Breaking News:

Fortune-teller’s ring

Abu Bakar Siddiquee :

It has never crossed Mr. Gaziur Rahman's thought that a fortune-teller may have access to a car-repairing garage. Gaziur Rahman is nearing sixty, yet he takes himself all the pain to service his favourite Crown car. He drives the car in Abdus Sobhan's garage, known to him for a long time; in early life Abdus Sobhan was a car mechanic cum half partner of this garage. With a gradual prosperity of career now he has become the proprietor. Keeping up the trend he has set up his office in an air-cooled room and conducts works with the help of a few mechanics.
On that day Mr. Gaziur Rahman was waiting for Abdus Sobhan, who has gone to a nearby motor-parts' shop. Without Abdus Sobhan's permission no mechanic will dare to carry out repair work of Gaziur Rahman's car. Gaziur Rahman is glancing over the daily newspaper sitting in the air cooled-office room of the garage on a chair by the side of the table opposite the designate chair of Abdus Sobhan. While at breakfast he has already had a glimpse of the main headlines and front-page news. Apart from the hard talks there remains more interesting topics in the newspaper, including cartoons, advertisements and horoscope. Gaziur Rahman is flipping his eyes over those. He read the horoscope of the day and chuckled thinking is it ever possible to forecast exactly what the provider desires! But as people believe in destiny they go to astrologer, consult the horoscope and like to know the fortune.
Gaziur Rahman looked next at the cartoon. A little man, the hero of the cartoon, is confronting a gigantic animal. The legendary animal posses all-conquering power and is saying to the hero.
'Today you won't have any escape, I shall engulf you to satisfy my hunger.'
Gaziur Rahman fixed on the word 'engulf' which got through him. The word is criss-crossing his brain. In every moment so many events of 'engulf are occurring in this world. The powerful is engulfing the weaker's belongings, properties, and wealth.
The river by its strong inrush is engulfing the alongside village with dwellings, cultivation lands, fields and orchards. Even time, in its cycle, is engulfing every span of life.
When or where this trend of 'engulfing' has been initiated and where is its stoppage nobody knows and will never know. None would have any quest for this familiar issue, nor this issue would be accounted for.
Abdus Sobhan entered the office hurriedly and drew a broad smile,
'Sir, sorry to make you wait for a long time. Now I'll start the work. It won't be very late.'
He called the mechanic,
'Ripon, bring the tools for the radiator and ask Rahmat to come to me, I'm explaining the fault.'
Abdus Sobhan hastily stepped towards the car. Gaziur Rahman got assured that the work of his car would be done with precise accuracy.
The servicing is going on smoothly. Garage-owner Abdus Sobhan returned with a bottle of cold drink, kept it in the table and said politely,
'You will feel fresh with this drink, Sir, it's very hot to-day.' Gaziur Rahman gave a glance at the drink and said with a soft smile,
'Abdus Sobhan, ask your boys to do the work carefully. After all it's an old car of an old man!'
'Sir, You need not be worried. Crown is always a Crown, the king of the cars! This car never gets old.' Abdus Sobhan reassured him.
Then he proceeded towards the car.
Gaziur Rahman took the bottle of cold drink and placed the straw to sip. All on a sudden he heard a voice issuing from behind,
'What's the time, Sir?'
He turned his eyes towards the sound. An aged person sitting in the corner of the room, and seemed to be a commoner, introduced himself,
'Sir, I am a fortune-teller, read people's fate and advice to wear stone of appropriate type to avoid the incoming danger. The owner of this garage also took some stones from me. The stones have many good effects. Wearing of stone benefits people .. .'
Hardly he could finish the words when Abdus Sobhan entered the room. Perhaps he had over-heard some of their conversation.
'Are you offering a stone to Sir?' He asked.
'I'm talking about virtues of the stones.' The fortune-teller replied.
Abdus Sobhan gave a pleasurable smile. He turned his eyes towards Gaziur Rahman, spreaded his fingers in front of him and said,
'This fortune-teller has offered me three stones; one for health, one for prosperity in business and the other is for avoiding accident, because I have to handle varieties of faulty cars.'
The fortune-teller's face brightened up hearing Abdus Sobhan's praiseful words. He emphasised,
'Sir, this garage-owner has been blessed with good luck by wearing these stones. He does not suffer from ailment, got success in his business, and he has never met with an accident though he drives to examine a lot of faulty vehicles of this garage.'
Abdus Sobhan approved the genuineness of the fortuneteller's word with silence. He kept fiddling with the stone setting rings of his fingers. May be that he is thinking about the super-natural power of the stones.
He wore three rings, one in the ring finger, one in the middle finger and one in the little finger.
Taking the opportune of moment the fortune-teller drew up a chair and sat near Gaziur Rahman. He pointed out the rings of Abdus Sobhan and said,
'The stone in the middle finger is 'Gomed,' in the ring finger is 'Pokraj' and in the little finger is 'Cat's eye'. Please have a look Sir; this 'cat's eye' is of a special variety, gives a look of tiger's eye.' Gaziur Rahman looked at the stone precisely. Really it does not give the appearance of an ordinary stone; rather the deep brown band in its middle with a yellowishash tint reflects the ferociousness of tiger's look.
'Can I have a look at your pal