Shackled – (The mystery of the green box)—- Chapter 6.

CHAPTER 6 – THE REVELATION

A man walked in .

Durga gaped at him in utter shock. How did he find her whereabouts? He instructed a few men who followed him into the room, to take Kanaimama away from there. The men grabbed Kanai by his feet and dragged him towards the exit, leaving a bloody trail on the floor behind. Durga was too shocked to react. But, as Kanaimama’s hand slipped out of hers, she knew that this was the last time she could hold his hand . She vented out a loud cry. ” Niye jeo na amaar mama ke. Chharo chhaaro bolchi. Ki korcho tomra mama’r lagbe toh ! Shaitan chaar bolchi ! “* She punched and scratched them while they pulled him out of the room . Two other men pushed her back inside and blocked the door way. Durga looked at the man who gave them instructions, in wrath. ” Tor mon bhore ni shaitan lok. Amader sab I toh niye niyechish aar ki baki ache ? Kano marli amaar mama ke ? Amaar Kanai mama kauke konodin aghaat kore ni, shei mamake tui mere dili? Firiye de amaar mamake bodmaash firiye de”*, she violently shook him holding his kurta* tightly with her hands. The man pushed her on the floor, and laughed out loud. “Hahahahaha….. Tor mama ke kano marlaam ?”* Then he paused for a moment and grinding his teeth uttered the words, “Kaaron tor mama amader thokiyeche. “*

Durga frowned on hearing this. What connection could Kanai mama have with this man. How can her uncle betray him ?

She asked him, “Maane?” The man replied , “Shudhu amake na , tokeo thokiyeche.”

Durga looked at him, shocked. She couldn’t believe her ears. Her Kanaimama betrayed her ? His Duggama ? No that can’t be true. She knew him well…..

Or……. At least, she thought so…

So, Kanai was behind all this…. He betrayed his own family.

Chill ran through her spine as she started to put the fragments of her moments with Kanai together. She couldn’t say confidently, for once, that something did not seem odd in his behavior. Now everything started to make sense. She never understood why Kanaimama kept on insisting that Durga should carry the green box with herself, even at his friend’s wedding .Back at home, he always looked so tensed, like he was trying to bury so many secrets in his heart. Durga saw him sweat and uneasily move away from the room, when she told him everything, that the stranger did with Neera and Durga at Nawabganj. She expected her mama to hug her and console her when she was crying after narrating the series of events they went through in Bangladesh. But, instead he trembled and left the room sweating. That was weird. So, now it’s clear, he joined hands with this man . Durga fumed. She trusted Kanai mama with her life.

The woman entered the room and sprinkled water over Neera’s face. She can’t afford to let her die, or else the information they need will go with her. So she had to help her drink water. Neera opened her eyes with difficulty. She could see the woman’s face , she recognized her voice correctly.

In front of her stood ……. Dainik’s wife, Haseena.

Neera asked her in a faint voice, “Tui ki koire amon korchosh Haseena ? Tore poribarer log bhabtam.”*

Haseena laughed. “Mondo proshno na koira, Dugga’r khobor de, kotha pathaisili oke ? “*

Neera looked away from her. Her expressions stiff. Haseena understood that she won’t give in so easily. She whispered in her ears, “Dainik bachba na , tui na uttor dila.”*

Neera looked at Haseena’s face, shocked. This woman was threatening to kill her own husband. Then the woman said something even more shocking , “Amaar ektukuo koshto hoiba na oke maarte. Kaaron ami Dainik er bou i na.” Then bringing her face closer to Neera’s , she said the words, “ Amaar logey Wasim er biya hoyese. Du batshor aagey Dainik er logey biya ti ekti naatok go.”* And she laughed….

Neera looked at her with eyes wide open. She kept uttering her words , trying to make her mind believe them. ‘Haseena is not Dainik’s wife. Their marriage was a sham. She is not Dainik’s wife. She is Wasim’s wife. Wasim… Wasim… Who is Wasim?’

She asked her, ” Ke Wasim ?”*

Haseena laughed again , this time even louder…” Wasim ke tui chinish na bolos na ! Atodin ato seba joton korili .”*

What she said was enough ! Neera got her answer.

So, he is the man whom she dragged into her house that day with Durga and Dainik’s help. The man who suffered the injuries. The man whom they treated with so much care, who lived in their house for a long long time. So, he lay bleeding and bruised in front of their door with a purpose in mind. But the bruises were real. Many a times a voice in her mind echoed, making her think over and over again regarding her decision to help him. Many a times did she and Durga shed tears, repenting on the decision she took on that day.

That dark rainy night when they brought in a stranger in their house to help him survive. When he returned to his senses, he did say that his name was Sujal. His weakness was such that they could not ask him to leave . He took every single opportunity to slowly take control over everyone and everything in their house, and she could do nothing to stop him. The corruption around did not allow her to take help from outside either. Durga was growing up into a beautiful young girl. Oneday, she noticed Sujal eyeing her grand daughter, bad intentions written all over his face. That day, she decided to send her away to Kanai’s place. Dainik helped Neera . He somehow managed to take Durga to the train station . Since that day, Neera never met Durga or Dainik. Sujal asked her several times about Durga, showing his anger and threatening Neera every now and then. After a few days he left , saying he would return in a while. His brother, who visited him often, was instructed to stay in the house and keep an eye on Neera, until he returned. Since then Neera was put under house arrest.

Every single day appeared to be the same to her, until tonight, when she found herself locked in a room of her house and heard the female voice. Haseena’s voice. Her trust, broken one more time…..

Both Durga and the man turned back to check if someone was at the door. The sound of footsteps from the distance drew closer and then stopped near the entrance of the room in which Durga was held captive. An old man, tall and sturdy, entered the room. The way he looked at her, made her shudder. How on Earth can someone’s mere glance, feel so hateful !

Glossary-

Niye jeo na amaar mama ke. Chharo chhaaro bolchi. Ki korcho tomra mama’r lagbe toh! Shaitan chaar bolchi ! —-Please don’t take my uncle with you. Leave him leave him. What are you doing? Uncle will get hut. Leave him .
Tor mon bhore ni shaitan lok. Amader sab I toh niye niyechish aar ki baki ache ? Kano marli amaar mama ke ? Amaar Kanai mama kauke konodin aghaat kore ni, shei mamake tui mere dili. Firiye de amaar mamake bodmaash firiye de.—-Are you not satisfied yet? You have taken everything we had, what more do you want? Why did you kill my uncle? He never harmed anyone. You cunning man, make him alive again !
kurta—-
Hahahahaha tor mama ke kano marlaam ?—– Laughing he replied why I killed your uncle?
Kaaron tor mama amader thokiyeche.—- Because he betrayed us.
Maane?—–meaning ?
Shudhu amake na , tokeo thokiyeche—- Not only me, he betrayed you as well.
Tui ki koire amon korchosh Haseena ? Tore poribarer log bhabtam. —- How could you do this Haseena? We considered you to be a family member.
Mondo proshno na koira, Dugga’r khobor de,kotha pathaisili oke ? —- Instead of asking bad questions give me some news of Durga. Where did you send her?
Dainik bachba na , tui na uttor dila—- Dainik won’t survive if you don’t answer.
Amaar ektukuo koshto hoiba na oke maarte. Kaaron ami Dainik er bou i na. Amaar logey Wasim er biya hoyese. Du batshor aagey Dainik er logey biya ti ekti naatok go—–I will not feel any pain while killing him because I have no feelings for Dainik as I am Wasim’s wife. My marriage with Dainik was a sham.
Ke Wasim ? —- Who is Wasim ?
Wasim ke tui chinish na bolos na ! Atodin ato seba joton korili — Don’t tell me you don’t know Wasim ! You took care of him so much since a long time now.

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