What
defines class?
A
few days back, I was in a Mohakhali-bound Rider
on my way to office. After the vehicle started
out from Farmgate, the helper started to hurry
about for the fare. While everybody paid in silence,
a large guy beside me snarled at the helper, holding
out a fifty-Taka note. I was astounded because
he started to use abusive language without any
reason whatsoever. He must already have had a
spat with the helper before I got in. The helper
asked the passenger for change in a polite and
quiet manner. To my sheer astonishment, the rude
man erupted and started to bombard the innocent
helper with more abuse. His shouting left the
air acrid. I was about to request him to calm
down when the helper snarled back, “lagbona apner
taka, apner bhasha huinai shanty” (I don't need
your fare, your language is soothing enough!).
Why would a gentleman dressed so well, looking
somewhat well educated use such coarse language
in a vehicle crammed with men and women? Could
it be his way of being smart or macho? Anyway,
it was delightful to see the helper outsmart this
macho man. So what really defines class?
Shahriar,Green
Road
The
Ghotok-cum-rickshawallah
It
was a sweltering day when I was returning home
from the university last week. The time was around
1:30 PM. I was tired and hungry and definitely
not in a talkative mood. But the rickshaw puller
decided to start a conversation with me just a
few minutes before taking me to my home. It started
innocently at first. He wanted to know my home
district. I obliged him and in return he told
me where he came from. He told me that his home
town was close to mine, and that made us practically
neighbours. Fair enough. Then, he started asking
me whether I worked or not, and how long I had
been living in the area where he had brought me
etc. I got a bit irritated. When I took out my
wallet to pay the fare, he asked me whether there
were any nice, unmarried women in my neighbourhood.
I was taken aback. Now this kind of query did
not fall under polite curiosity! But the rickshawallah
explained that he does part time 'ghotkali' (matchmaking)
and he thought that I might know of single women
with whom he could set up 'eligible' bachelors!
“It's very difficult to survive by only pulling
rickshaws,” he grinned at me. Just in case you're
wondering, I couldn't provide him with a bio-data
of a prospective bride!
N.K.,
DU
Finders
are not always keepers
One
day on my way to my university campus in a congested
bus, I firmly held onto the rod to keep my balance.
Nearly half my body was on the outside. At one
point, I lost my wallet and my search for it turned
out to be futile. I was really sad but not too
much as I only had Tk.50 inside it. I started
to think about this letter that I had once kept
inside my wallet. It stated, “It's a sin to steal
and I despise the man who steals. Thank you.”
Strangely, one day, after that incident, I got
a parcel that contained my wallet. Attached to
it was a note, “I found it at the bus station.”
There was no name or address of the person who
had returned my wallet. It was as if that 'one
line' was a good enough explanation.
Tamim Yusuf, A.F Rahman Hall
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