Asha didn't say anything. Went silent. However, it seems that he did not remember his aunt's words. He will not leave without deciding the matter of one hundred dollars. I looked at Asha and said in a serious voice: Will you make daily payment? Or at the end of the month together?
I will do what is best for you.
Lunch at noon, then grab tea biscuits in the evening. All this costs but yours.
Of course. I will do ten or five duties. If it is more than that, it will give overtime.
Of course. How much overtime will we fix?
Be overtime as an hour. Do you think ten dollars per hour is too much?
Doesn't seem like much.
Aunt is looking stunned. Looks like he was so surprised by my conversation that he forgot to talk to himself. He looks like a fish. Not blinking. I looked at Asha and said in a simple manner, today is the first day because I have come without it, but today is free. No charge for today.
Asha said, thank you.
This time the thanks are strong. Not as vague as before. The aunt is still staring. Who knows what he thinks in his mind.
Asha said, will I be ready then?
I said, of course.
What things to take with?
Notebook pen for notes, camera for taking pictures. Cassette recorder for instantly recording conversations. Umbrella. Water bottle. A mobile telephone to keep in touch with the home. Is there a first aid box? Need to have a fast aid box. It is better to have a Swiss knife; Nylon rope must be taken. The most used rope in the world is in Bangladesh. Desalai, candles, torch lights will also be useful when. Who knows And another flask. Flask filled hot tea.
Asha said, I will bring everything in ten minutes.
After Asha left the house, Khala seems to have regained her power to speak. He looked at me and said in a hard voice - what have you started. Will you really take the money?
I said yes.
Can you take the money?
Of course I can.
Very simple. An ordinary girl, you will put this girl's head in full swing. No need. I will not leave hope with you. If necessary, I will show him Bangladesh.
Then I say goodbye.
Aunt said in a sad voice - if you want to say goodbye, say goodbye. Just listen to how good this girl is. A lifelong student. You will never understand what it is like to be a student. There is no need to understand. Her father died when the girl was one year old. The girl's mother married an American. I can hear now. That marriage is also broken or going.
Are women preparing for their third marriage?
Huh.
Tell me, what a master woman is, such a simple child in the womb.
You mean, like, saltines and their ilk, eh? What have you been saying for so long, A plus student.
ঐ And what a master is a child in the womb of a woman.
Not just studying, Asha can draw, sing, and win prizes in photography.
Tell me what qualities are falling apart.
Are you kidding?
Why joke?
He has to give the respect he deserves. It is your destiny to be able to take the girl around with you.
I'm afraid you're going to fall in love with the girl.
Aunt said in a serious voice - you do not have that fear. I'm scared of the girl. A very soft-hearted girl can see your madness and go crazy. I will not do anything like that in the girl's head. Beware.
Of course not.
Aunt took a deep breath and said - I want. If he finds a good boy, he should marry the girl. I do not trust his mother? Are you looking for a good boy or Ray?
There must be a good boy. However, the cannabis-eating type. The heart is very good but marijuana is fresh.
Aunt took a deep breath. Preparing for a hard rebuke. Couldn't threaten - hope was already fully prepared. This hope has nothing in common with the previous one. Where is Agartala, where is Chakirtala type mismatch. Jeans pants, red shirt. Cricketers' hats on their heads. However, the color of the hat is not white, but blue. Haversack bag on the back. Chule also seems to have done something that makes her feel like a Bengali girl. Asha looked at me in English: Let us move.
I looked at my aunt and said like Khudiram, "Goodbye, aunt, come back."
Listen, we are out to see Bangladesh. I will show you a lot. You will take notes, take pictures, think. Maybe one day you will be able to get Bangladesh out of this.
Asha said, why are you talking like a teacher? Speak in general. You look like you're out to class with me.
I went out to class. Hopefully think of a painter. This painter has seven colors in his hand. The painter painted with seven colors. Let's think that one of these seven colors is Bangladesh. Suppose that particular color is red; Are you following me
Of course I do?
The painter will use red color along with many other colors to draw the picture. Sometimes this color will be brown with blue, sometimes blue mixed with green. All you have to do is separate the red color from the painting. We have to find out where the red color i.e. Bangladesh is. The task is not easy.
Is your speech over?
Yes, it's over.
First we go to see what.
First we will look at eating cucumbers.
You mean, like, saltines and their ilk, eh? What is cucumber?
Cucumber English As far as I know Cucumber. We will see the scene of eating that pumpkin.
Is this cucumber specially eaten in Bangladesh?
Let's go and see how it is eaten. Then you will find out. Whether it has any specialty.
I don't understand anything you say; My idea. You cannot act as a guide. You are trying to be funny but I mean busincss.
I brought him in front of Gulistan; Cucumbers are being cut and sold here. People are eating. I said, hope you see cucumber eating?
Yes, I saw it.
Looks like I didn't have much fun watching the scene.
What is fun?
Nothing?
No, nothing. A man washes the cucumber in very dirty water and then grinds it with salt. What's in it for you?
I smiled. Asha said, why are you smiling?
I think the girl is angry. At first the girl seemed to be a tearful girl. Now it seems she is not a teardrop.
Asha said, don't mind. Cucumber eating scene seen now I want to go back home. Enough is enough.
I said, hope you didn't see the scene well. That means you could not distinguish the red color. What I wanted to show you is that cucumbers are eaten by a few people, but they are surrounded by many people. They have no work. They are watching the scene of eating shashi with deep interest. Someone is sitting and watching. Someone is standing and watching. As if it is the most amazing scene in the world.
Hope looked around. Then he said in a calm voice, you are right.
I said, not that they are crowded because they want to eat cucumbers too. Can't eat because I don't have money. They are watching the scene of eating cucumber with joy.
Would they be angry if I took a picture of them?
Don't be angry at all. Will be very happy People in Bangladesh love to take pictures; Suppose a gentleman's house is on fire, he is running around like crazy, but if a journalist wants to take a picture of him, he will take a picture with a smile on his face.
Truth be told.
Yes, to be honest, in 1971 Pakistan Ami shot dead many people of our country in the firing squad. The Pak Army photographer then took some pictures with the camera. In those pictures, many people have been seen posing for pictures with smiles on their faces.
You must be making up.
I'm not making up.
Not all of your words that I believe. Now tell me where are we going?
Let's go see the hole.
You mean, like, saltines and their ilk, eh?
The T&T board is making a hole. About two hundred people are sitting in a circle and watching the hole being made. Watching with deep interest and joy. Some have arrived in the morning, will stay until evening. Asha laughed. I was surprised to see her smile. I haven't seen such a lively smile for a long time. He stopped laughing and pulled the camera out of the bag, saying you were making a subtle attempt to impress me. Tell me right, aren't you?
Yes I do. If you don't impress me, I won't have a job. You can't get that for a hundred dollars a day; The main job of any intelligent employee is to keep the boss happy.
I accept your argument. Not wanting to see the hole. Tell me what else can be done without seeing the hole.
What happens if a beggar is admitted? Two birds will die in one fell swoop. The beggar will be interviewed. Your cassette player will also be tested again.
Why should a beggar be interviewed for a cassette player test? Take your interview.
Yes, take it. But the beggar I will take to is very interesting as a human being. Philosophical.
You mean philosopher?
Yes. Most of the beggars in Bangladesh are philosophers. Let's go.
Let's go.
Can't I take a rickshaw and walk?
I can walk. Who are we going to. Is he your ex acquaintance?
Yes. Inar's name is Badruddin. He works for rent. His rent from morning to evening is fifty rupees. If you wish, you can hire him for fifty rupees.
I don't understand anything about you.
You hired him for a day shift for fifty rupees. He cannot walk by himself. Lives half asleep in a box fitted with bearing wheels. You have to pull the box around. The one who pulls the box has to pay twenty rupees excluding the cost of food. All that is left with everything, the one who will rent. Let's do something. We hired Badruddin for a week. I believe we will have a fairly good profit in a week if it doesn't rain.
Are you kidding? Or seriously?
I'm not kidding at all.
I feel like I have arrived in a very strange country.
You have never been to a strange land. Begging is a very ancient practice; All the great saints of this country have begged. There is still a community in this country whose religion is part of begging. So in this direction professionalism has been created among the beggars. You come from a country where professionalism is respected. So I hope you don't underestimate the professionalism of beggars.
Asha muttered, I am so confused.
It was very difficult to find Badruddin. The slum where he lived in New Eskaton was suddenly evicted and the slum dwellers spread around. One of Badruddin's two wives lives in Basabo. I searched for him and found Badruddin before evening. I thought. There will be hopelessness. That is not the case. She was very interested in me.
Badruddin sat sullenly. His mood is extremely bad because he has not been booked in the last three days. His rate is fifty rupees. No party wants to pay fifty. No one is getting over forty. Badrudin spat and said, once there is a way to get down to forty? My nephew told you? Once the price falls, it can no longer be lifted. Instead, I will not eat for three days. That's good. What do you think about this, brother?
I said to the hair of the head, I do not understand.
Badruddin sighed and said, "It is clear that you are a wise man." If he was not wise, he would have given a hut. The wise boy is taking time. The begging business is a big complex business. I'm on top of that. Lost address. No one in the old party knows. Where do I live?
I said, Badrudin, the name of the person I came to you with is Asha. He lives in New Jersey, USA. I want to talk to you. If you don't mind.
Badruddin did not look at Asha. Annoyed, he said, the mood is too bad. What can I say? Why? It's been three days and there is no booking.
I said, we want to talk about booking. One week in a row will reduce the booking price. Fifty rupees daily is impossible. Maximum forty. The cost of eating is your own.
Sorry. I will die without eating. But not a penny below fifty. I have an honor? Or no respect?
Of course there is respect. But booking for the whole week is something to keep in mind. Is the retail rate and the wholesale rate ever the same?
Badruddin leaned down and said, "My nephew heard that there were thirteen fakirs in the whole city of Dhaka." Two of them have gone to Narayanganj and one has gone to Mymensingh Sadar. Now we have a total of ten. Four out of ten can sing with me. My rate will not be higher?
Of course there will be more. But your song is not good.
The voice of Fakir's song is the same as mine - I am no longer Hemant.
Let me hear a song for my guest.
No.
Why not?
Not wishing.
Asha said, can I take a picture of you?
Badrudin said, no.
Asha said, why not say everything?
Badrudin spat and spat out a bunch of spit and said, if you had not eaten twice, no sound would have come out of your mouth. I'm not saying that. You bothered me a lot. Now I don't talk to journalists.
Why not talk to a journalist?
They print counter-news. Once my news was printed with pictures, he wrote about my three marriages. I have three wives on a daily basis.
How much is your marriage?
Two marriages. However, both have been divorced. If I want to make a family, I can do it. At present there is no mind in family religion.
Badruddin, on the other hand, lit a cigarette and looked at him. I looked at Asha and said, what if you stop visiting Bangladesh like today?