Chapter-10

Sir, what speech shall I give? I don't like giving speeches at all.

I did not forget. However, in the face of demands from the media and NGOs, the government has assured that they will be given national identity cards as the third gender. This means that we will get the right to vote as soon as we get the national identity card. During the lecture, numerous cameramen started taking pictures of me. At the end of my speech there was a loud applause again. After the session, Adnan Sir said that the New York Times and CNN wanted to interview you. They will come to the hotel in the evening.

After the conference, we were to leave New York for Washington. But he canceled the program and Adnan Sir said, we have to return to the country as soon as possible.

Why do you have to return to the country suddenly?

Laboni's condition is very bad. They informed me.

I saw it well when I came.

I think so too. Within a couple of days, nothing to worry about. Then why did he have to be taken to the hospital?

Eventually we moved directly from New York to Dhaka. The news was received at the airport that Laboni's aunt was no more. He died two days ago of a brain haemorrhage. He was buried the next day. From the airport Adnan Sir and I reached our home in Mohammadpur. Sakhina came and handed a piece of paper to Adnan Sir. Adnan Sir read it and gave it to me again. The letter was written by Sakhina in the words of Laboni's aunt

Laboni Khala wrote the letter to Sakhina soon after we left for America. I thought I would give it back. But he did not have the opportunity. I have a part in a long letter. "She is still alive, waiting for me to become a doctor," he said. He further said that he is very worried about Sakhina's future. He thinks of her as his own daughter. If Sakhina can pass SSC then she will get peace even after death. He further told Adnan Sir that he would have been happy if Mumtaz and Sakhina had got married.

Although it was his wish, he never disclosed it. He didn't want to embarrass me by saying these things before I became a doctor. However, Adnan Sir should make this marriage effective. As I read the letter, I remembered that I once told Laboni's aunt that in some countries of the world, girls and boys get married. The country also has laws in this regard. Aunt Laboni heard and said, what a rude!

The contents of the letter were suppressed within a few days. Even in Sakhina no change of mind was noticed. However, some changes have taken place in my life. I had to come down to Laboni's aunt's house. On the other hand, Sakhina used to live together in Laboni's aunt's house. He went upstairs to the attic. The other occupants of the house have no way to stay alone. But this arrangement is due to my and Sakhina's studies. Aunt Laboni had already talked about this system. No negative attitude was noticed in anyone.

For me, everyone feels a kind of pride