Reflections
Images of society
The following article is a translation of a section from Qazi Motahar Hossain's Shomaj Chitro as it appears in Qazi Motahar Hossain Rochonaboli, Tritio Khondo, published by Bangla Academy (1992).
The first installment appeared last week. The second and concluding installment is now here.
Naushad is a graduate. The poor fellow does not mention this. Covering his mouth with a handkerchief, he is watching fate play her game and thinking about all that lies between the heavens and the earth. The wedding situation turned sour and the bridegroom's party was about to depart. A kind of confusion and chaos prevailed through the night. The surroundings were not congenial for the occasion, and the mullah who had come for the marriage ceremony became perturbed and tried his best to pacify the argumentative persons. He succeeded in his effort, and advised the bride's family on respecting the good name of the village. At the same time he asked the groom's family on accepting their shortcomings according to the Sharia. Everyone was keen on sorting out the confusion, especially after the long session of arguments. And just as the pandemonium had occurred suddenly, it ended in the same way. Some minor differences came up on the conditions to be contained in the qabeennama and the amount of denmohor for the bride. However these small differences were patched quickly. Towards the end of the marriage formalities, Ryaisa's mother told Pachir Ma, 'You worked very hard during the marriage. Here are two sarees and five taka as your bakshish.' Instantly she replied, 'Sister, it's a family affair. To work for such an occasion is a joy. If this was outside the family I would willingly accept the bakshish. Here I could make no contribution, no gift to the bride, that is my bad luck. I am ill-fated. Sister, that you had the intention to give me something I am happy on that account. May God bless the newly married and bestow long life on them! May they be soul mates to each other! I pray for them." Ryaisa's mother was totally taken aback. Only the other day Pachir Ma had fought back hard with another woman who did not return the full measure of the rice she had borrowed. She was now turning down the bakshish and the sarees. Ryaisa's mother requested her several times to accept the bakshish, but she was unable to do this. Whether it is better to remember the past or to forget it is a dilemma, and has no solution; for during days of deep sorrow reflections of the past travel like unhindered waves. When Pachir Ma and Nasir Mia first came into this house the neighbors had passed many slanderous remarks. Pachir Ma paid no attention to what was being said. Nasir Mia's mother had all along suspected Pachir Ma. And it was for this reason she was made to work so hard, spoken to in harsh and stern manner. There were never any sweet words for her. Pachir Ma silently bore the taunts. By and by this treatment of her gave way to the friendliness of the neighbours. Nasir Mia's wife became fond of her for her neat and tidy work. Pachir Ma was so caring towards Ryaisa that the girl had developed adorable and intimate feelings towards her. Pachir Ma was unlucky and could not continue to remain in that blissful condition. In the same village lived the much influential Sadeq Bepari. Anyone in need of money would turn to him. He would not disappoint anyone in times of crisis. He had one fault He would demand the money lent out and made no remission of interest on the amount. So, though he helped many out during their time of crisis, none would spare the chance of taking revenge on him. On the death of one of Sadeq Bepari's sons, the villagers assembled and decided that they would not attend his son's funeral, the reason being he was a man who practiced usury. They would not allow the moulvi to say the funeral prayer. During the same time Pachir Ma went appealing from door to door in the village and said, 'There can be no revenge on a dead person.' Her good senses and request made no difference. Nasir Mia was annoyed and said sarcastically, 'Your kindness is bursting out, why you don't go there? Go and live in their house, get a legal source of earning and improve your body structure.' Pachir Ma was motivated to go and help with the household chores, working hard the whole day and returning at sunset. Seeing her working regularly, Nasir Mia roared like a lion and poked her with a stick, 'Get out of my house! What! Being a maid you have the guts to disobey the assembly of villagers? I asked you not to, you did not care, you went to supervise and monitor their affair. Aah! So much of kindness is buried in your heart, now just get out of my house!' Saying this he poked her harder with the stick and left. Pachir Ma neither made an affirmative nor a negative response to all that was said to her. She stood still, without any movement. Then she sat down and remained like a stone statue. Then she burst into tears, which were like gushing floods. In her stony bosom she felt the melting of the frozen ice turn into a ceaseless fast flowing. Next morning Pachir Ma was found sitting against a wall gazing at the sky with a blank look. Her head, full of dark black hair, had disappeared. Her face wore a washed frightened look. Seeing her, some of the girls wanted to talk to her, asking her so many things. She uttered not a single word. Ryaisa's mother upon seeing her condition began to bathe her head. Silently, Pachir Ma turned her face upward, looked at the face that was comforting her, touched her feet and then took the same hand to her own forehead. Nasir Mia stood stunned, watching. Seeing him Pachir Ma gave an aching cry, 'Do not chase me away, let me live… let me live.' Then she clenched her teeth and fell unconscious. Even with much effort her jaws could not be released. The whole day she was senseless. Nasir Mia got a doctor and he too gave an opinion. Unknowingly. Nasir Mia took Pachir Ma inside and laid her on the bed, and sat by her head side. He could hear her words echoing, 'Don't chase me away. Let me live.' He was hoping that Pachir Ma would wake up and talk. About midnight Pachir Ma did open her eyes and looked towards him. At first she was surprised and looked at him kindly for a while and then said, 'So you did not chase me away…. Allowed me to stay? ... Stay?" Saying this she closed her eyes. She was in high fever, and the fever ended her life. When she was dying she told Nasir Mia, 'You could not let me stay… I too could not stay." Kulsum had died long before, and now it was Pachir Ma who was going away forever.
Naushad is a graduate. The poor fellow does not mention this. Covering his mouth with a handkerchief, he is watching fate play her game and thinking about all that lies between the heavens and the earth. The wedding situation turned sour and the bridegroom's party was about to depart. A kind of confusion and chaos prevailed through the night. The surroundings were not congenial for the occasion, and the mullah who had come for the marriage ceremony became perturbed and tried his best to pacify the argumentative persons. He succeeded in his effort, and advised the bride's family on respecting the good name of the village. At the same time he asked the groom's family on accepting their shortcomings according to the Sharia. Everyone was keen on sorting out the confusion, especially after the long session of arguments. And just as the pandemonium had occurred suddenly, it ended in the same way. Some minor differences came up on the conditions to be contained in the qabeennama and the amount of denmohor for the bride. However these small differences were patched quickly. Towards the end of the marriage formalities, Ryaisa's mother told Pachir Ma, 'You worked very hard during the marriage. Here are two sarees and five taka as your bakshish.' Instantly she replied, 'Sister, it's a family affair. To work for such an occasion is a joy. If this was outside the family I would willingly accept the bakshish. Here I could make no contribution, no gift to the bride, that is my bad luck. I am ill-fated. Sister, that you had the intention to give me something I am happy on that account. May God bless the newly married and bestow long life on them! May they be soul mates to each other! I pray for them." Ryaisa's mother was totally taken aback. Only the other day Pachir Ma had fought back hard with another woman who did not return the full measure of the rice she had borrowed. She was now turning down the bakshish and the sarees. Ryaisa's mother requested her several times to accept the bakshish, but she was unable to do this. Whether it is better to remember the past or to forget it is a dilemma, and has no solution; for during days of deep sorrow reflections of the past travel like unhindered waves. When Pachir Ma and Nasir Mia first came into this house the neighbors had passed many slanderous remarks. Pachir Ma paid no attention to what was being said. Nasir Mia's mother had all along suspected Pachir Ma. And it was for this reason she was made to work so hard, spoken to in harsh and stern manner. There were never any sweet words for her. Pachir Ma silently bore the taunts. By and by this treatment of her gave way to the friendliness of the neighbours. Nasir Mia's wife became fond of her for her neat and tidy work. Pachir Ma was so caring towards Ryaisa that the girl had developed adorable and intimate feelings towards her. Pachir Ma was unlucky and could not continue to remain in that blissful condition. In the same village lived the much influential Sadeq Bepari. Anyone in need of money would turn to him. He would not disappoint anyone in times of crisis. He had one fault He would demand the money lent out and made no remission of interest on the amount. So, though he helped many out during their time of crisis, none would spare the chance of taking revenge on him. On the death of one of Sadeq Bepari's sons, the villagers assembled and decided that they would not attend his son's funeral, the reason being he was a man who practiced usury. They would not allow the moulvi to say the funeral prayer. During the same time Pachir Ma went appealing from door to door in the village and said, 'There can be no revenge on a dead person.' Her good senses and request made no difference. Nasir Mia was annoyed and said sarcastically, 'Your kindness is bursting out, why you don't go there? Go and live in their house, get a legal source of earning and improve your body structure.' Pachir Ma was motivated to go and help with the household chores, working hard the whole day and returning at sunset. Seeing her working regularly, Nasir Mia roared like a lion and poked her with a stick, 'Get out of my house! What! Being a maid you have the guts to disobey the assembly of villagers? I asked you not to, you did not care, you went to supervise and monitor their affair. Aah! So much of kindness is buried in your heart, now just get out of my house!' Saying this he poked her harder with the stick and left. Pachir Ma neither made an affirmative nor a negative response to all that was said to her. She stood still, without any movement. Then she sat down and remained like a stone statue. Then she burst into tears, which were like gushing floods. In her stony bosom she felt the melting of the frozen ice turn into a ceaseless fast flowing. Next morning Pachir Ma was found sitting against a wall gazing at the sky with a blank look. Her head, full of dark black hair, had disappeared. Her face wore a washed frightened look. Seeing her, some of the girls wanted to talk to her, asking her so many things. She uttered not a single word. Ryaisa's mother upon seeing her condition began to bathe her head. Silently, Pachir Ma turned her face upward, looked at the face that was comforting her, touched her feet and then took the same hand to her own forehead. Nasir Mia stood stunned, watching. Seeing him Pachir Ma gave an aching cry, 'Do not chase me away, let me live… let me live.' Then she clenched her teeth and fell unconscious. Even with much effort her jaws could not be released. The whole day she was senseless. Nasir Mia got a doctor and he too gave an opinion. Unknowingly. Nasir Mia took Pachir Ma inside and laid her on the bed, and sat by her head side. He could hear her words echoing, 'Don't chase me away. Let me live.' He was hoping that Pachir Ma would wake up and talk. About midnight Pachir Ma did open her eyes and looked towards him. At first she was surprised and looked at him kindly for a while and then said, 'So you did not chase me away…. Allowed me to stay? ... Stay?" Saying this she closed her eyes. She was in high fever, and the fever ended her life. When she was dying she told Nasir Mia, 'You could not let me stay… I too could not stay." Kulsum had died long before, and now it was Pachir Ma who was going away forever.
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