The Waiting

Opekkha, Ontoheen.
Bengali Short Story
By Manidipa Bhattacharya
04/26/2010
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Park Street er more Subho r jonno opekhkha korte korte Monimala ghorir dike takalo…
Pray minute ponero periye gelo, artist babur dekha nei.
Ei gorome, chorchore rod, taropore Nylon saree, sob miliye dom bondho hoye aste laglo.
Ektu boste parle bhalo hoto…
Edik odik takatei Subho ke dekhte pelo Monimala.

Kache astei agneyogirir phete berolo,’Etokhkhon lage?’
Mitimiti hasi niye Subho takiye ache dekhe aro birokto laglo Monimalar.
Rege giye bollo,’Matha gorom hoye ache. Abar hascho keno?’
Subho sunglass ta ordhek namiye bollo,’Ebare ar ektu sundor hoye phirle. Chul ta chhoto kore kete , bhari manachche…’bole I Jibonanondo aurate suru korlo Subho,’Chhul tar kobekar ondhokar….’
‘Ufff Subho, please!!! Khide peyeche.Gorome sorir kharap lagche. Age kothao A/c Room e cholo boshi..’
‘America y theke theke na, tomra boddo beshi ayeshi hoye gecho..’
‘Ayeshi?sokal theke rat obdi ek hathe sob kaj kori, office jaoya, ranna kora, bajar kora, chhele meyer take care kora, bason maja…….aro sunbe?’
‘Cholo chholo A/C te boshei shona jak…….’bole Subho pasher restaurant er dike pa baralo.

‘Aah, ki aram….’bole Monimala norom chair e ga eliye dilo…

Subho jiggesh korlo, thanda ki khabe?
‘Jol..’ bole Monimala chokh bondho korlo….

Waiter ke deke Subho thanda jol ar cocktail er order kore dilo.Sathe kichhu appetizer.

Thanda jol kheye mathata ektu thanda holo Monimalar.

Subho r dike takiye bollo, ‘ Ei ta notun holo?Age to kokhon o ashini..?besh bhalo restaurant ta’

Subho bollo,’Kolkata ta ekhon America hoye jachche Moni, ebare ekhane I chole esho.’

‘Na na baba, ei gorom, loadshedding, trafic jam, bandh…..oshombhob..’ ek nishshashe kotha gulo bole dom nilo Monimala.

‘Koyek bochor age o kothay jeno chile tumi?’ Subho proshno korlo.

Heshe phele Monimala bollo,’Ekhane I chilam bote…tobe, boyesh tao to dosh bochhor bere geche, tai na? Sojhjho sokti kome geche…Ekhon ektu tei kahil hoye pori..’

‘She jonnoi to bollam, chole esho ekhane…Chele meyera to boro hoyei geche…Eka eka theke aar ki hobe?’

‘Eka eka thaki ke bollo?’

‘Biye korle naki abar?’

Subhor proshno ta sune, jore heshe othlo Monimala. Bollo,’Antke uthle keno?’

‘Nemontonno ta miss hoye gelo bhebe….’ Subho bollo.

Cocktail e sip dite dite Monimala bollo,’ Na, abar biye kora ar holo na ...’

Fish and Chips khete khete Subho bollo,’Keno, ei na tomader naki ekta ‘singles club’ ache for ‘Single Again’ people, sekhane kauke pele na?’…

‘‘Singles Club’ e Single ar keu nei, bujhle? Shob I double….Baki ja pore ache , sob jhotti porti…’ bolei abar hi hi kore heshe uthlo Monimala.

‘Moni, tomar ‘hi hi’ hashir batik ta aj o gelo na….’ Michki heshe Subho bollo.

‘Hya, ar bolo na, jokhon tokhon hasi peye jay, majhe majhe khub embarrassing situation create kori ami…’ Monimala bollo.

‘Hashi to bhalo jinish, kojon ar tomar moton mon khule haste pare bolo?’

‘Achcha amar kotha thak…tumi biye korle na keno?’

‘Tomake pelam na bole…’

‘‘Propose’ i korle na konodin, korbo ki kore?’

‘Korar agei to biye kore bidesh pari dile… ‘

‘ Tokhon o ki tumi bolecchile, na korte?’

‘Ki kore boltam? Engineering sesh hoyni ar biyer prostab?’

‘Opekhkha to korte partam..’

‘Shei sukh ar sachchondo to dite partam na…’

‘Keno, tomar ek ekta ‘Chobi ‘ I naki ek lakh, du lakh takay bikri hoy, Bideshe o chahida bhalo….Sukh sachchoo r kichu komti to dekhchina..’

‘She to ekhon dekhcho, tokhon to jantam na. Janle jete ditam na..’

‘Ta hothath IIT r brilliant student, Art niye porle keno sob kichhu jolanjoli diye?’

‘Tomar chobi ankbo bole…’

‘Tai naki? Kota amar chhobi enkecho?’

‘Eksho tetallish ta…’

‘Oh shei, ‘Seduced’ na ki jeno , shei series er chobigulo?’

‘The Seductress’

‘Ogulo ektao amar chobi na…tyara chokh, nak nei, mota mota thonth, bichchciri dekhte koyekta chobi…Ogulo ami na motei….’

Monimalar kotha sune ha ha kore heshe uthlo Subho. Bollo, ‘Ke tahole?’

‘Hobe tomar keu notun premika…’

‘Amar abar premika kotha y pele Moni?

‘Tomar abar premikar obhab? Roj I to shuni nitto notun…Aj Manashi, Kal Chaitali, tarpor Nupur, Monali….gune to sesh kora jay na…..’

‘Tara to bandhobi, premika sudhu tumi…’

‘Prem I korlam na konodin tomar sathe ami, tobe Premika holam ki kore?’

‘Ei to prem korcho…’

‘Boshe boshe chingri maher bhaja khachchi bole, eta prem keno hobe?’

‘Ei je bar bar chhute chhute amake dekhte asho, roj email e phone ekhonj khobor nao, eta prem na?’

‘Chhute chhute moteo dekhte ashi na? Ma babar boyesh hoyeche, bochore tai ekbar Kolkatay dhu mari…Tomar jonno ashi?’

‘Ta besh, na asho, tahole amar bandhobi r kotha sunle mukh hari hoye jay keno?’

‘Tumii to amake bolo amar naki sob somoy ei hari mukh, gal phola gobindor ma…koto ki to bolo….’

‘She to tumi eto mutki hoyecho je gal phule geche…seta onno byapar….’

‘Baje kotha bolte parle tumi ar kichhu chao na…Khabar er order debe na?’

‘Ki khabe bolo toh?Ekhane bhalo biryani banay. Bole dei?’

‘Bolle ekta I bolo, ar ekta soup ba halka kichu iye nao..’

‘Tar mane purotai theshe thushe amake I khaoyabe, nijje kichu khabe na tumi…eta ami bhaloi jani Moni….’

‘Janoi jodi tahole jiggesh koro keno?’

Waiter ke khabarer order diye Subho aschi bole kothay chole gelo.

Monimalao bathroom e giye ektu fresh hoye elo.

Phire eshe dekhlo Subho abar phone e.

Phone rekhe Subho ‘Sorry’ bollo.

‘Sarakhkhon eto mohilader pone ashe keno?’

‘Hingshe hochche?’

‘Ta ektu hochche boiki…Eta koto nombor bandhobi? Gotobar to Monisha chhilo, eta ke?’

Ha ha abar heshe uthlo Subho, bollo,’Er nam Rini…’

‘Latest?’

‘Bolte paro!!’

‘Sotti, tumi paro o bote…’

‘Ki korbo?’

‘Monisha kothay gelo?’

‘Rege mege chole gelo ekdin…’

‘Keno?’

‘Keno abar? Tomader sob meyeder i to ek rog, biye kobe korcho, biye kobe korcho?’

‘Korle i parte…’

‘Korte parle to koto ki I korte partam…..parchhi ar koi?’

‘Chesta kore dekhechho?’

‘Na…’

‘Emni emnii sob hoye jabe?’

‘Emni korei jay jodi din jak na…….Moni, koror na gan ta?’

‘Pagol naki? Restaurant e gan?’

‘Tahole ami ki kore sunbo?Khaoya sesh holei to tuk kore chhole jabe…Abar ek bochchor bade hoyto dekha pabo, ki pabona…’

‘Phone e dial korlei to jante paro….’

‘She o to durabhash…she to tumi na, onno lok hoye jao…’

‘Ki je abol tabol bokcho!!Phone e ami onno lok…?Ar tomar chhobir tera byaka mukh hochchi ami? Ki je bolo!!’

‘Tumi ki keboli chhobi? Sudhu pote likha….’ Subho kobita bolte boltei abar jhon jhon kore or phone ta bee uthlo.
Phone ta dhore abar Subho baire gelo…

Khabar eshe gelo totokhkhone.
Monimala ekai khaoya suru kore dilo.
Gombhir mukhe Subho eshe boshlo.
Thomthome mukh dekhe Monimala ar oke kichu jiggesh korlo na.

Khabar ta niye Subho narachara korche dekhe Monimala bollo, ‘tomar tara thakle jete paro. Amar kono osubidhe nei…’

‘Na thik ache…eshob to choltei thakbe.’bole Subho khaoyay mon dilo….

Abar Subhor phone bajlo.
Ebare phone ta kete dilo Subho.

Monimalar khub oswasti hote laglo. Na ashlei bhalo chhilo.

Subho emnite khub chapa. Kintu bhetore bhetore ragche, mukh dekhe onuman korche.

Monimalar ichche korchhilo chhute paliye jay.

Abar phone ta bajtei Subho phone ta tule Restarant er nam ta bollo kauke…..

Aj kicchu ekta gondogoler abhash pachche.

Ektu porei ek sundori olpo boyeshi mohila dhuklo.

Mone mone promad gunlo Monimala.

Eshe oder table ei boshlo. Bollo,’Hi, I am Rini. Mrs. Subho Dasgupta…’

Kemon charidik ondhokar…aste aste chokh khullo Monimala.

Jhapsha jhapsha kichu oporichito mukh dekhte pelo.

O kothay keno ki kichui mone korte parlo na……..

Aste aste bollo,’Ami kothay?’

Ekjon bollo,’Didi apni rastay matha ghure pore gechhilen….ekhon ekta dokane suye achen..’

Konokrome bollo,’Subho kothay? Subho Asheni?’

She lokta jobab dilo,’Apnar songe to keu chhilo na didimoni.Apni ekai to ghontakhanek dariye theke oggyan hoye gelen….’

‘Ami kotokhkhon ekhane achi?’

‘Ta pray ghonta duyek hobe….Gyan ashar por apni ghumute chailen bole ar dakini…

‘Toto khkhon keu amar khonj koreni..?’

‘Na toh, ami to ei dokanei chilam sarakhkhon boshe….keu to…..’

‘Subho, tumi ebar o ele na?’ mone mone bir bir kore chokh bondho korlo Monimala…….


….Copyright @Manidipa