11-02-2020, 12:18 PM
By noon we reached our village. I ran inside the house without even paying heed to few pairs of eyes as a car has stopped in front of our house.
Probably everyone was expecting us. I saw my mom was sitting in the dining room, Meghna Boudi and Maithili was also present. I knew that Shasanko Da and Subroto were in their work place and
Eldest brother was in the field. As it was noon so I thought that my eldest sister-in-law Parvati Boudi might have gone to fields to give him his lunch.
Mom and Meghna smiled at me. Mom greeted me with a bear hug and kissed my forehead. I was panting and looked around so as to find that what could have happened and to whom.
I asked mom---“What happened and to whom?”
She said---“Paree you have come a long way. Take the lunch and then rest. Everything is fine here.” While she said those words, there was grieving pain painted on her face. But I was unable to
fathom that pain.
ChotoMa came in and Mom took her inside. I looked at Meghna Boudi and asked her the same question. She also didn’t say anything to me, I then looked at Maithili. She avoided me somehow and
went away to her room.
Out of now-where Dushtu came running at me and I bend down to take him on my lap. He threw around his arms around my neck and I kissed his chubby cheeks.
His first question put me in an agonizing situation---“Why are you alone? Where is Abhi Uncle?” After a long, long time someone called his name. I could not believe my ears that I was hearing his
name. I felt an earthquake inside my chest, gurgling out a gruesome pain. I clasped him with all my strength and looked at him.
I smiled painfully at him with my glistening eyes---“He will come next time. He has gone far away for his job and he didn’t get leave for enjoying his Puja Vacation.”
I said those words to him, same time I consoled my painful harrowing heart that one day he will come for me.
What Dushtu told me after that, shook the earth beneath my feet.
---“Bodo Jethima (eldest aunt) is in hospital. She had pain on her chest.”
I looked at him. Already I had enough pain in my small bleeding heart, and then came his words as a huge turbulent wave on the coast of my chest. I just ran with him in my lap to the room where
mom was talking with ChotoMa. Parvati Boudi showered her affection silently on me always. He also knew these and he told me.
I yelled at both of them---“What is he saying? MA. WHAT are you two hiding from me?”
I shouted at them, I forgot that Dushtu was on my lap---“Why ChotoMa checked my bosoms?”
Mom got up from the bed, they were sitting. She came near me and took Dushtu from my lap and asked him to go away from the room. I observed that ChotoMa wiped the corner of her eyes. I walked
to her and kneeled down by the side of the bed by her feet.
She rubbed her soothing palm on my cheeks and said---“Your Bodo Boudi is fine. She just had some chest pain and she will come back by evening.”
I looked at her with my deluged eyes and said---“You are telling me the truth? Right?”
She nodded her head---“Yes my daughter. Why should I tell you lie?”
---“Why you checked my breasts, this morning?”
---“Nothing, I was examining.”
I didn’t believe her words that Bodo Boudi had only a chest pain---“No, there is something more and you all are hiding from me.”
Mom looked at ChotoMa and signed her not to tell me anything, I observed that gesture with the corner of my eyes and I was then wounded that there was something more.
I pleaded to ChotoMa with my grieving eyes---“Please tell me.”
ChotoMa took a deep breath---“Parvati has been diagnosed with breast cancer.”
I was dumbfounded as what more pain I had to bear. I threw my arms around ChotoMa’s waist and hid my sniveled face on her lap.
I shrieked out a long---“NOOOOOOOO……… this can’t happen with me.”
ChotoMa, being a teacher said to me while gently soothing my hair
---“ jatasya hi dhruvo mrtyur
dhruvam janma mrtasya ca
tasmad apariharye'rthe
na tvam socitum arhasi.”
(For one who has taken birth, death is certain and for one who has died, birth is certain. Therefore in an inevitable situation understanding should prevail)
I was furious on hearing her Sanskrit shloka and shouted at her---“Don’t tell me all those Sanskrit shloka’s; they are not going to bring back life. I am just a young girl with flesh and blood. Just tell me
why everything that I love in my life is taken away?”
She took my face between her palms and wiped my tears---“ShonaMa, you are old enough to understand things in life.”
I shook my head---“I want to goto her, NOW.”
She somehow pacified me as to keep calm.
Probably everyone was expecting us. I saw my mom was sitting in the dining room, Meghna Boudi and Maithili was also present. I knew that Shasanko Da and Subroto were in their work place and
Eldest brother was in the field. As it was noon so I thought that my eldest sister-in-law Parvati Boudi might have gone to fields to give him his lunch.
Mom and Meghna smiled at me. Mom greeted me with a bear hug and kissed my forehead. I was panting and looked around so as to find that what could have happened and to whom.
I asked mom---“What happened and to whom?”
She said---“Paree you have come a long way. Take the lunch and then rest. Everything is fine here.” While she said those words, there was grieving pain painted on her face. But I was unable to
fathom that pain.
ChotoMa came in and Mom took her inside. I looked at Meghna Boudi and asked her the same question. She also didn’t say anything to me, I then looked at Maithili. She avoided me somehow and
went away to her room.
Out of now-where Dushtu came running at me and I bend down to take him on my lap. He threw around his arms around my neck and I kissed his chubby cheeks.
His first question put me in an agonizing situation---“Why are you alone? Where is Abhi Uncle?” After a long, long time someone called his name. I could not believe my ears that I was hearing his
name. I felt an earthquake inside my chest, gurgling out a gruesome pain. I clasped him with all my strength and looked at him.
I smiled painfully at him with my glistening eyes---“He will come next time. He has gone far away for his job and he didn’t get leave for enjoying his Puja Vacation.”
I said those words to him, same time I consoled my painful harrowing heart that one day he will come for me.
What Dushtu told me after that, shook the earth beneath my feet.
---“Bodo Jethima (eldest aunt) is in hospital. She had pain on her chest.”
I looked at him. Already I had enough pain in my small bleeding heart, and then came his words as a huge turbulent wave on the coast of my chest. I just ran with him in my lap to the room where
mom was talking with ChotoMa. Parvati Boudi showered her affection silently on me always. He also knew these and he told me.
I yelled at both of them---“What is he saying? MA. WHAT are you two hiding from me?”
I shouted at them, I forgot that Dushtu was on my lap---“Why ChotoMa checked my bosoms?”
Mom got up from the bed, they were sitting. She came near me and took Dushtu from my lap and asked him to go away from the room. I observed that ChotoMa wiped the corner of her eyes. I walked
to her and kneeled down by the side of the bed by her feet.
She rubbed her soothing palm on my cheeks and said---“Your Bodo Boudi is fine. She just had some chest pain and she will come back by evening.”
I looked at her with my deluged eyes and said---“You are telling me the truth? Right?”
She nodded her head---“Yes my daughter. Why should I tell you lie?”
---“Why you checked my breasts, this morning?”
---“Nothing, I was examining.”
I didn’t believe her words that Bodo Boudi had only a chest pain---“No, there is something more and you all are hiding from me.”
Mom looked at ChotoMa and signed her not to tell me anything, I observed that gesture with the corner of my eyes and I was then wounded that there was something more.
I pleaded to ChotoMa with my grieving eyes---“Please tell me.”
ChotoMa took a deep breath---“Parvati has been diagnosed with breast cancer.”
I was dumbfounded as what more pain I had to bear. I threw my arms around ChotoMa’s waist and hid my sniveled face on her lap.
I shrieked out a long---“NOOOOOOOO……… this can’t happen with me.”
ChotoMa, being a teacher said to me while gently soothing my hair
---“ jatasya hi dhruvo mrtyur
dhruvam janma mrtasya ca
tasmad apariharye'rthe
na tvam socitum arhasi.”
(For one who has taken birth, death is certain and for one who has died, birth is certain. Therefore in an inevitable situation understanding should prevail)
I was furious on hearing her Sanskrit shloka and shouted at her---“Don’t tell me all those Sanskrit shloka’s; they are not going to bring back life. I am just a young girl with flesh and blood. Just tell me
why everything that I love in my life is taken away?”
She took my face between her palms and wiped my tears---“ShonaMa, you are old enough to understand things in life.”
I shook my head---“I want to goto her, NOW.”
She somehow pacified me as to keep calm.
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