THE ROAD
Abhijit Chakraborty called for the file pertaining to (-connected with) ‘Beautification of the Towns and the Cities’. Today, again, an official reminder struck home (= made clear) the urgency in the affair. The allocated money might, otherwise, lapse.
“What’s the latest position?” he asked of the Deputy Collector entrusted with the business.
“Sir, the entire work is nearly complete. One road alone causes alet-up (= hindrance) in the work.”
At dinner he regretted to Kamalika, “Kamal, this posting ill-timed.” seems
“Why?” rejoined his wife. “You were so jubilant to receive the order as we were packing! Said, it’s where you spent your best school days with your widowed mother; where you came across Arunabha your rival; where you first saw me…” Kamalika began to unroll the hoary (= bright) past like a gorgeous carpet.
But her husband cut in sharp. “But this damned new passion of our government to ‘beautify’ – do you know how monstrous (= as vicious as a monster or a giant)? And do you know the work-plan? First place the Municipal town-chart; its roads, tanks, fallow lands, residential holdings and government buildings complete in all respects. Then study the centrally imported aesthetic scheme, choose the proper category, give legally proper notice to affected persons and then execute!”
Kamalika, a good student of History, burst out laughing. “Ah! wonderful! Exactly as Lord Curzon did! It is mockingly said that he scissored through the map of Bengal first and asked his men to partition the state.”
“It’s no joke, dear,” her husband interrupted. “We have to face the sorry mess (= a clumsy situation) you know. Casualties!”
The collector’s car drew up at the modest house of the eminent pathologist Dr. Kanak Kireet Chatterjee. Dr Chatterjee and his wife were noted for their generosity. Many orphans or poor but meritorious boys owed their prospects to their charity. Our collector, as mentioned earlier, was one such.
Kamalika alighted from the car and was cordially received. Abhijit would come about evening, direct from office. They had decided to pay their compliments.
The house wore a sad look indeed and the cause obviously recent, was the government’s fiat (= sudden legal action) on the road.
Kamalika was also local and was quite familiar with the house and its inmates. She touched the feet of the doctor’s wife and went in. Kanakbabu welcomed her with the usual beaming smile, but it underlay (= hid) a clouded mien (= appearance).
Being an intelligent girl, Kamalika turned their talk on Arunabha, the doctor’s son posted abroad in the Indian Foreign Service. Abhijit arrived on the staff car at the fall of evening. The couple had not felt the truth when they planned to visit the house. They know that a part of the doctor’s laboratory – although a small portion for the patients only – encroached on the road. But it was a knowledge only. On the contrary, the house, as they entered, itself seemed to greet Abhijit coldly. He felt the heaviness in the atmosphere as a reality and thought of his luckless posting. They tried to divert the talks, but brutal reality interposed (= stood between). They left taking with them a dinner invitation at a suitable date.
‘Operation Beautify’ as popularly termed, rattled (made big noise) through the roads. The roads broadened leaving demolished houses, huts, hotels; breaking the hearts in settled habitations. Big merchants consulted big lawyers; some law-fearing persons themselves knocked off the parts lest the bulldozer causes heavier damage.
Each and every road, lane and by-lane of the town echoed and reechoed the word ‘Road’. It seemed the government had only one objective and that was the Road.
But there is a saying, every cloud has a silver lining. Abhijit and Kamalika came to dinner at the doctor’s house.
Arunabha’s mother – a gracious lady of love and charity – was engaged the whole day cooking delicious dishes. She was particular about one milk-recipe that Abhijit and her son liked most. Her son comes home very rarely. She will see her son in Abhijit’s eating with relish, she thought.
“Have you got any letter from Arun? He writes that he was written to you?” Kanakbabu asked.
“Yes, Mesomosai. Just today to both of us. He has written about this demolition. You know, Masima, the operation has ceased.”
“Why? How?” she asked.”By order of the High Court. An advocate sued (= challenged) the government under the People’s Representation Act. It’s only today I have stopped the operation. It’s indeed a shear mad projects. I was indeed worried. There have been heart casualties, too!”
The old lady bowed to God in reverence. She only said, “Your Mesomosai was going to demolish the portion tomorrow.”
