(After previous write-up)
Nima realized that her father’s love for his country and his proud excitement at its freedom bad somehow given him the strength to sit upright. Strong emotions were writ large on his face.
Carefully, Nima lay her father back to rest. She smiled slightly and said, “You are right, Father!”
As she was proceeding towards her room, her father called her back again. Nima turned around and waited.
Her father said, “Tell me. dear, why is Hasan taking so long to return? I am very eager to hear everything from him. Had I not been ill I would also have surely participated in the freedom fight along with them. What do you say?
“Of course you would have, Father.”
“Because of me you too could not go anywhere. Luckily, you did not suffer any harm.”
Nima stood motionless, staring out the window. There was a strange pain in her heart. She could not tell him the truth.
The afternoon sun shone bright. There was a lot of din outside as people laughed and talked excitedly. The gay sound of blank shots pierced the air.
One fine day, Hasan returned with a group of freedom fighters. There was a lot of commotion. A lot of noise and laughter at their homecoming. Hasan climbed up to their flat even before Nima realized that he had returned. Nima did not have to come down. While still on the staircase, Hasan stretched out his hands and pulled Nima towards him. Nima could not believe her own eyes. Was it a dream?
Nima had thought she would cry on seeing Hasan. But he had come so suddenly that she failed to cry.
After a while, both of them entered her father’s room. He was resting but tried to sit up. “Come and sit beside me, Hasan. Let me see you properly. I feel blessed just to look at you. You have fought a great war. You have freed the country. You are the jewels of Bangladesh! What a joy it is to see you!”
Hasan set down the bag he was carrying beside the bed. He spoke to Nima, “Here, take this and keep it safely. It is all for you.”
Nima replied, “Of course, I’ll keep it. You look so tired. Sit for a while. I’ll bring something for you to eat.”
Hasan sprang up immediately and said, “Oh no, there is no need of anything to eat. I’m in a hurry I’ll come back some other time.”
Nima said, “You have come after a long time. Will you return soon?
Hasan said, “Yes, very soon. Now, keep this bag carefully.”
Nima asked after a moment, “What is in it?”
Hasan smiled, “The wealth of seven emperors!”
Nima was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
“Would you like to see?” Hasan opened the bag and poured out its contents on the bed.
Nima stared at the gold and diamond jewellery spilling from the bag.
She at Hasan. “But you went to fight.”
“Then what is this?”
Hasan replied, “The rewards of victory!”
“Has the government given them to you?”
Hasan put the jewellery back into the bag. “Why should the government give them to me? I mean, we have earned it.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means that wherever there were Urdu-speaking merchants, we raided their places and got these.”
Nima’s whole body started trembling. She shivered as she spoke, “You have looted all this?”
Hasan replied, “Yes, all of us did.”
Nima’s father could no longer keep quiet. He spoke with all the strength he could muster in his feeble and trembling voice, “Not everyone. Only those like you.”
Hasan laughed slightly, trying to ease the situation. “What is there to get so angry about, Uncle? We fought a war and freed our country. We have full right over these.”
“No, you don’t. One does not have a right over the property and wealth of innocent people’
Nima regained her composure and stood straight with her back to her wall. She could not imagine that this was the very same Hasan she had loved.
Hasan looked at Nima and said, “Please, Nima, make uncle understand and see reason.”
In reply, Nima looked at Hasan with horror. “You looted these things! You committed dacoity. Shame, Hasan, shame!”
“Don’t be silly, Nima. Don’t behave like this. Take the bag, keep it. I’ll talk to you later. I have to leave today.”
Hasan started to leave.
“Wait,” called out Nima.
Remorse and guilt had been gnawing her. But she realized that there was no need to feel ashamed for what had been done to her. She had not committed any crime. She was innocent, but Hasan was guilty.
Hasan turned back and said “Are you saying something?”
“No.”
“Then why did you call in back?”
Nima held on to the railing to keep from falling. She held out the bag. “Take this away.’
“Why?”
“This house is not the den of thieves!”
“Nima!”
Hasan found it difficult to believe that this was the soft, innocent Nima who loved him.
Hasan tried to smile. He slowly took two steps up, “Please, good girl, please don’t misunderstand me.”
Hasan could not proceed any further.
Nima flung the bag full of jewellery at Hasan. Her eyes blazed with emotion as she shouted, “Shame.”
She rushed upstairs and banged the door shut. Nonplussed, Hasan stood motionless for a moment. Then he tried to coax Nima to open the door.
But nothing could make her change her mind. Her head swam and she felt dizzy. She could not understand how the person who had risked his life for his country could loot arid rob. Was this the character of a freedom fighter?
Nima lay with her head in her father’s lap. “Why did Hasan change, Father? ‘Why?”
Her father could not say anything. He could only caress the disarranged hair of his devastated daughter.
Nima said after some time, “You were very right, Father, when you said, There is nothing in the world that our youngsters cannot.
Her father could not control himself any more. He began to sob. From the lane outside came shouts of joy, the sound of firecrackers, of blank shots. Nima covered her ears with her palms and burst into tears. n
(Concluded)
(Farida Hossain is a story writer, novelist, dramatist, translator, literary editor. She is mainly popular for juvenile literature. She is the President of Bangladesh chapter of international literary organization PEN. She has been awarded Ekushey Award in 2004 for her literary contribution)
