Short Story: Family Ties (Part 2)

Syeda Samara Mortada takes us through the dusty lanes of Dhaka in a poignant two-part story about the many lives women tend to live behind the closed doors of a house.

Read the previous part HERE.

The next day at school, when Amala met Neela, she asked Amala why her eyes were so puffy and red. Without thinking through, Amala recounted the entire story of the lady on the left and the lady on the right. Neela nodded knowingly as she too had been in Amala’s spot more than once, after which she threatened her parents by telling them that if they forced her to get married, she would run away from home, never to return. Her parents were too afraid to broach the topic again. Amala slowly understood how Neela came to be the Neela she was today- strong and wise, because of the experiences that shaped her.

Soon afterwards, Amala spent a lot of time with Neela, talking about anything and everything; Amala felt like she had found her soul mate. Neela, on the other hand, felt this irresistible surge of emotion every time she was around Amala. She knew, from the very beginning, that things were going to get messy-yet as much as she tried to stop herself, she couldn’t resist the bond that was forming between them. Neela did not want a repeat of the incident that had happened in Dhaka. She shivered as soon as she recalled those memories.