Miracles in Daily Life – 15

 

 

At that time a circular was published in the local newspaper with reference of Shahed Sarkar, caught the attention Nasima Begum. She got startled.

For their five years old grandson, they need a middle aged Bengali Governess. She needs to stay with them as family.

-It’s an unpremeditated find. Thought Nasima Begum.

But she became hesitant, whether to inform Lisa thinking that the job would be taxing for her. But she felt shaky to take unilateral decision like earlier.

She showed the newspaper to Lisa.

Lisa read the news very mindfully and became got lost in her thinking. It appeared to Lisa that the event is not a mere circular but a sign from Lord.

Nasima Begum knows all the members of Shahed Sarkar’s family.

-Shahed Sarkar is a very amiable and fatherly person. His wife remains shock-stricken for her lost son, daughter in law and grandson. Their lives are in a state of limbo. Jamil is the only life infusing element. He is the quintessential boyhood of Arif.

She described everything to her daughter.

It was decided that Lisa would not hide her own identity, her relation with Nasima Begum etc. She would also inform them about her migration to this country and also about her waiting for marriage. She would have the contract till her marriage. As she lives in her brother’s family, the job would help her to avoid being a burden on him.

-About Nasima Mondol and her present location etc. she would give a vague answer.

-The aspect, she is going to hide and lie if required is her relation with Arif.

Thus, Lisa took the job as governess of Jamil, her husband’s son and went to their house.

As she completed initial introductory talks with Shahed Sarkar and his wife, Jamil entered.

-He is about four feet, fair complexion, pretty pair of inquisitive eyes, and a sharp nose with short hair, his ears sticks out like a rabbit. Jamil stood in front.  

Lisa looked at Jamil with her mouth agape, seeing his likeness with Arif though she painted a similar picture by her mother’s description.

Jamil cringed a bit by the presence of an unknown face, keeping his ogling eyes on Lisa, Jamil walked slowly to his granddad keeping his eyes fixed on Lisa.

-Perfect image of Arif. Lisa gazed at him.

-Had she given birth of a boy despite the choice of Arif and his mother, he would definitely look like no other but Jamil. Lisa thought.

-Jamil, this is your new Aunty, for whom you waited so impatiently. Now on, she will stay here with us.

– She’ll stay with us!

– Why do you doubt that?

– She would never leave?

Jamil, though looked shy but then became talkative. He did not believe what his granddad said.

-No, I’ll not leave till you push me out, after all, I am here in a job for you honey.

Lisa spoke as she pulled Jamil close to her and stroked his cropped hair.

-No, my daughter, don’t term it as job. It’s our luck that you have agreed to stay with us. You are educated and belong to a renowned family. We didn’t have any daughter but had a daughter in law. You would rather occupy her place indeed.

Nazma Begum wiped her tears while uttering all those words.

-Come on Jamil, take her upstairs. Nazma Begum urged Jamil.

Jamil clasped her hand and led her to the stairs.

It’s a duplex house, facing west. Downstairs have a spacious seating room and a guest room towards the front and a kitchen with a basin and a toilet towards the back. Stairs spirals up along with the wall of the seating room. Upstairs, two full size bed rooms with attached bath and a children bed adjacent with the front room.

In upstairs, Shahed Sarkar and his wife stays in the back side room. Jamil guided Lisa to the front side room.

Lisa clasped Jamil in her bosom as they entered the room. Jamil, having deprived of mother’s care from birth kept quiet in the cozy motherly cuddle.

-Oh destiny! What plan you have up in your sleeve, is only known to you. Thought Lisa.

Having seated Jamil on the bed, Lisa kept gazing at him.

Jamil talks a lot. Sometime regarding London sometimes back home, always mixing one with the other. Big Granddad, big grandma, small granddad, small grandma, big papa, small papa, he kept narrating mixing one with the other.

Lisa did not get all his descriptions, but didn’t feel to stop his flow of talking. More so, Lisa was more busy looking at him than to listening to his words.

Lisa saw Arif for four days only, but those four days were not like any other four days of her life. Lisa repeatedly recapitulated the entire memory of those four days and put them on keen scrutiny from different angle. That’s why, those four days are ever green in her memory.

Jamil’s gait, his way of talking, habit of shaking hands while talking is akin to Arif. Lisa looked at Jamil totally oblivious of herself.

After sometime, Shahed Sarkar and Nazma Begum went upstairs. They stopped by the door left ajar with curtain drawn to hear non- stop talk of Jamil. They were listening raptly. The room was full of life like the time their son and daughter in law lived there.

-Ever since their death, the room remains vacant and silent. Today it seemed that room was full again. As if they were back.

Lisa informed her mother of everything.

Jamil shifted his books, papers, toys and clothing into that room and declared that he would stay in that room from then on. Lisa arranged everything of Jamil with utmost affection.

Nazma Begum became very happy as she entered the room. Since the death of her son, grandson and daughter in law she entered the room very sparingly and felt vacant all the time.

But things appeared quite different that day like earlier.

-My daughter in law also used to arrange things like you. Nazma Begum complimented Lisa.

There lied a framed photo on the table, capturing the moment of the family; Mahim, his wife with their baby son flanked by Shahed Sarkar and his wife. It lied on the table as Mahim and his wife went to India along with their son.

-That is a very memorable photo. It was taken as the Mahim’s son was brought from hospital. Mahim proposed for the snap just before they entered the house with their son for the first time.

Mahim gave a on the spot training to their servant boy about camera handling and cautioned him to press the button after saying ready. A brawl took place as to who would hold the baby, and there were almost a scuffle. The servant boy forgot to say ready and pressed the button in that melee.

That was the last snap in the reel. On giving out a flash, the camera started rewinding itself automatically, declaring the end of the reel.

After the reel was washed, everybody liked the photo.

Shakila, Mahim’s wife commented, “Mom did you notice that it’s a talking photo, all in the photo are talking.

Mahim and his wife both decided and framed that photo. But, disagreement arose where to fix the frame.

Mahim desired the photo to be on the side table but Shakila wanted that to be hung on the wall. Anyway, the frame was kept on the table for the time being.

Shakila drove a nail on the wall to hang the frame. She was in a hurry for going to India and could not fix the frame on the wall. But she promised, keeping her mother in law as witness that she would hang the frame on the wall on falling back from tour.

The frame was left on the table since then.

Nazma Begum got puzzled, not seeing the frame on the table. As she lookedaround, she saw the frame hung on the wall by the nail Shakila fixed.

Lisa marked that the frame caught the notice of Nazma Begum.

-The frame looks befitting on the wall and I saw that a nail was already driven on the wall. So, I just hung there. Lisa tried to absolve herself of the deed.

Nazma Begum kept gazing at Lisa.

-Perhaps it was not right to move the frame. Thought Lisa.

Lisa knew about the loss of their son, daughter in law and their grandson, the photo belongs to them that she understood. But removing the photo was not a good work without taking all those into account. Lisa thought and stood confused.

– I have done a mistake. Lisa confessed candidly and ventured to take that down from the wall.

Nazma Begum undid her attempt by putting her affectionate hand on her head.

-No, let it be there. My daughter in law wanted to hang it there. Didn’t you notice that the nail was pegged there? She wanted to fix it on return.

Lisa got further confused and did not know what she should do.

-It appeared that the photo are talking, even the baby.

Lisa said hesitantly.

Nazma Begum got a shock of her utterance. She tried to take even closer look at Lisa.

-Big grandma, I’m going to stay with Aunty from tonight.

Nazma got back to present as Jamil talked.

She caressed Jamil and silently walked out.