Goutam Biswas

Husband and wife

Husband and Wife At ten o'clock in the night, Meenka returned home. The daily hustle and bustle of meals had settled in this house since morning. The small room, more rectangular than square, could barely accommodate both hands' length. Meenka's husband Gopal lay on the bed left from their wedding, sharing half the room. Alongside the bed, there was a cleverly placed folding chair, allowing passage around the bed. In one corner, a small table held a lit cigarette and a book. It was a popular book—the books that are read by those who write books—and Gopal spent time reading it to relax. In another corner of the room, a trunk and a suitcase stood, alongside a blanket and a tin. The trunk was received during Meenka's wedding. The colors were still bright, but it looked as though a corner had faded slightly. Several pictures hung on the wall, including a large photo of Meenka and Gopal. The sarees, the draped mosquito net, the additional pillows, and the hairpin decorations in the photo with Meenka do not reveal any special effect in her eyes. It seems that there has been some hesitation. However, Gopal seems to be sicker than the chair’s Gopal in the photo. There is no gap in the photo, after the wedding, Gopal actually became ill. It is difficult to say whether it is for marriage or for work. Marriage and work have happened almost together.