Sense of affection

It was a hectic evening and I was waiting for my confidant near Malibag intersection. I saw some hermaphrodites usually known as Hijras, roaming around and making  irregular physical gestures to extract money from the pedestrians. A couple of minutes later my friend reached by rickshaw. As she was about to pay her fair, she found out that she left her wallet back at her residence. So, she requested the rickshaw-puller to carry her back to her residence which was nearby.

All on a sudden one of the Hijras came to her and insisted to pay her fair. At first my friend refused to receive help, but the hijra told her," I had a sister like you but she is no more. Please give me the chance to serve you so that her departed soul gets some peace," and emotionally forced her to accept the help. This incident had changed our outlook about them and we were moved by their sense of affection. Normally they are treated as a group who harass people on the streets and collect money. Sometimes they are considered a street nuisance. Why do they do so? Time has come to find out the reasons behind their overbearing activities. They are born in the country where we were born and they deserve to be treated with a little more love and care.

Bipul K Debnath

Department of English

Dhaka College, Dhaka.

bipul_d2008@yahoo.com