The New Nation - Internet Edition

Abu B. Siddiquee

After the Higher Secondary School exam some examinees of the locality decided to have a youth club in their area. They set up a socio-cultural cum sports club and named it 'Green Room'. Almost all the time the enthusiastic youths frequented the club and remain busy in practicing gym, playing badminton and carom. They yell in exultation, scream with joy, burst into uproarious laughter even on a trifle matter reverberating the clubhouse.

Within hours the news has spread in the town. Abdur Rashid, one of the main organizers of the 'Green Room' has committed suicide. He is run over by the train. The wheel of the mail train has divided his body into two halves. The rail lines, wooden slippers, and the surrounding stones stained with dark red blood. A swarm of flies are flying and humming to appease their appetite by the clotted blood of ever-rested Abdur Rashid,

On hearing the sad demise soon a crowd gathered on the spot. All are having the same expression with the same voice,

'What a pity! The poor guy finally embrace this fate!'

'Not being able to tolerate such a disgrace he has committed suicide.'

None was touching the dead body; all were waiting for the arrival of the police.

All squared Hatem Ali, the Town Sub Inspector of Police, arrived with his squad at the spot. Looking at the face of Abdur Rashid and his pale trunk the police officer became awe-stricken. Astounded, he felt a prick in his conscience for a moment. The crowds are watching the police activities with curiosity. Completing the usual formalities the dead body is wrapped in a white sheet and laid out on a police van to transport it to the morgue for autopsy and to have the expert opinion of doctor about the cause of this unnatural death, whether it is an accidental, suicide or homicidal. A constable to identify the dead body fetches Abdur Rashid's father.

Usually, in the juvenile phase of life emotion and impulse play a great role; in this period some young boys or girls remain irrationally imaginative and become over reactive. They are very easily excited by a trivial affair. Whenever these enthusiastic youths of eighteen to twenty-five happens to come together they create a lively atmosphere everywhere irrespective of time or occasion; it may be a funeral ceremony or the transfer of a wounded person to hospital who has met with an accident, or a victory celebration of game or the reception of a renowned person.

Abdur Rashid is one of them. He is full of energy and vitality. An eagerness to serve and sacrifice is the element in his emotion. When the professional climbers refused to pluck green coconut from a risky tree he used to climb that tree with a wonderstruck skill. He is the one to rescue a drowned person from the river or pond before anybody else. In anybody's need he was the first one to come forward. His fidgety black pupil always twinkling with vibrancy and his mind is always restless to carry on some startling task. He is the one who has taken necessary steps to clean the courtyard of the club and arranged all the essentials of the clubhouse meticulously with earnest efforts including the numbers of lights for playing badminton at night.

This year the club organisers have decided to stage the play of Sirajuddowla and to publish a wall magazine. They have also arranged a gymnastic competition and a cultural function. Raja, who is a good orator, assigned to conduct the play. The responsibility of the wall magazine fell upon the meritorious student Zafar Bin Hatim, the son of the town Sub Inspector of Police, Hatim Ali. Abdur Rashid is given the charge of cultural function and gymnastic competition. The funding is arranged by donation from the guardians of the club members but that is insufficient to meet the expenditure. What to do now! The members called a meeting and ultimately decided to have the patronage of the local political and social leaders.

Usually the leaders, who are involved in any party or social associations, remain eager to utilize any type of youth organizations, be it a recreational or cultural or sport. As such here also the youths of the club 'Green Room' were not disheartened. A brooding party leader of the locality came forward to shoulder their burden. He volunteered to finance the club 'Green Room' and thus hold its political control wholly.

One-day lot of shouts could be heard in the clubhouse. Such type of brawl is quite normal for the young people of that age. But this time it was a different story. Few years back Kanika, the daughter of the lawyer Guha Roy, came first in a dance competition. She is now a grown up college going girl. Abdur Rashid approached lawyer Guha Roy to allow his daughter for a dance performance in the cultural function of the club 'Green Room'. Kanika is beautiful, smart and well articulated. Abdur Rashid met Kanika several times to discuss matter related to the function. One day Zafar Bin Hatim, the editor of the wall magazine, saw Abdur Rashid gossiping with Kanika by the side of the pond near a bush keeping his hand over Kanika's shoulder. The scene excited Zafar Bin Hatim so much that without wasting any time he came to lawyer Guha Roy to inform about the affair.

Zafar said,

'Uncle, what is this? Kanika is a smart and intelligent girl. How can she make friendship with a spoiled boy like Rashid who has passed his School Final exam in third grade? Any way this can't be tolerated.'

In reply lawyer Guha Roy nodded his head and said,

'You are right, my son. Kanika has mistaken. Her friend should be a talented one with a conscientious personality, great morality and righteousness; somewhat like you.'

The matter did not end there. An urgent meeting of the club members called upon. Zafar could convince all the members that none should oppose the club ethics and everyone ought to remain cautious about one's position in the society. The affair of Abdur Rashid was informed to all. ' Oil and water is unmixable', this maxim is repeated several times in the arguments. If Abdur Rashid wants to make friendship with Kanika then he has to be an intelligent, talented, conscientious with good morale.

At the beginning though Abdur Rashid made a sharp argument subsequently he calmed down smelling clearly that the matter has turned into a competition. As usual the number of Abdur Rashid's supporter were less.

'It's true that oil and water never blends perfectly, but oil floats over water; if Konika wants she can easily float in my life,' Abdur Rashid thought.

Few days passed. Again the town was stirred with another event. The political leader Hedayet Hossain has rivalry with the patronizer of the club 'Green Room'. One early morning one alive cobra snake is found in his first floored bedroom. The snake sat in a circle expanding its hood. All those present in that room ran away out of fear. In the corridor somebody has left a small wicker worked basket with covering lid; mud stained the floor showing impression of shoes. It appears from the evidence that somebody has kept the basket of snake in the corridor with the intention of killing Hedayet Hossain with snakebite.

Town Sub Inspector Hatem Ali arrived with his accomplished personnel. He called upon a snake charmer, who subjugates the snake and kept it in the basket that was left in the corridor.

'This snake is a poisonous one. None could escape death if it bites.' The snake charmer uttered his expert opinion.

The Town Sub Inspector recorded the remarks of the snake charmer. He also cited some name of the people present there as a witness. The snake charmer expressed his respect for the Inspector and left the place with the snake in the basket and the tips given to him.

Now the Town Sub Inspector scrutinized the site of occurrence to find out the clue of the incidence. That was a rainy night in its first half and as such the ground was softened. He followed the footprint and found that the impression ends at the root of the drainpipe through which the roof water drains. Due to the softening of mud the ked dipped down and made a clear impression, also the mud stained pipe and mud stained wall gave a definite proof that last night the man with the snake has utilized that pipe to climb up.

The crowd straggled with a fascinated gaze; they were watching the skilled activities of police. The experienced Town Sub Inspector gave a stealthy glance at the feet of those present there. Suddenly his face brightened up with a flash of success. He called out loudly,

' Rashid, come here.'

In a moment Rashid's face turned pale like a white paper. One constable came forward and presented Rashid to Town Sub Inspector. He fixed his eyes at the ked Rashid wearing. The ked were mud stained. He became certain and said,

'Rashid, place your feet in this impression in the ground.

Rashid placed his feet in the impression. To everybody's surprise the size of the shoes, the equality of the impression, even the height of the mud around the shoes exactly fitted his ked.

The Town Sub Inspector of Police asked, 'Rashid, is that you?'

Rashid struck dumb, he could not answer.

The ked were taken out of Rashid's feet. The under-surface of the shoes were printed by using melted wax. The prints of the mud impressions were also taken.

Rashid was handcuffed and taken to the police station. Finally he was sent to jail with the charge sheet of attempt to murder a political leader in a planned way.

The simple hearted father of Rashid asked the political leader Ahmed Sharif for help but failed to draw his attention. He went to the patron of the club 'Green Room', but all were in vain. He begged to the other political leader of the town. They did not pay any heed to him. He went from door to door of all the lawyers of the town. At last lawyer Guha Roy agreed to fight for Abdur Rashid.

After a lot of refutation, reasoning and analysis of law, the lawyer Guha Roy made it possible to grant the bail of Abdur Rashid.

Abdur Rashid was freed from the lock up. His father accompanied him home riding in a rickshaw; sitting by his side Rashid's father kept his hand affectionately over his shoulder. On reaching home he asked Rashid to have his bath. Then they sat for meal. While taking meal his father said very tenderly,

'Why have you done it, my dear son? What's going to happen with us now? To save you I need money. this small house will go to others possession for arranging money. You have two sisters who are yet to be married. Your younger brother is studying in school. He also needs to be brought up.'

Rashid's brother and sisters were standing nearby and listening with a loose heart what their father has been saying. Rashid's mother who was serving the meal wiped her eyes again and again with a part of her sari. Abdur Rashid remained silent.s

After the meal is over all went to sleep in their respective room. Rashid's younger brother used to sleep with him. With a great courage his younger brother asked,

'Brother, to stay in jail is very troublesome, is it not?'

Abdur Rashid gave a short cut answer, 'yes.'

Abdur Rashid's younger brother fell asleep. Rashid could not sleep. He was thinking deeply. He was going over the whole events of past few days.

In accordance of his understanding with Ahmed Sharif, the political leader, Rashid had collected the snake to keep it to the house of Hedayet Hossain, the opponent of the patron of the club 'Green Room'. He bought the snake from the same snake charmer who was called upon by the Police Sub Inspector. Just to have an adventure and being allured for the prize-money, Rashid has kept the snake whose poison teeth were removed earlier.

After receiving the prize-money from leader Ahmed Sharif for his success in performing the work laid upon him Rashid became curious to know the after-effects of his performance. Hence he went to the spot of occurrence and observing the police activities.

But destiny is very cruel. His lack of commonsense has led him to be caught red handed. His folly put him to jail; his aged father is going to loose his last resource. The sisters are to be married; the younger brother is to be brought up. What a misfortune has befallen on them. His action has defamed his family in such a way that they have no courage to face the society.

Now to save his tottering family Rashid is left with the only option---the option of death. If Rashid doesn't remain alive then his insolvent father won't have to loose his abode to meet the expenditure of litigation. All the defamation will be faded out in course of time before his sisters attain the marriageable age. His brilliant younger brother will take lesson from Rashid's fate. He won't do any mistake in future like Rashid; if he leads a quite and composed life he would be able to earn fame in course of time.

It is almost morning. Rashid wake up on hearing the call of Morning Prayer. At a time from loudspeaker of minaret of mosque the uttered word could be heard 'assalato khairum minan-naom, prayer is better than sleep'. Rashid left bed and made ritual ablution. Then he offered his fajr (morning) prayer. Now his mind set at ease. The south breeze is blowing softly.

Rashid came out of house. He is tranquil by the mild south breeze and the solemnity of the road. He walked slowly towards the rail line. Just now the mail train will pass over. In the distance the locomotive's whistle shrieked. The train rumble seeped upwards, Rashid could hear the sound of the train saying 'Where will you go? Jhikarghacha,' 'I am running you also run'. With any word the sound of the train could be tuned. Rashid is tuning the words with the train rumble he used to say in his childhood. He is walking slowly to the edge of the platform.

Suddenly he remembered Konika. How will he show his face to Kanika? A sense of guilt covered him. The rumbling train nearing him, it seemed to tune different now. He could hear the jingle, 'death is better than defame, death is better than defame.' As the train is approaching him the piquancy of those words are heightened. The train is closing neart nearertnearest; piercing the tantrum of the ear it is squealing, 'death is better than defame, death is better than defamet' As if a drum is beating hard inside Abdur Rashid's skull. No more Rashid could tolerate it. Like a mesmerized person he jumped over the rail track.

The onrushing train in a flick of second passed over him and dividing his body into two halves speeded terrifically towards destination.