No person knew what brought about Fortunate to behave the way in which she did. Had she come out of the womb too early? Had she fallen off the cot whereas her aunt was busy washing garments? Had she ran into partitions so much? Had she been possessed by a djinn? An extended spell of typhoid? Jaundice? Pneumonia? The residents of Niribili scratched their heads however by no means discovered solutions. They’d given up way back after they tried extracting particulars from Hamida – Fortunate’s elder sister by three years – and even she turned out to be clueless. With no matter meagre particulars they might piece collectively, they settled on the conclusion that Fortunate’s behaviour was the river flowing out of the absence of a mom and a poverty-ridden childhood.
She lived in a small tin shed below the banyan tree simply exterior the tall yellow partitions of Niribili, a leafy diplomatic neighbourhood, considered one of its variety within the metropolis. The youngsters of Niribili went to town’s solely worldwide faculty. In all places you appeared, you’ll discover fair-skinned folks from overseas international locations: a girl in a skirt pushing a pram down the spotless, maroon footpath; a person, AirPods plugged in, jogging by rows of moist tulips and roses within the park; a gaggle of girls and boys dripping with sweat, their sneakers chafing on the concrete as they attempt to rating baskets. You’d discover that luxurious vehicles – Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Jaguar – had been as widespread right here because the Toyota was in different elements of town. The buildings, organized in numerous lanes, ranged from colonial, grime-stricken bungalows to modernist condo blocks.
Hamida lived and labored as a maid at one of many homes on Lane Seven – a penthouse that supplied a view of your entire park. Her employers, each medical doctors on the similar non-public hospital, had initially given Fortunate the chance to work on the penthouse and dwell with them regardless of her tendency to scar the folks round her by hurling at them random and hideous situations and accusations.
“Inform your father I noticed him in a dream. His mistress sliced him in half when she found he’s married!” she would fairly often say to an unlucky particular person who occurred to be round her, earlier than exploding right into a high-pitched laughter. To a different, she would say, “If I see you doing naughty-naughty together with your madam once more, I swear I’ll feed you my slipper!” and take off her slipper, wiggling it threateningly. To a different, she would say, “Did you eat the black canine you caught yesterday? Was it cooked okay?” as her brow flaunted wavy strains.
As soon as, she stated to the aged caretaker of the constructing, “I’m sorry that your daughter drowned. I hope she is in heaven.” Fearing for the security of his daughter, he sprinted inside his room within the storage, referred to as house whereas rubbing his eyes, and informed her to keep away from all of the water our bodies in his village. He had left that night for his village and by no means returned. One other time, she stated to a ten-year-old woman who was parking her blue four-wheeled cycle by the gray electrical pole, “How is your child? Are you feeding her properly? And your husband? Feeding him properly too? Is your mother-in-law beating you an excessive amount of?” Tears bloomed in her eyes. Her lips wrinkled and trembled. Fortunate embraced her seeing her on wail, and stated, “Don’t you are concerned, darling. I’ll train your in-laws a lesson.” She wailed louder upon listening to this.
As a result of she averted the foreigners as if even them would trigger her loss of life, solely the locals fidgeted at Fortunate’s presence. No person knew after they could be accused of participating in black magic, adultery, incest, Devil-worshipping, extramarital affairs, homicide and theft (the checklist was countless).
The employers fired her when she slapped considered one of their two fifteen-year-old boys in entrance of their American, Indian and Japanese pals in the lounge with out the slightest provocation. He checked out her in horror and disbelief, his hand clutching at his sizzling cheek. She sighed in reduction, clasping her palms collectively, and stated, “Okay, now you may proceed speaking with your folks. The djinn inside you is gone! That sly factor. How dare he smirk at me!”
They had been variety sufficient to purchase a ticket en path to Sylhet for her. However she refused. As a substitute, she requested them to construct a tin shed for her below the Banyan tree exterior Niribili in order that she might meet Hamida often and dwell with the birds, canines, cats, owls, bats and monkeys.
Excerpted with permission from “Fortunate” in The Hippo Woman and Different Tales, Shah Tazrian Ashrafi, Hachette India.