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Short Story

Dual dreams

Original: BANAPHUL Translation: HELAL UDDIN AHMED
ONE
Sudhir had arrived. He had in his hands a stalk of white tuberose flower. There was a smile on his face and in his eyes. It was as if his whole mind was craving to unfurl its wings and fly.
Sudhir said immediately after arrival, 'Hashi, there is real good news today. What will you offer me for it? Otherwise, I won't tell you.'
Hashi was all eager. 'Please do tell me. What is it?'
'First tell me, what will you give me?'
'What can I give? Okay, I will do a beautiful piece of embroidery on your handkerchief. I have a lovely design.'
'No, I don't agree to that.’
'Then what do you want? I can give you the chocolate which I have now.'
'Am I a little kid? Can a chocolate satisfy me?'
Hashi laughed aloud. She said,
'Then I don't want to hear. Please go now. I offered to do the embroidery, give you a chocolate, but as they did not get your...'
Sudhir said,
T am leaving then.'
Hashi asked again,
'Won't you tell me?'
T can divulge it only if I get the thing I want. Remember what I sought that day?'
As he said this, he looked at Hashi in a meaningful way.
Suddenly feeling very shy, Hashi pulled herself up and said, T told you that was not possible.'
She was fearful as she looked at Sudhir's face. She heard Sudhir saying,
T thought I would divulge the news in humour and fun. But I could not do that Please forgive me. I have heard that your marriage with the groom from Santragachhi is now final.'
After saying this, Sudhir left.
Hashi called out.
'Sudhir Da, please listen.'
Sudhir did not come back.
TWO
Alaka had arrived.
Alaka, for whom Ajay had waited all day for a glimpse. When would she appear in the evening?
Alaka said after arrival,
'Well, Ajay Da, is there any word called 'pet' in English?'
Ajay said,
Tfes, 'pet' means 'head.'
'Really?'
'Look up the dictionary. The meaning of 'pet' is 'head'.
'So, has our Baruna Di spoken correctly?'
Ajay said,
'Okay, please tell me. What is the meaning of 'mundu'?’
Smiling, Alaka replied,
'Head'.
"Matha1 means head. The meaning of 'mundu' is also head!'
Laughing out loud, Ajay said,
'Is this your knowledge of the Bangla language? Are 'matha' and 'mundu' the same thing?'
Alaka asked him, laughing as she did so, 'What is the difference?'
Ajay said in a sombre tone,
'Then there is no difference between you and Panchi the washerwoman! After all, both of you are female!'
Alaka asked,
'Who is this Panchi washerwoman?'
'There is a washerman's daughter at the bend of your alley. She is quite young would be of the same age as you.'
With an oblique smile, Alaka quipped,
'It seems Ajay Da has started to look at everything very minutely nowadays! Even the washerwomen are not spared!'
Ajay replied,
'Certainly. Shouldn't I check whether the thing I own is fine?'
'Who is it that you own?'
'There is someone.'
Suddenly absent-minded, Alaka started to tidy the adjacent table. For no reason in particular, Ajay gazed out of the window.
The two were experiencing two dreams.
They lay huddled together, very intimately.
Hashi's hands were on Ajay's chest.
Hashi and Ajay. Wife and husband.
(Banaphul is the pen-name of Balaichand Mukherjee (1899-1979), an outstanding Bengali short-story writer of the twentieth century).
Helal Uddin Ahmed, a joint secretary to the government, is an author, essayist and translator. He can be reached at
hahmed 19609gmail.com