Alpona Written in Tears
1. The Orphaned Childhood
Rafiq's father passed away during a devastating plague. His mother, then a young woman, was forced by societal pressure and the uncertainty of the future to marry someone else and leave the village. Little Rafiq was left all alone. He found shelter at his uncle Rahmat Miya's house, but there was no love there—only neglect. His uncle would make him toil all day long. Whenever he got a break, Rafiq would draw pictures on the ground with a bamboo twig. One day, his uncle screamed in rage, "You worthless boy! If you won't work, how will you eat? Get out and find your own way!"
Ten-year-old Rafiq left the house with nothing but the clothes on his back, a bundle of old notebooks, and a few broken pencils.
2. The Vagabond Artist and the Neighboring Village
Rafiq eventually settled in a neighboring village called 'Haripur.' He found a place to stay in an abandoned shack near the railway station. He spent his days sketching people or copying movie posters. By selling those pictures at the local market, he barely managed to earn enough for a simple meal of rice and lentils. Even amidst the crowd, Rafiq was profoundly lonely. A shadow of melancholy remained captured within his box of colors.
3. That Afternoon by the Pond
The story took a turn one afternoon in the month of Chaitra. Rafiq was sitting by the large pond in Haripur, sketching a Palash tree. Suddenly, he noticed a girl frantically searching for something among the bushes. She was wearing a white saree, and there were tears in her eyes.
Rafiq asked, "Have you lost something?"
The girl replied in a choked voice, "I can't find my white goat. If my father finds out, he will beat me today."
Rafiq stood up. He knew every corner of the village. Within half an hour, he found the goat and brought it back to Sudeshna. Sudeshna smiled in gratitude. For the first time, a touch of color reached Rafiq's gray canvas.
4. Two Years of Forbidden Spring
The next two years were the best times of Rafiq and Sudeshna's lives. Rafiq would draw pictures, and Sudeshna would secretly bring him food from her home. They knew their religions were different and that society would never accept them. Yet, sitting by the pond, they dreamed of a future together. Rafiq drew many portraits of Sudeshna. When she smiled, Rafiq would say, "When you smile, I feel as if all the colors of the world have flowed into my brush."
5. The Blow of Society and Separation
Love never stays hidden forever. Sudeshna's father found out that his daughter was associating with a boy from a "different caste." One day, the village elders demolished Rafiq's shack and tore up his paintings, throwing them into the pond. Sudeshna was locked inside her house, and preparations began to marry her off elsewhere. One night, while held captive, she broke the window bars and escaped. She wore no jewelry; she only carried a single dried Palash flower given to her by Rafiq.
6. The Final Refuge: Journeying Together
Sudeshna went to Rafiq and said, "They want to kill us, Rafiq. Let's run away to somewhere where no one knows us."
Rafiq held her hand firmly. They moved to a distant city where human struggle was greater than religion or caste. Rafiq worked as a day laborer and painted at night. Sudeshna learned sewing. There was poverty, but there was supreme peace in their home. Sudeshna did not abandon her religion, nor did Rafiq change his faith. They loved each other simply as human beings.
Conclusion
Many years later, when Rafiq grew old, his painting titled 'The Girl by the Pond' won a gold medal at a prestigious exhibition. Sudeshna sat beside him, smiling. Rafiq's long journey from an orphaned life became meaningful through that one smile of Sudeshna's. They proved that while society can build walls, love knows how to break those walls and paint an Alpona upon them.