Husnahara's dream!!

It's been a month and five more days! 

Husnahara's pale yellow eyes were looking outside expectedly. She looked at the overwhelming blue sky from amidst the torn plastic covering of her house. She was lost in her own world. The sky looked beautiful with shreds of white clouds, only if she had the wings to encompass the sky and fly around. 

The announcement was made yesterday. Yes, that was what she heard. She was hopeful something good would happen today. 

Since morning Husnahara remained busy, she scrubbed the already clean degchi (saucepan for cooking rice grains) washed it with care and filled water in it. She then mixed some cowdung, mud and water and rubbed the chulha (fireplace). Work done she rushed to the tubewell and took a quick bath, lest they arrived and she became late. 

She took out an almost new sari and wore it with care. Hasnahara had received it during Eid from one of her employers. She also kept the empty cement bag ready. She then took out the palm size mirror from the tin box and looked at her face. Was she happy? Yes, she tried to be happy. She touched her swelling belly- she was eight months pregnant. 

She started dreaming of the day she eloped with Hasanur and how they reached Guwahati from Goalpara for a better future. She fell in love with Hasanur as he spoke of malls, cinema halls, apartments. She saw many colourful dreams through his eyes. It's been less than a year that she started living with him cutting all ties with her family. Life has so far been good. 

Husnahara works as a maid in six palatial houses near her dingy rented place and Hasanur as an assistant to a Mason named Babu. But the past few months have been difficult for both of them. First they couldn't go for work due to curfew and some protests and now the disease. 

Suddenly, Rahim and Sofikul her neighbor's started running with their bags. Before Husnahara could ask anything they were already out of sight. Husnahara slowly got up and walked to the relief van. No, she couldn't't run but she tried walking as fast as she could. 

 

But wait what was it- there was a huge crowd. Even before she could reach the spot, the van started moving. Husnahara started screaming, 'Wait; please wait'. "I didn't get the relief." Please give me something. Not much- atleast a handful of grains for a meal. If not anything atleast give me a packet of biscuit. Not for me; just for my unborn child. Please!! Don't go away. The van didn't stop. Maybe the driver didn't hear or want to hear. He left Husnahara wailing like a mad woman.

As Husnahara reached home, from nowhere did dark clouds gather in the afternoon sky. It started raining, the chulha got washed away. There were stains of mud on her clean degchi. She started crying. She lost all hope. She was going to remain hungry today too!! 

Sara