Surrounded by Fog ( by Rj)

Chapter -2

The steep road is hot in the hot sun, the body has started sweating due to the excessive heat. Walking in the sun for a few minutes made me tired. But the rickshaw pullers burn in the sun all day and drive rickshaws, don't they suffer? Yes they suffer too, they keep wiping their foreheads with old towels to give pedals. Don't stop, you have to run to earn a living. I looked around and saw that there was no one on the street, most of the people were trying to stay out of the sunlight. Those who have no other choice are the ones who are getting sunburned.

Sohag was supposed to be in the office at this time, showed how busy he was in the morning and went to the office. But now there is no engagement, Divya is wandering around. Today it has to be handed over. Don't always pretend you don't see everything. It does more harm than good. In the midst of various thoughts, a strangely beautiful scene came into view.

An old man is driving a rickshaw. A young baby girl is his passenger, probably in school. Wearing school dress. The little girl is holding an umbrella over the man's head with one hand, trying to blow air with a cardboard box in the other. The man is driving the rickshaw as slowly as possible. The girl's legs are feeling the sun, she is trying to take shade to save her legs from the sun. But it is going into the sun again and again.

The scene is incredibly beautiful. Such a beautiful scene is rarely seen on the streets these days. The rickshaw passed me. While going, he heard the old man saying to the little girl, "Didi Bhai, don't get winded. You are suffering. Driving a rickshaw already makes you windy."

The impression of satisfaction is evident in the man's words. Such a passenger may never have met his fate. It's not like they are relatives, Rudrakshmala around the girl's neck, hat on the man's head. Even if I were in the girl's place, I would not have treated her like that. I would rather rush, I have to go home and cook, uncle drive a little harder. Not even once did he seem to be suffering. Buying hard work with money, what is there to show compassion! Children's minds do not know how to calculate like adults, that is why they are innocent.

"Why are you walking in the sun so much? Your body will be bad."

A familiar voice. I looked back and saw Sohag sitting in the rickshaw. Not with Chaiti, going somewhere alone. The rickshaw puller wipes his face with a towel and takes a few moments.

"Why aren't you talking? Are you crazy?"

"No, I was coming home."

"So what is the need to go by rickshaw or CNG, walk in the sun?"

"Trying to enjoy the sun. Where are you going at this time? Aren't you supposed to be at the office?"

"Sohini called, said we are coming there. So I was heading home. Come up. Sunburn and fever on the way."

"Do you get a fever when you get sunburned or not? You get a fever when you get wet and cold in the rain."

"Come up without talking. Uncle go."

How everything went wrong. Why are you returning home alone when you go out with Chaiti? What to do in the market to return home from the office? The boy's body is going over his head. I can't even believe it. I am standing in the middle between belief and disbelief. Although there are other reasons, my mind does not want to disbelieve Sohag. Trying to disprove the thoughts arising in the mind. It is difficult to disbelieve even if there is little reason for this. Sohag holds my right hand, tucking his fingers into the folds and squeezing the hand. Usually men addicted to porn don't do this. They find the contact of the wife boring, always preoccupied with other thoughts. Now I don't notice those things in Sohag. Riding around in a rickshaw holding hands like a happy couple.

"Where did you go? You could have told me if you needed anything. If you didn't see me in time, I thought you'd walk home in the sun."

"Sohini wants to eat prawn fish. There is no prawn fish at home, so I went to the market."

"I also went to the market. I didn't see you."

"What do you do in the market?"

" On the way I brought some bazaar-kindly, probably nothing special at home."

"How do you know there's nothing special at home? I didn't say anything."

"Even if you don't say it, I do the market. I also keep track of what is being cooked. So it's not difficult to understand the little things."

"Okay, I understand."

"You haven't kept your word."

"What was not kept?"

"I have spoken to Chaiti bhabhi again. We met in the market. She came forward and spoke on her own and asked to return home together. I did not agree."

It is not for him to know that I have seen him in the market. Didn't pay attention to me. So what am I thinking wrong? Or is Sohag acting? Once again I am standing in front of two roads. I don't know where to go. Chaiti's matter would have been a different matter if it was hidden, but what will I understand now?

"What are you thinking?"

"It's okay."

I started looking around to normalize the environment. Nothing should be said at this moment. It is necessary to see a little more about the matter. Sohag will lose faith in me if I am falsely accused. I will destroy the beautiful family with my own hands. This should not be allowed to happen. There is no cloud in the sky, the body is sweating in the heat of the sun. The rickshaw puller is repeatedly wiping the sweat from his forehead. He is suffering a lot in the intense heat. I remembered the little girl. I don't have an umbrella, if I had, I would have done the same thing today. Even if you praise something good, in most cases, you don't learn from it. There is an alley a little ahead, you can go home through that path. Even if it takes more time, a cool environment is created in the shade of big trees and leaves on both sides of the road.

"Mama walks down the front lane, where the sun is less. There is shade from the trees."

"Amma, if you fall too far on that road, it will be late."

"No problem, you rent a house I will give "

"I will. Then we will go through that way. What is it, mother, we like the shade of the trees but do not want the trees to grow."

Sohag agreed to his words. I will talk about this now. I listened quietly. The man talked about the work, the reluctance of most people to plant roadside trees. They don't have their own property, they can't cut down trees immediately if needed. It was state property. Cutting trees without permission can also result in a jail sentence. So planting all the trees seems unnecessary trouble, but when walking chooses to walk in the shade of the trees.

In this street there is no intensity of the sun, there are shadows of trees all around. Sometimes the powder of the sun falls on the road through the gaps in the leaves. The golden sun shines brightly on the sloping blue-black road. Sohag is holding my hand and talking to the rickshaw puller. Sometimes I also started to match their words.

It was quite late to reach home. It will be late to cook lunch, meanwhile Nandi will also come. Why calculate time so much? If you give more time on one side, it falls less on the other side. Sohag handed a shiny 200 taka note to the rickshaw puller. The happy look on the man's face, he may be able to return home a little earlier today. Can give time to family, giving time to family is an important thing. Many do not understand its importance.

After entering the house, I rested for five minutes and went to the kitchen. Sohag has brought the meat, and the shrimps have to be cut. I don't know which one to start first. First, I will mix the onion and garlic and prepare everything. Then I will start cooking.

"Let's see, give it to me. I will cook today's meat."

Sohag said these words as he entered the kitchen. Then he started looking around for cooking things.

"What happened? Where did you put it? If you don't give it to me, can I find everything?"

"If I want to find out everything, will you stand there and move?"

"What else! I will see my wife under the pretext of cooking."

"Do you need an excuse to see your wife? I didn't know."

"It doesn't take. But it looks like another happiness."

I smiled and put my mind to work. Wasting time by chattering will not work. While cutting the onion, tears started to fall from the eyes. This is nothing new. It is normal for all housewives, same for me.

Sohag came forward and wiped his eyes with the corner of the veil. He said in a sweet voice, "You should cry so much?"

I looked at him with annoyed eyes. It's a very normal thing, what is the need to exaggerate about it. I was very happy in my heart even though the expression of annoyance was evident on my face. These extra niggles can make you feel better in no time. Sohag is very close to me. But looking at the door. Following his gaze, I saw Chaiti standing at the door. Gomra faces us, the smile on Sohag's lips is gone. I could not understand what to do. Chaiti said in a dirty voice, "I came at the wrong time. Actually, the door was open. Sorry." After saying the words, she left through the door without waiting for an answer.

Sohag said to me in a stern voice, 'Don't you remember knocking on the door? "

will continue