Star Diary

White Summer Fragrances

Photo: Tahmina C Islam

Have you noticed the 'White Summer Fragrances' just at the peak of the summer heat? Well, if you haven't then try the parks, gardens, or add them to your next year's pot plant collection or may be we could have them manicured in our road-island corner mini gardens. They are just awesome, each of them- the pure white lilies, fresh as in white attire; yellow-white bunches of frangipanie (kathalichanpa) with a youthful charm swaying in the breeze; soft, white sweet-scented jasmine (beli), or the independent and strong, white, solitary gardenia (gondhoraj) amidst its deep shiny green leaves. We cannot forget the white togor, kanchon and korobi with a peaceful serenity, blooming under the blue sky. All of these white summer fragrances, along with myriads of tiny kamini filling their bushy tree and later on after the rains, being joined by the green-stalked, ever romantic, white tuberoses (rajanigondha) standing in a row, spreading their perfumed nostalgia filled with mystical thoughts. One can't miss these experiences of fresh fragrances that nature offers, so special of our country. So at the least, we need to simply make the effort to be outdoors and appreciate their presence in the summertime.

Tahmina C Islam
Dhaka

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Mistimed Missed Call

The other day a friend of mine was walking home from his relative's house at around evening, things were going fine and as usual there were quite a good number of pedestrians walking on the road, when a man from behind intentionally kicked on his feet. And immediately started apologising to my friend and started shaking hands. Suddenly another man came and said that they are muggers and asked him to come to a corner. Then they asked him to give away all the money my friend had, then they asked him for the mobile phone, wittily my friend denied of having a mobile phone with him and asked them to search his pockets for confirmation. They didn't go for checking as it was a public place, as they were leaving, my friend's phone rang and immediately they turned around and not only took his cell phone but also his spectacles, watch and bag which he was carrying. He somehow managed to reach home and realised he could have saved his mobile phone if he had kept the phone in silent mode!

Rahim A Sajwani
North South University, Dhaka

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DADZ, Love you

The other day I was riding on a rickshaw to go to my student's residence via Tajmahal Road at Mohammadpur. Suddenly my eyes brimmed over to see a nasty wall-writing; I was dazed for a couple of minutes after seeing that. And I became nostalgic about my loving, caring and nice father, who passed away thirteen years ago. He was the person who taught me humility, humanity and piety; he had been the greatest teacher of my life.

You must be thinking what was written on that wall. It read, 'DADZ, ____* you'. It was insulting and heartbreaking to any father and evidence of the deranged mentality of those youngsters. My humble request to those youngsters is not to forget the sacrifice of their parents in their childhood and at present; respect, admire their parents who have been the guiding light of their lives. And fill the walls with graffiti that reads, 'DADZ, Love you!'

Md Nazim Uddin
University of Dhaka