Big sister called. Avanti didn’t even remember to call home.
Avanti picked up the phone and said,
“How are you, Apa?”
“I’m fine. What’s up with you?”
“I’m fine, Apa.”
“I called you at night. Why don’t you give me a call when you get there? Everyone is thinking about you.”
“I forgot, Apa.”
“Not you! Of course, Aslam called. How does that feel?”
“A new house. No one else, Apa.”
“That’s good. You’ll build a family with your own hands. Very few girls get that. Girls dream of a lifetime to have a house of their own. Decorate it with your own hands! You’re so lucky! May Allah make you happy, sister.”
“Have you had breakfast, Apa?”
“I’m making bread. Talk to your mother.”
Avanti’s mother said in a soft voice, “How are you, mother?”
How peaceful it feels to hear her mother’s voice. Avanti doesn’t know why she’s crying! He said in a wet voice, “Good!”
“Where is the son-in-law?”
“He’s sitting on the veranda. ”
“Did you have breakfast?”
“Yes.”
What did you eat?”
“Parota, dal, eggs.”
“Who cooked it?”
“No, mother.
He brought it from the hotel. There is no cooking facility at home. There are no things at home. Everything has to be bought.”
“The son-in-law said he just got home!”
“When did you talk to him?”
“Last night.”
“Where is father and mother?”
“He went to the market. Now take care of him, mother. You will be fine. Don’t mind the elders’ words. “A new wife doesn’t have to listen to all this talk from many people!”
Avanti smiled a little after hearing her mother’s words. It’s a mother’s nature to give advice. There’s no one at her house, she must have forgotten!
Avanti said, “Okay, mother.”
Aslam said, “Did you talk to your mother?”
Avanti looked at Aslam and smiled a little.
“Now get ready quickly. Auntie has called many times to take you.”
Avanti looked at her with a little surprise.
“You haven’t been told about Auntie Zabeda, have you? She’s my father’s cousin. Aunty is a little sick, so she couldn’t go to the wedding!”
Avanti got up. She took a bath in the morning. It won’t take long to get ready. There’s no need to dress up. Avanti looks beautiful in a simple outfit! It would be nice if she could put some kohl on her eyes. If there wasn’t an elder sister at home, mother would put kohl on her. Isha can also put kohl on well. Isha is four years younger than Avanti. My heart felt heavy as I thought about home! How bad it felt! She left everyone and went to an unknown place alone!
Aslam’s aunty’s house is Jatrabari. They took a rickshaw from Wari. The two of them are sitting side by side in the rickshaw. Avanti is wearing a blue saree. She looks like an angel. Aslam is looking at Avanti with wide eyes.
Aslam’s Zabeda Begum smiled sincerely at Avanti, “Mashallah! “Your wife is very beautiful, Aslam!”
Aslam stood next to her with a smile. Avanti greeted her aunt by touching her feet. Aslam did not know how to greet girls of this era.
Zabeda Begum said, “Come, mother.”
He took Avanti inside the house. The house was quite tidy. You could tell they were very wealthy. There was a painting hanging on the wall. It looked very nice! He should hang such a picture on the wall of his house. Is the price too high? Tom did not know the price of Avanti’s picture.
Aunty said, “Ayesha, give them breakfast.” Ayesha is the maid of this house. She is fifteen or sixteen years old.
Ayesha came with a tray of tea, biscuits, chanachur, and noodles.
Zabeda Begum said, “Eat, mother.”
Aslam and Avanti were eating noodles. A woman from the next house was coming to see her new wife. The woman had been renting this house for many years. Aslam knew who it was.
Zabeda Begum said, “Come over here for a moment, I have come.”
Aslam entered the next room. This was Aunty’s room. There was a big bed. There was a prayer room next to it.
Zabeda Begum said, “Sit here.”
The woman from the next house also came into this room. Avanti was sitting alone at the dining table.
The woman said, “What is that from her wife’s house?”
Aslam felt a little bad! Someone was asking this. Aslam understood that Aunty was okay with it.
Aslam smiled a little and said, he wanted to give a lot. I said, “Don’t give anything too much, give me something expensive.”
The woman looked at him with wide eyes and said, “What did you give me?”
Zabeda Begum was also looking at Aslam with questioning eyes.
“He gave me something very valuable. I didn’t think he would give me something so expensive.”
Now Zabeda Begum said, “What did you give me, father?”
“I brought the expensive thing to show you, aunt.”
“Let me see where it is.”
Aslam was silent for a while and looked at aunt and said, “There it is!”
The two of them didn’t say anything else. Avanti listened to everything they said. Avanti wiped her eyes with a rag. At first, Avanti felt bad after hearing the woman’s words! Her father didn’t give her anything. Aslam wanted to give her something, but Aslam strictly forbade her.
Aslam said, “I’ll get up today, aunt.”
“What is that! Aren’t you going to eat at noon?”
“I have to go to New Market, aunt. You know, nothing was bought at home. I have to buy some things today. I will come another day.”
Aunt said a little sadly, “Okay.”
Aslam left aunt’s house and took a rickshaw. He would go to New Market by rickshaw from Jatrabari. Two people were sitting in the rickshaw. The rickshaw was moving.
Avanti suddenly hugged Aslam and rested her head on Aslam’s shoulder. Aslam was a little surprised at first. Avanti said to herself, “I only need this person by my side in my life!”
Avanti looked around in surprise. She had never seen such a big market. The market in their district town was not that big. It was not so crowded except during Eid.
Aslam said, “You can buy everything from here.”
They went to the shop to buy household items. What beautiful things! They wanted to buy them as soon as they saw them.
Aslam didn’t buy much. A few pots and pans have been bought, of course. We have to make arrangements for cooking at home.
The Balaka Hall in New Market has closed! We used to watch a movie about Avanti. We can go to the Cineplex in Bashundhara. It’s quite far. We’ll have to go another day.
Aslam said, “We’ve walked a lot, let’s sit down somewhere now.”
Avanti feels good walking! She wants to buy everything she sees! She needs to buy some things to decorate her house.
Aslam said, “I’ll decorate your house the way you want. I’m not here yet! But it would be better if we buy it slowly. When my office starts, you’ll be alone. Come to New Market, look around, and buy.”
He’s leaving everything to Avanti. Avanti feels good about it. Avanti’s father is already a very good man. But everything will be to her liking.
They come and sit down at a restaurant in New Market. Aslam likes the faluda here. He likes the faluda from Beauty in Old Dhaka better. One day, I have to take Avanti. She will eat biryani and then faluda. I can go today too. I will just have to take a rickshaw and go. I don’t know what Avanti’s favorite food is! This was a big mistake. I should have asked. I can’t ask in a restaurant. Girls are quite shy about talking about food. If I were a city girl, it wouldn’t have been a problem.
Aslam said, “Will Avanti eat faluda?”
Avanti didn’t say anything. She gave a light smile. Aslam ordered faluda.
Aslam feels good eating Falooda. Avanti is eating Falooda for the first time. It feels very good, doesn’t it? She doesn’t really like eating sweets!
They also spent some time in Chandni Market. Aslam bought a saree for Avanti. Avanti didn’t want to buy one. Aslam forced her to buy one. Avanti wanted to buy a shirt for Aslam, but she didn’t ask. She would come and buy it later. If she bought it now, Aslam would pay. Avanti has some money.
On the way back, Aslam said, “Shall we take dinner?”
Avanti said, “You don’t have to buy food. Go shopping. I’ll cook at home.”
Aslam liked it! The girl is a family woman.
How time flies! Ten days have passed in a flash. Aslam’s vacation is over. He has to start going to the office. There’s nowhere to go except Dhaka city!
It would have been nice to visit Cox’s Bazar once. Nowadays, people go on honeymoons outside the country. And their honeymoon was in the traffic jam of Dhaka city!
One day, however, they went to the banks of the Padma. The Padma was the witness of their love!
Everyone says that it is very difficult to win the hearts of girls! They cannot be made happy. How easily Aslam won a girl. You can win girls by giving them a little love mixed with respect! This love mixed with respect is something that men do not know how to give! Some boys give a lot of love but do not know how to give respect! Some give respect but do not know how to love!
Aslam thinks that if you know how to give the right amount of these two, it is possible to win the hearts of all girls!
In the morning, Aslam went to the office. Avanti had made breakfast. She wanted to make lunch, but Aslam did not agree.
Aslam said, “What are you saying? I am going to the office for the first time after marriage. If I show up with a tiffin box, everyone will laugh. It can be done later.”
Avanti said, “What will you eat for lunch?”
“I will eat something. You do not have to worry about all this.”
Aslam kissed Avanti on the cheek as he left. Avanti blushed with embarrassment! It felt so good too!
She hadn’t known the man for a few days. It was so hard to spend an hour without him. All she could think about was him!
Once she came back from New Market. She had to buy a shirt for Aslam. She had to buy a tiffin box too.
Avanti left the house. She was a little scared to be alone. Avanti took a picture of her house. In case she forgot. Wari also read out the name of the area. Avanti didn’t know which area Aslam’s office was in!
She was supposed to get a rickshaw in front of the house. Avanti stood on the street. I know how people in the city are. No one talks to anyone. When she went out to the village, how many people would ask, “Where are you going?”
She had been living with Aslam in this house for so long, and she hadn’t talked to anyone!
A rickshaw stopped in front of Avanti. The rickshaw driver wasn’t very old.
The rickshaw puller said, “Where are you going?”
“New Market.”
“Fifty taka.”
Avanti didn’t know how much the fare was. She got out without saying anything.
“Are you studying in Eden?”
“No.”
“I understand you’re going to the market.”
“Yes.”
“Where is your home in the country?”
“Khulna. Yours?”
“My home is Mymensingh.”
The rickshaw was moving at a fast pace. Avanti felt like the rickshaw would tip over at any moment. She should have asked the rickshaw puller to drive slowly. The rickshaw puller seemed to be pulling the rickshaw with great joy. She didn’t want to spoil the joy. The clever one did as she pleased! What would happen if she fell? It would have been better if Aslam had been by her side, she could have held his hand and sat down.
“Apa, I’m leaving.”
Avanti got out of the rickshaw with a fifty taka note. Many girls were seen in the morning. They seemed to be studying.
Avanti started looking around. How many types of things were available. How many things she wanted to buy. Avanti bought several things one by one. A potato cutting machine! A coffee cup. A small vase.
Avanti noticed that a boy had been following her for a long time.
