Snigdha

Snigdha ‘Would you please hold my hand?’, Snigdha is toddling. ‘Proceed miss,’ Sajeed felt shy to hold but tried to hide it. ‘Don’t worry! I’m here. Sajeed touched Snigdha’s hand for the first time. He felt ripples in his heart, something exceptional that he never felt. Snigdha is smart enough but she also felt shy. ‘It’s okay,’ said she, ‘thanks’. Snigdha was made the acting principal of a school – Child Home. Sajeed was appointed as a teacher under her. The school is an English Medium one in Jessore town, a bordering district in Bangladesh. It is at Karbala, a nearby place of the residence of the acting principal. The place of the school was chosen not for that the residence of Snigdha was there. The authorities of the institution did it considering different sides. Snigdha did not encourage them to do it. But they did. ‘ Sir, what  do you like the best? Is it English literature or language?’, Snigha asked Sajeed on the first day. ‘Literature is my first choice,’ Sajeed replied. ‘ Okay, you’ll be given English literature. ‘Are you happy with that ?,’ Snigdha wanted to know. ‘ Yes, I am,’said Sajeed. ‘ What about next?,’ Sajeed proceeded. ‘ You have to go to class, the first ever class for you’, Snigdha said, ‘ Am I right?’ ‘ Yes, you are,’ Sajeed answered. ‘ How did you get the job?’, Snigdha asked Sajeed. ‘Very simply, the chairperson of this institution  is known to me. She likes me, too. That is why; she choose me for the post you needed’, Sajeed described. ‘ I did not apply for the job. I even, did not tell her anything about it. I’m her choice,’ Sajeed added. ‘ Are you not interested in teaching?’, Snigdha wanted to know. ‘ No, I’m not’, Sajeed replied. ‘Why not?’ ‘ I don’t like teaching. I’m a journalist. I love journalism. I like creative writings.’ ‘ Why did you enter this profession? Would you be able to match with  it?’ ‘ I did not want. And, still now I don’t want to be a school teacher. You know that the chairperson of this institution is also the owner of the newspaper where I work. She wished me to do the job. And, that is why; I could not be able to deny her proposal to be a teacher.’ ‘ Okay, I understood. Your should love teaching now.’ ‘ Yes, I’ll try.’ ‘ You must try and you should be.’ ‘All right.’ ‘Thanks. ‘ Child Home is the name of the institution where Sajeed has to teach. It could be Child’s Home or Children’s Home. Why the founder did name it as Child Home? He thought. I have to know it. Sajeed went to the principal’s room. He was very much curious to know the backdrop of the name. ‘ May I come in miss?’, Sajeed seeks permission to enter principal’s office  room. Snigdha was doing something attentively. She was doing some official work. ‘ Is there any problem with you?’, Snigdha stopped doing her work. ‘ I have a question,’ Sajeed replied. ‘ What’s that?’ ‘ It is nothing but the name of the school. ‘ ‘ Name of the school?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘ Why?’ ‘ Why the name is not either  Child’s Home nor Children’s Home ?’ ‘ Only this one?’ ‘ Yes.’ ‘ Do you want to know it now?’ ‘ Not so, but-----‘, Sajeed felt shy. ‘ The answer is very simple. Before founding the institution the founder had to think a lot. He talked to many people. And at last came to a decision. The name of the institution would be Child Home. It means the whole institution is a child as because it will be the home of the children. Am I clear?’, Snigdha clarified the short history of naming of the institution. ‘ Yes miss. I understood. It’s a very nice name.’ ‘ If it is nice why did you ask the question?’ ‘ It was my curiosity. I’m very curious about anything. Did you mind?’ ‘ No, I’m pleased. There are so many teachers here in the institution. But none raised the question. You are the exception. I like such attitude.  And your curiosity proves that  you love the institution. You love teaching, too,’ Snigdha smiled. ‘ It does not mean so.’ ‘ Ask your mind.’ Snigdha pressed the key of the calling bell. Ameena, the ayah came. Snigdha told her to call all the teachers to her office. Sajeed tried to get up. Snigdha stopped him. ‘ Would you be able to say why the founder named the school Child Home?’, Snigdha asked all. ‘ Why do you ask us so, miss? We are here since a long. You did not say anything about it. Why today?’, teachers told her in a single voice. ‘Stop, you should love the school. Go to your classes,’ Snigdha seemed to be angry with all the teachers. Sajeed got up with others and stepped towards the class. But Snigdha called him back. ‘ Do you like to have a cup of tea?,’ Snigdha was very pleased  to Sajeed. ‘ No, thanks.’ ‘ You would be a good teacher, Sajeed. Go to your class.’ Sajeed knows teaching is a noble profession. But it is not for him. Teachers need to be very punctual towards his or her profession. They have to maintain timetable strictly. But it seemed to be impossible to him. He was in confusion in continuing teaching as because he does not think him fit   for the profession. ‘ I don’t want to cheat the students. A teacher cannot be a cheat’, Sajeed was thinking so while entering the first ever class as a teacher. But he did well on the first day. It made him confident. ‘ Miss, you have to help me in teaching as I’m new,’ Sajeed his weakness. ‘Proceed on, if you feel so I’m ready to help you,’ Snigdha assured Sajeed, ‘but you do not need so, I think.’ ‘I’m not familiar with teaching. But I want to teach well. Students have great futures. They cannot be exploited.’ ‘Such thinking will make you a good teacher.’ In the meanwhile the bell rang. The classes are over. ‘May I leave the school?’, Sajeed draw the attention of the principal. ‘Wait a bit, I’ll go with you,’ Snigdha left the school with Sajeed after locking her shelf. Snigdha and Sajeed came to the main entrance of the school and Sajeed said good bye to her. He took a rickshaw. For Sajeed, there was no room for thinking in daytime. He has to work till 10:30 to 11:00pm. His work  at the newspaper starts at around 6:30. He becomes free at night. Completing newspaper duty he came home. After having supper he went to bed. Thinking occupied him at that time. Why did Snigdha behave so? Is she like him? His thinking went on. At one stage he told himself that what he was thinking was foolish. It has no reality. He went fast asleep.  Sajeed lives in a single room at his father’s residence. The residence is like a thatched house with wall and corrugated iron sheeted roof. There are gardens around the house. Tap tapping of rain drops fuels extra feelings in Sajeeb’s heart in every rainy season. Sajeed reside such a nice house.  He got up suddenly as the sleep broke. ‘ What happened with you ?’, Sajeed asked himself. He took a glass of water and went to bed again. He tried to keep the eyes together again and again but failed. He had to spend the night almost sleeplessly. He succeeded to bring both the eyes together just before dawn.  But he failed to touch the image of sound sleep. Mother called him out for attending the school. Before getting up, he dreamt a nice dream. A beautiful girl told him that she loved him. The girl who told him so is an unknown one. She appeared suddenly. Sajeed has to get up while he tried to say something to her.  .  He felt something exceptional in his heart. He never felt so in his thirty years of age. Keeping the thinking aside Sajeed has to dress up for school. He had to complete his morning tasks within a very short time. Brushing, breakfast, toileting, bathing and so on included in his morning tasks. Sajeed met Snigdha first as he came to school. ‘Good morning sir.’ ‘Good morning miss.’ ‘How did you fell last day?’ Sajeed took a moment to answer. ‘ Yes, good.’ Was Snigdha talking about the dream? He thought first. It was about school, he realized. ‘ Do you think you are fit for the job of teaching, sir? ‘ ‘ I have to think miss.’ ‘ Okay, let me know it while thinking is over.’ ‘Okay, you are given time.’ ‘ Thanks’. ‘ Please put your signature here. Did you do so yesterday? No problem. Do it today.’ ‘ You’re grateful.’ ‘ I’m just your colleague. And, try to be a real one.’ ‘ And this is called gratefulness.’ Snigdha smiled. She looks exceptionally beautiful. There were dimples on her cheeks. It made her cuter. Sajeed’s sight flashed Snigdha’s whole face for a moment. What a nice girl she is! Will she be mine? Sajeed scoped to think. No, she cannot be mine. There is a big status gap between her and me.  Family does not matter here but the economic conditions. My economic condition is not so good like her. She is solvent enough. Sajeed continued thinking. As he got a great gap between them, he gave up the thinking of building up relationship with her. But— He uttered a poem of Mary Brittio Miller silently- When the night begins to fall And the sky begins to glow You look up and see the tall City of light begin to grow- In rows and little golden squares The lights come out. First here and then there Is Snigdha the sky? Is she the light? Sajeed tried to compare Snigdha with the two. The sky is broad and the light does not care for any obstructions. Is she the both? Sajeed considered. ‘You look nice miss. You’re broad-minded, too,’ Sajeed tries of draw Snigdha’s attention. ‘Are you telling me anything?’ Snigdha raised her face. She was preparing some official tasks. ‘Yes, I was telling that you were nice looking.’ ‘ Am I?’ ‘ Yes’. ‘ You are telling lies. I’m not nice yet.’ ‘  Why do you want to hide the fact? You cannot be able to do that.’ ‘For a human, good or bad looking does not matter. He or she should be good internally. I mean the mentality of a man plays key role in this regard. ’ ‘ Yeah, you’re right.’ ‘ Stay here sir, I’ve to attend the class’, Snigdha left her office. She is the head of the institution. But she takes classes. She takes classes like other assistant teachers. Here is the difference. The difference of Snigdha. ‘ Good morning students. How are you? Are you all well?’ Snigdha starts teaching. Students are fond of her. ‘ What is the day today, students?’ Snigdha starts her class. ‘ Today is Sunday miss.’ ‘ Do you know what is the sociality of this day?’ ‘ No, miss, ’the student roused their voices. ‘ You don’t need to know everything at once. But you should try. Sunday is the special day because the Christians say special prayers on this day. Do you know who Christians are?’ ‘ No’, said the students. The students of standard one. ‘ Hridoy, you stand up. What is your religion?’ ‘ I’m Hindu.’ ‘ And, you Saiful?’ ‘ I’m a Musalman.’ ‘ Yes, Saiful, you are a Musalman. But you have to say I am a Muslim. Okay?’ ‘ Yes, miss.’ ‘ The Christians are Christians like us. Did you understand?’  ‘ Yes, miss.’ ‘ We may be Christian, Muslim of Hindu. But we have to respect all. While talking to others, we should not treat him or her considering his or her religion.  Should we? No, we should not. Now students come to our today’s task.  Open you English literature book- Radiant Reading.’ Snigdha’s teaching style is quite different. The students enjoy her classes. She does not make teaching bored. In principal’s room,  Sajeed was watching a flock of birds flying in the sky. He wished if I were a bird! I could enjoy the most interest thing. I want to fly now ----------------. In the meanwhile Snigdhga entered her room. ‘Do you have any class, sir?’ ‘ No, miss. I’ve no more class today.’ ‘How many classes did you take today? ‘Four classes.’ ‘ Did you face any problem today?’ ‘ No, miss.’ ‘ I asked you so because you were not familiar to teaching. Did you mind?’ ‘No, it’s okay. Why should I mind?’ ‘What were you watching in the sky? Were you looking for something?’ ‘ I don’t search for anything as nobody search for me. I was watching a flock of birds flying in the sky. May I free like the birds, miss? If I were a bird-----------------------------‘ ‘ Are birds free?’ ‘ Yes.’ ‘No, sir. They are not free. They cannot do what they want. They cannot enjoy freedom. We, the human, are threats to their freedoms. For us, the birds cannot go where they want to go. They cannot do what they want to do. But we can. We are enjoying freedom. We do not face obstruction while preying a bird. Even if you kill a man, you’ll get favor from several quarters. If you are innocent you’ll not get such favor. Now, if I ask you who is free?  What should be the answer?’ ‘Sorry miss, I did not go through the matter. I did not even make any research or any readings about the issue.’ ‘Okay, we do not try to see anything deeply. We are said to be the greatest creature. But very often, our attitudes and behaviors don’t say so. I think what we do now and then can be treated as the meanest creatures.  We become abnormally cruel towards other creatures very often. We become cruel towards human also. Would you please say how a human kill another?’ ‘Miss, I’ve no answer at all.’ ‘Sorry sir, I became excited.’ ‘You’re alright.’ ‘By the by, what about your teaching? Is there any problem? We are not native English. So, be careful about teaching. Teaching is a noble profession. It is not a business. We are the architect of future nation. We should do what the future demands.’ ‘Am I fit for the job, miss? I sometime ask me the question.’ ‘ Obviously. As I observed, you never try to cheat with the students. Your teaching techniques are nice too. I appreciate it. You are a good teacher at all.’ ‘With the help of you.’ The bell rang. Classes are over. Students started to leave. Teachers too. Snigdha got up. Sajeed followed her. ‘ let’s go, sir’, Snigdha said. The two walked towards the gate. Snigdha offered Sajeed for lunch at her residence. Sajeed did not say anything. They reached the residence of Snigdha within a few minutes. The house is two storied. The out looking of the house is simply nice. The drawing room too. It is simple but tip-top one. ‘ You may have toilet, sir. It is on the right hand. You can have a bath if you wish. I’ll provide you the lungi( a casual male wear in Bangladesh) and  a towel.’ ‘Thank you too much. I need so.’ Sajeed entered the bathroom. It is not luxurious, but nice, he thought. Sajeed took few minutes to be refreshed. In the meanwhile, Snigdha arranged lunch. So many items are on the dining table. ‘It is too much’, said Sajeed. ‘Why do you say so? For the first time you came. And, I was not prepared. I did not add anything new with the regular menu. I added only two items for you. After all, you are my guest. And, I try to honor my guests. I added sardine and beef with regular items for you.’ ‘ What about fried rice and mutton?’ ‘ Sir, you’re new and  first timer. That is why--------------.  Don’t hesitate to have items. These are only for you. I’ll be pleased if you take all the items. My mother will also be pleased to you as she cooked most of the items. She likes guests.’ ‘Who cooked the vegetable?’ ‘It is my mother.’ ‘ And mutton regale?’ ‘ Mine.’ ‘ Your mother and you cook tasty items. Every item is nice. Undoubtedly tasty.’ ‘Take the beef, sir.’ ‘ How many members are there in this family?’ ‘ Three- my mother, father and ----------‘ ‘ Have you not any maid?’ ‘ She went on leaves to attend her sister’s marriage ceremony.’ ‘ What does she do?’ ‘ She helps me and my mother but does not cook. My mother likes cooking. I too. Laily, our maid, does not get the chance to cook food.’ ‘ You’re exceptional.’ ‘Normal.’ ‘ What about you? How many members are there in your family?’ ‘ There are five members.’ ‘ Such as?’ ‘ My father and mother and two younger sisters.’ ‘ There are four. But you told five. Who is left?’ ‘ Nobody.’ Sajeed laughed. ‘ Who is the nobody?’ ‘ Nobody is nobody.’ ‘ What is the business of the nobody in your family?’ ‘ Nothing.’ ‘What does nothing mean?’ ‘ Sorry, I cannot teach the head of an English Medium school,’ Sajeed smiled. ‘ Don’t you help your father?’ ‘ Often.’ ‘ You could say that?’ ‘ I’m a lazy guy. My father is so laborious. He does not know what rest is. I’m just reverse to him. He does not enjoy rests even on weekends. On that days, he engages in household works.’ ‘That means we got a lazy teacher, an idle colleague.’ ‘ You’re absolutely right.’ ‘ Okay miss, let me go home. Thank you for the entertainment.’ ‘ No.’ ‘ You’ll be allowed after tea.’ ‘It is enough.’ ‘It is not the time to have tea.’ ‘But I cannot allow you to leave without tea. We cannot dishonor a guest.’   ‘ What happened Snigdha?’ mother entered the drawing room . ‘ Ma, ai holo  Sajeed Sir( Mother, this is Sajeed Sir). And this is my mother,’ Snigdha introduced the two. ‘ I heard you several times,’ mother told Sajeed,’ How are you, my son?’ ‘I’m fine Khalamma( aunt), what about you? Are you fine?’ ‘ I was a little bit sick a few moments back. I’m alright now. Talk to Snigdha and take rest here. I’ve to say Jahr prayer.’ Mother left the room. ‘ Please, pray for me, Khalamma.’ ‘May I leave now, miss? You’ve completed the course of entertainment.’ ‘Sir, you talk too much. A lazy man does not do so.’ ‘ Am I not lazy?’ ‘ You have to prove it by having tea. Wait a bit.’ Snigdha went to kitchen and came back with a bulk of fast foods. ‘ What did you do? You told me to have tea.’ ‘These are parts of tea.’ ‘I beg your pardon. I’ll not be able to take these except the tea.’ ‘ But why did I make theses?’ ‘ Please ask yourself. How should I know?’ ‘ Because these are made only for you.’ ‘ Thank you for varieties of food. But how should I inhale these?’ ‘ Just touch the items. No need to enjoy all the food.’ ‘ It is also impossible’. ‘Okay.’ Sajeed moved towards the door. Snighha followed his at the main entry of the house. ‘Bye Sajeed,’ Snigdha waived her right hand. Sajeed also waived and said good bye to Snigdha.  And just then he felt ripples in his heart for the second time. Sajeed had to wait for few minutes to get a rickshaw. In the meanwhile thoughts grabbed him. ‘Snigdha is my colleague. Shormee, too, my colleague. But why there is far difference between the two colleagues? Shormee’s attitudes towards me is nothing but a colleague. But Snigdha? She is more than a colleague.’ Coming to the newspaper office, Sajeed tried to share his thoughts with his male colleagues. Shimul told him that Snigdha fell in love with him. But she would not tell it to Sajeed. And Sajeed also will not do so as because the two are extra- ordinary conscious. ‘ What should I do?’, Sajeed asked Shimul. ‘ You need to be confirmed that Snigdha loves you,’ said Shimul. ‘ But how?’ ‘ ‘ I don’t know the way.’ At this stage the news editor called Sajeed and assigned him to write a commentary on present political situation for tomorrow’s issue of the newspaper. And Sajeed had to enter an era of different thinking. ‘The leader of the opposition had asked her followers to make demonstrations against the rule with lagi and baitha( two types of hard sticks that are used to sail boats ). Confrontations between the two parties are must. It would loss blood too------------‘ ‘ Should we show patience to find out a peaceful solution in this volatile situation? ----------------- Sajeed starts writing. ‘ You’re given an hour to complete the article,’ shouted the news editor. ‘ Okay,’ replied Sajeed. ‘ So many tasks are left for you,’ the news editor added. ‘Don’t worry. You’ll get all the works completed shortly. But let me complete writing now,’ Sajeed tried to make the news editor cool. While Sajeed stepped towards the exit after editing or rewriting a number of news stories, news editor Ayub Hossain called out him for another item. ‘ It’s impossible,’ Sajeed tried to get out. ‘ But this one is very much important for our daily. And you’re the person to make it readable in Bangla from English. Depends on the key information, make it your own,’ the news editor handed over the copy of the report. ‘Go through the story at first and then make it your’, the news editor added. Sajeed started to read- Appearing on the TV for the first time since the April 9 railwaygate scandal, whistleblower driver Azam Khan has said the Tk 74 lakh stashed in his car was being taken to the then railway minister Suranjit Sengupta's house. ‘The money was being carried to Suranjit Sengupta's residence. But, I foiled the attempt. Money was taken [to Suranjit's house] several times before as well,’ he said in an interview with Rtv aired first on Thursday night and throughout yesterday. Azam, driver of Suranjit's ex-assistant personal secretary (APS) Omar Faruq Talukder, had been missing since the scandal surfaced. Around 11:30pm on April 9, Azam drove Faruq's microbus into Pilkhana, and blew the whistle that there was illegal money in the vehicle. Apart from Faruq, railway's general manager (east) Yusuf Ali Mridha and Dhaka division security commandant Enamul Huq were on the microbus. Faruq was sacked and Mridha and Enamul were suspended following the incident. After the vehicle entered Pilkhana, the Border Guard Bangladesh detained the four for that night but freed them the next day. ‘No, no, no. I had no link with anyone. I didn't take money from anybody promising jobs. Though later rumours were spread about me,’ he said in the exclusive interview with Rtv's Bayezid Ahmed. As he was driving into the BGB headquarters through gate No 4, Faruq asked him where he was going. ‘I said, 'sir, this is bribe money. Money taken from railway jobseekers. I will have you arrested with this money,’ Azam told Rtv. ‘Faruq said this is not right…. Then they offered me Tk 5 lakh and asked me to take them out of the gate. Later, Faruk offered me half the amount…. But I said, 'no, sir.' Finally, he offered me the whole amount.’ Upon counting in the next morning, it turned out that there was Tk 74 lakh in the car, Azam said, adding that the trio -- Faruq, Mridha and Enamul -- along with the money went away in the car driven by another person they had already managed to have brought. Initial reports said there was Tk 70 lakh in the car, which was part of the "bribe money" collected from jobseekers in the railway. Faruk gave conflicting statements about the amount and source of the money. On April 10, he told UNB that there was Tk 25-30 lakh in his car and the money belonged to his brother-in-law. But in a written statement to the ACC on April 18, he said he was carrying Tk 70 lakh in his car that night. Of the sum, he earned Tk 45 lakh practising law and got the rest from his expatriate brother-in-law. He deposited Tk 70 lakh in his account with Mercantile Bank's Dhanmondi branch on April 11. In the four-minute interview, Azam said one Major Mashiur Rahman was involved in the recruitment business. ‘As far as I know he was involved in a Tk 3 crore recruitment deal. He wanted to have several hundred people appointed in the railway through Omar Faruq.’ According to him, Faruq, a political appointee of the former rail minister, headed a syndicate of the recruitment business. ‘I heard them talk in the car that they would give Tk 10 crore to the minister from the recruitment business. And 600 'personal' people of Suranjit Sengupta would be recruited.’