Unknown Bird

There was an old building of a landlord at Pataldanga. Before three generations the land-lord Mr. Shishir Roy constructed the building. He decorated the building with his artistic mind. The building was a beautiful example of old architecture. The    whole  premises was plan-wise decorated. There was pond with lily and marbelled bathing place, gardens of mango, berry, coconut, chewing nut, jackfruit, emblie, mahogany and other   trees. As it were a dreamland. At present there was no such aristocratic land-lordship. Grand son of late landlord Mr. Mihir Roy now lives in this building with his family. The previous glamour has become faded to a much extent. The building with its entire premises weared a weedy costume. 

Mr. Mihir Roy had no son but two daughters. Radha and Kanak. Radha was fourteen and Kanak was twelve years old. Both of them were beautiful. Three years passed their mother had died. Mr. Mihir Roy married again expecting a son but still now no offspring has been brought forth. Mr. Mihir Roy love his two daughters more than his life as they are the pupils of his two eyes. The stepmother is a woman of a respectable family. That’s why no misbehaviour is found in her character. Now the faded landlord building is resounded by the pleasing notes of Radha and Kanka.

One day at 12 o’clock Kanak said to Radha, “Radha, let’s go to pond for bath.” Radha replied, “All right, let’s go.” Radha took a brass-pot. She liked it much and used to take water with it from the pond. Reaching the pond Radha put the pot on the staircase of the bathing spot and said to Kanak, “Kanak, let’s go to pickup the oozed bakuls.” There was a bakul tree near the pond. The two sisters ran to there. They collected some oozed ripe bakuls. Radha was very fond of taking ripe bakul. Suddenly the vision of Kanak was directed towards the bathing place of the pond. She looked a beautiful black bird there. Kanak said to Radha, “Sister, look at the bathing place and see what a beautiful bird has come! It has beautiful red marks below its ears.” Radha saw and said, “Exactly so.” A plan was formed in Radha’s brain. She said, “Kanak, don’t make any sound. Let’s go behind the tree. We’ll see the activities of the bird. Do you understand?” Kanak agreed. Then both of them were observing the activities of the bird from the back of the tree. The bird looked to and fro and didn’t see any body. It flew to the brass-pot. Radha said on low voice, “If the bird enter in the pot, I’ll catch it. Let’s hide in the bushes of cassia near the staircase.” The two sisters crawled silently and hided themselves in the bush. They were observing the activities of the bird. The bird flew on the edge of the pot. It was looking inside and out side of the pot repeatedly and watching wheather anybody would come or not. In that way it wasted sometime in hesitancy. Finding no trace of any person it got down inside the pot. Then and there Radha run fast and covered the pot with her sari. The bird was caught in trap. Radha said, “I’ve captured the bird. Now I’ll catch it by my hand.” Radha pushed her hand into the pot and caught the bird. Radha said, “Kanak, take the pot. I’ll bring the bird.” Kanak took water in the pot and Radha brought the bird. They returned home. Their bathing postponed. Their father Mr. Mihir Roy was seated in the drawing room. Radha went there and said, “Dad, see, I’ve caught a beautiful bird.”

Mr. Mihir Roy: What’s that?

Radha: See this.

Mr. Mihir Roy: Yes, it’s a maina bird. It’s a costly bird. It can utter crammed speech if it is trained. How have you cought it?

Radha: It entered into my brass-pot at the bathing place of our pond and I’ve caught it swiftly. Dad, I’ll tame it and I’ll teach it to speak crammed speaches. I need a cage.

Mr. Mihir Roy: Yes, I’ll buy a cage today.

Radha fastened the leg of the bird with a rope and fixed it to the rod of the window. She brought a cup of water and fed the bird. The bird drunk the water with its beaks. Radha asked her step-mother, “Mom, what may be given to feed the bird?” Her mother replied, “Usually it takes barley meal.” The mother had some barley meal in her store room. Radha brought the barley meal and rinsed it with water and gave it to the bird. The bird ate it. In the afternoon Mr. Mihir Roy purchased a cage made of iron wires. Radha kept the bird in the cage. Then the main duty of Radha became to take care of her bird and to teach it the crammed speeches. 

Two years were passed. Radha succeeded to teach the bird to speak crammed speeches. When Radha called it by uttering the sound “Maina”, the bird replied the crammed speech “Maina”. When any guest came to the house the bird used to utter, “Guests have come, give them seats for rest, etc.” Radha attained the age of sixteen. Radha’s father Mr. Mihir Roy was searching a suitable candidate for her marriage. Recently some one  have came to see Radha.

Mr. Mihir Roy was seated in the drawing room. Radha and Kanak said to him on a tone of extreme request, “Dad, we have no radio. Please purchase a radio for us. We’ll know the news, enjoy the songs and dramas. Now-a-days many families purchase radio sets.” Mr. Mihir Roy replied, “Yes, I’ll buy it.” On repeated request one day Mr. Mihir Roy went to Calcutta and purchased a radio set. Then their house became resounded with radio voices. Neighbours also began to come to enjoy the radio programmes.

One day the members of a respectable family of Shaorahpuli came to see Radha. They chose Radha. The male candidate was a youngman of gentle and polite nature. He had passed the academic degree “Entrance” before he joint the government service. Mr. Mihir Roy chose the candidate and marriage was settled. The date of marriage ceremony was also fixed. 

Radha came near the cage of the bird after the guest had left the house. Radha saw no bird in the cage. Radha became astonished and shouted, “Where has the bird gone?” A neighbour boy was stood there. He was a very naughty boy. He was about ten years old. His name was Krishna. He told Radha, “I’ve opened the door of the cage and the bird has flown away.” Radha became very furious and shouted, “Stupid, wait, I’ll bit you.” Hearing the noise Mr. Mihir Roy came and said to Radha, “Don’t bit him. A bird doesn’t stay in a cage forever. One day it flies away. You’ll soon go to the house of your father-in-law. Who’ll take care of the bird? It has understood the matter. It has become sensitive. That’s why it has flown away. The real Krishna has released it.” Radha began to cry loudly. Mr. Mihir Roy consoled her. 

Radha kept herself standing in the corridor like a statue holding the empty cage in her hand. Tears were streaming from her eyes. Mr. Mihir Roy was standing by the side of Radha. He became absorbed in a spiritual induction. He heard a speech in his inner ears – “Just like that bird an unknown bird is trapped in every human body. It’s the human soul. After a definite life period it goes back from the body cage. The empty body is remained left behind.”

Everyone of the house became silent. All were sad for missing of the bird. Hearing the crying sound of Radha other members of family rapidly came out from the drawing room. For that reason the radio-set had not been stopped. A song of a great saint Fakir Lalan Shah – “How the unknown bird comes into and goes out from the cage……” was playing. The echo of the   song was resounding the silent house. All members of the family were looking by their inner eyes – an unknown bird was flying to its own kingdom after the release from the prison- cage.