Part 03

'Don't you go to school?' Poorna asked Padmaja.

'I'll go.'

'Hurry up.'

Purna rushed into the house. Padmaja is sitting indifferently on the riverbed behind the house. The name of this river is Madini (pseudonym). Three weeks into the summer break. Now is the rainy season. Madini is filled to the brim with water. She is like a streamer. A continuous stream of murky water flows towards the sea. Dense green kachuripana is floating from upstream. This scene of Padmaja is very nice to see. Looking at the clear water of Madini with innocent eyes. A launch is going over Madini's chest. Seeing the launch, he remembered the incident a month ago. That night, Hemlata entered the room with a knife. Padmaja entered the room with trembling legs and lay down on the bed. Fell asleep in no time. The next day after returning home from school, he prayed and sat down to eat. Then Himel entered the house in a panic. Himel is the younger brother of Hemalta.

' You? This lotus, where are you? Himel's voice.

'What happened, uncle?' Padmaja replied.

Ignoring Padmaja's question, Himel called Hemlata, 'Apa, ai apa.'

Hemlata came walking from the back of the house busily.

'What happened?'

Himel saw Hemlata and wept loudly.

'You, brother have been killed. Raite who knows Maira Felchere you..."

Himel fell to his knees crying. Padmaja immediately looked at her mother with skeptical eyes. Seeing Hemla, it seemed that he was shocked. However, he was not supposed to be shocked. Or acted in front of Himel?

'Poorna, don't let love come there Padma. I'm coming.'

Hemlata went out of the house. Himel is digging and walking on the side. The boy is stupid, congenitally disabled. Twenty-two-year-old Himel still behaves like a child. Crying a lot. His brother was killed there. He will cry every day for a month.

Padmaja thought this could happen at night. But now I am very afraid. Did the police come? What will take the mother? At the thought, Padma's chest heaved. City, police station near the village. The police must have come. Padma sat down on the ground. He is sweating a lot. Nose, mouth, throat is becoming monotonous. Purna is very scared after hearing about the murder. He feels like he will be killed too. Very timid Purna. Padmaja's body began to tremble. As you can see, Hemlata is being chained by the police. She is crying a lot. Padmaja stood up without wasting time. Pulling the veil over her head, she said to Poorna,

"Look at Premer, sister." '

The house is full of people. More people are coming. Hemlata pushed the people and stood in front of Hanif's body. Then two fair-skinned women jumped on him. Hemlata was unprepared for the sudden attack. Notice that the two women are his mother and sister. They are howling and crying. But Hemlat is unable to cry. The matter is not in the public eye? What should be done to cry? Hanif's dead body looks like someone has chopped it up at will. Hemlat feels peaceful seeing that! Such peace has not been found for a long time. Padmaja appears there. Hemlat noticed. Padmaja looked at her mother's eyes with fearful eyes. Hemlata frowned and returned to normal. Padmaja turns her eyes to see if the police have come. So many people around. Hemlata came forward seeing Padmaja peeking around. Padmaja turned her face with her eyes closed. Padmaja hurriedly entered the cowshed holding the veil to her mouth. His mother never wanted him to be in front of so many people.

Hemlata turned her head and saw Padmaja peeking out from the cowshed and observing the situation outside.

The police arrived shortly after. Hanif's body was taken away after questioning. Rumor has it that Hanif was killed last night. Then it was thrown into the river. The body floats at the launch jetty.

Padmaja breathed a sigh of relief as Hemlata was not taken away by the police. People's fear has also decreased. Hemalta's mother is sitting in a corner of the courtyard, tired of crying. Padmaja came out of the cowshed on short legs. Hemlata looked at Padmaja and smiled softly. Hemalta's mother Manjura saw that smile. He thought of something. Came to Hemlata and said, 'Are you murdering?'

'Why do you think so?'

Hemlat's voice is normal. However, Padmaja was very scared after hearing this question. If Nanu told the police? The police will take his mother!

' You came to Hanif's house in Kail Rai. I'm not Dehi?' Manjura is shaking with anger.

'Hm, I'm coming.' A frank confession of weakness.

Why did Marli leave me? What is harming you? '

'I killed because I was coming?'

' What else do you need for him at this time?'

'Why should I kill him?'

Manjura looks hurt at Hemlat. Hemlat's eyes and face are hard. After the silence, Manjura shouted, 'I will go to the police.'

Padmaja cried. He said in a muffled voice, 'Nanu don't do that.'

Hemlata said sternly in a low voice, 'Amma, don't try to take me away from my daughters. The result will be very bad.'

Padmaja felt that Manjura was scared. Manjura is always afraid of Hemlata. He went silent. He only looked at Hemlat with hateful eyes. Padmaja can't understand why her grandmother is afraid of her mother? What happened in the mother's past? Why is he so rude? Does any mother leave her son's murderer? Why did Nanu leave? Girl say? Or another reason? There is no answer. If you think about this, you get a headache. Why are they not like the other eight-ten families? Or secretly all families have such complications? A thousand questions! Where is the answer?

That night while eating, Hemlata said to Padmaja in a low voice, 'Padma?'

'Yes, mother.'

'I did not kill Hanif. I don't even know who did it.'

Padmaja is very surprised to hear this. Her mother doesn't lie. So who killed? Padmaja asked, 'Then why did you go to uncle last night, Amma?'

Hemlata did not reply. Stop eating and get up.

Padmaja's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone's footsteps. He turned his head and saw Morshed. Morshed saw Padmaja sitting on the ghat and frowned in annoyance.

' This cheri ja n thaika. '

Padmaja cries. feels very bad A drop of water fell silently. He hides it and walks inside the house.

_____________

Padmaja matric exam after few months. The three sisters went on the road with books. Padmaja is covered with a veil up to the waist. Purna is chattering in unison. The talk won't stop until you go to school. Sometimes laughing out loud. The girl probably has a laughing disease. Once you start smiling, you can't stop. Padmaja repeatedly says, 'Amma is agreeing to talk and laugh on the street. Don't shut up.'

Still Purna is smiling. He behaves like a free bird when he comes out of the house. He looks like he has been released from the cage.

'The lotus... that lotus. erect.'

Padmaja looked at the fields. Lavanya is running down the aisle of the field. Lavanya and Padmaja fall in the same category. Lavanya came close and gasped. After calming down, the four of them started walking towards school together.

'Have you learned to read Bengali today?'

Ignoring Padma's question, Labanya said, 'Hey, if you speak in clean language in Chheri Barit, do you have to speak outside as well?'

'I don't know the vernacular.'

Lavanya expressed her displeasure. She is the daughter of Matabbar family in Alandpur. Everyone in their family is educated. Yet they speak the regional language. Except for two or three members of the family. And Padmaja's fourteen bunches are stupid, except for two or three people. Still think so! Regional language or can not!

'I really can't. Amma has taught pure language since childhood. He also said. So I feel comfortable speaking in pure language.'

' Purna can. '

'I don't want to try.'

' Drop the will. Listen, Kyle Amr's home heroes and heroines will come.'

Purna was confused and asked, 'Why should I come? Which hero?'

' To shoot. Film shooting.'

Padmaja is not interested in this. Poorna is very interested. One day a week he goes to Sumid's house to watch movies on the black and white TV. So his interest in acting artists skyrocketed. Poorna asked the question, 'Which hero is the heroine? Don't say you beauty!'

'Wait! I think '

Purna is looking with curiosity. Lavanya closed her eyes and tried to remember. After that he said, 'Likhon Shah and Chitra Devi.'

'You are the hero-heroine of my film?'

'Yes.'

All the way to school Lavanya and Purna discussed the movie. Likhan Shah was the keynote speaker.