: What’s this, you crazy girl! You look like a complete princess in your wedding photos!
: Maybe! But father’s little princess is having a hard time in someone else’s house, brother.
: What do you mean?
: I can’t tell anyone else, so I’m telling you.
: Tell me.
: Brother, do you remember how I used to say he would hit me over every little thing?
: Hmm.
: Brother, you told me to leave him. You said if he had this in him, it wouldn’t go away even after marriage. I never believed it, and I even sulked with you over it.
: You used to say he hit you out of affection.
: Yes, brother. He would emotionally blackmail me too. Whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it. I used to tell you, remember, brother?
: Yes. I used to tell you to get away from him. You heard that and didn’t speak to me for days.
: That’s right. I was blind, brother. I thought everything would work out. I loved him, you know!
: So, what’s happened now?
: Nothing, brother. I can’t tell everyone. I haven’t told father, but mother seems to have caught on after seeing the blue-black bruises on my body. Before, only he used to hit me, but now his father, mother, even his little sister lay their hands on me. Just the other day my father-in-law threw a tea cup at my face. There’s no abuse his sister hasn’t hurled at me.
: What are you saying! You told me they were such a refined family.
: They are, of course. No one would understand anything from the outside. Everyone in the family is highly educated, smart.
: Do they really beat you? I feel strange hearing this. Isn’t he at DMC? His sister studies at Dhaka University, doesn’t she? His father was a chief engineer at PDB, wasn’t he?
: Everything’s correct, brother. And it’s also correct that I get beaten every day like clockwork.
: Don’t you say anything? Does your family know about this?
: I haven’t told them yet. It’s only been three months since the wedding, and I married by my own choice. If I say something now, father will die. It hasn’t been long since his heart attack. The doctor said to keep father safe. You know, brother, the other day he slapped me 10-15 times so hard in front of his mother that I fainted.
: What are you saying! This is terrible!
: I’m telling the truth, brother. This same person once used to skip classes and stay at Jahangirnagar just for me. It’s hard to believe. He’s changing so much, brother!
: Where are you now?
: I’ve come to our house for a couple of days. It’s been five days now, I don’t feel like going back there. At least staying here saves me from getting beaten! I’m in so much pain, brother. I never understood before getting beaten that physical pain could be worse than emotional pain. You wouldn’t recognize me if you saw me now. You know, yesterday his mother called and said, while you’re sitting there comfortably, who’s doing the housework? Come back now, I’ll show you some fun.
: Listen, tell your family everything. File a case. Divorce him. He’s always had this nature. It will never change, you can be sure of that. Day by day he’ll get worse. His whole family are animals too. How will you live there?
: No, brother, that’s not possible. I can’t live without him. If I leave, who will take care of him? I’ll love him even while dying. Getting beaten hurts a lot physically, that’s true. But if I leave him, I’ll truly die. I can make him better. What do you say, brother, can’t I?
: You won’t be able to do anything! This animal will never become human. If he had even a bit of humanity in him, he couldn’t have raised his hand on you. Give me uncle’s number, I’ll talk to him.
: No, brother, I just told you all this casually. Don’t tell anyone, please. Everything will work out, you’ll see.
: So you’re going back there?
: Yes, brother, I’ll go. I’ll turn him into a good person. I can do it, can’t I, brother?
: Do whatever you want! Listen, do they at least feed you properly?
: They do if I work. They give food even when they don’t like my work, but not all the dishes. The other day my sister-in-law and mother-in-law burned my two poetry notebooks. I cried so much, brother, but they wouldn’t listen. Don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself, get married. Don’t think you won’t be happy just because you haven’t fallen in love. Before, he used to love me and beat me. Now he doesn’t love me anymore, just beats me. Brother, you know, on any day I don’t get beaten, it feels so good! Then I just want to love him even more!
: Don’t go back to that house! They’ll kill you.
: They won’t kill me, brother, they’ll keep me alive. If they kill me, who will they beat?
: Here, take a selfie and send it to me. Let me see you.
: Oh no, brother, what are you saying! I’m fine, you don’t need to see me. He doesn’t hit too hard, and when I start crying and cling to his feet, he lets go. Listen, brother, let’s not talk about this anymore, okay?
: Didn’t you used to write poetry? Do you still write? You write exactly like Bhaskar! How long has it been since we talked about poetry! Did you ever read Shashwati Sanal?
: I write, brother, in my mind. How do people live without poetry, tell me! One day all my poems will be printed in the flames of the funeral pyre, I know that too. All the sorrowful letters of poetry will scatter everywhere like flying sparks of blazing fire. That day, give your little sister a blessing and say, ‘At least be happy from now on, you crazy girl!’ You’ll say that, won’t you, brother?
I couldn’t write anything more. Something inside my chest began to wail. I felt as if something was slipping away, something was slipping away, and I couldn’t stop it no matter what! I don’t have a younger sister of my own. Knowing that a girl is suffering like this is unbearable. Most of the time I can’t do anything. Only my eyes well up with tears. For those boys who raise their hands on girls, who abuse them, there’s no question of even the slightest compassion or mercy! There’s no greater foolishness than marrying them with the idea of “fixing them” and turning your life into hell. There’s no such thing as it being too late. The final attempt to save yourself remains in your hands until the moment before death! Whatever happens, you can start life anew from any stage of life. We must remember that boys like this are definitely mentally disturbed, sick. There’s no point in deciding to spend your life with someone who’s mentally ill! Life is never worth so little!
ভালোবাসা বড়োই বিষম বস্তু ! তবে আটকে না থেকে এগিয়ে যাওয়াই জীবন – ধর্ম বলে মনে করি,তাইতো প্রিয় লেখক বলেছেন: ” একজন অসুস্থ মানসিকতার মানুষের সাথে জীবন কাটিয়ে দেয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়ার তো কোনও মানেই হয় না। জীবনের দাম কিছুতেই এত কম নয়!”
ভালোবাসা শব্দটা বড়ই অদ্ভুত একটা শব্দ, যেটা শুনলেই মনে কিছু পাওয়ার ইচ্ছে জাগে! কিন্তু ওই প্রান্তের মানুষটা যদি সত্যিকারের মানুষ না হয় তাহলে ভালোবাসার বিনিময়ে শুধু কস্টই পাওয়া যায়।
আমার জীবনের গল্পের সাথে অনেকটাই মিলে। প্রিয় লেখকের এই লিখাটার শেষের “একজন অসুস্থ মানসিকতার মানুষের সাথে জীবন কাটিয়ে দেয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়ার তো কোনও মানেই হয় না। জীবনের দাম কিছুতেই এত কম নয়!” এই অংশটা পড়ে নিজেকে ভালো রাখতে সক্ষম হয়েছি। সমাজে টিকে থাকার অবলম্বন তৈরি করতে পেরেছি। প্রিয় লেখকের আরও একটি কথা মনেপ্রাণে বিশ্বাস করি যে শুধু বেঁচে থাকলেই অনেককিছু হয় জীবনে।