The melancholic song of a young man
Jesmina Shanta falls in love with a love story
Every reading of a new book is a journey to an age or time. Bishader Tarunya, the latest book of Junaidul Haque, termed a novella, is no exception. Junaidul Haque, a seasoned story-teller, keeps time a mystery in some of his stories. The characters are modern and romantic and yet it seems that they move around from the 1980s to the present. However, the reader is not deprived of the unique pleasure of sharing the feelings of the attractive characters, regardless of time. The writer is a master of characterization. The story is simple, spanning over a day, from morning to night, of the male protagonist's life. Love is a very important ingredient here. That love tunes the music of life is an accepted truth of all ages. Without love or romance, life is like a barren field. The man-woman relationship is like dry land and water harmonizing the whole world. Reading my favourite writer's latest book, I found profound pleasure in finding two young souls tied in a splendid relationship that is far from conventional love. It is a unique relationship where the two are caught in each other's charm. Their amazement and fondness for each other sparkle in their eyes when they see each other. This splendid expression of romance in this lovable book will haunt readers for quite sometime. Junaidul Haque roams in nostalgia. The days of our youth are the best, aren't they? Bishader Tarunya helps us to glimpse the romantic era when love dealt more with the mind than with the body. Love satisfied the soul and defied conventions. In all ages lovers have ignored the threatening eyes of society. Khairul, a thoughtful young man of twenty nine, finds a great friend in Sonia, an Indian Muslim married to an American. She is in her mid-twenties and beautiful. They talk endlessly on art, aesthetics, politics and their office. Both write well. Sonia even paints. This book is a train journey where the reader can watch life through the window. Glimpses of society, political turmoil, family and friends complete the scenario. The young people surrounding them are interesting too --- James, a married introvert; Faruk, a scholarly young poet and bachelor; and Ranu, an impressionable young woman. They are fond of Khairul and Sonia. Lily Apa is a senior friend, who often warns Khairul about his immense liking for a married woman. They all work for an American NGO. Khairul has been a bright student and is an idealist. He is not happy serving a foreign NGO. He would have preferred teaching in a university or college. He has qualified for government service but needed to bribe doctors to get his appointment. He refused to do that. As a result the parents of the girl he loved were very upset and delayed their marriage. The girl, Shamima, was upset too. She was unhappy with his inability to get a respectable job. This created the tragedy of his life. Khairul gets very weak for Sonia but the latter is cool. She sends him to meet Shamima. Sonia is a true friend and wants them to marry and be happy. She affectionately calls Shamima the mermaid, Khairul's favourite Ilish Mach. Sonia is very intelligent and considerate. She reminds Khairul that a sensitive person like him can't hurt her. Khairul meets Shamima and the ice appears ready to break. The meeting brings new hopes for the lovers. Khairul feels enthusiastic about starting a new life, to get the happiness of spring after a melancholic winter. The story inspires us to look for a meaningful life. Junaidul Haque employs wonderfully lucid prose in the narrative. His dialogues are superb. Sonia, Shamima and Khairul are very attractive young people. The only weakness of the book is its brevity. Otherwise it is very enjoyable. Junaidul Haque is a serious writer, whose fiction is very readable. He never pushes his readers into tedium.
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