I was born and brought up in the capital city. Still today I have been living in the capital city. But Bangladesh is a land of villages - a bucolic land of 88 thousand villages. So, my thoughts oten wandered about what village life meant. I had been thinking of visiting a village some day or other and that came true when my roommate, Rafiq proposed to me to go with him to his village for spending the shabe barat holiday that was knocking at the door. He did not miss to say that his parents and brothers and sisters would be very happy to find me in their midst.
I have never seen what golden Bangladesh is where poverty, illiteracy, corruption, violence, terrorism, toll collection, sky-high price-rise, unemployment and pollution reign. But I have had a first-hand experience of a golden opportunity. Of course the proposal of Rafiq to visit his village was a golden opportunity for me. His village is about 70 km. away from Dhaka. We started early in the mornhng and reached his simple bome of unadorned beauty, shaded and fruited by various trees creating a peaceful piece of nature. It was far from my mind that far from the madding crowd' a home would welcome me with such a thrill of joy. As soon as we got down from the rickshaw Rafiq's parents, brothers and sisters came upto the gate to receive me with a warmth of heart that I had never had any opportunity to taste. Then we had a wash at the brick-built "ghat of their pond and ate a breakfast with tasteful cakes, fruits and dainties of a village home. The familial atfection which garnished the breakfast made it the most unforgettable to me.
Rafiq took me to the village club where his friends, pre-informed, we're present. The village boys with unmixed simplicity took me as if into their bosoms. It was a get-together of joy. I was in a wonderland, delight in which the club-secretary spoke for me a few words of welcome each of which was charged with love and sincerity. The other boys spoke about the various activities of the club which related to their sel-improvement and development of their village. I also gave them a neat-litle speech expressing my hearty gratitude and overwhelming wonder I felt being in their midst.
Rafiq took me to their pond, again for bath. I was afraid, I did not know how to swim. But I had my bath under the open sky - different from the one in the closed bathroom - sitting on the stairs of the ghat, with a new thrill of pleasure, while Rafiq swam and dived and made merry. Then served by Rafiq's mother and sisters who seemed to be no other than mine. Rafiq and I had our mid-day meal.
After mid-day meal or dinner, as one may call it, which I had to eat to my fill under the pressure of the affection of Rafiq's mother, my newly-earned auntie. I had a short sleep or what may be referred as a 'nap' Then Rafiq took me to the beel", a large water-body stretching in a straight line in parallel to their village and running three miles down to merge in the nearby river There his friends were waiting with a boat-a dinghi - for an evening's boating with me. We plied in the beel' up and down under the shady sky in the placid environment between two villages of untold scenic beauty with enchanting sights and sounds of nature and the liquid fire of the crimson reflection of the mellowing, inclining, setting sun until we returned home by the narrow, gigzag, delightful walk-way through the shadowing village - a new experience too.
It was the evening of "shab-e-barat I noticed the exchange of sweets and snacks between families and families that showed the tradition of sympathy, friendship and togethermess of the village people After making ablution Rafiq and 1 went to the adjacent village mosque with the "ajan" for Maghreb prayer, The village people, old and young, as well as the children assembled in the mosque in serene and sacred prayer outfits and with a mood of devoted worshippers. We offered our prayer and worship tilt eleven and Rafiq and I returned home while many of the others came home at their respective convenient times lor supper and returned to mosque to pray for the rest of the night. It was an experience of my feeling and discovering myself in the religious way and I made a vow never to forget my religious duties and obligations. We dropped off to bed at about 12.00 midnight.
I woke up with the 'ajan' for morning prayer and waked up Rafiq so that we could say our morning prayer in congregation in the mosque. We came back and again slept for long hours until Kafiq's sister, and by now my sister too, Shahana conveyed my auntie's call for breakfast. After breakfast Rafiq and I got ready to return to the hostel, as our examination was near at hand. I took leave of Rafiq's family with a very heavy, heart making promises to visit them again and again. We reached the hostel at 12:00 noon.
My one day's trip to Rafig's village gave me an idea of village life. It gave me an experience of a life away from life - simple, sweet, enviable and never to be forgotten.
