Chomotkar din azke.
Din chomotkar lagar duto karon.
Prothom karon, Aj shukro’bar, Aj boss-ami dibosh :)
Ditio karon, Aj chomotkar weather. Ektu age kichukkhon’er jonno baire giyechilam. Building theke ber hoyei jirno kongkal-shar mon ta nadush nudush hoye uthlo. Mishti mishti rod, na gorom, na thanda.. ghash ghash gondho.. amake chotto ekta shohorer kotha mone koriye dilo. Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Ei deshe amar prothom shohor. Shei shohorer rod o erokom norom snigdho chilo, ghash’e eki rokom veja veja gondho chilo. Hoyto’ba ahamori kichu chilo na. Kintu mone hochche chilo. Fele asha shomoy, sriti, manush beshir vaag shomoy-e oshadharon mone hote thake. Hoyto ba tara asholew oshadharon chilo bolei oshadharon mone hote thake. Thak, ei shob torke ar na jai. Shob kichur’e ekta shuru thakte hoy. Poribesh poristhiti ek shomoy onek sriti’e amader vuliye dey, kintu prothom barer bepar gulo moner kono ek bondho bakshe zhapi ete thik’e khub jotno kore tuley rakhe prokriti. Bohudin por kono ek hizi-bizi muhurte shei ‘prothom’ bepar ta ‘tup’ kore mone koriye dey mon.
Ei goto ko bochore onek jaygay thekechi, onek shohor dekhechi. Tader kotha ekdom bhule gechi, sheta bolbo na. Kintu Oak Ridge er proti jei taan ta, sheta onno shohorer proti hoy na. Ar kono shohorer kotha vebe mone hoy na, “ekbar shujog pele theke ashbo 3/4 din”. Thik jemon hoy Dhakar proti. Joto jai hok jibone, Dhakay thakar shukh ke kokhonoi ami onno kono kichur shathe tulona kore pere uthbo na. Dhaka hochche nijer shohor. Dhaka hochche Dhaka.
Pray’e vabi, Dhakay giye theke ashbo koy ekdin. Shahosh pai na. Jodi moho ta venge jay? Jodi moshar kamor kheye birokto hoye ‘dui diner boiragi bhat ke bole rice’-der moto bole boshi “eto mosha keno? ewww! chih nongra dustbin.. awwww.. hishu korbo kothay, dad?”. Jodi moner moddhe etotuku opochondo chole ashe amar oshomvob prio shohor take niye? Ki dorkar ghata ghati korar. Thaki na aro kichudin mohachchonno hoye.
Koto joner koto rokomer sriti thake. Karo kono ghotonar kotha mone thake, kono chobir kotha mone thake, kono ronger kotha thake, kono shobder kotha mone thake. Amar thake gondho sriti. Hoyto kono ekta hashpatal’e gechi onek age, tarpor aro onek hashpatal’e jawa hoyeche.. but pach bochor por onno kono ek hashpatal’e giye mone hobe, ei hashpatala-tar gondho shei prothom hashpatal-tar moto. Khub choto thakte amar ma kichu din hashpatal’e chilen. Hashpatal theke deya breakfast er moddhe thakto sheddho dim ar makhon. Shob’e bhule gechi, shei hashpatal er nam bhule gechi, ami koto choto chilam taw bhule gechi. Kintu shei makhon’er gondho’ta ami ajo boye berai. Amar nana bari te fridge’e shobuz kacher bati te ghor’e banano makhon thakto, shei gondho o boye berai. Dui makhoner dui rokom gondho. Prithibir ar kono makhonei shei makhoner gondho pai na, hoyto pabo na.
Abar, dhora jak drive korchi. Janala namalam. Hut kore mone hobe, ei rasta-tar gondho.. onek din age hete asha kono ekta rastar moto. Oidin elevator e uthe ami amar nanir gayer gondho pachchilam. LOL Amar pashe vim-vobani type er ekta dosha-shoi kalo mohila. Tar ga theke amar nanir gayer gondho ashche? Nani ke dekhechi shei kobe, kon choto belay. Tar gayer gondho taw amar mogoje roye geche etodin por?
Prothom ei deshe ashar por amar ekta zhokkor-mokkor type gari chilo. 1988 Toyota. Shada. Shei gari te chilo na A/C, radio ta pakhir moto kichir michir shobdo korto, ek side’er dorja ekbar khulto to ekbar khulte chaito na, hoyto pechoner dorja diye gari te uthlo keu, ber hote hoto shamner dorja diye karon pechoner dorja kotha shunte oshikriti janachche. Tokhon gari take oshojjo mone hoto. Ichcha hoto kono lake’er pashe giye dhakka diye pani te fele dei movier moto. Othocho ko bhochor por shei gari jokhon junk yard-er truck eshe niye jachchilo, ami bichanay shuye hau mau kore kedechi. Kotoi na sriti chilo shei gari te. Koto jaygay giyechi, koto kichu dekhechi, prothom voy voy buk niye highway te uthechi, shai shai kore chute asha garir bohor’er shathe mishe giyechi, prothom police’er ticket kheyechi, prothom illegal u-turn korechi, prothom bar snow te drive korte giye gari skid kore ultiye boshe thekechi hat pa thanda kore, prothom porikkhay deri hoye jabar tension’e park kore garir engine on rekhei dorja bondho kore chute chole gechi, prothom eshe dekhechi garir gas tank khali.. amar koto prio gaan prothom shunechi shei vanga garir vanga radio te. Amar eto mayar eto bhalobashar gari take ei bisri rokom dekhte tow-truck ta pashaner moto tene niye jabe!
Garir dukkhe kede buk vashiyechi, ei jonno amake chagol mone korar kono karon nei. Karon ami chagol na, ami moha chagol. Jibone jotobar ami basha bodol korechi, ami kedechi. Ekhon hoyto ar hau mau kore kadte pari na, kintu moner vetore shei 11 bochor boyosher basha bodoler kosto ta eki rokom roye geche. Eki rokom kosto, chere jabar jontrona. Ami pran-pon cheshta chaliye jetam amar baba ma ke bozhanor jonno, “ei basha ta khub bhalo, ei basha ta chere jabar ki dorkar”.
Kon proshongo theke kon proshonge chole eshechi. Likhchilam Oak Ridge er kotha. Choto khato dip er moto ekta shohor. Jodio dip na, amar kache dip’e mone hoto. America namer bishal shagor’e amar ghora ferar chotto ekta jayga. Guti-koyek dokan, ekta choto highway, choto choto bari, oshomvob shundor ekta lake ..ar amar vanga-chora shada gari. Ei to. Mash-khanek por ekjon duijon indian cheharar mukh dekha jeto, tader kei koto apon mone hoto. Bangladeshi to bolte gele chiloi na. Puro shohor ebong tar ashe pasher elaka miliye 7/8 ta Bangladeshi family chilo. Ekta kather ghor chilo, oi ghor ta chilo mosjid. Buro ek barbar chilo jar kache ami chul katatam. Take age call kore appointment nite hoto.. machine diye kur kur kore chul kete amar cheharay ‘chandi-chila bandor’-vaab niye ashte tar 3/4 minute’er beshi lagto na. Shei 3/4 min er jonno take call kore agey theke janate hoto. Hat e gona koyta dokan. Sheshob dokane ghurte ghurte dokaner kon shelf’e ki ache, pray mukhosto hoye giyechilo. Pasher boro shohor chilo Knoxville. Shekhane jawa ta mone hoto ekta oyojon’er bepar, 1 ghonta drive kore oto dur-deshe jachchi!! Knoxville er rasta ghat mone hoto koto jotil, ekbar poth harale ar rokkha nei, koi theke koi niye jabe. Othocho ekhon Knoxville er moto shohor dekhle nak shitkai, boli gram.
Class’e jetam chorer moto. Voye voye thaktam, keu jodi kotha bole fele! Ki na ki jiggesh kore boshbe, ora to nishchoi amader moto Bangladeshi joke buzhbe na. American der chaglami te obak o hotam. Amar English Composition-1’er professor amake ekdin tar room’e niye gelo ebong janalo Saree tar khub prio ekta dress ebong she saree pora shikhte chay. Ami vablam hoyto tar bou ke saree kine dibe. Nah! She nije saree porte chay. Tar kache eta just amazing mone hoy je ki vabe eto lomba ekta kapor eto shundor kore manush gayer shathe pechay. Ami ki bolbo buzhte parchilam na. She amake jiggesh korlo, ami saree pori kina. Ami bollam, ami saree porbo keno, saree meyeder poshak. She akash theke porlo. She naki saree pora india chele dekheche!! Hoyto kono monk tonk dekheche, vebeche she saree pore ache. Jai hok, amar professor ke kotha dite holo, next time ami jokhon bangladeshe jabo ami amar mayer kach theke saree pora shikhe eshe take shekhabo :) Shikkhok der kotha shunte hoy. Odhom chatro ami. Ajo saree pora shikhte pari ni.
American der kichu dhora badha niom thake. Sheta mene cholte perei tara khushi. Er bairey kichu dekhlei tader chokh boro boro hoye jay ebong mukh diye tin ta shobdo ber hoye ashe, “Oh My God!”. Keu tader shikhiyeche french fries khete hoy ketchup diye, shutorang bachuk ar moruk french fries tara ajibon ketchup diyei kheye jabe. Ami jokhoni cafeteria te giye ketchup ar mayonnaise makhiye french fries khetam.. ashe pasher table theke manush baka chokhe dekhto! Mone mone hoyto vabto, “oshikkhito indian chele, jibone kichui shekhe ni”.
Ekbar mota shota ek lok amake jiggesh korechilo, amar deshe television ache kina! Tar proshno shune ami ahoto hoyechi dekhe she tar bhul buzhte parlo. Tokhon she bollo, “oh! tumi tahole Sheikh?”. She ekhon amar babar koyta bou jante jay! She shuneche sheikh der 2/3 ta kore oil field thake, 200/300 ta wife thake ar tara kalo limousine ‘e kore ghure beray bou niye. Tar hoyto dharona USA’r baire ar duita matro desh ache, ek deshe shobai bouwala dhoni sheikh ar na hoy onno deshe shobai gamcha pore nodi te mach dhore. Eder TV te 200/300 ta channel thake, tarporo tara vabe 2nd world war hoyeche U.S.(North) ar U.S.(South) er moddhe. Dukkhojonok.
Ekta kotha ache, “manush dat thakte dat’er morjada bozhe na, dat porey gele bozhe”. Deshe thakte desher proti maya thake na. Desh chere chole ashle deshprem bere jay. Jolo-janto proman ami nijei. Keu amake indian bolle tokhon matha kharap hoye jeto. Oshomvob! Ami Indian na. Ami Bangladeshi. Eki vabe Korean der ke jodi bola hoy, “are you from China?”, mota lathi diye marte ashbe! Kintu ami ki korbo! Shob nak bocha ke amar eki rokom lage.
Prothom New York ashar por khub khushi hoyechilam. Jokhoni keu jiggesh kore, “where are you from?”, ami boli “Bangladesh” ebong mone mone boro shoro vougolik biboron deyar jonno prostut hoi tokhon proshno-korta amake obak kore diye bole uthe, “Oh! Bangladesh! Cool! I have friends from there”.
Etai boro shohor’e thakar shubidha, New York’e thakar anondo. Hazar rokomer barowari manush ghure berachche, jar ja ichcha khachche, ja ichcha porche.. karo shomoy nei karo dikey firey takabar, karo shomoy nei karo kotha vabar. French fries bhat’er moto torkari diye makhiye makhiye khelew keu khub ekta ga korbe na.
Jak ga. Onorthok onek kichu likhe felechi. New York theke amar ek bondhu esheche ghurte 2 diner jonno. Onno bondhu ra chuti niyeche. Shobai ghure berachche azke sharadin. Amake ashte hoyeche kaz e. Shokal theke mon’e dukkho vaab boye berachchilam. Bhodor bhodor korte pere moner dukhkho ekhon ektu komeche : )
Sumon er kichu gaan post kortam. Kintu khuje pachchi na :(
[Added on Aug 10, 2008]
Artist: Suman Chattopadhaya [Kabir Suman]
[1] Prothom Shob Kichu
[Download]
[2] Amar Chuti [Poem]
[Download]
[3] Biday Porichita [Translation of ‘Farewell Angelina’ by Joan Baez]
[Download]
[4] Ganwala
[Download]
[5] Jatishshor
[Download]
[6] Tomake Chai
[Download]
Posted by ishti 
ishti DOT com 