Abul, of Bangladeshi descent, has a rather dark complexion. The eldest son of a very wealthy family, his life was filled with luxury, but he suffered from low self-esteem in many aspects. During his childhood, an incident left him extremely frightened, and from that day, he began to stutter. Combined with his dark skin tone, this speech impediment prevented him from ever feeling fully content with himself.
His parents were also quite negligent. His minimally educated father was preoccupied with expanding his business, social clubs, and the community, while his mother was engrossed in parties, beauty salons, and her circle of friends. Abul’s younger brother and sister were also distant, with little to no bond with him. The family often visited their village from the city. Despite their wealth, educated individuals were rare in Abul’s family—they only valued money. As a result, neither Abul nor his family felt comfortable around educated people at school or in society.
Thus, they frequently visited their ancestral village, where they flaunted their wealth. The simple village folks were in awe and hung on to every word the family uttered. It was in this setting that Abul gradually discovered his talent for public speaking and found a sense of satisfaction. However, upon returning to city life, Abul felt like a failure. His classmates often corrected him whenever he spoke, and though he repeatedly failed his exams, his father’s wealth pushed him through the classes. After struggling through the sixth and seventh grades, his father sent him abroad for further education.
Abul went abroad but was more focused on multiplying his father’s money than studying. He bribed school staff, cheated, and acquired leaked exam papers to somehow scrape through his education. After immense struggle, he barely completed the twelfth grade. He had no desire to study further, but the threat of being disinherited if he returned without a degree compelled him to continue his education while living a lonely life abroad.
Even during his school days, Abul had experienced feelings of love several times. However, he had a preference for fair-skinned girls resembling Tamil movie heroines. Whenever he mustered the courage to propose, it ended in disaster. On one occasion, Nancy retorted, “Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror?” after his proposal. Heartbroken, Abul sought solace in his village, where he showered money to receive false praise from the villagers, which gave him a sense of fulfillment. He believed the people loved him, failing to realize that they loved his wealth, not him.
Over time, Abul resolved to marry into a financially struggling family, believing that he would be cherished there. His home life was devoid of respect—his younger siblings disregarded him, and his parents were absorbed in their lavish lifestyles. Whenever Abul tried to speak up, he was either silenced with scolding or ridiculed. His only refuge was the village, where he frequently visited, distributed money, and held the villagers spellbound with his stories.
As Abul expanded his social circle, he began venturing beyond his village to neighboring areas and small towns. Eventually, he started visiting middle-class families in the city. His targets were families with beautiful daughters from lower-income or lower-middle-class backgrounds. He would bring gifts and food to their homes, spending evenings chatting and boasting about various things—both true and false. The families, either out of politeness or greed, entertained him. This gradually boosted Abul’s confidence, and he began to feel proud of himself.
As his friends in the village started getting married, Abul grew anxious. Though he had flirted with several girls from such backgrounds, he couldn’t accept the idea of marrying any of them. He still dreamed of marrying someone as stunning as Bollywood actresses. In his family, it was customary for men to marry by their twenties since most were rural businessmen who didn’t pursue higher education. Marriage didn’t interfere with their business responsibilities.
Despite studying abroad, Abul frequently visited home during holidays. He disliked staying overseas. He nominally attended university in London but took every opportunity to return home, where he would rush straight to the village. His days passed between visiting different households, chatting, and socializing.
When Abul turned twenty-six, his parents celebrated their wedding anniversary with grandeur. During the event, a young woman named Nishi sang on stage. At first sight, Abul was completely smitten. Beautiful and blessed with a melodious voice, Nishi captivated him. That night, Abul followed Nishi, but as she was accompanied by her mother, he couldn’t start a conversation. He managed to locate their house and began visiting the area daily, waiting for an opportunity.
One day, he intercepted Nishi on her way back from tutoring. He tried making small talk, but Nishi brushed past him. Undeterred, Abul continued to loiter in front of her house, much to her annoyance. Focused on her studies and music, Nishi had no interest in romantic distractions.
Desperate, Abul sought alternative methods to approach her. One evening, he noticed a few men visiting Nishi’s house, and he eavesdropped on their conversation. They were booking Nishi for a musical performance. Abul devised a plan. The next day, he gathered some friends and visited Nishi’s house, posing as event organizers.
When they knocked, Nishi’s father, Rahman, answered.
Rahman: “I don’t recognize you.”
Abul: “Uncle, I’m Abul. Nishi sang at our event last week. We loved her performance. We have another event next month and would like her to perform.”
Rahman: “But Nishi has her honors finals coming up. She’s focusing on her studies now; she’s an excellent student.”
Abul: “Could you call Nishi? We’d like to speak with her.”
Rahman: “Nishi doesn’t discuss her performances with strangers. You can tell me, and I’ll inform her.”
Abul: “Could we get her phone number?”
Rahman: “No, we don’t give out her personal number without permission.”
Abul: “Then, may I have your number? I’ll call tomorrow to check.”
Reluctantly, Rahman gave Abul their landline number.
What followed was incessant phone calls, day and night. The phone would ring endlessly, and as soon as Rahman answered, the caller hung up. Frustrated, Rahman eventually disconnected the receiver altogether.
Abul resumed tailing Nishi daily. He attended all her performances, sitting in the back with his friends, trying to catch her attention. Eventually, Nishi noticed and felt uncomfortable.
Scarborough, Canada.
