Nazrul Islam

২৪ Feb, ২০২৩ - ১১:৩৮ AM

Book Review Anisul Hoque’s ‘Parijater Jonno Valobasha’: Cupid sat on the shoulder of the girl sitting by the window and shot an arrow at his chest. . Reviewed by Nazrul Islam . ‘Parijater Jonno Valobasha’ is a story of love and falling in love. It started with a young man named Shahidul Islam. One night when Shahidul was traveling from Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station to Chattogram, Parijat came into the story. The novella ‘Parijater Jonno Valobasha’ is the narrator’s commentary. Writer Anisul Hoque has depicted a story of a heavenly flower. The author’s story presentation technique is quite luminouspaint and superfluous—which, once started, the reader cannot stop reading. . The story is from the nineties. But, ‘love at first sight’ is not just nineties love; it’s classic. The writer wants to capture that eternal love. This novella of eighty pages mentions the immortal verses of Poets Abul Hasan, Sachin Dev Burman, Shah Abdul Karim, and Sahir Ludhianvi. In the preface, Anisul Hoque says it is a true story. The storyteller tells this story of his life to the writer, and the writer organizes it into an art form. But this novella is false. Because when a writer writes, he is constantly creating. There is no art without lies. There is no greater truth than art when it becomes art. . Shahidul Islam was born in Kaunia, Rangpur, on the bank of the Teesta River. They lost their houses in the tummy of the river due to the erosion of Teesta. Shahidul was a child of 3-4 years; before he knew it, he became a refugee. He was forced to settle with other family members, first at his uncle’s house, then at a rented house in Mulatole. Shahidul’s family means his mother, father and three sisters. There are also two children of the elder sister with them. They also joined this family after his sister’s divorce. . Shahidul’s father worked in a bookbinder shop, now paralyzed after a stroke. Shahidul is the only ray of hope in this low-income family. After completing school and college, he is currently studying at Dhaka Law College. He has no place to stay in Dhaka. He was forced to spend the night in different mosques. After academic studies in the public library during the day and going straight to tuition is how Shahidul’s days passed. Then, the money left at the end of the month goes to Rangpur to the family. . Falling in love with a girl in such a condition is incompatible and inconsistent for him. But the opposite happened—Shahidul fell in love with a young girl he saw in the train window. Falls and sinks. He followed her. His friend Kallol later told him, this is how it is. He said such stories are found in Greek mythology. Cupid is the son of Mars and Venus. He has a bow and arrow in his hand. The one who is pierced by the arrow becomes mad with love. Maybe, Cupid sat on the shoulder of the girl sitting by the window and shot an arrow at Shahidul’s chest. . The beginning of the novella ‘Parijater Jonno Valobasha’ clarifies the mental and emotional state of Shahidul, the hero of the novella. After reading this, the readers may think that the protagonist of this story is Shahidul Islam. But no, this story revolves around Parijat, who lives in Chattogram. Her parents do not give her the name Parijat. Her real name is Zafrin. The name Parijat was given by Shahidul, which means flower of heaven. . There is a twist in the story surrounding Parijat. When the story begins to coagulate, on page 37, the author reveals the mystery. Parijat can’t speak, even can’t hear. He is ‘deaf and dumb’, called verbally impaired in today’s language. The writer could have unrevealed this twist later. However, Parijat speaks sign language. But Shahidul’s eyes were wearing ‘Mayanjan’. Parijat’s sign language seemed like the language of heaven to him. . Coming to the 43 page of the novella, the readers may think it is a tragic story. But suddenly, the plot changes direction; Shahidul’s private student, Piyal-Tamal’s mother, says, “You got a call from Chattogram.” He ran out. But, the strike—the then anti-Ershad movement of the nineties stood in the way of the journey to Chattogram. There were many more obstacles and many doubts. If they marry for love, will their children be able to speak and listen? . In the last part of the novella, Anisul Hoque presents another Shahidul, a lover Shahidul who would do anything for his lover. The story of overcoming all obstacles and conquering the flower of heaven, ‘Parijater Jonno Valobasha.’ It is a story that cannot be finished once started, filling the reader’s mind with sweet joy. . Parijater Jonno Valobasha by Anisul Hoque Cover: Sabyasachi Hazra Publisher: Prothoma Prokashan ॥ Price: Taka 240 only ISBN 978 984 96886 7 9 . #প্রথমাডটকম_কথাপ্রকাশ_বই_রিভিউ_প্রতিযোগিতা #review #bookreview #anisulhoque #parijaterjonnovalobasha #prothoma #novel