& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

fiction

A Strange Betrayal

by A S M Nurunnabi
RECEIVING wrong telephone calls is a normal phenomenon in our city life. When one gets such calls, though regarded as a kind of petty nuisance particularly when received at inconvenient hours, say after midnight, one can only fume in suppressed anger.
For Sajna, a young woman reading in a private university in the city, such wrong calls, not quite few in number, are taken as an inevitable part of our technical shortcoming. She had never thought that one of such calls could bring about a change in her attitude in her unfolding young life. She was a good-natured likeable person, pretty handsome in appearance, more devoted to her studies than to any other interest except painting and music.
The telephone call In question was received by Sajna one evening. Taking it as an usual wrong number call, as she expected no call from any relative or friend at that time, she was about to dismiss It curtly with the words “sorry, wrong number” when the caller at the other end said piteously. “Please don't drop the phone as a wrong number. Please bear with me for a few seconds."
It was a male voice with a soft timbre. Curiosity seized her and she continued to hold the phone. The voice apparently seemed to be of a young man. He then said. “I got your number from a source which I won't disclose. 1 may continue calling you from time to time but please rest assured I have no
ill motive". Saying this, he abruptly cut off the line.
Sajna was thrown into a welter of confusing thoughts. For the next few days, she remained in terrible suspense.
Then again the telephone call came from the anonymous person. His voice this time also appeared to be well modulated and his manner of speaking seemed quite impressive. This time he took a longer time speaking to her and then again abruptly cut off his monologue.
The calls from the young man increased at regular Intervals. Sajna also became a little free In her talks with him. But the strange thing was that the caller never told her his name, address or telephone number. Even when she wanted to see him face to face, he would avoid the proposition.
In this manner, the dialogue between the two over telephone continued for some months. During this period. without unfolding his identity he talked to the girl on a verity of topics at random with his impressive voice with touches of wit and humour. Such talks were essentially flippant In nature as might be expected when two young minds exchange ideas on many common favourite subjects.
But the continued anonymity so assiduously presented by the young man put a heavy strain on the mind of the young girl. All her attempts to un-
mask his identity bore no results. However, the magic of the man's voice and his attractive ways of speaking cast a spell on the girl. A time seen came when the girl could no longer bear the intriguing situations. She felt she must find somebody whom she could trust and tell her about the whole affair.
At first, she thought of considering in her elder sister. But she gave up the idea as it might involve the risk of conveying It to their mother, which would be very embarrassing for her.
The girl then thought of a suitable alternative. She had an aunt, not directly related, yet she was much friendly with all members of Sajna's family that she was called an aunt by all. She was senior to Sajna by about four years, married with a child. Her husband was a successful businessman. but the calls of his business required him to stay out of Dhaka frequently.
Sajna. in her desperate bld to rid herself of the torment of keeping the secret about the affair with the young man, approached the so-called aunt and told her the whole story. The aunt listened to Sajna's story patiently and then advised her to inform the anonymous caller of her own telephone number when he would next call Sajna. She acted accordingly with the hope that the aunt might now be able to unfold the mystery about the young man.
When Sajna informed the young man of the aunt’s residential telephone number, dramatic developments began to take place. The youngman's calls to Sajna became less frequent. This put Sajna in greater suspense as she wondered about what might have been said by the aunts to the young man about her.
One day the aunt came to see Sajna and told her that she had contacted the young man and learnt that he was married. As such the aunt advised Sajna to have nothing further to do with the young man. The information shatter all the dreams that Sajna had nurtured In her mind about the young man.
That was not the end of the matter. Though the aunt counselled Sajna to cease all communication with the young man, it transpired that the aunt herself, though married with a child, continued to maintain steady connection with the young man.
Sajna was stunned by the revealed Information. She even doubted the authenticity of the aunt's story about the young man being married. She had told her story to the aunt in the hope that she might help in unravelling the mystery about the anonymous young man. On the contrary, the aunt belied her trust and she, being a married woman with a child, felt absolutely no scruples In starting an affair with the youngman. thereby causing a betrayal of Sajna's fond hopes and dreams.