Tomorrow Never Dies

(1)1

Sporsho is sitting at her balcony with a cup of coffee. The sky seems to be decorated with thousands of stars tonight. The moon has taken its position right at the middle of all the stars very proudly. As if the king is sitting on his throne and the entire kingdom is surrounding him. A very rare sight is in front of her eyes Sporsho must admit that. But
she is not in the mood to enjoy the beauty of this beautiful night. She is trying to find the face of her Ma among these twinkling stars. But she is failing to do that. Life is no more like a fairy tale now. So the stars are also no more her friends now.2

Long ago when she was a kid her Ma used to tell her stories of stars. She told her that when people die they become stars of the sky. So she is trying to find the face of her Ma
among these stars. But Ma is far away from her now and she has learned to deceive her darling daughter now. Sporsho used to believe every single word of her Ma. So she has been grown up with the dream that one day a Prince will come riding on a white horse and take her away from this world to the dreamland. And that actually happened. Her prince came but not riding a white horse rather riding a motor bike. Life became almost like a fairy tale with him. Every day he used to bring new dreams and new hopes with him. She now believes that love can bring the celestial bliss on the earth only. That may not last forever but if that divine feeling comes into life for a short while that short period of time becomes the treasure of life. Shamapto came in her life just for a short while but that was the most valuable time of her life. In those few days she lived her whole life. As if life squeezed among those short phase of life. She does not regret about her love affair with Shamapto because she knows that none could keep her happier than this man. Though that happiness was for a very short period that actually taught her to live. She suddenly realizes that her coffee has become cold. So she comes to her bedroom slowly. 3

The only noticeable thing about her bedroom is the large and beautiful mirror that her Ma gave her and her granny gave her Ma. This mirror is perhaps some ancestral property of her family, which every generation hands over to the next. Sporsho feels very sad about the fact that she perhaps will not be able to fulfill this family tradition of handing over
this mirror. She comes in front of the mirror and looks at her reflection with a strange gaze. 4

(2)5

Sporsho jumps back 15 years just by looking in this mirror in a twinkling of an eye. That was a beautiful morning of September. She was sitting at her chamber and was waiting
for the boy, who was her father’s colleague’s son and unfortunately her childhood friend. She was wondering about Shamapto’s appearance. “Who knows how does he look now”,
she thinks. She didn’t meet him for long 10 years. Though he was 7 years older than her they were good friends. But Shamapto was at U.K for last 10 years for higher studies.
She is actually very keen to know whether this man is like before or have things changed. One young man entered her chamber with a painful face. Sporsho could understand that
this was a patient, who is having a serious toothache. She asked the patient about his problems. He was not in a condition to speak. All he could do was pointing at his teeth
and give her the signal that his tooth needed some treatment. Sporsho actually became very annoyed to see the condition of that tooth. And she could not do anything but plucking it from it’s root.6

“ You would not have faced this situation if you would have taken good care of your teeth from the early stage. And that is the problem with the people of our country. They do not take care of their teeth and come to the dentist at the last stage”, Sporsho said to the man in an annoyed tone. “ Ok doctor. Now if you have finished your job and your lecture can I have the pleasure of having a cup of coffee with you?”, the man said. Still now Sporsho can hear that voice. That voice was so attractive and there was obviously something special about that voice. Sporsho was astonished to see the valor of that man and said in a cold tone, “ What the hell do you think of yourself? You think I’ll go for a coffee with you just because I have given you a lecture on taking care of the teeth?” The answer that came from him was, “ No. Dear stupid doctor. You’ll have a cup of coffee with your childhood friend not with your patient, whom you have given a long lecture. And how did you dare to forget my face?” The doctor was then thundered to see her long awaited guest. She asked him, “ Oh my goodness what have you done to your teeth? And why didn’t you take the trouble of revealing your identity to me you stupid?” After a few minutes both of them were having coffee at a well-known restaurant of Dhaka. Then Shamapto told her that he didn’t go to any dentist at abroad because he wanted only Sporsho to treat him. Sporsho just smiled hearing about this madness of Shamapto. Though she was pretending to mock him for this madness deep inside her she
knew that she was relieved to see that Shamapto didn’t change. She didn’t express but she was extremely happy. And surprising thing is that she herself was surprised at this
unlimited happiness. That day Shamapto came to drop her home and he wanted to see her bedroom. Sporsho hesitated at first to take a man to her own personal zone. But Shamapto’s madness compelled her to take him to her own territory. After reaching at her room Sporsho felt very shy and Shamapto’s presence made her even more uncomfortable. Suddenly he dragged her softly towards the mirror and pointed towards
her reflection in the mirror. He held her very softly and said, “ Can you see this beautiful princess in the mirror? Please tell her that her prince charming has landed on her ground and her waiting is over from now on. Please tell her that I love her madly and deeply. I passed these 10 years only by thinking of this sweet moment of reunion with her. Now she will not have to wait any more. I’ll take her away from here to my kingdom. Tell her to start preparations to leave her Ma and Baba.”7

(3)8

The ring of her cell phone brings her back at present. There was a call from the hospital. Her secretary was reminding her over phone about tomorrow’s urgent appointments. The
minister has taken an appointment tomorrow. She wipes up her tears. Those memories still bring tears in the eyes. She fails to stop these tears. At that night also she cried a lot
after Shamapto left. Today also she is crying. Love is such a feeling that can bring tears in one’s eyes both in happiness or in sorrow.9

Still now she can feel the warmth of those moments. Still now she can feel Shamapto around her at every step of her life. She knows very well that still now her heart beats only for that man, who is no more with her now. She feels as if it happened just tomorrow. As if it is just now that her parents have started the preparations to get their darling daughter married off. Still now she shivers by remembering that dark incident of her life that snatched away two valued persons of her life without whom life feels no more like being alive. Sporsho’s Ma and Shamapto went for an outing at that day at their village. Sporsho’s Ma wanted to give the invitation cards to their relatives living at the village. Both of them went but never came back home. They had an accident at a bridge that was under construction. Her Ma came lying inside a coffin. But Shamapto never came back. People say his corpse was perhaps drowned deep in the vast Padma and it was never found. Perhaps this is called the irony of fate. Shamapto said to her that she didn’t need to wait anymore. But fate has kept her waiting forever.10

She goes to her study room with tired steps. She needs to do some urgent paper work for office. She has taken some responsibilities of her Baba’s hospital few days back. Though
her Baba is a hard worker and strong man and will never tell her to lessen his responsibilities she understands that Baba has been grown older now. So she herself has taken these responsibilities. She thinks Baba needs rest, Baba needs a break. And these things actually help her in keeping herself busy. She knows very well that only work and work can keep her alive and keep her in life. If there would not be such pressure of work and there would not be her patients it would be very difficult for her to get back to normal life. She became mentally sick after that dark incident of her life. At first she didn’t believe that Shamapto was no more, nowhere in this earth in her life. She used to wait for him. Her point was that she had not seen Shamapto’s corpse. She used to wait for him during every special day, every special occasion of her life thinking that he will come. Then gradually she realized that he would never come back to her life again. It took time to realize this bitter truth of life and to get back in normal life. She is very thankful to
Baba that he gave her that much time that she could recover those wounds. Baba understands her very well and that’s why he never asked her to get married to another man.11

Baba came to call her for dinner while she was drowned in the ocean of thoughts. She comes to her senses when Baba tells her that it is quite late and dinnertime has been passed. She realizes her mistake and says sorry to her Baba and then goes for dinner. At the dinner table Baba tells her that tomorrow he has invited some of his close friends at home and she needs to be at home in the evening. Sporsho hears her Baba’s order and assures him that she will be at home in the evening tomorrow. 12

(4)13

Today Sporsho has returned from hospital very early. Because of the guests and the preparations of the dinner. She loves to cook and serve people. Sometimes she thinks if Shamapto would be alive he would have been proud to have such a good cook as her wife. However, her Baba is no less proud about her cooking rather she thinks sometimes Baba becomes overexcited about her cooking and praises her so much that she feels very ashamed of the fact that most of the time she cannot cook for him for her engagement in other official work. She is sure that tonight also Baba is going to flood her through his praises. Besides she has prepared three new dishes today that will add to his excitement. She smiles by thinking all these. She has some motherly affection for this aged child of hers.14

Every one praised her cooking tonight also. Baba was overexcited as usual. There was nothing new about this. The interesting thing is Rashed uncle told her by seeing her
palms that one important incident is going to take place in her life. The one for whom she is waiting her whole life, will return to her life very soon. Not actually very soon he told an exact date and the date is 8th of this month. That means only seven days are remaining for that miracle to happen. And the most surprising thing is she, who never believed in palmistry, has believed all this rubbish. 15

On the 7th day16

Today is 8th of this month. Sporsho has taken leave from her hospital. Today she will remain at home whole day. She herself cannot understand or explain this ridiculous
attitude of her own. She is cooking all the favorite dishes of her beloved. She has completed cooking all the hot and spicy dishes. Now the sweet dish is remaining. And
she will go for a bath after preparing that dish. 17

Sporsho has dressed herself very carefully today. Though she has grown a bit older now her heart has not grown old. So she has worn blue, Shamapto’s favorite color. She stares at her reflection and realizes that she is no more that beautiful princess, whom Shamapto used to love madly and deeply. And she regrets for not taking care of herself properly. She doesn’t know why her heart is racing so loudly. She really doesn’t know what will happen if Shamapto doesn’t come today. And she doesn’t want to know really. All she knows is that hope makes all things happen. Hope makes miracles even on this earth. And she also has hope. She believes that tomorrow never dies, as there is the light of hope always.18

It is almost 10: 30 pm now. Sporsho is still waiting for Shamapto. She has decided that she will not cry even if he doesn’t come. Because if he doesn’t come then also the hope
of his coming back will not die. She now has started to believe that Shamapto will obviously come back. She fells asleep because of the tiresome tension of the whole day. 19

Suddenly she hears the sound of the doorbell. She doesn’t know why her heart has started beating fast. She doesn’t have the strength to go and open the door. But she is failing to
call anybody to open the door. So she approaches the door slowly. The bell is ringing very impatiently. She is preparing to open the door that can open the door of her fortune too just at this moment.20

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