Star Diary

So Much for Complexion

Two months ago, while my baby girl was asleep, my mother-in-law, who was sitting beside her, called my sister-in-law. I was busy at that time with some everyday chores in the next room. I could hear my mother-in-law asking her daughter if the baby's complexion would be 'good' or dark. The daughter assured her that the baby would not be dark since the folks on the baby's father's side had fair skin. But my mother-in-law remained worried because the people of my family have darker complexions, especially my younger sister.

I was shocked to see that my daughter's grandmother was only concerned about the colour of her skin, forgetting the other aspects in human beings. After my marriage, I have gone through situations that have made me feel inferior because my complexion is not as bright as those of my in-laws.

Thinking about this, I often become depressed about my brilliant sister and my daughter. Is the world still not ready to accept people just because of the colour of their skin?

Mousumi Islam
Fakirapool, Dhaka

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Who's to Blame?

While I was crossing the busy Bangla Motor intersection riding my bike the other day, I almost hit a pedestrian who was coming from the opposite direction ignoring the traffic lights.

It happened as I began to move seeing the green light. But this person attempted to cross the busy street ignoring the red light at his end of the intersection and came right in front of my bike. I told him politely that what he did was wrong as both of us could have ended up with fatal injuries. I also reminded him of the over-bridge built for pedestrians to move across the road more conveniently and safely. In reply, he told me that I should not be advising him about what to do. Then he declared that he would use the over-bridge at his will. Moreover, he told me to be more responsible while riding and asked me to be more careful about passers-by.

I was dumbfounded. However, since I did not want to engage in any sort of arguments with him, I immediately left the place wondering what would have been his reaction if I was the one who had broken the law.

Mohammed Hifzur Rahman (Aman)
Kayettuli, Dhaka

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The Forgotten Widow

I get frequently transferred from one place to another. As my work demands, I'm now living in the northern part of the country for the first time in my life. This has given me the opportunity to get to know the people of this region.

An elderly woman comes to my place everyday to prepare my meals. I hardly get enough time to talk to her since I have to leave for my work in a hurry in the morning. On one holiday morning, I had a brief conversation with her. She told me that she lived with her brother. I wanted to know why she lived there instead of her in-law’s place. My question filled her eyes with tears. She took a deep breath and remained silent for a while. Then she said that her husband was shot dead during the Liberation War.

She also informed that she almost lost her sanity following her husband's death. The country won freedom in the war. But she couldn't get over the loss of her husband. After some days, she left her husband's house hoping to live with her parents. She had no child and within a couple of years, her parents also passed away. I was speechless. The history of our freedom has left many unknown tragedies untold.

The aged woman doesn't know what freedom is. She also doesn't know what good the liberation of our country has done to her. She only cries in secret, remembering the face of her dear husband.

Md Azam Khan
Kurigram

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