::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

Dhaka Diary

Being Born Lucky
A few days ago, I was looking for a rickshaw to go to my university. I hailed one, a while later, the rickshaw wallah aged between 50 and 60. On my way to Dhanmondi road no. 15, I felt that he was probably not strong enough to pull the rickshaw. He was moving very slowly. I felt sympathy running within me but remained silent, not asking him to go faster. I realised I was probably giving him more pressure than he could handle. "You can just drop me off here if you want," I told him. He politely said no. I asked him once again to drop me off, but he declined all the same. By this time, I had something really hard piercing me within and my conscience would simply not allow me to stay, on the rickshaw. All of a sudden, he had to stop the rickshaw due to some mechanical problems with his rickshaw and had to stop it near Dhanmondi road no. 9. I literally thanked my stars and didn't forget to render one to God Himself for this act! I paid him extra money than the actual fare and walked down the road looking for another one. It is indeed very sad, having to witness such scenarios around us, where we believe to have reached a stage in life where one can demand a better life and also achieve one, if he/she works for it. But I guess, just a handful is actually born with luck lining the spoon alongside the silver of course.

Sarah Mirza The University of Asia Pacific, Dhanmondi

Fighting Defenseless
I was stuck in a traffic jam near Tejkunipara when I was coming back from Shahbagh to Tongi on a Volvo bus. A little scavenger-boy was walking alongside the footpath, carrying a dirty gunny bag. The little boy caught my eye, when he hungrily began to nibble on to a raw and half-rotten radish. For a while, my taste buds seemed to be trying to probably jump about and remind me that absolutely no one could actually even think of eating this radish, because it was simply not edible! However, the little boy seemed engrossed in eating what he could find his hand on and was literally feasting on the half-decayed vegetable. That was when I actually felt helpless, a body with no power, no mind and no ability to say anything whatsoever.

Tapas Dhali Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University

Hilariously Embarrassing
It was the year 1998 when I was in class 5. I was coming back from my drawing school in Elephant Road, when a senior student offered to give my mother and me a ride home. After reaching home, my mother obviously thanked the student's mother who gave us the ride and offered a 50-taka note for the driver. For some unknown reason, the lady in the car was absolutely taken aback and speechless. However, my mother simply thought she was being polite about the whole matter. The next day, the lady sent back the 50-taka note along with a note, thanking my mother for the money, but it was really very unnecessary. It seems the driver who was at the wheel was actually the lady's husband and not a chauffeur as my mother had thought him to be!

Jafrin Jahed Jiti Viqarunnisa Noon College