MONJU DAS.

Manju Das.

Manju's elder sister used to stay in birati.
her elder brother was a CPM party leader and stationed at nager bazer 10 kms from birati,
manju along her mother and younger sister used to stay at Hali sahar ,very far of place from Birati,her house
from railway station 40 kms,sombal pur.
Her sisters house was very close to the sweet cum tea stall [ramesh's sweet stall]where we used to sit,one portion
of the building on the second floor facing main road/sweet stall.
I sow he first when she came to buy sweet on her way to her sister's house,I liked her at the first glance without
knowing she will appear some where very near to my address and would be able to see her when ever she is
in birati.
During her that visit we sow each other and after 15 days she left almost for a month,I thought it's over
but again she re surfaced and the relation took it's shape,we started talking.
we could see each other may be in a month once but we used to write letters regularly and that system worked out
well her family members knew about our friendship.
IT was a co incident that at that point of time political change over took place in west bengal and it turned out to be an ugly power straggle ,we were known as CPM supporters,congress came in power,they started beating and killing all CPM active supporters, police was just a spectator,most of CPM supporter had to leave
their respective place,I too left birati and taken shelter at barrackpur in my aunt's house,she had 8 children,my accommodation was not a great problem also I had a liking for that place,i had many friend's there.
I was getting ready for graduation, my father used to come to see me in a month once,mostly to give pocket mony and of course to check my well being too.

I used to study in Motijeel college in dum dum,1st two exams went well,one boy named Noila sow me in the college
and informed my presence in the college to birati congress supporters,i knew his activities before itself,I understood
the moment he sow me I knew that is the end of my exam .
I did not go to moti jheel college there after.
there were a huge vacuum in my life at that point of time and at that time Manju's presence was swarthy, she used to come in my unit's
house and became very Friendly with my cousin's,i also used to go to her house and her relatives knew me well,Barrackpur was closer to halisahar than Birati,her house was in a village like place,from main road
one has to walk through mud road with both side paddy field,while walking one can smell row paddy smell,
For bath there were a big pond where most of the people from that area used to come for bath,i too went twice.
During the visits I met one of her relative who was manjus younger brothers brother in low,who was staying
in raniganz a coalfield belt,manju asked him to arrange a job for me,I was told this man arranged job for her
brother too.
Almost every forth night we used to meet either in barrackpur or in hali sahar,I even stayed in her house many a times,
her mother and sister liked me too,one of her sister in low was very closed to me,she told once Manju had a close
relation with a boy but the crack came because he was effected by T.B. initially it was shocking to me but I took
it lightly and ignored,possible at that point of time I was looking for a friend as i was home less.
After almost a year with some poetical influence i came back to Birati.
it was not smooth,1st time Viswanath - Soti's brother created problem and after lot of humiliation had to go back, on 2Nd attempt could managed to stay,many known faces were killed or bitten very badly, there were many still out of place.
got adjusted with the situation slowly.
I found a change ,our group have moved to a new tea stall,close to railway station.
After coming to Birati i stopped going to Hilisahar instead Manju used to come regularly.
things were going smoothly but all in a sudden she stopped coming.
I could not understand the reason , even to day it is a Misery to me ,of course i could have asked and got information
from her sister's house or could have gone to halisahar to know the matter but due to Eggo problem or sentiment
reason I did not do that.
After 6 months one day after noon rupak came to my house saying Manju and sister of her sisterinlow is calling
me at her sister's house, on reaching with out giving any reference they were talking some erelavent things,some patch up,
marriage etc etc,to me everything was out of context,I am not that guy to get charged up with silly proposals.
I left their house saying- I CAN'T.exactly this is the word i used that day before leaving.


After that day we met only once when Manju came to show her daughter on the mid road it self,till date i could
not understand what was the motive behind that act.