the lungi?
One rickshaw puller gave. He brought you here. I will go to my flat in any condition! Himu, arrange for my treatment. One eye seems to be gone. Don't let your aunt know. Who knows whether there will be news in the newspaper or not. I saw someone taking pictures. If there is news, I will have no choice but to commit suicide. Himu, do you have acquaintances with the people of the newspaper?
No!
Does the RAB have an acquaintance with anyone?
Why?
The bastard girl has to be crossfire at the hands of the RAB. No one can punish that girl except RAB. The police will not do anything. Just eat the money. Himu, do you have any friends whose relatives are in Radhab?
Mr. Khalu will not be restless. Let's arrange your treatment first.
Himu, one eye seems to be gone. I can't see anything with one eye. I took Mr. Khalu to the emergency room of the medical college. He broke his right hand and the big toe of his left foot. The skull is fractured. Cut lips, chin and eyebrows. One of the lower teeth is broken.
X-rays, stitches, bandages were finished and it was ten o'clock at night. The doctors admitted Mr. Khalu to the hospital. He has to stay in the hospital for a week. The manager of the mess is a hardworking man. He even arranged a cabin for the hospital.
This is the advantage of having money to eat. Hospital cabins are available at any time. The problem is in the month of Ramadan. All the bribe takers fast in the month of Ramadan, praying Tarabi. Do not take bribe for a month. Bribery begins. After Eid Jamaat.
The gist of the incident I heard from Mr. Khalu is as follows: He set out to defend Flower's invitation. He was driving his office car. Suddenly it seemed that it would not be right to take the car. He left the car and took a rickshaw. On the way, seeing the Jadavpur confectionery store, it seemed that it would not be right to go empty handed. He bought one kg of rasmalai and one kg of sweet curd.
When you reach the address, you see that the address is wrong. A tailor shop at this address. What will he do. When you think you see the flower is coming. Very happy to see him. She took two packets of sweets from his hand. He was shown the way. A very confusing path. At one point he took her to a chip alley and told her to stop. I'm coming. He went into another alley. He is waiting. At that time, two boys from Shandamarka came and started talking without any message - kill, punch, kick. He took all the watches and money. He was pressed on the sewer. They hit his head on the paved wall of the sewer and said - are you looking for a girl? ঐ Old man, do you want a girl?
Khalu finished the story and said with a sigh, "Understand Himu, this is the incident." See where the country has gone! Killing me. People are coming and going, no one is looking back.
Didn't see any of the flowers? He disappeared with sweets?
Hmmm. Exclude the flower. Now tell me what you can do to save me from your aunt.
Taking action now, you calm down.
I telephoned my aunt. I said in a sad voice, Auntie has a bad news.
Aunt said in a worried voice, what is the bad news?
Mr. Khalu is in the hospital. Broken limbs. Had an accident. He left for Flower's house with sweets, when a truck came from behind and pushed him.
Aunt said, well done.
I said, I have a good idea. Anyway, Mr. Khalu turned upside down with sweet curd. He broke his arms and legs. Serious injuries. He did not go to Flower's house anymore.
Aunt said, you call it bad news? I have not received such good news for a long time.
I said, come and see Mr. Khalu. Cabin number seventeen. Dhaka Medical College.
Aunt said, I will go to see! Are you crazy? The juice of love from the hospital kamuk, then see.
I said, Mr. Khalu is shouting and apologizing to you. What will it do?
Aunt said, he will come to Lencha Lencha and hold my legs. Then forgiveness.
I said, then wait a week. Doctors say it broke in several places. Must have a minimum of one week.
Let there be a week, let there be education.
Quiet in the Western Front. You only have to hold it once.
Mr. Khalu said, why once, ten times. Listen Himu, don't trust any girl except a wife.
Very lovely post