The Lass from Bangladesh - Part IX

The next day is the big day. Mumtaz looks very pretty dressed in a red sari and adorned with jewels and flowers. Shakila and Nina are at her side. The Nikah is read and they both say I do. All the teachers and principal and school children are at the reception. When it was time to leave. Mumtaz has big tears in her eyes. She thanks everyone for helping her and supporting her. She looks at the heavens and thanks God for giving her such lively people in her life. She hugs each one of them and bids them adieu.

Imran and she make a perfect couple. Jaffar is very excited as she is his aunty now. It is getting to be a year and as time flies Imran takes her to see several doctors. Many doctors give different opinions but then came a specialist who thinks that Mumtaz can get pregnant, so he calls her the next day to do some special tests. The tests take a week and all are anxious to know the result of Mumtaz. Mumtaz and Imran are up early that morning they both are very anxious and so are all her friends and relatives. They go the American Hospital and asked to meet Dr. Bill Daly. They had to wait an hour as Doctor Bill was busy but the hours would not pass and they two were really getting very anxious and then they get to see Dr. Bill Daly. Dr. Daly shakes his hands and gestures for them to take a seat. He can see the anxiousness on their face and so he tells them that the good news is that Mumtaz can get pregnant again, but she has to undergo a small surgery. Imran and Mumtaz are very happy to hear the good news. Mumtaz says she is ready for the surgery any time. Dr. assures her not to worry it is a little surgery but all would be fine for her. He gives them time to come the following week.

When they reach home they give the goods news to everyone there and all are very happy too for them. Imran mum is the happiest and says to her “I told you not to worry and that Imran would take you to see the best doctors and all would be well for you”. Mumtaz smiles at her and sees the happiness in her eyes. She hugs her and says to her “mum please pray for me and that my operation would be successful”. Rashidabi ask’s her actually is the problem. Imran does not have much to say he just says that the doctor said that a small surgery was needed for her.

Mumtaz takes time off from her school and is getting ready for the big day. The day dawns, Mumtaz, Imran, Shakila, little Jaffar and Rashidabi all go with her to the hospital. Dr. Daly comes to greet them and takes them to the ward where she is to be admitted. The doctor tells them it will be a couple of hours and so they could either wait in the Lobby or go home and come back later. But they all are so anxious and are ready to wait in the hospital itself. Mumtaz is taken into the hospital theatre. Mumtaz looked a bit nervous as she remembered the last time she was in the hospital she had lost her baby. The doctors told her not to worry and all would be well in a couple of hours.

It’s almost noon Dr. Bill emerges out of the theatre. He goes straight to the anxious families that are waiting for the news. Dr. smiles and tells them that the operation was successful, but not to disturb her now as she was sedated and is asleep.

Mumtaz regains consciousness later in the evening and when she opens her eyes she sees everyone around her. She does not know how to react but her mother-in-law sits by her side and tells her the good news. Mumtaz smiles at her and sees Imran too smiling back at her. She is discharged the next week.

School vacations are due the following week so they plan a holiday. Imran tells her that if she liked they could visit Bangladesh. She is very happy and sad too. She has mixed emotions; she tells Imran she would love to go back there but that she has no one there now. Her best friend Shakila too is here in Bahrain. He asks her where she would like to go, she tells him why not visit your home country and Imran is very happy. So the following week they both leave for Bombay. It’s her first visit to India and so Mumtaz is like a little child and very excited as she knows that there is a lot to see for her and she was looking forward to meet the rest of Imran and Jaffar’s relatives.

She and Jaffar go to do their shopping as next week they leave for India. For Mumtaz the next week to come seems to take longer than expected. Finally the day dawns they are all packed and ready to leave for the airport. The taxi arrives they drive to the airport. Jaffar is also very excited to meet all his cousins and rest of the relatives. He goes on chatting with Mumtaz and telling her of whom all she would meet. They check in their baggage and go the Duty Free shops and look around and just while time away until its time for them to board the aircraft.

The Lass from Bangladesh - Part VII

Mumtaz asks her what will Imran say when he learns that she will not be able to bear him kids. Rashidabi just smiled at her and said don’t worry, we will take you to the best doctors and see what was really wrong with her.

Rashidabi and Mumtaz walk back home. She has dinner at their place and Imran escorts her back to her quarters. They are very quite on the way home although he is dying to ask her what they were both chatting in the park. She reaches her quarters and Imran bids her good night. Mumtaz back in her room just plunks herself on the bed. Nina her room-mate looks at her and asks her why you look so confused and worried. Mumtaz does not know what to do. She tells her the whole story. Nina is very happy for her and tells her that she must say yes and get married to Imran and that she would then have a much better life. The next couple of days are very confusing days for Mumtaz she writes to her best friend Shakila and Shakila too is very happy for her and tells her to go ahead. Mumtaz arranges for a visit visa and brings her best friend Shakila to Bahrain.

Mumtaz takes few days off as her friend Shakila is coming. Mumtaz takes her friend to see all around the city. Then Mumtaz takes Shakila to the garden and there they sit and Mumtaz relates to her everything about how Imran came into her life. Rashidabi having learnt that her friend is in town invites both of them for lunch, so the next day being Friday and a holiday they both go to Jaffar house. Jaffar was surprised to see his teacher and her friend. He gets very friendly with Shakila and wants to know who she is. Mumtaz tells him that she is her best friend from Bangladesh. They all have lunch and then Rashidabi decides to take a walk in the garden. They all go there and Jaffar is busy playing when Rashidabi tells Shakila of her proposal to Mumtaz. Shakila is very happy and says that Mumtaz is happy but that she has already gone through one episode in her life and did not want to go through again. Rashidabi tells her that Mumtaz told her everything in spite of that she wants her to be her daughter-in-law. Finally after much persuasion Mumtaz says yes. Rashidabi is very happy and like a little child rushes home and tells the girls that she has a lot of preparations to do.

Now Mumtaz has only her best friend Shakila, her room mate and her school colleagues to support her., they are all very happy for her when they learn from her that she has agreed to marry Imran. All the teachers tell her not to worry and they would help her with the wedding preparations. The principal on behalf of the school committee and teachers and students gifts Mumtaz a fully furnished flat to stay in. Another gift was a job in the same school for her best friend Shakila, she was very happy that she would now have a friend here with her.

Mumtaz, Shakila and Nina and some other teachers went to do the shopping for her clothes. On the other hand there Rashidabi is very busy to and so is Imran and of course little Jaffar who is excited about everything. But Mumtaz is still worried in spite of all her colleagues telling her not to worry and that all will be well.

The Lass from Bangladesh - Part VI

Jaffar, was her close little friend, his uncle now came regularly to pick up the boy and made it a point to talk to Mumtaz. It was becoming very clear that he was getting attracted towards her. She was scared and did not want another relationship. Days and months passed. It was Jaffar’s birthday he was having a party and had insisted that his teacher must come home to his house. Mumtaz was shy and did not want to accept his invitation but then on second thoughts she decided to go since all her colleagues too said that she must attend. She went to his house that evening. Jaffar was very delighted and was showing off his teacher to everyone at his house. Mumtaz was very nervous as everyone there was looking at her. Mumtaz met many relatives of Jaffar. During the party there was elderly lady who kept staring a Mumtaz. Mumtaz could feel that this lady wanted to talk to her, so she went up to her and introduced herself. The lady in sixties smiled warmly at Mumtaz and smiled at her. She asked her several questions about her family. She asked Mumtaz how long she was her in Bahrain and she said it’s been a year and a half. Later Mumtaz learnt that the lady was Jaffar’s grand aunt. Rashidabi, Imran’s mother. She asked Mumtaz if she was married. Mumtaz did not want to get into this conversation but felt so warm talking to her that she decided to tell her story. Rashidabi took her into another room and they both got talking. Rashidabi liked her instantly and how she had come up in life in spite of obstacles in life.

It was getting late so Mumtaz asked permission to leave, and promised to meet her again. Imran’s mother made her promise that she would return to see her the next day. So the next day in evening Mumtaz and Rashidabi meet at the garden. Mumtaz was not sure what she wanted from her but kind of guessed what she was going to be asked. Rashidabi asked her if she would like to get married to Imran. Mumtaz was a bit taken back and not very surprised though, as she knew this was going to come next after being questioned so much. Mumtaz was almost going to say know when Imran spotted them in the park and was surprised to see his mum and Mumtaz chatting away. He came up to them and said hello and was curious to know what they were two chatting about, but just smiled at Mumtaz and left. His mother caught that glint in his eye when he smiled at Mumtaz and she knew there was this chemistry that was working here. Imran’s mother got her attention and again asked her if would marry her son. Mumtaz then told her that she would not be able to bear his kids

An ode to Lady's Finger (vegetable)

Pretty finger called Lady's Finger
Has funny shapes and not like a finger
But all dressed in green,
has tiny li seeds &
Yet they call it a Lady's Finger

Sticky lil vegetable
Delicious to eat when fried,
Sticky sticky when added with water
But tastes the best when
marianted with nice indian masala.

Tell me Friends what kind of Bhindi you
lik e, deep fried, pan fried or sticky
all the way through.

I love my Bhinds deep fried with
nice masala and mixed with prawns,
yum it makes a special dish altogether.

An ode to the Juggler

I stood by a mall,
waiting for a taxi to take me to the Ball.
Out came a Juggler from the Mall
riding on his bicycle, which only had one wheel in all.

He cycled his way through,
waving at everybody as he went,
little did he notice
while waving at the people,
Another motorist came from front
and rammed into him.

Alas, lay the poor Juggler,
in a pool of blood,
waiting for the ambulance
to take him to the hospital bed.

He was operated on, for
a broken wrist and a fractured leg.

Still he lay on his hospital bed,
with a cheerful smile
to all who visited his bed.

 

Why oh Why

Why do I keep going to him,
when he can give me no more,
why does he make false promises,

why why do I get hurt,
when I know he does not love
me anymore,
why do I keep running back
to him for more.

Why why does he play the fool
with me and hurt me more,

am I meant to be played around
and tossed like a toy?


Why why do tears fill my eyes,
when he fools me with his
false promises

Please oh please tell me
why do I love thee so much more!