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.

From a Lighted Lamp

It was a tale of my past when I was a teacher of a college. The summer vacation was noticed. My wife cordially requested me to arrange a tour in that summer vacation. I didn't refuse her. One day we went out for a tour-programme.  My elder sister lived in Dhaka the capital city of Bangladesh. We joint them and jointly decided to go to Cox's Bazar to see the sea. We're much happy for that. My wife said to me, "My dream is going to be  implemented."

In the next day early in the morning we started for Chittagong by train. We the husband-wife, our two daughters Tabassum and Tarannum and my elder sister and her two daughters Saki and Shamma were in our tour. My elder daughter was six and younger was three years old. The elder daughter of my sister was a student of college and younger daughter was a student of a school. We're seven in number advancing towords Chittagong, the hilly region of Bangladesh, seeing the outside sceneries through the window of the train. The as usual pictures of our reverine Bangladesh are the plain lands with green vegetations, golden paddy fields, reticulated rivers with boats, small villages with bird’s chatterings and tree shades which attract the mind of both natives and foriegners. Besides these there're also hilly regions in Bangladesh. The hills’re decorated with varieties of plants, streams coming from the hills, many groups of tribes, sea and sea-beach also attract the visions of the tourists. Our minds became much eager to see the hilly dreamland of Bangladesh.

Seeing the outside sceneries we reached  Chittagong station in the afternoon. One of our relatives lived there. We took shelter in their house for our holt. We visited  Chittagong city within a day so far the opportunity permitted. We became charmed to see that hilly city. We climed the Batali Hill and saw the whole Chittagong city. Next day early in the morning we started our journey to Cox's Bazar. We crossed many hills and jungles and saw wild elephants. Our minds're oscillating with the sense of joy and uncertainty. At 2^.00 pm. we reached Cox's Bazar. We took rooms in a hotel. There also lived a relative of us in Cox's Bazar who helped us to make our tour success and conveyed a cordial hospitality to us.

Next day we went to Cox's Bazar sea beach. We saw the sea. It was actually the Bay of Bengal. We became fully absorbed with sea-beach atmosphere. Many men and women're there. Sea-roar, vast blue sea-water, rolling of sea waves with crowns of white foam attracted our minds. We became inclined to collect oyster-shells and became wetted. Our imaginations’re materialized. Memory of the day would never be faded.

In the second day at Cox's Bazar we visited many places. We purchased some dolls made of oyster-shells. We visited a pagoda situated on a hill. We got up by staircase and entered into the pagoda. We became astonished to see the highly decorated wooden structures of the pagoda. We saw many men and women who gathered there with fine dresses. They're Buddhists. We came to know that the day was their festival day. We saw a giant statue of Buddha which was glittering like gold. There was a lighted lamp at the foot of the statue. Everybody had a lamp in his hand. All persons lighted their lamps one after another from the lighted lamp which was kept at the foot of the statue. The entire room became illuminated with the light of their lamps. Then the recitation of their holy scripture was started. We're glad to observe their function. Then we returned to the hotel.

I was in rest in the hotel. The pictures of lamp enlightment in the pagoda were flashed in my mind. I sank in the sea of thinking world. Many thinkings're gathered in my mind. I though that if million of lampls're lit from a lighted lamp then the lighted lamp doesn't loss its little bit of  light. I thought further that every lamp has no power to light itself . It has to need the touch of a lighted lamp for its enlightment. There're very few persons  in the world who're selected by the Almighty to direct the reprobate men to the path of love, honesty and peace. Conveying worship to the Almighty and doing good deeds they become perfect and achieved mercy and recognition from the Almighty. They become lighted by the holy light of the Almighty. They're just like the lighted lamps.They're noble persons. They used to disperse the light of love, honesty and peace to the mankind and eradicate the evil wills from the heart. The reprobate men become pure by their light of love and knowledge. By dispersing their light to the innumerable persons of the mankind they don't lose a little bit of light of their own. Inspite of that their light gradualy becomes more intensified and spreads into many branchs. Our Earth always waits for those lighted sons. I heard a silent word in my inner ear--. “Just now innumerable lamps’ve become lighted from a perfect lighted lamp.”

Cuckoo of Spring

It was a morning of a spring. I went out for a walk. I was walking through a residential area enriched with gardens and was free from noise of vehicles. The gentle winds of the spring touched my body and heart. I became charmed with the pure atmosphere of the environment. A pleasant comfort was dispersing throughout my body and mind. The road-side bungalows with beautiful gardens and chattering of birds created a pleasant environment in our busy city. That's Why I used to walk in the morning in that area.

Cuckoo of Spring

I was looking the natural beauties of that area and walking through. In that charming atmosphere I suddenly heard the melodious voice of cuckoo. I looked to and fro, tried to trace the bird but I didn't find out where from the bird was calling.  Perhaps it was calling from a branch of cousiderable hight behind the leaves. It was resounding repeatedly. Hearing the sound of cuckoo I remembered the arrival of spring. I was walking and looking the natural beauties. I traced the indications of the arrival of the spring. The flowers bloomed in the trees of polash, shimul, gulmohar etc. Many unknown birds're taking pollen-grains from those flowers. Humming sound of bees and gentle winds of the spring was telling silently, "See me, enjoy and realise that the king of the seasons has come.” I returned home after my morning walk. Having breakfast I sat on a sofa. The voice of the cuckoo resounded in my inner ear. A cluster of thinkings gathered in my mind. The cuckoos're found when the spring had come. They play hide and seek. They lay eggs in the nests of crows. The crows don't understand that. Believing own eggs they hatch them. After the departure of spring the cuckoos go to the another places where the spring has come. They have no time to look behind. Thinking all these I realised a human philosophy.

The introduction of male in the life of female is just like the arrival of cuckoos in the spring of the nature. Female is one of the forms of nature. The arrival of youth in the female life is just like the arrival of spring in her life. As the nature is decorated beautifully in the spring the females’re also become glamorous in the youth. They become full blown. In this youth period every female waits for the coming of male partner in her life. The call of male creates sensation in their lives. They become induced by the male calls. As it were it's the arrival of man formed cuckoo in the spring of woman's life. They devote all their beauties to the male partners. The males unite with them and enjoy their beauties. Creation is full filled through their union. In the female life the spring that's her youth doesn't stay forever. Gradually it disappears. In the nature after definite period when the spring disappears in its rotation the spring cuckoo also leaves the place. Similarly in the time of disappearance of female life-spring a fear is developed in the female character that if she losses her male partner that's the man formed spring cuckoo. Thinking all those I composed a song in my mind that was a song of female character regarding her male.

Oh cuckoo of spring,

You've come in time,

In my life spring

Your calls koo, koo,

Change my mind uneasy.

I've become impatient,

As I'm your darling.

In my flowery spring

You take my honey

It's my cordial devotion

As you're my lover being.

After my life-spring

Don't leave me.

How'll I live alone

Without you so loving?

Thinking those words a different feel was created in my mind. My mind said, "There're two characters in the nature, one is male and another is female. These two characters play an amorous game in the nature. The appearance of male in the life of female is the root of all creations. As it were the appearance of male is the appearance of cuckoo in the life-spring of female.”

Full Moon

It was a spring appeared newly in the season-cycle. A gentle wind was blowing in the environment. I was walking in the street. It was near about 10 Pm. A pleasant comfort was felt in my body and mind. I was returning home. When my vision rose up in the sky I saw the full moon. She was dispersing her illuminated smiles. Looking her beauty I stood up on the foot-path. I was looking the moon with my winkless vision. The moon was complete round. How sweet the moonlight was! Silvery moon-beams're dispersing all throughout. It was a heavenly scenery. Before fourteen days she was just like a narrow sickle. Her digit's been developed day by day into full-moon. As it were the growth of a developing baby. Then she became complete full moon. She was on the summit of her development. How bright and charming her appearance was!. For that reason poets and writers cited so many examples with her beauty. She was really un-parallel.

Full Moon

I was on the footpath. Men're going to their jobs or destinations but I was looking the moon. Many thinkings're gathering in my mind. The moon reflects the light of the sun to the earth. She moves round the earth. Lunar calendar is maintained according to her rotation. She takes twenty nine days to complete her single rotation. Within this period she becomes full moon for once. It is her full youth. She converts the intensified sunlight into gentle, plesant and charming silvery beams of light. The earth becomes flooded with her sweet moonlight.

I remembered the tales of  Goutama Buddha. The name given by his parent was Siddhartha. That great-man selected the night of full moon specially for his meditation to conquer the birth, infirmity, disease and death. He became full of love in the night of full moon. He completed his important duties in full moon. He considered the time of full moon as the best time of doing important duties. The important events of his life were executed in the nights of full moon. As for examples- he was born in the full moon of the Bengali month "Baishakh". He acheived his tytle "Buddha'' and attained the complete emancipation of his soul in the full moon of the same month. In the full moon of the month of " Asharh" he   started to preach his new religion "Buddhism" and began religious discussions. In the full moon of the month "magh" he left his thinking regarding the enhancement of his life-period and decleared the date of his depart. All those remarkable days of Goutama Buddha are celebrated by the buddhists as their festivals.

Most of the mahomedan festivals're celebrated according to the lunar calendar. Among those "Shab-e-barat" that's the night for the fixation of human fates is celebrated in the full moon. Moslem devotees used to praise their worship in that holy night. I've heard many mountaineer tribes used to celebrate their religious festivals in full moon. In the night of full moon and in the fragrance of mohua flower they instigated themselves in an induction of love. Thinking those words I realised that the full moon was such a holy moment that the nature used to call us to enlighten ourselves with divine light of the Almighty. As it were the full moon silently tells us, “Be absorbed to the divine love, be fullblown like full moon with heavenly light, be enlightened yourself with divine light of the Almighty”.

Thinking those tales I didn't trace when I was absorbed in my thinking world. In that time my nephew kamal was passing through the footpath. He asked me, "Uncle, what're you doing standing on the footpath? I replied "I'm looking the full moon" He loughed and asked further "Are you looking the moon?" I replied, “Yes, I'm looking the moon. The full moon has induced me completely. I've become charmed looking her beauty. Please look for a while. How beautiful, how fulfilled and how fullblown she is!" He replied "Uncle you're a writer. That's why you're looking so. The night has far advanced. Please go to your home. Otherwise aunt'll think for you." When I returned home the full moon was just above my head.

I was in rest in my house after having my supper. The fullmoon came in the sky of my mind. My mind became flooded by her gentle silvery light beams. I thought that like the full moon if I'd be fulfilled by the divine love then my life'll be successful. Those who've become enlightened by the divine light, they've become fullblown. They enlighten the world. The Almighty eradicates all the evil doings from the world by them. They reflect the divine-light to the mankind for the salvation of their souls. Thinking all those I didn't notice when I fell into sleep. I dreamed-- a full moon was smiling in the blue sky. The entire nature was becoming flooded by her pleasant and pure silvery light beams. I felt that I was bathing in the stream of that light. A mystic sensation of love was dispersing all throughout my body and mind. Suddenly my wife broke my sleep and asked, "Why are you sleeping in the sofa. Night has advanced. Go to your bed." I replied, "Yes, I'm going.” Rubbing my eyes  I went to my bed but still then I was looking the dream-full-moon.

Kite

I had a little family. One son, one daughter and we husband wife. My son Arif read in class five and my daughter Tithi was a student of intermediate level. The memory of a day was remembered in my mind. The season was winter. I was in rest after return from my office. At that time my son pressingly said to me, "Dad, you have to purchase a kite, thread and a reel for me. I'll fly kite." I replied, "Good boys don't fly kite. I'll purchase better things for you." My son was tenacious and urged further. He said, "Many boys in our locality used to fly kite. I'll also fly kite. You have to purchase those positively." My wife interfered and said to me."Yes, when the boy is so pressing, please purchase and give him kite. It's his hobby and we should have to fulfil that” Finding no other way I said,''How many taka’ll be required for that?'' My son replied, "Twenty taka'll be needed to purchase those things." I gave him the money. He purchased kite, thread and a reel and went to the opened roof to fly kite.

After sometime I said to my daughter, "Mom, please go to the roof and see what the boy is doing’’. She went to the roof, saw the boy, returned and said to me, "Dad, he's flying kite." I asked her, "Can he fly the kite?'' She replied, "Yes, he has flown the kite to a long height" I said "Let's go there to see how he has could that." We went to the roof and saw the boy flying the kite to a cousiderable height. I said to him, "Hi, when you learn to fly kite?" He replied, "I used to go to the field with Rafique Bhai. He helped me to learn that" Rafique was our neighbour. He read in class nine. Both of them were students of same school.

We saw many kites in the sky. They're of various colours. My daughter asked me, "Dad, how the kites can fly in the sky?" I answered, "Now it's the time of winter monsoon. The kites can fly depending on the winds of the monsoon." She said further, "Dad, see, how far the kites have arisen up!They’re looked very small.” I said to her, “  Though the kites have arisen at the level of so height yet we should remember that the thread of the kites're fastened in the reels on the ground. If the threads're rolled up the kites'll come down. Do you understand the matter?" She inclined her head but perhaps she didn't understand its depth.

I observed kite-flying for sometime and came down from the roof. I sat on a sofa in my room. Observing the kites in the sky some thinkings were gathered in the kingdom of my thinking-world. Their various coloured decorations're usually cought by our eyes but we used to ignore their connecting threads.

Each and every kite has its own connecting thread which apparently lies out of our sights but every kite is controlled by its connecting thread from reel. Just like kites we're also wandering on the breast of this earth. There're many different identities of us. We're always tring to expose ourselves in various ways and manners. But we used to forget our invisible connecting link with the Almighty like threads of kites. Our invisible connecting links’re within the hand of the Almighty. He controls us. The invisible reels're within his hand. The laws of creation are fixed by him. We're bound to obey these eternal laws. We've no power to go out of the jurisdiction of these laws. Like kites we're also connected with the invisible eternal laws of the Almighty.