Glass-filled tamarind syrup
Rehana was carrying a glass full of tamarind syrup when she came to Shuvra's house and stopped. The sound of suppressed laughter is coming. White smiling. It's one o'clock at night. Turn off the lights in Shuvro's house. Why is he smiling in the dark? People never laugh in the dark. Weeping is in the dark, laughter is in the light. Rehana called, white.
He stopped smiling and immediately replied, what mother?
What are you doing
I was sleeping, I suddenly woke up. How many mothers at night?
One o'clock. Do you need anything?
No.
White is smiling again. Laughing loudly.
Rehana entered the bedroom with a glass of syrup in her worried face. I know why he is worried about Shuvro. He thinks Shuvro has a problem.
Mr. Iajuddin is sitting under the fan on his bare body. Kartik month, feeling cold. The winter is over. Sleep is with a thin sheet. Sitting under a fan on an empty body at this time means blue. Mr. Iajuddin is sitting because he is feeling hot. Sweating a little. Feeling chest pain. His idea is that he is going through a heart attack process. Anyone else would have panicked in this situation. Mr. Iajuddin is very normal. He looked at his wife and said, "What's in the glass?"
Tamarind syrup. Bit salt, sugar, tamarind. Eat, it will be good.
Mr. Iajuddin went into an argument. No. He took the glass in his hand. At times, Rehana's ingenuity made her feel sick. Still doing today. Rehana does not know what her problem is. Rehana was not told. But she has brought tamarind syrup, and Rehana thinks that Mr. Iajuddin will like playing this syrup. Who taught him all these treatments? He started having severe stomach ache two years ago. Rehana came with a glass of ice-cold water, handed over a glass of water and said, drink the water, it will be good. He ate. He did the same today, reached out and took two sips of tamarind syrup and put the glass down. Rehana said, do not feel good?
Yes, it feels good.
I have less sugar, can I give you some more sugar?
The sugar is fine.
Does the body feel better now?
Yes, it feels good. Increase the fan a little.
Mr. Iajuddin's body is not feeling well at all. Having a little trouble breathing. Not getting relief from sitting. It might have been better to lie down. He looked at the clock, one ten o'clock. The light is on in the room. The light is on the eyes. The first sign of a person's illness is light intolerance. Wants to take sick people from light to darkness.
Rehana said, will you come and sit on the veranda? There is air on the porch. You'll feel better sitting in the air.
Let's go to the porch.
Don't eat the syrup?
No.
Iajuddin stood up without his wife's help. He went to the verandah and sat down. The back of this old-fashioned house has a long drawn-out bull-porch. There is no furniture except three wicker chairs at one end of the porch. The chair rests on three walls. Arranged as well. Painted white, mattress green. The chair in the middle is his. In the long ten years he has never sat anywhere except in the middle chair. Sit down today. He is sitting in the southernmost chair. The middle one is empty. He thought Rehana would catch the matter. She seems to have caught on. Rehana did not even sit in the chair next to him. Leaving an empty chair in the middle, he sits in the third chair.
Rehana.
Hmmm.
Why is the light on in Shuvro's room? Is he awake?
Yes, awake.
I shouldn't stay up so late. I think he fell asleep with the lamp on. Come and see for yourself.
Rehana got up and left. The arrow is feeling a little cold as it is sitting on the verandah in Khaliga. Chest pressure pain seems to have decreased a bit. The water contains one-fourth of an aspirin and two to five milligrams of Friesium for sleep. Sleep helps with any physical ailment. The body fixes its crippled part in its own way in its sleep, or tries to fix it. He is waiting for Rehana. Rehana is not returning. Mr. Iajuddin is sure - Shuvro is awake, he is talking to his mother. Ijazuddin wants to hear what they are talking about! Did. That desire did not last. He is fifty-four years old. Probably a factor as to why they're doing so poorly. In this long life he did not indulge in unjust and improper desires. The desire to hear the story of mother and son from behind is certainly an unjust desire.
He is reclining on a white bed. White pillow on his lap. The full-sleeved shot of Shuvro's body is also white. The white elbow is leaning towards the mass. Her head is full of random hair. White big black eyes can be seen as there are no glasses in the eyes. Rehana sighed and said, why is my son so beautiful? Boys don’t have to be so pretty. Physical beauty does not suit boys.
Shuvro said, why are you looking mother?
Rehana said, people will keep looking at each other, fool. Have you ever seen two people sitting face to face with their eyes closed?
White smile. Rehana rolled her eyes. When White smiled, he rolled his eyes. It takes a lot of parental attention. His idea is that when he sees Shuvro smiling, he will be so fascinated that it will catch his eye.
Lie down, white.
Mom is not coming to sleep. If you try to sleep, sleep will not come more. So I'll stay awake for an hour. I will go to sleep tired after reading a hard book.
Read books so late at night? There will be pressure on the eyes.
Let's put pressure. The way the eyes are getting worse, I think, will go blind one day. I want to read what I want to read before I go blind.
Rehana's chest heaved. Shuvra did not even go to give a strong threat. White looks at me with sad eyes when I threaten or say something difficult. Looks too bad.
Mom.
What.
Can you light a cup of tea for me?
If I drink tea so many nights, I will not be able to sleep the rest of the night.
It is better not to sleep. I can finish the book.
Any khabi with tea?
Yes. Heat one slice of bread. You can put very light butter on the bread. Don't add sugar. Sprinkle with chili powder.
Iajuddin is sitting on the verandah. Didn't take aspirin. However, he ate two fries. He himself entered the bedroom and took out the tablet. There was no water at hand. I had to swallow the tablets with tamarind syrup. You have to go to bed half an hour after taking sleeping pills. He is waiting for half an hour to pass. His sleep has come. The eyelids have become heavy. Hi has risen a few times.
He saw Rehana pouring tea into Shuvro's room. Mr. Iajuddin frowned. Why is he making tea and feeding the boy at noon? The fruit of blind love is never good. Rehana does not know this matter? He has tried to explain it to Rehana in different ways. Rehana didn't understand anything. His own body is not going well. Something terrible can happen at any time. Then Shuvro will have to take the helm. Shuvra does not have that mental preparation. She is a child now. Doesn't Rehana want to keep that child alive in various ways?
Rehana came and stood in front of her husband.
Iajuddin said coldly, "Let's go to sleep."
Does your body feel better now?
Hmmm.
See a doctor tomorrow morning.
Show.
They entered the bedroom. Rehana said, will there be a fan, or will I turn it off? The wind is coming through the window. Turn off the fan?
Give it to me.
They went to sweat. Iajuddin pulled a thin sheet over his feet. He himself is feeling a little sad now. His body did worse. Pretty good did bad. Who knows, maybe a minor stroke. He himself has tried to handle that push. Didn't let Rehana understand. He doesn’t want to upset anyone. Still, Rehana could have been a little upset. He could tell his son - your father's body is not good. Sitting on the porch. Whatever you do, come talk to your father. Rehana said nothing. He used to come and sit on the white verandah. Concerned neo-hippies and their global warming, i'll tell ya.
He would love to talk to the boy. Rehana did not give him that opportunity. Mr. Iajuddin's idea is that Rehana doesn't notice him well. Not even with his behavior. If he had thought, he would have noticed that he was sitting in the middle chair on the verandah for the second time. Why are you sitting? Why did he sit with two chairs empty on either side? Isn't the answer very simple? He wants his wife and son to sit beside him.
Rehana.
Hmmm.
How old is Shuvro?
Twenty-seven years and three months.
Iajuddin smiled silently. Rehana knows the age of the boy as years and months. Does she know her husband's age? If she is asked - how old is Rehana? What can he say?
Rehana said, what if they get married now?
Is he talking about marriage?
No, not saying. Why tell him? It is the age of marriage. Twenty-seven years is not less.
Too little for many. Even at twenty-seven, many are like seven-year-olds.
Surely you don't think Shuvro is a child?
Iajuddin did not answer. The chest tightness pain is back again. At the same time the eyes are falling asleep. It was not right to turn off the fan. Feeling hot. Vapors kind of hot.
Rehana said in a curious voice, are you asleep?
No.
Do you remember Mr. Javed? He was an AIG of the police and got married in Barisal. Remember?
There is.
He has a niece. Nickname Shapla - The girl is very beautiful, she sings on TV. B grade artist. He also does drama. He passed the level and entered the university. Falls into political science. Third year. The color of the skin is not white but fair. Will you see the girl
I'll see why.
If you like, I would propose to my uncle Javed for Shuvro.
White will get married. Why is my favorite thing coming up?
Shuvro has no likes and dislikes, no opinions. She smiles when she talks about marriage.
Iajuddin said in a hushed voice, sleep now. I'll talk in the morning. Iajuddin swung back to the side. Somehow he is not getting any comfort from lying down. There is a chattering sound on the verandah. White walking. Going from head to toe on the porch.
Rehana.
Hmmm.
Is Shuvro walking on the verandah?
Where, no!
It seems that I heard the sound of chatter.
You heard wrong. Not wearing white slippers.
That's fine.
Iajuddin sighed. His brain must be excited. Excited brain is hearing the sound of chatter. His body then got better and worse. It could even be that he would die in his sleep! It is almost never a matter of death in sleep - nature brings man to the earth in the waking state, and also in the waking state. He will certainly be no exception. Still scared.
Rehana!
What.
Drink water.
Rehana got up. I had to go to the ground floor for water. There is a small fuse on the second floor. Bottles of water were not kept there. Iajuddin cannot eat without ice-cold water. Rehana came upstairs with a bottle of water and a glass and saw Iajuddin sitting on the bed with his legs dangling. The fan is spinning over his head. He slept with a thin Punjabi body while sleeping. Punjabi has opened. Sweat dripped down his forehead.
He emptied the glass of water with a kiss. He looked at the clock, it was three o'clock, it was not too late for the night to end.
Is Shuvro awake?
I think so. The lights are on in the house.
Call him a little.
Tell me to come here?
No. Ask him to come and sit on the verandah.
You won't sleep
I will not sleep today. I can't sleep.
Have tea? Would you like some tea?
Give it to me.
Rehana went to fetch tea. Iajuddin came and sat on the verandah. Almost immediately Shuvro also came and sat next to his father. A book in Shuvra's hand. The name of the book is not going to be read in the dark. Quite a thick book.
Shuvro said, why are you awake, father? You shouldn't stay awake this time. What's the problem?
The body is not feeling well. Trying to sleep, sleep is not coming.
You look very worried. Are you worried about something
No.
I saw in the newspaper today, your cotton match has gone awry. The mill manager's legs cut off in anger. Are you worried about this?
When I come home, I don't bring my outside work home. I'm worried about the mill, but it has nothing to do with today's bad body. Tell me why you are awake.
I often wake up at night.
It's a lot of fun to wake up at night.
White said in a light voice, I like it.
What do you do at night
I do nothing. I study from time to time. But most of the time I sit quietly. I think.
What do you think?
White did not answer. Hasal. Mr. Iajuddin saw the boy's smile with interest. Shuvra's smile is beautiful. Good to see you. All baby smiles are beautiful. The beauty of laughter tends to fade with age. Not white.
Rehana has brought tea. The reason for his delay in bringing tea is understood - only tea did not come. It looks like breakfast has arrived. Shuvro stood up and said, I had tea a while ago. I will not eat anything. You eat.
Iajuddin said, you are white. I have something to say to you.]
Shuvro sat down. Rehana said, will I sit or leave?
Boss, you too.
Iajuddin took a cup of tea in his hand and said, what book are you reading?
White said - The End of Civilization.
Interesting book?
No, Dad. Hard books. Different theories. I don't like reading.
I do not like to read - then why are you reading?
I want to do what I don't like.
Mr. Iajuddin can't find the words. The weather has suddenly changed. Now it looks like he is sitting in a meeting. Talking to Shuvro about the urgent issues of the company. Rehana is her PA, she's taking notes. The intercom will ring immediately. Rehana will say, Sir, your emergency banana. Will you talk Line up?
In reality, that is not the case. Rehana said happily, "Ask Shuvro if he wants to get married or not." She is looking at Mar with a white smile. It's as if Maar is having fun as a child.
Mr. Iajuddin said, your mother is very excited about your marriage. Do you want to get married
Shuvro looked away from his father's eyes and looked at Mar.
My friend
No.
What does he do?
Very nice.