It's so amazing I am writing about Narail and Chitra. The moment one thinks of Narail, the sparkling words will be both S M Sultan and obviously Chitra. Merely a week before I didn't imagine I would write on Narail or Chitra at all. Maybe it was resorting somewhere deep into me which was fuelled by a masterly article that I recently read evoking a thousand memories. Thoughit's a pessimistic one in relation to Chitra -- the Thames of Narail -- the river that flows along Narail, the small culturally rich town which is now a district.
Narail, Chitra and my childhood to adolescence are so remarkably integrated. I am submerged in nostalgia. Not that I lived there all along, or for a long time. But I used to visit frequently or had to visit and stayed there for a while in early childhood intermittently both in Narail and Jashore.
To talk about Narail, "The Chitra is the human, is Narail--at many levels." Yes, she's! A pal!"The Chitra's banks were like paintings and people's houses looked like features in a great work of art." Such was my eldest aunt's enormous house on the bank of Chitra.
This very house needs a few pages to be described: a few yards, trees, kitchen gardens, orchards (the tastiest safedas grow there and a storeroom is always full of safedas), a big pond with concrete stairs leading towards water and ghatwhere we would sit for hours from afternoon till night. Our weekends, short or long vacation-- all spent there. And that's when Chitra enters with its gripping force.
Adjacent to my aunt's place was the zaminderbari of Narail with a gigantic field. We saw the remnant of thebari: it had a ghostly look before it collapsed. The Chitra flowed along. Often we would stroll there and hire a boat to cross the river for no reason at all withchanachur from the only simple shop there. And obviously boating time to time. My elder cousin, our beloved LitiApa was an endless source of happiness and joy for us at that point of life. I remember a few ghats where we bathed to be scolded, a few tight slaps too for the red eyes from Amma. Crossing Chitra was a must do to reach grandfather's.
I especially remember an auspicious evening on the day of Litiapa's wedding: my friends Ratna, Petal, Mithu and I had a ride along Chitra with watermelon and chanachur: My counsin and childhood buddy Ratna and I were newly married, Ratna'sarmy officer husband was posted tothe hill tracts; my husband was in Turkey on a long training. Petal being the then most beautiful girl of Narailwas hoping to be married soon with a 'billionaire' something. We, the two married ones were boasting about husbands 'who's the best' type, we're so dreamy about life's extravaganza. All those on the heart of Chitra and that was possibly the last of this kind!
It's just a river but so enchanting!!! I remember the durga pujas. I was a part of the procession when the idols were immersed in Chitra, I used to cry with my Hindu friends at the time of immersion.
Legendary artist S M Sultan's dilapidated house was also on its bank. "And it was along the Chitra's banks that the man, affectionately known as LalMiah, often walked. On the west bank before the bridge is his boat in yellow and sky blue, displayed for the Chitra's viewing, under an awning, outside the museum."
After getting dropped off from the coaster, we would spend time at fupa'sshoe shop for some time, eat something, would go to fupu'ssplendid houseon foot, or by van or rickshaw. Victoria College is another reference point for Narail. So many familiar names: LajuApa, khushiApa, Mukulbhai, NaharApa, the chachis, fupus, khalammas, kakkus and hundreds faces come to mind.Most of the houses are on the Chitra. It's maybe 18 years I had last visited the green and calm city just for a day or so!
"The Chitra is polluted now." Says the report.A bitter truth. And unfortunately it's true. Not floating water hyacinths on Chitra, colourful boats will ply on it. While talking to them I expected them to say something positive. But what can I do or we do! (Well, our living legend "the Narail Express, Masrafe" is now an MP. I hope he will try his best to bring back its might with the help of others equally passionate about Chitra that is humanly possible) Rest is on nature!
The writer is Head of Section of International Hope School Bangladesh , Uttara Preschool & Primary Section
---Nazmun Nahar
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