~Eagam Khaling~
Sabitri has been shouting at her five years old son, “Why did you accept the sweets from that man? From today onwards, if you accept any money and sweet from him, I shall punish you badly!” Today, Sabitri’s face is reflecting more frustration than usual. She walks grumbling here and there, and in that way that single day also passes off.
Next day, she wakes up early in the morning, and investigates her naked body on the dressing mirror of her room, and quickly lost in a dream, and wakes from it with an unknown fear. But after sometimes, she gains the same anger that she has been living for many days. She murmurs, “Why that man is doing this to me? Doesn’t he know that I am somebody’s wife? He knows everything but why he behaves in that way? From today, if he dears to whistle at me, I shall spit on his face, and if he gives any sweet to my son, I shall go straight to his place and throw that on his face!”
Son is still asleep. Adding a worm blanket on him, Sabitri walks out of the room, and looks towards that man’s place from the close verandah. There, she remembers the last year’s incident that how that man had cunningly caught her hands and body. Now, she regrets for not having said anything to that man, at that time, and this wets her eyes. She screams within herself without any sound.
By this year, it has become almost five years that Sabitri’s husband has neither sent any information about him nor any money to them. She gains acute frustration whenever she remembers him. While cooking foods for launch suddenly the two questions start rattling in her mind, “What shall I do if my husband never returns? If he has got married to another woman, in another state!
Again after sometimes, that man’s thoughts occupy her mind. Just before she hated that man but now a strange bud of love starts sprouting in her heart. She does not know why that is happening to her. She says to herself, “That man’s eyes are beautiful and looks me with love, but he is not brave enough!”
After some days, she goes to the maternal house and immediately returns, leaving her son there. At night, while climbing up-stair, finishing her all kitchen works, a small boy of neighbor comes running to her and handovers a letter. She reads the sender’s name—it’s her husband. Now, this suddenly increases her frustration. She does not want to read the letter, for which she had waited five years. She carelessly runs towards her room. When she enters into her room, she almost could not believe herself—that man was inside. As she tries to scream, he holds her tight and closes her mouth with his hand. She negates and tries to stop his all acts, but she could not do anything and loses herself before that man’s hand, lips and breathings.
Next morning, she wakes up late and quietly searches that man on the bed with her hand but does not find him. After a while, she looks her body on the mirror then turns her eyes on the table behind—yesterday’s letter is still on it. She without reading the letter tares it into pieces and throws outside from the window. After sometimes, she goes to the kitchen, singing a folk song.
Eagam Khaling,
Darjeeling,
734209.
(Source : Writer sent it via ‘Kritisangraha@gmail.com‘ )
