The Story of the day: ’He never returned’

Mangalore Today/ GMB

I never made cakes for my children, my husband always made that. Often times he combs our children hair ,as I remained busy for making their breakfast. He had always cared for us.

When I was expecting our first son, he made pickle for me ,as both of our mothers had already died, who could else do that for me! When we did not have any food at home, he used to go for fishing and always returned with big fish. My son teased him many times by saying, he will not get any fish next time and with smile he always replied, he will not return to home without a fish for us…

That day remained as nightmare for me. Noisy birds were circling my hut. There were bad omens everywhere. And my heart was beating in rush. I told him not to go but there was no food to eat ,so he had to leave and never come back again. My husband, Abdul Hamid went for fishing in Hatdabra canal in the Sundarban with two other fishermen after Azaan. While they were fishing, a tiger swooped on him and dragged him into the deep forest while other fishermen escaped unhurt. Later, forest guards recovered the bruised body from the deep forest.

I am living with the scar of the death of my husband; I cannot sleep at night ,when I imagine ,he was a prey of a tiger. Many times I dreamed about him and the tiger. Poverty is a curse. Now my son goes for fishing and every day fearfully I keep looking at the door for his return.

- Marium

Credits: GMB Akash, Artist- Dhaka, Bangladesh