The ash colored duplex house located in an elite neighborhood on the outskirts of Dhaka is almost uninhabited. The house is still standing as a witness of time, the palasters have fallen due to carelessness for a long time. On the second floor of the house, the 64-year-old woman is seen standing on the grill of the balcony for hours every day. She is the owner of this house. Rubina Begum’s husband passed away almost twenty years ago. All the children were small then. I had to give up my youth and thousands of hobbies while raising my family and children alone.
The house was originally built by Rubina Begum’s father-in-law Khan Bahadur Akbar Sobhan. Ashfaq Sobhan, the sole successor, had a gold business based in Dubai. Due to which he had to stay abroad most of the time.
Rubina Begum’s father was not short of money but in no way equal to Akbar Sobhan in nobility. In those days, marriages were equal between two families, the roles of both men and women being secondary.
However, how did the Khan family bring home the son Ashfaq’s own bride as a daughter-in-law?
Bored with thousands of rules and regulations, Rubina Begum got into a lot of trouble in the beginning, but with the full support of her beloved husband, she did not have to get much speed to adapt to the new environment. If man is right, then every moment of living is meaningful and relaxing.
Rubina Begum’s husband Sohag did not stay for long. After a few years of marriage, the husband went abroad with new responsibilities. He had to be very busy with the expansion of the business. There was not much time to come home. By that time, Rubina’s family was full of four children. Her time was spent raising children and waiting for her husband.
Then the mother-in-law passed away one by one. Two years apart, two love-deprived, insatiable hearts growled, but shamelessly lost to the strong desire to survive in the race of aristocracy, status and wealth.
Age increases, body parts get rusted. At one time, Ashfaq Sahib felt that a lot had happened. All his life he only ran after money. Now let’s take it a little bit. What you think is what you do. He closed his business in Dubai and returned to his home permanently.
Rubina Begum regained her youth after coming in contact with her husband after a long time. Physiological needs are not everything, and those desires do not arise at this age. But I want a flesh and blood person to open up about Paran. Is it possible to share everything with the children or do they have so much time to sit next to each other and listen to the mother’s heart.
They are the so-called modern mind generation. It is foolish to expect them to have the importance of mother’s old-fashioned meditations, ideas, thoughts. There may be exceptions.
After all this time, the two middle-aged Tonatuni stick together like glue. A moment cannot go without seeing each other. I have sacrificed a lot, now it’s time to enjoy life.
Ashfaq Sahib repaired the old house and made a duplex. It was a dream to be together with grandchildren in the last age. He made a garden of seasonal vegetables in the fallow land behind the house. Various colored native and foreign flower trees on the roof balcony. He got his beloved wife as a constant companion during the whole day’s work. The work is going on in full swing, along with the reminiscence of past memories. Children laugh at the good looks of this time. He was passing the moments with great joy.
But their love did not last long. Suddenly, one late night, Ashfaq Sahib’s chest and side pain started. As the suffering increased gradually, he was rushed to the hospital, but before he reached the disaster, everything happened.
Rubina Begum did not even get time to understand the situation. What happened to what? In a second, the world built by his care was completely shattered. He was completely stunned by the suddenness of the incident. He only looked at the distant sky with confused eyes. Who knows, maybe he has an understanding with the creator. Who is he so jealous of?
What is Rubina’s complaint against her late father-in-law who cleverly kept his son away from his daughter-in-law on the pretext of business? When Akbar Sobhan Sahib saw his keyed doll suddenly start talking, forcing him to take home the girl of his choice regardless of his opinion, advocating for his wife, even opposing various domestic decisions, he could not easily digest the matter.
Or Rubina’s pride in their children! When their father returned to the country on vacation, thinking of the children’s welfare, he used to discipline them a little, but the independent-minded children could not tolerate anyone’s interference in their personal freedom. Along with the distance of the road, the distance between the father and the child’s mind increased, she herself could not know when she gave birth. Or who knows maybe he failed to apply the right ointment at the right time. Because of that, when father came, they were upset, which did not escape Ashfaq Sahib’s eyes. He used to whisper in his mother’s ear
– When is dad going back, mom?
There was no joy in their mind or behavior when their father came back. There was no excitement, no interest. This upset their father and gradually he lost interest in returning home.
It could be that the anger was on her husband. Be it because of the addiction to more wealth or the greed to maintain nobility, the man has stayed away from Rubina all his life. He did not get the taste of youth – pleasure, happiness and joy. One life, the chance to enjoy it once, but why he had to spend all the water only with the family, children and socializing! What is the responsibility of the life of Shrihin Sheetal?
Well, what could happen is that Rubina thinks herself responsible for everything, not anyone else! She could not keep her husband due to her stupidity, lack of discretion, lack of skill in managing rights. Why did he fail to convey the simple fact that the father’s malnutrition is largely responsible for the reckless life of his children – is this his arrogance?
Maybe even Rubina’s ungratefulness to the Creator. Why his life has to be like this!
Grieving stone Rubina lay like a mass in one corner of the big house. Don’t talk to anyone. When someone comes to talk, he signals to leave. He was tried several times to change his place on doctor’s advice but nothing could convince him. Holding the momentary happy memory to her chest, she bit the ground and lay down in her husband’s house.
Meanwhile, the children have completed their studies and built respectable careers. Only daughter Prabha lives in Rajshahi where her husband works. The eldest son of the government official is in the family of Saudi Arabia.
Mezzota is a doctor. The only younger son lives with his daughter-in-law Rubina Begum. He is also kind of absent. Husband and wife go to work in the morning, children to school. After school holidays they go to Nanubari. At night the grandmother returns home with the children. Same routine every day.
A full-time nanny is hired to look after Rubina Begum but the young girl finds no reason to sit dumbly next to the old lady. He stays with his TV and mobile. Many times Rubina Begum could not find the wheelchair within her reach, then she made loud noises with a stick. But Aleya girl likes mobile games and Tiktok stuff. No sound enters his eardrum.
Rubina Begum is still alive today. The noise of the world can no longer touch him. The family was moving in its orbit according to its old rules, only Rubina Begum stopped. Here the clock is fixed…. adamant. Life brought him to a lonely island! What is the way to get rid of this stagnant life!
