Dream - Sohag Atanu

Dream

Sohag Atanu

1

—Shuvro, don't go, son! Look at our little family. The rice from our fields, vegetables from the yard, milk from our cows, ducks and chickens—we live quite well with what we have. How will I live without you?

—Mother, you don't understand. Do you want your son to remain a simple farmer all his life? That's Dhaka! There are so many opportunities there—jobs, business, so many possibilities. I have to succeed.

—Don't tie your boat to a tree that's too tall, son. One day you'll find the rope beyond your reach.

—Please don't say such ominous things, Mother. I'm leaving, and instead of blessing me...

—A mother's blessings are stored in every cell of her being, son. They don't always need to be spoken aloud.

2

Shuvro set off for Dhaka.

Through the bus window, he stared outside. He noticed neither nature nor the lives of ordinary people. Instead, he counted the cars overtaking the bus and tried to identify their brands. Hundreds of vehicles passed by. Everyone around him seemed rich; only he felt poor. His determination grew stronger. He had to succeed.

After arriving, he walked along the pavement. The sight of Audis, BMWs, and Range Rovers made his eyes sparkle. He kept looking at his reflection in shop windows.

At a traffic jam, he noticed his reflection in the dark-tinted window of a black Mercedes. Not realising that someone was sitting inside, he adjusted his hair.

He fixed his collar, glanced at himself again, and smiled.

Suddenly, the window rolled down.

A beautiful young woman appeared before him.

—What have you been staring at for so long?

—Me?

—Yes, you! You can see a woman sitting inside, yet you're making those gestures?

—No, no, you've misunderstood...

—First you raise your eyebrows, then you smile, then you fix your hair. What do you think? That I don't understand?

—You're mistaken...

The woman stepped out of the car and slapped him hard across the face.

—Animal! Pervert! Because of people like you, women can't even walk safely in public!

Within moments, a crowd gathered. Without asking a single question, people began beating him.

From among them, one man shouted—

—I'll make sure those filthy eyes never look at anyone again!

3

—Eat, son. This papaya came from the tree you planted with your own hands.

—Can you smell it, Mother? The scent of the night jasmine? I haven't been beneath that tree in so long. Will you take me there?

—Of course. Come, let's go while you eat.

—The tree is full of blossoms, isn't it, Mother?