‘Assalamu Alaikum, is my parents at your house?’
Hamad didn't answer, hesitating. He is not opening the door completely, so there is no way for Mumtahina to pass by and enter the house.
Mumtahina asked again, ‘Brother Bhabhi has probably gone out, I don’t have the house key. Are the parents here? '
‘Who came Hamad?’, Aunty’s voice was heard from inside.
This time Hamad opened the door for him. As Mumtahina entered the room, Hamad whispered from the side, "Whatever else you do, Muna, please don't say no."
‘What do you mean?’
Mumtazina looked at Hamad with an inquisitive look, but she rolled her eyes. Hamad has been calling him Muna since he was three years old. Growing up, he decided that he could never call such a big name, so this is the only one in the world to call him Muna. He has developed a simple friendship with Hamad since childhood. But today he does not understand his attitude.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw my parents sitting on the verandah of the drawing room talking to my uncle and aunt. Dad and Maruf uncle are childhood friends. The two have worked in two places all their lives, but communication was intact. When it came time to retire, the two decided to move to a nearby house. They stay at home side by side for three years. Day and night, parents are not at Maruf's uncle's house, uncle and aunt are at their house. So when it came to the final honors test, when Mumtahina didn't find anyone at home, her parents naturally thought she was at home.
As soon as Mumtahina entered the house, Bhabhi and Aunty came forward and took her to the drawing room. Everyone came and sat around her. Someone is asking how the exam is, when it is practical, when it is viva - it seems that it is not honors, it is the end of PhD. Hamad is leaning against a pillar near the door, observing their madness, but he can't be seen smiling in such a strange scene, even though he burst out laughing a little, like a worried idol.
Stopping everyone, the aunt said, ‘The girl has gone to take the test in the morning, let her eat something first, then everyone talk’.
Aunty brought all kinds of snacks, water and sherbet, but she was also hungry, but when she went to eat, everyone was looking at her dabbing. Is this happening? What can be eaten in this way? Somehow he stopped eating after cooling his stomach. When they are all gone, they will have to eat hapus hupus. As soon as she drank the water, Hamad's sister Husna Apu said, "Mumtahina, do you like somewhere?"
Mumtahina said in shock, "What do you mean?"
Dulabhai came forward with the help of his wife, ‘I mean nowadays children often have affair. Do you like someone like that? '
Her face turned red, she said to herself, 'Shall I tell you?'
Mumtahina replied without shaking her head. Feeling uncomfortable, did they hear anything that made them suspicious? Is that why this court is organized?
Interrupting her thoughts, the aunt said, ‘Whatever you say, it seems that the beggar is being interrogated like a fugitive! Brother, please explain a little nicely. They will kill the poor woman in tension.
The father got on the floor and started lecturing in his usual manner, "Mother, when the daughter grows up, the parents' worries increase."
This means that he will be more confused now, because the father will play a huge role with which the conclusion has nothing to do, mother, brother and sister-in-law will keep smiling, Maruf uncle and aunt will listen carefully as if these are the most expensive words in the world, Husna Apu and Dulabhai Humbly swallow everything so that this amiable message is dedicated only to them, Hamad can laugh even with a ho ho, and in the midst of all this he has to be comfortable, it's hard to keep his face straight even after watching comedy.
In the middle the brother rescues him, ‘Mummy, listen. That's what Dad wants to say, we're thinking of marrying Hamad. What do you say? '
Mumtazahina literally fell from the sky, probably breaking a bone as well. For the past year, the two families have been looking for a daughter for Hamad. Mumtazina herself has seen at least three girls. Hamad doesn't like any girl. Is he helpless now?
He looks at Hamad. Nah, he's not saying anything. But there was a longing in his eyes, 'Whatever else you do, Muna, please don't say no'. But how does this happen? They have been friends of each other since childhood, they have come so far along with each other, never felt any attraction. Marriage means friendship, but marriage also means love! There is no doubt that there is friendship. But in the midst of such a simple relationship, can love arise? If it is possible at all, then why it has not happened so far? That means love is not possible between them. Mumtazina decides, it's a bizarre proposal, it can't happen.
Mumtahina opens her mouth to say the word, again whispers in her ear, ‘Whatever else Muna, please don’t say no’. Mumtahina looked at Hamad again even though she understood the matter in front of everyone. He says nothing, but his eyes say, ‘Trust me, trust me, trust me’.
Even if Hamad doesn't say it, Muna can understand everything he says. He trusts Hamad, fully, but he is a friend! That's why marriage! One loveless bond for life? Again, he echoed in his mind, 'Trust me, trust me, trust me'.
Mumtahina can’t believe her ears when she hears her own voice, ‘whatever you think is best’.
At first everyone is silent. Then a combined sigh. Then Husna Apu stumbled on her body and cried with joy! The poor man is not bad, but he can't speak properly, Dulabhai goes to help his wife and makes more noise, all of a sudden 'Made for each other'. There was a commotion inside the house. Hamad is nowhere to be seen.
First Husna Apu and Dulabhai came up with a big plan - engagement, then Akad, then Halud, then marriage, then Bauvat. Bhaiya Bhabi said, ‘There is no moral basis for engagement, so do the yellow ones. Akad can be, and a wedding ceremony is enough. The parents said, "Since the children are so close, it is better to have Akad today." Maruf's uncle and aunt said, "Let's get married today." Mumtahina thinks to herself, ‘Both our families are crazy!’ Her tension seems to have disappeared in the midst of this madness.
In the madness of both the families, how impossible it became, they got married to one hundred close relatives! Everything about Mumtahina seems like a dream, the day is as long as a hundred years. At two o'clock in the morning he said to his aunt, "Auntie, I am sleeping, I have gone home."
Mother was by his side, he cut his tongue and said, ‘What a girl! This is your home mummy now! '
The matter has not entered his head for so long. The whole afternoon was spent cooking together, hospitality from evening, everyone was eating and talking at night, there was an episode about Huzur but Mumtahina did not get a chance to understand it differently from the other ten invitations.
Husna Apu said, ‘Mother, the girl went to take the test in the morning, since then the poor girl has not had a chance to rest. Hamad will be busy until the guest leaves, and he won't go to sleep. '
Auntie also said, ‘OK. Let's get him upstairs. '
Maruf's uncle's house has a bedroom and a study upstairs, a drawing dining kitchen downstairs. Mumtahina once met Haman, who was surrounded by guests, as she climbed the stairs, but she didn't feel anything special. The push came as he entered Hamad's room. Despite all these years of friendship, Mumtahina never entered Hamad's room, nor did Hamad ever come near her room. The conversation took place downstairs or in the garden, in public. Mumtahina seems to be hesitant to enter his room for the first time in her life, her legs get stuck, Husna Apu and Aunty encourage her with their hands on her shoulders. Going inside, he saw that Bhabhi and Husna Apu had decorated the whole house with flowers in one of the gaps, not too much in quantity, but the whole house was fragrant as it was arranged in bunches in different places.
Husna said, ‘Mummy, don’t take off your clothes and jewelry now, even if it’s hard. And stay a little later. My brother hasn't seen you as a bride yet, the poor man's life is over. Sleep with a little effort.
Mumtahina will sleep, her body is lying down in fatigue, but she feels uncomfortable to go to bed, it is not her bed! A wide sofa in front of the window on one side of the room, like a sitting one. He lifted his legs and sat down. Husna Apa and Aunty get scared, ‘Will you sleep like this or not? You sleep comfortably in bed, even if your clothes are folded, nothing will happen. '
"I'm fine," says Mumtahina.
Aunty scolds Husna, ‘Did Dili finish the girl’s comfort? Mom, you better change your clothes. '
Mumtahina says nothing, just sits on the sofa in a daze. They couldn't move him for a while and closed the door and left. Mumtahina seems to have suddenly discovered today that the garden behind her house is actually a green forest where there is a fair of all kinds of flowers and birds. She knew every flower in the garden but now it seems that she doesn't even know the way to enter the forest. Hamad, who seemed as clear as his glass, is like an undiscovered world on the other side of the glass! I think an unknown shiver goes with the swing. Mumtahina can't help but notice when she looks at the full moon with her tired eyes through the two windows.
Light wakes up with a sound. Suddenly Mumtahina could not understand the place. Seeing Hamad in the dim light, he remembers everything. In an instant, a rush of shame engulfed him, but he could not understand what shame Hamad had. Hamad looks at him and says, ‘Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you up. He turned off the table lamp and stepped on the table.
Mumtahina got up from the sofa. In the moonlight, he looks like a bride, Hamad can't take his eyes off her. Mumtahina looked down in embarrassment. Hamad said unprepared, "After a while, Fajr will be called. Come on, we are not ready to change clothes.
Standing in front of the dressing table, Mumtahina and Hamad started to open the jewelry one by one and turned on the light. Mumtahina is not fond of jewelry, although she is able to open some jewelry with unaccustomed hands, she does not understand the method of earrings. Seeing his face, Hamad comes forward, "Need help?"
"I can't open the earring."
‘Remove the veil, I will try’.
Mumtahina was pushed inside her chest. Hamad did not see her bare head after the age of seven, she could not think of removing the veil in front of her. Hamad realizes, ‘Muna, we don’t need a screen with each other anymore’.
Mumtahina takes comfort in opening heavy earrings! But he can't open two rings and two bangles at all. Hamad takes him to the front of the basin and gently opens the things with more soap, Mumtahina is not in pain. But at the touch of her hand, she felt an electric shock, her heart rate increased, and Mumtahina flew a butterfly inside her stomach. In fact, they have never sat side by side since they grew up, far from touching. But he thought that after so many years of friendship, they have nothing left to know about each other! Hamad, unable to understand her thoughts, guessed, "Do you think I have become an expert at opening girls' jewelry? If nervous people like my mother and sister are at home, there is no way for the men of the house not to learn to open jewelry, you know? '
Mumtahina laughs, this idea is less embarrassing for her than understanding the truth.
The two of them are reciting Tahajjud and waiting for Fajr. Mumtahina is fascinated by Hamad's recitation. Hamad wants to hear him read after the prayers. Mumtahina also reads well. After a while Mumtahina says, ‘My head is still not clear, everything happened so fast that all my mess is going to go awry. Can you tell me the background? '
Hamad leaned against the wall and spread his legs in prayer. I was looking for something that none of them had. This morning there was a meeting about my marriage again. Everyone wants to know what I really want. I said, I want a partner who thinks like me, understands my mind like me. Bhabhi said, it seems that you are talking about mummy! I push myself. That's right! I never thought of you in front of my eyes. Our friendship is like that where we can understand each other without talking, but is it enough for marriage? We’ve never felt any attraction to each other in so many years, so what kind of marriage would it be? But at one point in thinking I realized we hadn’t thought of anything else because we were both strictly adhering to the veil, both physically and mentally. But if it weren't for that, our thoughts of marriage might not have seemed so unusual. Meanwhile, both our families have reached the same conclusion by then. At that time you rang the doorbell. I knew they would snatch you, you would fall into the deep sea like me. I didn't want to influence your decision… no, that would be a lie, but I wanted to show you the possibility. There was no time, so I just gave you a hint so that you don't make a mistake like me that if we get married it will be loveless.