Amma : Mother

Dadima : Grandma

Chachu : Father's Younger Brother

***
It was the second week of February 2019, a Monday morning in Dhaka.

"Assalamualaikum Sir." The students of Bangladesh University of Professionals, Psychology Department, First year, Section-A, stood up to greet the teacher. Giving a nod in response, the middle aged man left the classroom with a file in his hand. It was the first semester.

Standing by one of the seats of the second row, was an olive skinned woman named Hawwa Shikdar. Eighteen years in age, she was dressed in a black headscarf, some portion of her black hair falling over her forehead, black pants, and a blue sweater over a red frock. There was no makeup accentuating her round face. She closed her Experimental Psychology course class copy before sitting down, relieved that the second period was over and it was finally break time. She then picked up her side bag lying by her table to drop the copy in it. Her eyes fell on the woman sitting on her right. She had curly black hair which was wrapped in a ponytail. A few strands of her hair fell forward as her face was leaned over her mobile as she was working on it. Behind her, a bespectacled woman with fair skin and straight black hair falling down the shoulders, was sitting wearing black and pink jacket over a pink salwar kameez. She was putting her pen inside a pencil bag. There were also a few students wearing sweaters or jackets. The chilliness from winter was lingering even though spring was knocking at the door.

"Tasfia, Shazia." Hawwa called drawing their attention. Tasfia was the curly haired one and Shazia, the bespectacled. "Let's go to the canteen." She proposed looking from Tasfia to Shazia.

"Hmm." Tasfia put down her phone.

"Alright." Shaiza nodded reaching for her bag lying by her table.

It was night when Hawwa returned to the room she had been sharing with her grandmother on her father's side, Khadija Nasreen. As told by Khadija, Hawwa had gone to inform her uncle on her father's side and his wife, that the old lady wanted to speak to the couple about an important matter.

"They are coming." She sat down by the chair by her reading table and resumed copying the notes of her Introduction to Psychology course from the printed version of the lecture slides.

"Amma, why don't you come to our room? Hawwa will face disturbance in her study due to our conversation."

"I won't. I am writing notes Chachu." Pausing her hand, Hawwa turned her face to her right to discover her uncle, Kabir Shikdar and his wife, Ruponti Shikdar standing by the doorway of the room. In case of Khadija, she was now sitting on the bed with her legs crossed.

"Hawwa needs to listen too." The old lady slightly tilted her head to gesture at Hawwa. Her eyes were lowered and face grim, striking curiosity in Hawwa. Kabir and Ruponti sat on the bed across from her. She had just written an alphabet, when she turned to her right again.

"Hawwa, do you still want to get married now?" Khadija finally raised her eyes to look at Hawwa.

Three months ago.

"Dadima! Can you come to our room?" Hawwa was calling for Khadija one afternoon while playing with her mobile. She was sitting on the bed in her room with her legs crossed.

"Why?" Khadija's voice was heard from the drawing room in the midst of the sounds coming from the television. .

"Come here!" Hawwa shouted louder looking at the doorway of the room.

"What is it?" After a few moments, Hawwa heard Khadija. She raised her eyes from her mobile to see Khadija entering the room,

"Close the door." Hawwa put her phone on the bed. Khadija frowned but did as she was told. "I want to get married after giving all of my admission tests." Khadija was walking towards the bed when her eyes widened.

"You will have university." She replied sitting down, her eyes widening.

"I will manage." Khadija then stared at Hawwa silently.

"I will speak with your Chachu and Chachi about it." Khadija announced after a few moments.

Early at night when Kabir sat down to eat refreshments at the head of the dining table after coming from work, Khadija approached him regarding Hawwa's confession. Hawwa was standing at the door of her room with anticipation building up inside her.

"Why do you want to get married now when you are just eighteen?" Ruponti smirked. She was sitting on the chair to the right of the head of the table.

"It's better for me." Hawwa blushed.

"How when you have studies?" Khadija added. Taking a deep breath Hawwa responded.

"I want to marry a childless single man older than me from eleven to nineteen years. So, I will have more chances to get a man of this age range the sooner I get married. And I want to get married within my early twenties."

Khadija and Ruponti exchanged looks in amazement while Kabir who was chewing a bite from a spring roll paused, the half-eaten roll held by his hand in mid-air. Then, Ruponti chuckled.

"Silly girl. You are overthinking. We will get you married in the fourth year of your university."

"But what if it takes time for me to get a husband? I may end getting married in my mid-twenties." Hawwa's lips pressed in a thin line.

"You are not getting married now Hawwa." Swallowing, Kabir shook his head. "Your priority now is your university education."

"Dadima?" With desperation in her eyes, Hawwa looked at Khadija.

"I agree with your Chacha and Chachu." Khadija had a sorry look to Hawwa's disappointment.

"I can manage my-"

"Hawwa. No means no." Kabir cut her off ,his voice stern and the index finger of his free hand pointed at her.

"Alright." Defeated, Hawwa's shoulders slumped.

"Yes." Hawwa nodded enthusiastically.

"I want Hawwa to get married." Khadija turned to Kabir and Ruponti.

"Why Amma? You had agreed with us when we refused her." Kabir had shock laced in his voice.

"Times have changed now. During that time, I didn't have...I didn't have cancer." Hawwa's mouth widened. The tension in the room thickened. Khadija was diagnosed with blood cancer a little more than a month ago.

"How is your cancer related to Hawwa's marriage?" Kabir demanded.

"I want to see Hawwa with a husband before..." Khadija sighed. "...I die."

Character Aesthetics :

Hawwa Shikdar

Wing Commander Qibriyah Haq