On May 1st, we set out for Chechuajani village in Tangail to discover the roots of Sahera Begum.
We left our home early in the morning from Kazipur with my wife Roshna, father-in-law “Papa,” mother-in-law “Ammu,” and brother-in-law Anoy.
We could see Papa’s eyes twinkle as he anticipated visiting his mother’s (Sahera’s) village after several decades.
It was a beautiful morning as we navigated the narrow streets surrounded by the luscious green landscape, reminiscent of what you often see in plein air paintings. Old stories, the chime of rickshaw bells, tempos and buses zigzagging, and the buzz of small shops lining the roadsides filled my senses as I absorbed everything around me.
In about an hour and a half, we arrived at Sahera’s village. Papa seemed to instantly shed twenty years, a noticeable pep in his step, as he showed us his mother’s childhood playground, the house where she grew up with her large family, and introduced us to near and distant relatives.
As I sat on a bed with beautifully handcrafted legs, where Sahera likely slept many nights, I looked out the window. I wondered if she, too, had gazed at the sky from that very spot, dreaming dreams we would never know. Could she have ever imagined, at that tender age, that her grandchildren would be wandering the same place she grew up, more than eighty years later?
How lucky we are! Lucky to witness Sahera’s roots, grateful to connect with our extended relatives and share our love, and blessed to be healthy and alive.
It felt as though the radiant sun was Sahera’s love, gently caressing us as we explored her beautiful village. We hope to carry on her name with the same dignity and care she showed for her family.
We wrapped up the visit, thanking and hugging our relatives, and I could tell Papa was at peace… it was a full circle.
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