Black Ice by Mahmudul Haque

Author:Mahmudul Haque
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Published: 2012-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Eight

Rekha says, ‘Can you tell me what’s all this you’ve started? What will people say if they hear of it? Will you never ever pay attention to your family responsibilities?’

‘All I am doing is living for the family,’ says Abdul Khaleq.

‘It’s true, you’re in it, but is that all there is to it? What do you gain by staying up all night writing all that stuff? Will your friend lift you to the skies? Why do you insist on work that will never turn a profit? You’ve had this bad habit your entire life: whatever comes to mind, you’ll wring it and wring it and won’t stop until you leave it bitter.’

‘Malek will get angry. I’ve been giving him the runaround for a long time. He’ll kill me if he doesn’t get it this time.’

‘Since you two are that close, you could go live with Malek.’

‘The way you talk…’

‘No one finds his wife’s words sweet. I understand everything. You feel driven to have an affair. Go ahead and have one then. There’s no shortage of sweethearts that you have among your students. Pick one that suits you.’

Abdul Khaleq stops shaving. ‘I can see you don’t want to spare anyone.’

‘I have seen with my own eyes how your female students look like when they show up here. My skin burns when I see how they come dressed up in all their finery, as if they’ve come to ensnare a lover. We too went to college. But if you’re coming to study, why all this flirting?’

‘Where did you see flirting?’

‘They are falling all over you. When they speak to you people, their mouths pop like popped rice, but when they face us, they’re like wet kittens, they won’t utter a sound even if they’re slapped seven times.’

Abdul Khaleq says, ‘There’s a lot wrong in what you see, Rekha. Don’t look at things that way. It’s not right to look at things that way. Those who see things this way only shatter their own peace of mind.’

‘So much peace you’ve given me.’

‘That’s a separate issue.’ His face covered with lather, Abdul Khaleq says, ‘They come from distant villages. They go through a lot of trouble getting here. What hopes they have for their future. Will anyone make all that effort for just a little flirting?’

‘They only come for doting friends like you people. Education? What a crock. Why, didn’t Abu Taleb from the commerce department marry his student? Didn’t he become an object of ridicule?’

‘Is it wrong to marry?’

‘I don’t want to butt heads with you like a bull,’ Rekha says angrily. ‘The grocer said he can’t sell us any more on credit. From now on, you’ll have to buy things with cash.’

‘We’ll see about that.’

‘Nothing sticks to you. When I’d sent back a rotten egg, he chewed out Momena and said, “If you want it, take it. If you don’t, then fine. There’ll be no returns and exchanges. You can go home and tell them, I won’t be able to sell any more on credit.

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