Ahsan Habib’s On the First-floor Landing: a Duologue

Two flats facing each other

He's on the stairs, she's at the door

: Leaving, aren't you?

: Yes, all packed up.

: It's been around two years, no?

: More than that; your nickname is Shanu, full name?

: Shahana, yours?

: Mabu.

: I know.

: Mahbub Hossain. You sew well.

: Who told you? You're in Honours final year, no?

: Yes, final—this year.

: Honours in Physics.

: It's surprising! Why did you quit suddenly?

: Mom doesn't want it. I mean—sitting with the boys and all...

: Forget it, has your foot healed?

: How did you know?

: Whatever. Healed?

: That's nothing, slipped in the passage, I mean...

: Not true, falling down from a height...

: Fudge! Is provoking your mother every day at the dining table really necessary?

: Has my mom told you?

: Overheard, many a time. It's been around two years, no?

: More than that; has your tub-plant flowered?

: Want one? Let it go. Rickshaw has arrived, mom's here, bye.

: In the evening, don't read in dimmed light that way—it'll harm your eyes, bye.

: The button at the middle of your yellow shirt is missing, have it sewed, bye.

: Go, your mother's coming. My mom's also calling me, bye. 

Ahsan Habib is a Bangla Academy Literary Award and Ekushey Padak winning Bangladeshi poet and literary figure.

Md Mehedi Hasan occasionally contributes to the Star literature page; he is a lecturer of English at North Western University, Khulna.