Father (Prafulla Roy)

The story is a conglomerate/ fabrication of various evidences cemented and compounded  in such a way that it takes us back to the time/period/instance when Hindu- Muslim riots were the call of the day and no entity was left affected by the vengeance and torment afflicted in the society. The macro theme in this long short story emphasizes on appeasement/reconciliation between father and daughter and sister and brother  who after 30 years of warfare happen to meet  in the Calcutta that took manika or khuku couple of years  hunting/ delving for her family and in return Father shekharnath though  spotted someone coming towards the house /crossing the threshold but felt  an aura of nostalgia , dismal and melancholy encompassing/embodying him and bolted his door and did not bother to open it till she left the home  . He had throb inside that was killing him for the reason he flew away and daughter being abducted, At this juncture, when he is getting an opportunity to meet his daughter he felt guilty- remorse for he had to leave his family behind in that desperate condition to save the left ones skin from the riots/uprisings/insurrections/disturbances/unrests/rebellion/revolt going out in mirpur town of Bangladesh. Narrator of the story has considerately disguised characters of story in such a moving picture that the father who believes in humility is taken over/provoked by the brutal setback when his wife was murdered and daughter being seized by rabbles.

Story delves the path of leaving behind  the  prejudices  being paved and flagged by Hindu – Muslim riots and following the turbulent trajectory of the partition.

Essayist  has vivaciously disguised the story from existing period to the primeval  times  which revives the protagonist about his doleful / mournful/gloomy /despondent memories that have seized  away his beloved wife and daughter from him due to the rage of time and cold blooded people . Title is competent and suggestive to the story as it implores 2 sub themes under it:

1.      Guilt that has left father crestfallen and down casted due to  impulsive situation that made him shift his township in no time and daughter being left abducted by mobs  ,past 1947 riots.

2.      Grief , woe , despair and misfortune that encased/wrapped/shrouded/encircled  him and his only son left , due to family being tarnished by the belligerence marked by Hindu Muslim insurgents.

Mother has been featured as the one who was always apprehensive and worried about her daughter and she played this part so well because she has been guided by such orthodox , conservative and conformist  beliefs of Brahmin folk.

*Hemlata’s thoughts and ideas , her worries and concerns , were all enclose by a strong iron frame beyond which it was impossible for her to ever stray *

These lines portrays how her thoughts were left undaunted by her husband and with the climax of the story husband felt guilty and was submerged/plunged in the forlorn of not being able to save his daughter from the hands  of throng.

The best moment can be priced as the one when Shekharnath was stimulated and provoked/triggered by the dictum of his son,*it’s terribly wrong , Father , that Didi will never come back home to us*

This led air of camaraderie recuperate/reincarnated inside his heart and in no time he leaves for airport amidst the cold blanket of fog encircling the town with his grandson. He embraced her daughter with the cuddle of pride, sorrow and joy and tendered her with the trinkets her mother has left  for daughter.

So, beginning on a peaceful and sanguine note story culminates in dynamic manner leaving behind no antipathies and resentment in heart of none of the characters pictured in the story.