RIVER CRUISE ON MEGHNA

"How are you doing son?" Oh Mom! I am tired, bored with exam preparation! Don't like to study anymore. I can't. "No darling! Only a few more days!"

Well, this was not an innocent conversation between a mom and her son. The son was making the prelude to do something stupid by this intentional boredom! He had only seven days before his final exam.

But I was really adamant for joining the river cruise fun! The February 29th cruise was organized by the Department of English, DU and supported by Department's Alumni Association.

As the ticket read, 'please come within 7.30 in the morning in front of British Council (positively)' I spoilt my early morning sleep. Undoubtedly we were all positive (?) for the tour and so we could start as early as 8.30 for Sadarghat. A few of our teachers and their family members, a few members of alumni association and their family members , office staffs of the department and we around 200 students started our journey in 5 buses.

Despite the entire festive mood around, I was not feeling much enthusiasm. Tensed with exam fear and feeling like a truant boy escaping from his red nosed math teacher. But my fellow excited juniors had already started wild singing and dancing. Eventually the tension toxic had been started to release…

When we reached Sadarghat, I noticed some people were peeping into the bus. Probably they took us as some wild vokto (disciples) of BABA as they heard the noisy maizvandari chorus singing by our students!

Now I entered the Cruise ship. It was a two storied luxury ship. Entering the ship I started to look for buoys' where about as didn't know swimming. There were enough in the Ostrich-our cruise ship. Around 10.30 we started our 5 hours long Meghna trip.

After breakfast all gathered on the main deck to have fun. In the mean time few students picked some people from their fellows to honour them with some peculiar gifts. Best look male and female had been gifted with a pocket mirror each, best smile male and female with a brand new tooth brush each, best hair male and female with a 200 ml bottle of hair oil each, best cell users(as they were not having fun like others!) male and female with a refill card each. Fortunately they couldn't notice me… I was taking notes (occasionally) for this story using my mobile pretending as sending sms.

There were also some semi-serious competitions like songs and telling jokes and the winners also got rewards. We enjoyed some really wonderful as well as terrible song performances. And students, alumni members as well as teachers all joined in the fun.

Unfortunately there weren't any dance talent in the group. But lot of them tried their best… This time I decided to roam around for a while and went down to engine floor of the ship. Well I became a bit scared as it seemed the wooden roof might break down upon…You know it was our dancers!

I found a wooden tool in a small island like veranda near the engine room where I sat to enjoy the beauty of the serene river and lush greenery on the distant bank. Some kingfishers were catching fishes in the water. It was a complete visual delight. The spring breeze from Meghna made me drowsy and subconsciously I was in search for a pillow! But no way! I felt a bit jealous with the boatmen of the country boats occasionally passing by in a relaxed and apathetic mood. The balmy weather and the calm river reminded me something like that of a happy face of a sleeping maiden!

My romance with river finished as my friend came down to fetch me. It was lunch time.

After a somewhat chaotic breakfast our Mams ordered us to follow the unwritten rules of the department during lunch time. First the juniors and then the seniors will get their lunch … and then ex-students and finally the teachers. But my poor stomach failed to understand the sanctity of seniority. Fortunately (?) our ex-students could collect their foods before the students! And as usual our motherly Mams tried their best for everything run smoothly for their students and the guests. They were the last ones to take the food.

After lunch some pupils tried a DJ party on the main deck. This time I found myself in a bizarre situation. The death metal like high volume dhumdharakka sound seemed to crack my brain! But I decided not to move from the deck in fear of being considered not trendy enough!

When the trip was to end, it seemed a school party had been held without their guardians. The littered peals of oranges, tissues and the leftovers of the lunch were all around. I caught two staffs cleaning the dining hall and asked them what usually happen when others visit your ship. They replied with humility, "well, you know everyone do it actually". But later did admit with a smile, 'not as much as you did'. I tried to lighten the environment by telling them 'you see they are mere kids ( including graduate and about to graduate kids like me)'. Probably our syllabus needs some minor revisions! Our accompanying teachers must be thinking about it!

When we entered the periphery of Dhaka, the tormenting smell of Burigonga was tickling the nostrils to remind us of our own city- where we live.

Before getting down, I found one of my relatives, unknown to each other, studying in the same department though in different semesters. Indeed it was a bonus for me.

Thus a typical day became an exotic one. But the exam reappeared in the scene. Only seven days to go… Wished if it were like cruise time.

photo: sabbir ahmed osmani