A Gas-Balloon Seller

First Published

Long time ago there was an old man. He was a merchant. He had a business of a gas-balloon. He started selling gas-balloon when he was 12 years old. He started this business from his village. After that he came at Dhaka city. Instantly he developed his life by selling gas-balloon.

When I was three years old then I saw him. And I asked my mother about him. Then my mother told me about him. My mother saw him from her childhood. She saw that man always as same.

When the man used to sell the gas-balloons then he used to recite a rhyme like singing style. The rhyme was:

‘Gas-balloon char-ana
Dhaira rakhben charben-na
Chaira dile woira jaibo
Ar fira paiben-na…………’

[Gas-balloon is at tk 0.25;
Don’t leave, hold it;
If it is left then it will fly away;
You won’t get back that.]

He had polygamy. But he did that for some reasons. He got his second marriage after the death of his first wife. When his second wife died then he got third marriage and she also died. After the death of his third wife he got fourth marriage. But when she died then he decided that he will never get married. He took this as his fate and bad luck.

His has seven sons & five daughters. He made his all children educated. At a time he built seven buildings in Dhaka city & day by day he became a rich man. But he never changed his occupation.

I always saw him as same. I heard from my mother that she never saw any changes on him. He always put on lunge (like skirt), genji (T-shirt) & plastic shoes. Just his voice became changed for his age. But he always used to sell Baloons by reciting:

‘Gas-balloon char-ana
Dhaira rakhben charben-na
Chaira dile woira jaibo
Ar fira paiben-na…………’

Suddenly I heard that the man died. It is unbelievable but it’s true that when he died he was 150 years old. Today he is no more with us but I will remember him forever.

A Street Beggar

First Published

‘Pai dia jan, pai dia jan,

Pai dia jan ………….’

It is not a poem. This ‘Pai’ means Coin. It is a dialog of a street beggar. He is a blind man. He has white hair. He is 70 years old. I knew about this man before 15 years. But his look, get up didn’t change. All time he wears a white t-shirt and white sky color grameen cheak lungi. He retains an aluminum bowl; a bag and a stick for standing. And all time he says his dialogue “Pai dia jan, Pai dia jan”.

One day I asked him, what is ‘Pai dia jan’? I also asked his name. But he didn’t answer my question. He seemed that he didn’t hear my question. But actually he did. Maybe he didn’t want to answer my question. Then he just repeated “Pai dia jan” ………. Always I see him begging in Goran, Basabo, Shantibag.

Another day I again asked him the same question. Then he informed me that the “Pai dia jan” dialogue’s “Pai” word is quite attractive in Shadarghat terminal. That is why he uses this word. He also said, “Pai” word is same to him as getting anything or taking coin. In Bengali ‘Pai’ means ‘I get’ and ‘Dia jan’ means ‘Give me’. In some local area ‘Pai’ means Coin.

When I wanted to know about his family member, he answered me that he doesn’t have any family. He is single. Then I asked him again, how does he spend the earning money from his begging? He answered me, he takes his breakfast with ‘Panta’ rice, he takes loaf as lunch and in the dinner he eats just hot boiled rice. When he can save some money then he tries to travel to different places; where no crowds and just green trees are all-around. Then I asked him that why does he want to go to this type of place? He answered me that he is blind. He just wants to feel the silence of nature. He wants to smell the green trees and fresh air. He thinks that God has gifted a power of smelling and feeling to the blind people.

Almost 2 years I didn’t see him. I don’t know he is alive or not. May be any time at any place I will hear ---------------------

‘Pai dia jan, pai dia jan,
Pai dia jan ………….’

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Hello, world.