It is the middle of November, which is the coldest period of the year in the plains of Bangladesh.I am writing about a particular morning during this time. It happened to be unusually cold. The sky remained cloudy and the air remained surcharged with dense fog. The fog, however, began to melt away with the coming up of the sun.
I was in my village home and on that particular morning I woke up very early. Although I had a quilt, I was shivering with cold. I did not like to leave my bed but I had to do so rather reluctantly because I was to go to market. I quite realized that the longer I remained in bed the less inclined I would be to get up. So I left aside the quilt and immediately got up. As the college was in the town and three miles away from my home, I had to start for it at 10 A.M. and the food was to be ready by 9-30 A.M. So I began to get ready for going to market. I put on warm wrappers to keep off the cold; yet I was shivering from head to foot. My teeth began to chatter and my hands and feet were numbed with cold. I Wondered how I would use cold water to wash my hands and face. However, I somehow managed to drag myself to the pond near by When my hands touched the water, the cold seemed to enter my bones. Never in my life, I found water so biting as on that cold morning.
My mother made tea. Tea is good at all times but never so good as on a wintry morning I hurriedly took one cup and went to market a great variety of vegetables, such as cabbages, cauliflowers, brinjals, beans and sweet fruits like grapes, oranges and guavas were available in the market. I purchased vegetables, fish and other necessary things at cheap prices. All these things can be had in plenty and the sell cheaper in winter season than in any other.
I came back from the market and found most of the inmates still lying in bed. They kept within doors till the sunshine entered into their rooms. The poorer section of the people of my village could not procure warm clothing nor had they good houses to live in. They, therefore, keenly felt the sting of winter. The old women and children made fires and sat round them to warm their bodies till the sun rose. Many grown-up people also gathered round the fires.
Cooking was over at 9 A.M. I finished eating at 10 A.M. and left for college. When I was out on the road I felt very cold. Thick mistlay like a pall over the village. The sun could hardly be seen in the sky. I could not see more than a few feet in front of me. I proceeded rather cautiously for fear of getting involved in an accident. When I had walked for some time I felt better. Just at this moment, the sun showed its face I took courage and walked faster. The fog, however, melted away with the comming up of the usn. The mist started elearing up. Now I saw, on two sides of my road, peasants tilling their lands. They might have come to the lands very early in the morning as by that time they had tilled greater portion of their lands. I found some of the peasants puffing teir hukkas and thereby trying to relieve themselves from the biting cold.
I could feel a change in the air; it was no longer wet and sticky. But I was rather disgusted seeing the sun disappear again At one moment it was seen and at another it was hidden by clouds. This went on for some time. The weather was, however, very pleasant and agreeable. When I reached college there was no fog anywhere and the sun had its full sway in the sky. The college work went on quite smoothly. That particular winter morning left an abiding impression on my mind for one reason or another. I still remember it for its unusual pinch.
My mother made tea. Tea is good at all times but never so good as on a wintry morning I hurriedly took one cup and went to market a great variety of vegetables, such as cabbages, cauliflowers, brinjals, beans and sweet fruits like grapes, oranges and guavas were available in the market. I purchased vegetables, fish and other necessary things at cheap prices. All these things can be had in plenty and the sell cheaper in winter season than in any other.
I came back from the market and found most of the inmates still lying in bed. They kept within doors till the sunshine entered into their rooms. The poorer section of the people of my village could not procure warm clothing nor had they good houses to live in. They, therefore, keenly felt the sting of winter. The old women and children made fires and sat round them to warm their bodies till the sun rose. Many grown-up people also gathered round the fires.
Cooking was over at 9 A.M. I finished eating at 10 A.M. and left for college. When I was out on the road I felt very cold. Thick mistlay like a pall over the village. The sun could hardly be seen in the sky. I could not see more than a few feet in front of me. I proceeded rather cautiously for fear of getting involved in an accident. When I had walked for some time I felt better. Just at this moment, the sun showed its face I took courage and walked faster. The fog, however, melted away with the comming up of the usn. The mist started elearing up. Now I saw, on two sides of my road, peasants tilling their lands. They might have come to the lands very early in the morning as by that time they had tilled greater portion of their lands. I found some of the peasants puffing teir hukkas and thereby trying to relieve themselves from the biting cold.
I could feel a change in the air; it was no longer wet and sticky. But I was rather disgusted seeing the sun disappear again At one moment it was seen and at another it was hidden by clouds. This went on for some time. The weather was, however, very pleasant and agreeable. When I reached college there was no fog anywhere and the sun had its full sway in the sky. The college work went on quite smoothly. That particular winter morning left an abiding impression on my mind for one reason or another. I still remember it for its unusual pinch.
