Although Bangladesh enjoys, in general, a moderate climate,
neither too hor nor too cold, except during the rainy season when heavy
downpour occurs frequently, yet sometimes a summer day or night breaks her
tradition. Almost every year, such
occasions occur a couple of times. One of such night experienced last year I
yet remember vividly and propose to describe below.
It was the middle of the Bengali month of Jaistha. There was
heat and intense heat all around for a couple of days. The sky was clean and
bright and nothing could obstruct for a moment the radiation of heat from
above. All nature seemed weary and listless and from no direction was blowing
the slightest breeze. Thus passed two days. At last the day of record heat came
on the third day.
It was a Sunday. Throughout the day the sun shone as
brightly as on the preceding days. We felt intensely thirsty and made unsuccessful
efforts to quench it with cold water, ice-cream and cold sharbat. But nothing
was of any avail. By the evening, the sun set but the burning sensation of the
atmosphere increased.
I had an early dinner in anticipation of taking a stroll in
the maidan near-by to minimize the oppression of the heat. I hurred through my
meal and felt some relief when I stepped out into the open. Many other boarders
were already there, sitting in groups on the bare grass with their bare bodies
and were chatting. I joined one of the group and sat for some time but felt
very uneasy. At about 10 p.m we retired to our respective room to sleep. But
the little relief gained outside was instantaneously gone as soon I stepped
into the room.
I tried to sleep but couldn’t . Suddenly a plan struck my
mind. I took my towel and went to the adjoining pond. I poured water on my head
and thoroughly sponged my body with the wet towel. Many more of our hostel
mates did the same. Some of us then sat on the ghat. There were attempts to
relieve the oppression by some fun and music. But all were feeling so weary and
listless that even the best joke failed to amuse and the singers stopped half
their way for want of strength.
Thus, minute by minute, the hanging time passed on till it
was midnight. Suddenly the heat began to diminish and a welcome, a most welcome
breeze began to blow from the north-west direction. With surprise and delight,
we looked above and found that the sky had already been overcast with clouds.
Gradually the breeze turned into a wind and, in a few minutes, it rain and then
by a heavy shower. We had already gone in and shut our doors and windows. We threw
ourselves on our beds for the much-delayed sleep. I had fallen fast asleep in a
few minutes after my head touched the pillow. And when I woke up next morning,
it was rather cold with my body wrapped in my bed-sheet.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Don't spam!!