Prarthona (Prayer) by Ashapurna Devi

Translation Acknowledgment

I have translated this short story by Ashapurna Devi from Bangla to English while striving to retain the flavor of the original piece, encompassing both the essence of the Bangla language and the rawness of Devi's writing, which is a hallmark of her style. It is important to note that I do not aim to profit from this translation; it was completed during my college days and serves purely as an academic endeavor.

Until some days ago, while going to and from, when meeting at the mouth of the alley, the squeezing of the eyes and lips would acknowledge the acquaintance; this was going on till the days of the bhotbotia (old bike), not anymore.

Since buying the expensive motor-car, it was as if he was unable to recognise the people of the neighbourhood. From his demeanour, it seems as if there is no other human from that neighbourhood except Kamalesh Bose. From his bearing to his glances to his footsteps, there is a world-dismissing feeling exuded, the feeling which is the birthright of the rich. That is not of surprise, that is the universal law, yet, it irritates the people of the neighbourhood who witness it. It especially irritates Ravipada Roy, from the fifth house at the middle of the alley. He says, “Look at his demeanour. From looking at his demeanour, it seems as if in the whole world, there is no other man besides Kamalesh Bose. Everyone else: earthworm, caterpillar, dung-beetle, roach, frog. He is trampling on them ceaselessly.” 

Says, Ravipada says all this. 

Many other things like this he says. That is the only consolation. To speak behind his back to heart’s content. 

In which era, in which country, in which society is there such generosity of the blunt-nosed who did not speak of the raised-nosed? But what does that have to do with the raised-nosed? 

Nothing.

So neither is Kamalesh Bose heading to the opinions of Ravipada. Kamalesh smirks at the inability of this poor man. Does Ravipada go near Kamalesh’s ear and say these things? How does Kamalesh get to know? He knows.

He gets to know. 

Even if the creator of mankind established a limit to the hearing capacity of humans, he has not ascribed a limit to the power of imagination. 

Which is why the people of the neighbourhood – to the sudden growth of the sum of money and the sum of pride of Kamalesh, and Kamalesh – to their sum of jealousy – add many of zeros at the end of the number. 

Especially that Ravipada. 

At one point, Ravipada and Kamalesh were classmates. 

After coming to this neighbourhood, while making acquaintances, that old relationship was revived by Kamalesh himself. He had said, “Well, have you ever gone to Santaragachi High School? You went! That is it. Then I can look at your hand and say your name is Ravipada Roy. Tell me if I am wrong.”

This tone, this language. 

He was sincere in his words. 

It was Kamalesh who was incessantly calling him and speaking. 

That means Kamalesh then was just an ordinary householder. 

Kamalesh moved into Ramapada’s neighbourhood by renting the first floor in the house at the turn of the alley with a scraggy-looking wife and a shrivelled, toothless girl whose head was shaven. Upon arrival, he found Ravipada within reach and so held onto him.

“How is the milk here, Ravibabu? Milkman or Haringhata Dairy? How much does the laundry man charge here, Ravibabu? Well, Ravibabu, if you would not mind, will the person washing utensils at your house wash ours too if given something?” 

“At each moment ‘Ravibabu, Ravibabu. ’”

That Ravibabu too returned the respect with respect. With his life and soul, he made all arrangements for his neighbour’s comfort. 

Inconveniencing themselves, they sent their maid to his neighbour’s house; on a rainy day, at his own will, he said to Kamalesh, “My shoes are already getting wet in the rain, why must you get wet too? If there is something to buy, tell me, and I will get it.” 

Ravibabu did, a lot he did. 

But he could save the end. 

Kamalesh Bose cannot even recognise Ravibabu outside in the alley. 

But how did ordinary householder Kamalesh get rich so fast?

In what else, business.

“Vanijya vasate Lakshmi” – this is the universal truth. On top of that, Lakshmi these days comes from both sides, white and black, light and shadow; so she comes in abundance. 

When Kamalesh dragged his pen tirelessly then did Kamalesh ever even in his dreams think that by negligently throwing that pen, will come out from the clerical job? After leaving his job, he would ride around courageously in his office colony on a bhotbotia (old bike) that he bought? After that, sat in his motor, he would pilot around? The dream that he did not even dare to see before he is living it now. 

That is why Kamalesh is able to tell anyone now and then, “In this dust and smoke of Kolkata! Unbearable! How do people live here!” 

Because Kamalesh now has bought lots of land in the outskirts of the city. With four sides open, the plan for a beautiful house is also being prepared. 

In between all this, Kamalesh has transferred himself from dhoti to trouser, taken his wife from ‘bongolokhi’ (Bengal-Lakshmi) to a modern, colourful woman. His daughter he has transferred from ‘Nanibala Balika Vidyalaya’ to ‘Modern High School’.

From the living room to the inner rooms, all is changing very frequently. 

In the meantime, that scraggy looking, half-veiled wife is also showing magic.

By the inevitable law of economics, the wife’s skin is fairer, and she has turned chubby. From the hair on her head to the toenails, the modernity that has graced her agrees with her. 

In the flow of this, she has started to brave the steering wheel with her husband beside her.

What they are teaching to the girl is also perfect. To the neighbourhood girls, she does not speak anymore; if anyone comes to speak, she pastes on a smile and moves away. 

But this all is definite to occur like the Sun and Moon. If money comes, so will all this.

Yet, there is no end to the soreness of Ravipada. Ravipada feels like this extent of shamelessness and pride is new to this Earth. 

Perhaps in psychological analysis, it would be seen that at the root of his soreness lies the connection as classmates. However, Ravipada does not think of that. Ravipada cannot tolerate this extent of shamelessness and pride anymore. In Ravipada’s opinion, each morning right when Ravipada, with a shopping bag in one hand and a milk bottle in another, stands near the alley, purposely right at that time, that raise-nosed, good for nothing man parks the car grazing the mouth of the alley, and making Ravipada wait for a good amount of time, and then from in front of his nose wearing dacron trouser and terolin bush shirt after putting a pipe in his mouth in a careless fashion sits in his car, he shuts the door loudly, throwing a handful of dust in front of Ravipada’s nose, he drives away in a blur. 

Ravipada utters a nasty slur, eats his anger and goes back home, and thinks – “The business may ruin, then will I say God really exists. - He waits to throw dust on my nose.”

Perhaps Ravipada’s thought is not wrong, perhaps it is a coincidence, and perhaps that incident does not happen more than five to seven days in a month, because businessman Kamalesh Bose does not have a specific time for his commute like the ‘junior clerks’!

Yet, Ravipada thinks it happens daily. It is not that Ravipada’s wife is too happy with the finger turned to banana tree of the next house’s wife, but unlike her husband, she is still sane. She, unlike Ravipada, does not use burning words to express her body burning from jealousy. She expresses that burning irritation, in less words, and not about the husband in the next house, but about the husband of her own house. 

In that speech, there is nothing excess – the inability and ability of men are shown by short words merely. 

That is why Ravipada continuously prays to his God that the precious business of his classmate from childhood gets ruined, in his land may foxes roam, his car tire punctures, deflates like a burst balloon, etc., etc. But God has always been bourgeois; he is friends with the rich, which is why this prayer of Ravipada does not reach his ears. Kamalesh Bose’s car’s sound gets more robust. This goes and delivers a fatal blow to Ravipada’s heart. 

Strangely though when Ravipada had sneakily thrown sharp shards of glass there and planted sharp nails, nothing happened to the car.

Consequently, thus the language of Ravipada’s prayer became sharper and sharper. Consequently, Ravipada in loud voice monologues around, “If that asshole’s car collides with a truck and becomes a piece of scrap, then all the pride will go out of him like the gas from a balloon.”

Ravipada’s wife says in an irritated tone, “Why do you speak so vulgar? Why do not you show your own ability?”

“Ability! Humph! Ravipada Roy does not earn money from black marketing… Vulgar, I knew you would say that. Seen, have you seen, the condition that he has left my clean dhoti in? Pouring water over the car tires, he has made it beautiful, with that same mud he splattered me –”

After that, Ravipada shows every crease and fold of the dhoti to show its mishap state to his wife. 

If the wife had shown empathy, as well joined forces with husband and became verbal in the competition with the house next to their own, then perhaps Ravipada may not have become this inflamed. But the wife does not choose that path. 

The wife says with a sly smile, “Why had you gone to the market with a clean dhoti in the first place? You did not use to before. Before you used to wear lungi –”

Ravipada gets furious. Ravipada says, “Well then, from tomorrow I will wear a loincloth and go out. From that, if your face shines…Night and day prickling with my ability to earn money, and yet, the shastras say that fortune comes from the fate of the wife.”

But Ravipada has a reason to be angry. Not only natural jealousy, a thinly veiled burn from insult was also there.

It was as if Kamalesh Bose dangles his pipe from his mouth just to show him; as if he purposely whistles and enters the car upon seeing him.

And Kamalesh’s wife tells to make him listen, “Alas! How can a man be such a miser! Is getting a servant so hard? A gentleman hangs grocery bags from his hands and shoulders to bring home; this sight is unbearable.”

This sight, which she had to endure week after week not a long time ago, she fails to recall. Now she has three servants. She, after telling the house owner, rented the house after paying a large sum of money. Now the house owner is the one who leaves it. Thus, to shop, to cook, to clean the entire house, three servants are needed. There is a separate driver for the car already. Ravipada and Kamalesh share the same boundary wall; hence, Ravipada is the audience of these sights. Without any other option, Ravipada has to tell Maa Kali’s photo hanging from the wall with his head held up high, “There are so many accidents happening in the city, can you not make a fitting one happen? I have no money that is all right, even if with loans, I will get you a nose ring of gold.”

After that, by imagining the ‘nose ring’, Ravipada starts having a scary amount of excitement. 

For twelve months, a diarrhoea ridden Ravipada survives on boiled greens and vegetables, but his blood still boils like a young horse.

Ravipada can see it all in the front of his eyes that a rude and prideful healthy body now a paralysed one laying like a slab of meat year after year, with no hope to rise again. That body of a middle-aged woman, who dressed up as a young lady and danced around shamelessly, is back to her scraggy state, her bone and flesh blackening from washing utensils over and over. Beside that Kamalesh had to come down to the ground from the higher floors. The servants who carried groceries from their hands and shoulders flew away like smoke from camphor. Hence, they have to request to the neighbours, ‘Will you please get the groceries’?

Unlike the story from a cinema, upon the ways of income closing, she will not have to wear torn clothes the next day as they have some money saved. Yet, it is not infinite. Money flows like water after a paralysed man. Ravipada can, as if, see this like a picture. 

Yet, in reality, he has to see a sight of rude ego. If the shopping bag and milk bottle were not as important. Ravipada then would at least get freedom from this pain of the morning. But that is not to happen. Even if shopping can be handled at night, the milk bottle? That has to be brought in the morning. And has to come to face to face. Be it while coming or going – be it while climbing into a car or washing the car.

While coming, they met today. That alley’s mouth he blocked, babu read Supervice while a giant looking servant washed the car. The water did not splash on Ravipada, yet, he inflated his voice and said, “ai burhbak kahaka ankh andha hya?” The servant stood up still with a surprise, looked at Kamleshbabu’s face. 

As if babu gave the order, he would give the right answer. But babu laughed out suddenly, with both hands in his pocket now he said in a careless manner, “What happened? The sudden national language? Yet, he does not even understand that.” 

In his manner, such sprouts of negligence can only be digested with apathy, but Ravipada was not able to bring that apathy, Ravipada acknowledged it. Ravipada shouted again. He shouted not in the national language but in his mother tongue. He said, “After coming upon a bit of money those who see Earth as a small pot, their money does not stay for a long time, do you understand?”

Kamalesh Bose did not get angry. With that smile on his face, he said in a steady voice, “Are you lecturing me?” 

“Lecture?”

Ravipada dragged himself against the body of the car, entered the alley and said, “People as prideful as your lot cannot be lectured by anyone. The one who must lecture will lecture. Whose name is Dorpohari (another name of Nayaran).”

Ravipada walks back with long strides, and keeps the milk bottle down and says, “I will tell this, his pride will go one day for sure. That car will take him to Yam’s door.” Ravipada’s wife came to pick up the bottle, she halted and then with a burning look at her husband, she went away. 

The meaning of the glance is, “Alas! What disgusting, jealous person you are. Shame on you.”

Ravipada does not feel ashamed. 

In a loud voice, he says, “Goddamn this world! In here wife, son, family are all lies, the only truth is money! Wife is only on the side of the rich one.”

But will he never feel shame with anything, Ravipada? God has to accept his prayer; the prayer was accepted. 

Thus one evening, after returning from office, before crossing the threshold, the wife says in an emotionless voice, “Your heart’s wish has been fulfilled.” 

Ravipada gets surprised. He tries to think what his wish was, what his prayer was. Not being able to think of anything, he says, “That means?”

The wife says in an even more emotionless voice, “The meaning is simple! Kamaleshbabu has gone to the hospital, on the brink of death! Not surviving is most plausible. A cargo truck collided with the car, right.”

Ravipada is flabbergasted. In a dry voice, he says, “Are you joking?”

“Joke? Maybe?” The wife withers with grief even more, “A joke or not, you will get to know soon. The sound of crying will rise, right?”

Ravipada is silenced. 

Ravipada sees it as if his wife is trying to spread salt in the wound she is cutting. 

Ravipada tries to say loudly, “That is right, done correctly.” Yet, no voice comes through his mouth. 

Only in the head and in the chest, through the entire body, a scream of something arises. What does this scream belong to, is it a cry of grief or of a prayer or of both? But –

Because Kamalesh Bose is lying in the hospital does Ravipada Roy have pray, “To save him.” Why? Is Ravipada Roy mad?

Yet, with the cry, Ravipada Roy starts praying instantly. He cannot not pray, so he prays. In front of the photo hanged on the wall, he says, “Will you consider the words I said with an angry head? I am poor, yet with loans, I will get you a nose ring of gold. This journey, please save him.”

Says. 

With his unreasonable words, he does not wonder if God is laughing. He just keeps saying, “Maa, please forgive my sin. Maa, please be pleased. May he return back home, let him rudely and with pride, drive around a car; otherwise, I will never forgive myself.”

But is Maa smiling a pleased smile?

Or is the sarcastic smile still attached to her face? Perhaps that is it, because from the time infinite, by seeing humans and listening to their prayers, she has been habituated to human nature. She knows in each of her bones, if she is pleased, if Ravipada’s neighbour returns home from the hospital and puts his hands in his trouser pockets, whistles and drives around, or dangling the pipe from the gap between his lips and with his wife dressed as a young lady astride his car, closes the car door with more than sufficient force, sprays dust on people’s faces as he drives away, then this man who is praying right now will surely say, “Alas! The life of rich men is like that of cats! Reaches the doors of death, but still does not die…if he collides once with a truck –”

And the hilarious commitment of the gold nose ring? That is hilarious only!