Sumon Rahman has been working for fifteen years. But never in his long career had he seen a junior talking more than his senior assistant. He had never even seen a peon scold an office worker. He thinks Rabia is what man is made of. But in spite of all this, Suman Rahman cannot forget the incident that happened today. It has been about six months since a girl named Rabeya joined their office. But have never seen this girl talking a little loud to anyone let alone smiling a little. But today that girl laughed out loud after hearing a little word from Peon. The laughter shook the entire two-story floor. And the biggest thing is what he laughed at -
"Big people never understand the suffering of the poor. He only knows how to suck the blood of the poor."
Sumon Rahman does not understand whether there is a smile hidden somewhere in this statement. So he decided to talk to this girl named Rabia today. Strange girl, neither funny nor serious. Sumon Rahman will leave knowing what he is today. Today is Thursday so half day. This day should be used. So he asked Rabeya to meet him at the restaurant next to the office after office. Rabeya just said "Huh" in reply.
Rabeya and Sumon Rahman are sitting facing each other. Smoky coffee on the table. But no one cares about that. Suman Rahman wonders what is inside this strange girl. And Rabeya feels uncomfortable seeing Suman Rahman's look like this.
"Well Rabea, why are you like that?"
"How are you sir?"
"A little strange."
"Not much sir."
"Rabeya, let me tell you a little about your life today."
"There is nothing in my life story, sir."
"No, tell me something, I'll listen to it."
"But..."
"Please don't say that your life is normal. And very simple."
"No sir, why should I say that?"
"Then tell me."
"Sir, you didn't say I was a bit strange. Not really me, my life is strange."
"Tell me that strange life, I will listen. I also understand that your life is not normal like everyone else's or that you didn't struggle to get this far."
Rabeya took a sip from her coffee mug and began to speak.
"My father is a rickshaw puller. Mother works in other's house. I am their eldest daughter. I have another sister her name is Fatima. Our family is very small, only four people. We are tenants, we have no land of our own. Of course, we do not regret it. I know what it means to be in want and I have experience how difficult life's battles are."
Rabeya started to say again after taking a break.
"When the aunt of the house next door used to cook beef, our house didn't even cook chicken for 120 taka per kg boiler that day. We had no bad feelings about it. But the younger sister was serious sometimes, so I told her that we will also cook meat next Friday. And my crazy sister believed that.
My mother used to work at someone else's house. And father drove the rickshaw twelve hours a day. Sometimes father returned home late at night. Then at night, eat and sleep together with stories. The next day everyone went to work as usual. All my parents' dreams are about our two sisters. I will grow up by studying. I will do a good job. Then all the troubles of my parents will be removed.
I have seen a lot in life, learned a lot. I have experienced many things at once. So if someone says what is the problem, do you understand? Then there is a lot of laughter.
When my mother used to work in the house, she would bring any good food from the house, she would cook it and bring it home and share it with me, my father and Fatima. He used to say that he had eaten when he took care of his mother. And these were given to me, father and Fatima. I used to eat my share after hearing that. Fatima also ate her portion. But father would not eat it, he would leave it. If asked, he would say that he buys and eats this and that on the streets, neither me nor Fatima. So he kept them for us. So that we can eat it later. Mother would fry an egg with fried onions on the day when bharta was served at home. It will increase the taste of the egg. But I know mom does it, because if you add onion and pepper, the egg will be a little bigger and everyone can share it. But the foolish sister sometimes insisted on eating one egg alone. Mother used to get very angry, if that didn't work, she would slap and beat her. Sometimes at night parents would say they ate without eating. When did I say playing? Then father used to say that he bought purid from the street and ate it with two glasses of water. Father's stomach is full. And mother said she is not hungry. But I understood everything. Fatima was young so she did not understand that much. Why do they do that, because neither I nor Fatima should ever sleep without eating.
