I was startled to hear that from the doctor. My knees felt weak and I could not hold myself. I sat down to the bench and thought about what I did. How could I do that? How could I kill a youth? I did not know. I still feel guilty for killing the young boy. It will make me cry silently forever.
The train was running. I was going to Chittagong form Dhaka. When the train reached to Dhaka Airport Junction I young boy got into the train and sat by me. He looked smart and also stylish. Anyway, sitting his seat he friendly greeted me, "Hi, I'm Opu."
"Hi, I’m Shuvo." I also welcomed him, "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too." He asked me, "Are you going to Chittagong?"
I replied, "Yea. I think you are also going there."
He replied affirmatively and we talked each other whole the way. He became one of my friends. Opu was a nice guy though he looked rough. He was as brilliant as intelligent. Anyone would impress with him.
The train suddenly stopped in a station though it sometimes took break in many junctions but then it stopped that station for a long time. I felt annoyed for such a condition. I got out from the train and bought a cigarette to smoke. Opu also came out with me and he asked me, “Hey man! Are you a smoker?”
“Not really!” I shamed, “But I smoke when I am angry.”
“That means you are angry now. But for what?”
“Why shouldn’t I be angry? A boring journey and hang out in a station for a long time also. Is it tolerable?”
“O! Sorry to supposed you a smoker.”
“No matter! Have smoke?” I offered him to smoke.
Opu smiled and said, “O! I don’t smoke. Thank you.”
I also smiled to hear it and asked him, “Have you ever smoked cigarette?”
“No.”
“Comon man! Let’s have a cigarette. It’ll feel better as I think in the cold environment”
He felt shy and smiled. At first he refused for sometime but I compelled him a bit. However, He had to have cigarette for the first time. At first he coughed a little but after a while he felt better and continued his smoking. It’s unbelievable that he completed more than a 10 cigarettes within a couple of hours. Firstly I did not say anything for that but when he had more and more I try to stop him and said, “Look! Cigarette may be smoked for a certain reason but you have to avoid it. You should not take any more.”
He felt shy and stopped smoking.
The train, however, started to run again after couple of hours and we came to know that an accident was occurred in Comilla in the morning. We gossiped all the way on the train. It was about late night when we reached Chittagong station. I bade him good bye and I invited him to my home on Eid Day.
After a week, during Eid day Opu came to my home and we pass our Eid together. But I felt that something was happened to him. He looked very gloomy and his face became harsh and he was not so happy like before. The whole day we visited many places. I introduced Opu with my other friends. We enjoyed the Eid very well but I still pointed that Opu was not like the person whom I met in the train last week.
“Are you okay?” I asked Opu.
“Hm!” He surprised, “O! Yea.”
He then lighted a cigarette. I observed that he smoked cigarette as like a series smoker.
“Are you became a regular smoker?” I asked him again.
He smiled a bit but did not reply. I said him, “Look! Don’t smoke for fashion. It’s not a style though most people think like that. You should avoid it.”
He looked at me with big eye. It looked like he became angry with me. He stopped saying something that he wanted to say.
“I think you don’t feel good. Better you should go home.” I added, “And please don’t hesitated to say anything that you need.”
“Ok.”
He went away. I think he forgot to bid me bye. I understood that something was wrong.
Two years passed away. One day I phoned Opu and wanted to contact with him but he refused. Thus the more I phoned him the more he refused me. However, I went to Opu’s home and see an unexpected thing. Opu became addicted to smoking hemp. I scolded him a lot to smoking hemp. But he frequently said to me to get out from his home. He behaved me very bad as a result I slapped him. Opu started to cry and said to, “Shuvo, please save me!” He embraced me and started to cry loudly, “I can’t bear it anymore. Why did you make a smoker?”
I hardened to hear like that. I lost my speech to say something. I just consoled him with rubbing his back.
“Opu, I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I didn’t think like that before.” I suggested him, “Let’s go to doctor. Don’t worry. You will be fine.”
I took Opu to medical and then I came to know that Opu was addicted dangerous intoxicating drugs and he became a serious drug addicted person. Doctor suggested me to admit him in a Drag Addiction Recovery Hospital immediately. I, then, informed Opu’s parents and admitted him hospital.
For three days, Opu was in hospital. I could not sleep at night. I always thought that Opu became drug addicted only for me. If I were not offered him cigarette he never be like this. Opu’s parents when asked me that how Opu was addicted then I could not say anything. But I felt better to admit him hospital when the doctor said that he would be fine with in couple of months. I went to sleep thinking like this.
My phone was ringing. I got up and watched my watch. It was 3 o’clock at night. I picked up the phone and said, “Hello.”
“Shuvo, come immediately to hospital.” Opu’s father said to me with fear.
“Why uncle? What’s happen?” I asked.
“Opu is seriously injured. Please come to hospital.” He replied.
I got up and dressed only with a T shirt and a short pant. It was hard to find out any medium of transport. I had to wait for half an hours and I got a rickshaw from rickshaw garage and hired it with a high price. I reached hospital at 3:50 at night. Opu’s father was walking outside the operation theater. I asked him, “What happened?”
“Opu injured himself with glasses.” He replied and cried.
“But why uncle?”
“Doctor said that he felt so bad for drugs that he could not tolerate and injured himself by breaking the water glass up. It is bleed so much.”
Doctor came out from the operation theater. He looked very gloomy. I came to the doctor and asked him afflicted with a fear, "How is Opu, Doctor?”
The doctor said hesitantly, "We are sorry to say that he's gone to coma."
--- The End---
Written by: Sheik Johirul Hoque Jewel
