::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

Star Diary

Angry Passenger

I was waiting for the bus at Katabon one afternoon. It was hot and I was sweating. I noticed a man talking to a rickshaw puller. The man was dressed in formal clothes. The rickshaw puller had refused him. He asked several rickshaw pullers but was refused by every one of them. I kept watching him. By the time he came to the rickshaw near me, the man looked exhausted and a little desperate. He begged him, “I really need to go to New Market badly. I am ready to pay you more than the usual fare.” Even then, the rickshaw puller would not budge from his spot. He was sitting idle and said in an indifferent tone, “Ask the others.” The man got angry “Why? What on earth is wrong with you?” Listening to the man the rickshaw puller shot a stern look at him, and said rudely, “I won't go, because I am not willing to go.” The tone of the rickshaw puller enraged the man. What happened next was totally unexpected! The man grabbed the richshaw puller's shirt collar and shook him hard. The rickshaw puller got a shock and was so scared that he finally took the passenger to his destination. We were all completely stunned at this unprecedented event.

Maruf Rahman
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The other day I went to Nilkhet to buy some books. After buying the books I wanted to spend some time using the Internet to check and send mails as I had some free time. Hence, I went to a cyber cafe situated at Nilkhet and asked the person responsible there about the charges. He, in turn, asked me if I needed a single or a double cabin. I did not understand at first. As far as I was concerned, terms like single or a double cabin were only used at hotels. Then I had a glance at inside the cafe. I found that in every double-cabin, a couple spent time, as if they were in a park. I could go on, but what I saw is simply not describable. I was shocked as many of them were school-going students. The cyber cafe authorities must monitor what is going on in the cafes.

Mushfique Wadud
Department Of English
Stamford University Bangladesh
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Nexus of Mankind

I used to eat at a very famous eatery in Chittagong. One day a child, not more than 12 years old, was serving me. After finishing my food, I gave the boy Tk 10 tip. He thanked me. Next time, at the restaurant I ordered a burger. The boy stunned me saying that the burger had gone rotten. He advised me to opt for something else. He said, “You look like my elder brother. I will inform you when the food is rotten or fresh.” I thanked him. After that day, whenever I would go to the restaurant, I would ask for the food menu. We had certain code words amongst ourselves through which I would be informed of the fresh food. One day, I saw the same boy begging by the street. Utterly surprised I asked him what had happened. He said that the owner of the eatery had figured out our code words and beat up the boy for revealing information. After firing the boy, the child had nothing else to do but beg for food. I felt tears in my eyes. Even then, I gave a Tk 100 note to the boy and asked him to always stay honest and never to lose hope.

Khalid-Bin-Mostafa (Robin)
Management Studies Department
University Of Chittagong