1 Broja's Oar

Short story

Title: Braj's oar

Sanjib Pramanik

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On one side of Bhagirathi is the Kalna ferry terminal in Burdwan. On the other side is Nadia's Narsinghpur ferry terminal. The distance is about one and a half kilometers by water. In the middle of this, how much water is constantly flowing at her speed. Never

No one tried to measure her. No one has kept track of how many times this river has turned around, how many times the shore has broken and the shore has formed. Bhagirathi is still flowing between these two shores under the blue sky. Even today, sometimes in the strongest moment of the storm, there is a commotion between these two ferries. No one knows when it is time to die. But Brojogopal is a skilled boatman. When he has the oar in his hand, there is no possibility of danger. Passengers cross safely. Bhagirathi himself should accept the rate, to his skills.

His home is in Narsinghpur village in Nadia district. The family is very poor. Husband and wife and one son. Boating is his business. At the age of forty, he has come a long way in his family life. The boat did not fill with water even once. In the course of this long life, so he is steadfast in Bhagirathi's chest. He saved the lives of the passengers many times by overcoming the danger in the waves of the river on the night of stormy rains only through experience.

Every day from morning till night about thirty boats are busy to bring the people of one side village to the shore of other side village and to take the people of other side village to the another side . But after ten o'clock at night, when all the boats were stranded on the shore, when the number of passengers decreased, the turn of the bridge began. Brojo gopal is the only night companion of the nearby villagers. Brojo's companion is deeply darkness and noisy Bhagirathi's distant current.

The night before, he had been sitting on the bank of the river all the time with his hands on his hips. Not a single person was found, who will cross! There was no money that night. So I didn't put the pot in the oven all day today. Manik, who came to their family at a very old age, has not eaten even today. So Brojogopal came to the ferry a little earlier today with an intense desire for food. The other sailors still did not tie the boat ashore. Even then they were crossing. So Brojogopal was sitting on one side of the ferry with the oar in his hand. In the hope that his turn will come.

The other ferrymen were annoyed at the arrival of Brojogopal. They insulted him in very harsh language. And says, - 'Brojo has come , to kicks our stomach. O Ali, O Chander see that, fellow Brojo has come to Share our food. Bay died of old age. He can't feed his wife and son. After eating the brooms in wife's hand he has come here to die. O Khokon, tell him go, tell him go now. And don't leave the ferry - leave it at the ferry. '

The answer came from a nearby bboat- 'Yes, leave it . My fellow come to hide the boat at night. Fellow's inclination is not evil. I am going to Forrest office tomorrow morning. I will call all quotas gay. Fellow will be confiscated. ' Another from the other boat said, 'Yes, let's go, I'll go with you.'

Brojogopal silent listener. A pain came out of his chest like a spark, but there was no water in his eyes to extinguish that pain. Everything has dried up in the body of Brojo. Still, he is holding the helm with a firm hand. At home his wife and son are waiting all day without eating. He has to be tough to supply them with two handfuls of rice. It doesn't work if you think of someone's words.

The boat turned to the north corner and Brojo stood up and hit hard. He went with the speed of the arrow. Immediately Chandra said, - 'Look, look, the value of the dead is gone.' After that, in a sharp sarcastic sentence towards Brojo, they say, - 'where are you going Brojo, don't go towards the house, your wife is holding a broom, she will kill. '

Brojogopal has probably succumbed to his own inadequacies. So inside he seemed to be burning. And that's why he made the boat faster by pressing the oars in both hands. He did not answer anyone's words. The end result of these cruel and ruthless people of the society is death, they are deprived of that knowledge and they do not benefit the people so much. They are only self-interested. In the course of life, they have not learned to accompany others, to embrace them. Small people, low-lying people try to push them far away. They forced Brojo to leave the ferry terminal. His house is not far from Narsinghpur ferry terminal. His house is in a corner of Narsinghpur village. Just a two minute walk. But still he goes home the other way.

Going home, Brojo almost cried. He sat down to face the invitation. After quenching his hunger all day, the little boy Manik fell asleep crying. Even a handful of food and water did not fall on his wife Ujjala's stomach all day. He was awake. The husband sat down and lay down a little. Suddenly he heard the sound of Brojo's arrival and came out. Looking at his wife's dry face, Broko couldn't control his tears anymore. Ujjala hugged her husband's head and put her head on his head and cried and said, 'Shut up, shut up a little, the boy will get up. '

Brojogopal raises his head from Ujjala's chest. Then he grabbed her face with both hands and said, 'Ujjala used to say how can I keep quiet. I couldn't get you two meals all day today. ' Ujjala lowered his hand from his mouth and said, 'No, no, I am a criminal, I am a coward. They have told me a lot because ujjala I have no license, . But I will not leave, I will go again. Whatever they say, I'll go again. '

When Brojo is ready to go to the ferry again, Ujjala holds his hand and says, -' You will have no more. Tomorrow morning my jewelry will be bought by mortgage for rice and pulses. '

- 'No, Ujla, that's your hobby thing, you give it away. I don't sell household items. The river will be my victory. The river is my mother, the river is my God. Lete see, will raise money tomorrow. She is my mother. '

- 'There is a lot of danger in darkness or in the river. '

- 'As long as my Lord wants, there will be no danger. I will sell household items and eat for a while. Let me go, Ujjala, let me go. '

- 'Go, but be careful. O god save him ! '

When Brojogopal came out of the house and approached the boat, Bhagirathi wrapped his restless infinity of water around him. Only the sound of his cooling can be heard. The boat is stuck in the char. There is still a long way to go. Without waiting for the tide, Brojo fell into the mud. He knelt down in the mud and pushed the boat into the water. Then he set off again on the same path he had taken home with the oar in his hand. Today no obstacle is an obstacle for him. When he reached the wharf, there was no one around. Only the oars of Brojogopal .

Bhagirathi has so far matched his territory between the two ferries. The ears are full of water. Brojo's boat tied up at the Narsinghpur ferry terminal. After that for the passengers waiting in the oars. After waiting for a while, his eyes became drowsy. But there will be no drowsiness. He must stay awake. He will go only after gathering the food of tomorrow that he has spoken to Ujjala. And Bhagirathi will give that money. Manikchand has spent the whole day today without eating, again tomorrow, no! This cannot happen at all. So he has to wake up. Meanwhile, his stomach is tearing with hunger. So the tired and hungry Brojo put his head on the oar and fell down. But his eyes are alert. He is looking at the wharf with one glance, when the passengers will come.

Brojogopal did not have to wait long. At the ferry, a group of traders shook hands. Although he could not see clearly in the darkness of the night, he understood from the sound that the passenger had arrived. Brojo passed them. He earned ten rupees. He got a little more rent for the night. Again an old woman comes. Begging him to cross. He also said that his only son is ill. He has to beg all day to raise money for his son's treatment. He did not eat and bath all day. He went to rest in one place and fell asleep so it's been so late. His son was admitted to Kalna Government Hospital. He have to go to see the boy in the morning. He have to take some money with her . The doctor said it would cost money to buy medicine.

Brojogopal is very upset to hear the old woman's words. With five rupees in his hand, he said, - 'Mother, keep these five rupees, buy something for your son, and you will have to pay Bhagirathi's money, mother, and I will just pass it. '

The old woman took the money and put her hand on Brojo's head and said,- 'May you be well, my son, may God bless you. '

Brojo asked the old woman for a blessing for her son Manik instead, saying,- "Bless me, not my mother, so that I can give my baby two meals a day." Needless to say, Brojo earned a lot of money that night.

The next morning Brogopal brought home many markets. Today he will feed his son Manik and wife Ujjala, he will also eat two in peace. Brojo says to his wife,- 'Ujla, today we will eat a little bitterly. The fish of the village is coming, give it a little salt, see if the baby can cultivate it, give it a little less. '

Ujjala cuts the grain and says,- 'Okay, come on, take a nap. You couldn't make two eyelids together all night. '

-- 'You're right, Ujjala, I couldn't sleep at all night. Anyway I go to sleep a little. Where is my son, my love ? '

-- 'That's how much playing is done in the house of Nandis. '

-- 'Okay, noticed him . Call me when the cooking is over . '

Brojo took a nap in Ujjala's cooking space. Manik left the game and sat next to his mother watching the cooking. Brojo woke up suddenly. Going out and looking at the long stretched blue sky above, the sun left the eastern sky and stood in the middle of the sky. Seeing her husband, Ujjala says,- ' Are you up?, take some oil and rush with the baby.Come dive. Don't eat two quickly. '

Father with son has gone for a bath, rice is growing in a bright place and he is sitting on the path. It's been a long time since the two of them not coming yet . She keeps thinking. At that time, Manik rushed home. Ujjala asks him,- 'Why are you leaving? Where is your father? '

Manik speaks quite well. Panting, he told his mother that his father had been taken away. He does not know them. But he saw one or two people at the ferry terminal. Ujjala left the rice behind. He ran towards the ferry. But when he arrived, he didn't see Brojo there. Two or three boats are crossing. When asked, they say they don't know. Another said,- 'I know, but I can't say.' Ujjala keeps digging her head in to find out about her husband. Again one of them said, - 'I can say, but you will come to my house in the evening knowing gay. I can't say anything in front of everyone.' Although Ujjala's limbs were not hurt by this sharp sarcasm, there is no doubt that his heart was shattered. Honestly, one man can get so low in another man's weak moment! So it seems that this is the stage of society. Ujjala returned home with a broken heart without getting any news from her husband.

Water all around, a small island surrounded by barbed wire fences in the middle. In the middle of it is a brick house. On either side of it are small wooden houses. In front is a large iron gate. 'Forest department' written in big letters on the gate. Numerous small and big broken boats are floating in the river water on both sides of the gate. When you enter from the gate, on the left side there is the temple of mother Manasa and mother Ganga, mother Banabibi is also there. Lots of space in front. There are many people standing in the crowd. Brojo gopal is the man with a small neck and a towel around his neck.The officer has not returned from the forest trip yet. The trial will begin when he returns. Brojo's only crime is that he doesn't have a license to drive a boat. He drives a boat on Bhagirathi's chest without a license.

Nanigopal, a resident of Brojo's village, went there on a special mission. Braj is his childhood friend. People used to say jokingly that the last part of the name is one of the two. He was surprised to see Brojo bowing his head in the crowd. He decides in his mind, 'What is the matter? 'Slowly moving forward into the crowd. At that time, seeing the officer coming, everyone looked at him in silence. Nanigopal also looked.

The officer saw the crowd and asked,- 'What's the matter? Why so crowded? '

Officer called and said that all the sailors called Brojo by trickery. -'He didn't have a license , but he came to our dock and crossed. We want his punishment, sir. '

Officer is a Bengali man so he has a lot of respect for Bengalis. He also does a lot of good for the poor. When twenty members of a household come to him to demand the punishment of a householder, it is his duty to see to it that the guilty person is the real culprit before accepting that demand. Compassionate officer knows this very well. Because he has a lot of experience in this ten year career. Responding to their words, he said,- "Before I see who will I punish? I will see who has done wrong." '

Nanigopal could not say anything for so long. But when he realized that officer was a very good man, he hurried forward and said,- 'No, sir, no, Brojo cannot do wrong. Maybe he couldn't cut the license because he didn't have money. But, all the villagers rely on Brojo's boat to return at night. When everyone goes home at night to tie the boat, Brojo stays up all night for the helpless people to cross. Because he does not have a license, he crosses at night. '

Hearing Nanigopal's words, the elder officer addressed Brojo Gopal and said,- 'Why do you sail at night at this age? '

Brojogopal says, -'sir, I have to drive this boat and put rice in the mouth of my son and wife. Everyone scolds me for not having a license. So I wake up at night when everyone is gone. I take whatever money he gives. Somehow the family goes on. If I don't come one day, my son won't eat, sir. We also do not eat. '

Nanigopal again says, -'The sailors rent one rupee for the crossing. But he does not take a single penny from very endangered people. Again, many good people pass him by in the dark. '

Officer looked at Brojgopal and said,- 'Is that so?'

-' The world is full of good and evil, what will I do if someone cheats me, sir.'

- 'Not only that, sir, for the last twenty years he has been poisoned, bitten by snakes, pregnant, he has saved many lives. And if he didn't wake up at night, all these people would have died due to lack of treatment. - Tell everything to master. He will judge the truth. And today, if the master judges falsely, then the god who is in that temple will judge the truth. '

Officer was surprised to hear

Nanigopal's words.Brajgopal forced his hand to Master and said in a pleading tone, -'sir, let me go. I will not sail anymore. Let me go .-- Let me go Sir. My wife and son have not eaten since then. If I don't go, they won't eat. Leave me sir.'

Officer said to Brojogopal, -'All right, all right. You were released. But, the license will come tomorrow. You don't have to worry about money. He said to the other sailors, -'You will cross from six in the morning to six in the evening, then leave Brojogopal, otherwise you will be punished.'

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