GOYNAAR BAAKSHO !!!

After India’s Independence in 1947, the Muslims of East Pakistan (i.e. Bangladesh at present) kicked out all the Bengali Hindus from the Eastern region of the ancient Bengal Province. A Hindu Bengali family migrated from Faridpur of East Pakistan to Nababganj of India. Rasmoni got married at the age of 11 years and became a widow at the age of 12 years. But, she had some valuable assets. In 1971, in the Muslim nation of East Pakistan, the Urdu speaking Pakistani Muslims started kicking out the Bengali speaking Muslims. Many Bengali Muslims of East Pakistan entered India through West Bengal as refugees to save their own life. At that time, Ms. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. She decided to provide freedom and independence to all the Bengali Muslims by defeating the Pakistani Army of East Pakistan. Many Bengali Muslims of East Pakistan started the freedom struggle for a separate nation, Bangladesh. They were popularly known as Mukti-Joddha. The Mukti-Joddha group required some financial support to make their organization a strong one to fight against the Pakistani Army. The girl who took birth in 1953 started narrating a story.

The native people or the original Bengali people of West Bengal are called Ghotis and the Bengali refugees (i.e. the people who were kicked out of East Pakistan and later settled down in West Bengal) are called Bangaals. Ghotis created Mohun Bagan Club and Bangaals created East Bengal Club. Still today, Ghotis and Bangaals are the arch-rivals when it comes down to any Derby Football Match in any part of the world, especially in Kolkata. But, what an irony! In the year of 1949, a poor Ghoti Girl got married to a rich Bangaal Boy. ‘Kato baro baari dekhechish, ghatak thik ee bolechilo, Rajbaari te biye hoyeche tor.’ ‘Arrey! O Rasmoni! Chandan bou ansey, ashirbad karbo na.’ Being a rich Bangaal old lady; Rasmoni, the younger sister of Chandan’s father always used to insult the poor Ghoti girl. Pishima gifted two bangles to Somlata. In earlier days, there were two types of classes in Bengal. One was Zamindar Class and the other was Labour Class. People of Zamindar class were very lazy and they lost all their wealth due to laziness. People of Labour Class were very hardworking people and started sucking the Zamindar class people like parasites and later on, they became richer than the people of Zamindar class. Who died to become a ghost?

After the death of a person, so many people started searching for those valuable assets but failed to find anything. ‘Khojo khojo, Kachu Poora.’ Whose tongue got paralyzed? ‘My God! Paralysis has just now spread to the hand as well!’ Near the pond, Pishima asked, ‘Kamon laage re?’ After all, Pishima didn’t get enough time to satisfy herself and fulfil the thirst of her beloved hubby. That’s why; Pishima always repented about it. To run the legal case, the Mitra family started keeping the valuable items of their house as mortgage to take some loans. Somlata and Chandan invested some money to open up a saree shop. ‘Ki koila, dokaan dise!’ ‘Dynamo diya alor maalae sajaise, sobha ki!’ ‘Capital! Capital paaye koth thekeya?’ Pishima was too happy as the name of the shop was ‘Rashmoni Saree Stores’. ‘Kamala galo na! Bhar dupur bela, bahar diya bahir hoiche dakho. Taa challo kon thae?’ ‘Oi Mittir der dokaanei hobe.’ ‘Kao ki? Ekhono choltaase!’ Chandan had a love affair with Kamala. Pishima told about Chameli and Kamala to Somlata. Pishima also told an old story. Why that Non-Bengali person got killed? ‘Jiga. Jiga giya. Saree churi hoyise? Saree churi hoyise na tattwo gase dakh giya.’

‘Chal Puni! Tor dada r dokaan taa dekhya aasi giya’. Chandan’s cousin sister visited Chandan’s shop with Chandan’s aunty. Chandan, Somlata and Shahjahan started showing different types of sarees to Puni. ‘Daraao Puni, Dhakai dekhbe Dhakai, Jamdani, Benarasi, Baluchari, Shantipuri, Farashdanga, Begum Bahar, Bishnupuri.’ After a few minutes, Chandan felt fed up with Puni and her big lectures. ‘Hoyise hoyise, onek hoyise, poora dukaan ta namaisi apnaar meya taar kathay. Naa charo toh! Sei dinkaar meya, ekhono naak tiple doodh bahir hoy, amaare Kolkatta dekhaye. Na na jyathaima, baro chattang chattang buli hoyise apnaar ei meya taar.’ Somlata planned to bring supplies of Kanchivaram, Mysore and Bangalore Silk Sarees from different parts of India to make their saree shop a branded saree shop of Natunbazar of Nababganj Town. Chandan went to Mumbai to bring some new supplies of good quality sarees. Next day, Chandan’s elder brother spent some time in Chandan’s saree shop as a shop owner. The price of a Blue coloured Dhakai Nilambari saree got hiked from Rs. 45/- to Rs. 145/-. A reputed and loyal customer felt cheated. Later on, Somlata handled the situation smartly and also gifted that saree as a gift from the saree shop. Being a Ghoti Girl, she proved that good relationships with the customers and discounts on the selling products always increase the business profitability.

Who was following that married lady? Pishima was giving some naughty ideas to Somlata. ‘Arrey raikha de. Paap! Chele tare ghore aaina chibaiya kha. Ayae! Bhaari Sati Sabitri aailo, bhalo katha koilam, naa sunle nijei poshtaabi. Tor oi daho jakhon poicha goila sesh hoiya jaaibo, takhon hai hai koira morish. Amar ki! Uuh!’ Somlata felt frustrated as there was no authentic information when her hubby would return from Surat via Mumbai. On a cloudy and stormy night, the two stranger lovers enjoyed the one-night stand in the nearby woods. Somlata felt guilty after fulfilling her sexual desire as she realized that she is a married woman now. On that night, Chandan returned to Nababganj. The married couple enjoyed that sexual night. After 10 months, Chaitali took birth. Chaitali had a nice friend since her childhood. ‘Ami pori na toh ki hoyise. Prochur bhooth ache jaara roj khaborer kagoj pore.’ Chaitali and Ramkhilaon’s grandson loved each other. ‘Byartho Prem baro ee marattok jinish re Chaiti’. Was Benu and the other freedom fighters of Bangladesh able to free Bangladesh from those bloody Pakistanis? Who committed suicide after failing in love? ‘Ato bhalobasha abohelaye firiye diechile maa?’ The poet wrote, ‘Majhkhaane aaj bahoman paani rache byabodhan, rache byabodhan tomaar amaar, rache byabodhaan dui banglaar. Tai ki ele? O paar er meye, sab kaaj phele tai ki ele? Kuasha r setu baandhbe bole?’ Why Rafiq coined that lady as Kafir? At present, what are the valuable assets inside the “GOYNAAR BAAKSHO”?