Intoxication

Artwork by Amina

- I won't. I have complete self=control.

Call me if you feel bad. I'm going to be awake the whole night.

- Why?

- Too much to do. House full of guests, have to watch the children.

- Why, where's Sheila, your wife? And shouldn't the children be asleep?

- Sheila's just gotten over grieving, she needs a bit of rest. I'm watching the children so that she can get a good night's sleep.

- Oh, okay. Yes, she does need some sound sleep. That was a tremendous shock she went through. I'd have been devastated had the same thing happened to me. You should take good care of her.

- Yet most of the time she is the one who's asking for forgiveness.

- Why?

- Do you want my sob story again?

- Nope. You can skip it.

- What you need is cheery stuff, none of these sad stories.

- Me too, I hate being sad. Or listening to sad stories.

- Life is fun, and you should try to enjoy it.

- No way. I'm not that young anymore. I can't stand too much of this fun thing. Okay, time to stop now.

- All right. Should I call you at night and see if you're having fun?

- Ha ha ha. If you wish...

- And don't scream at me for waking you up if you're asleep.

- How can I yell at you?

- You will after a few days. You want to bet on it? Why are so worried?

- If you keep pulling my leg of course I'll yell at you a hundred times. But you know what, you should do it when I'm neck deep in office work, that way I won't know at all. Maybe not even be aware of it at all.

- I get it, love's fever is still on you. Can't give up my job as the driver of the Love Express for a few more days yet.

- So drive it!

- Tell me, why don't you dress yourself up like a maharani? You keep saying that people fall in love not to be slaves but to be maharanis.

- You never call me a maharani.

- And therefore I think you should kick this idiot's mouth in.

- A million kisses on the mouth of this idiot.

- I'm going to kill you. Absolutely kill you. Tie up your hands and feet and slay you. Only then will you know what's what. Keep well, my love. I think I won't be able to call you again tonight.

- Why not?

- Tell you later.

- I've been crying every five minutes today, know why?

- My insides have been crying the whole day, too. Sometimes you have to cry.

- Yes, maybe.

- Now, listen to me. Don't lose your temper with anybody. Try to be as calm as you can. I'll call you every day. I'll give you lots of love.

- No, please don't. Don't heap so much love on me. I'm ill as it is, and it's only going to make me more ill.

- Everything's going to be all right. You'll be fine soon.

- I don't think so. Isn't there a saying: a woman's mind is a thing of glass, once broken it can't be put together again.

- Oh my maharani, you're going to make me very sad. I'm going to go.

- Go then.

- And don't get mad at me if I call you very late at night.

- You're insane!

- Lots of love.

- You too.

Rashida Sultana is one of Bangladesh's younger woman writers. Khademul Islam is literary editor, The Daily Star.