Love in the time of landlines
On February 14, 2000, they officially wrote each other's name in their destiny for eternity
While 23-year-old Milon could only afford to board public transports, 21-year-old Shilpi was one of the handful of students who would come to the university premises on their private car back in the 90s.
At the physics department, Sharmin Hossain Shilpi was a junior of Fakhrul Abedin Milon – a beautiful, shy and introverted girl who Milon had never thought of even interacting with.
This unhoped-for matter eventually happened when both of them went on a university tour to Chittagong. Travelling together down the hillside tracks and semi-bricked roads of Chittagong, the paths of Milon and Shilpi crossed. Milon expanded his hand towards Shilpi every time she was about to stumble; Shilpi held the hand strongly and the walk of life continues for them since then.
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After returning from the tour, Milon unbosomed himself to the lady. And Shilpi, with all her solitaries, surrendered her heart to a man who was still struggling to build up his identity.
Meanwhile, Milon graduated and grabbed a job at Dhaka Bank. The salary was mediocre, he became busy and the two lovebirds met only once in a week, on Saturdays.
Love during 90s was different – they would neither have the bird to carry their message out nor a digital mobile phone. Those were the days of landline. Shilpi had a telephone at her home, Milon did not.
Therefore, Milon used to run to the TNT office. He could not afford to take a connection of landline telephone, the officers in there could sense his madness and got him an analogue telephone connection for almost half the price. After every exhausting workday, Shilpi's soothing voice was the lullaby that could calm him down.
They went out on a date one day. Milon had some Tk200 in his moneybag. His date ordered assorted fish items and plain rice. The big prawn alone was Tk180 each. Young Milon began trembling. "I am allergic to prawns! Let's just return this," made an excuse in a jiffy.
Shilpi got the insinuation! With a smile she dispelled his fears, "You eat and stop worrying about anything else. I am here!" That sense of reassurance held Milon grounded.
Having each other through thick and thin for five long years, they decided to tie the knot for lifetime. Shilpi came from a privileged, conservative background. Many luring marriage proposals kept coming her way.
Initially, it was difficult to convince the family but soon the family gave up to unyielding Shilpi.
For all the expenses of marriage, Fakhrul Abedin Milon loaned Taka one lakh from the bank and gave her only Tk50,000 altogether. She managed to buy her own jewelleries, bridal sari, some essential furniture and a lot of other things as well with that little amount of money. She decked up the suitcase with her own hand which her in-laws were supposed to bring for her on the wedding day. The day before their marriage, she handed that suitcase over to her fiancé.
On February 14, 2000, they officially wrote each other's name in their destiny for eternity. After all these years of unwavering love and belief, their love is even stronger because of the bridge that their daughter, Sarara, has built up.
Sharmin Hossain Shilpi herself is a banker. As Fakhrul Abedin Milon is the executive vice president and manager of Dhaka Bank and simultaneously a writer-- he is mostly occupied with his works and cultivating his hobbies.
He puts with a lot of confidence, "Every bit of her inspires me. She is the biggest admirer and critic of my writing. I have seen her laugh and cry reading my books, what more appreciation can I get from the world?"
The most significant part of their relationship is, they never lost belief in each other. Being an extrovert and a travel-buff, Milon often leaves everything aside and goes out on trekking, meets and explores the world. Shilpi never held him back for anything, rather encouraged.
Two people that belonged to two different worlds with different interests and personalities, happened to come close to each other and take things ahead. To both of them now life is about waking up to each other's face and getting to sleep with a fulfilling sense of loving and being loved.
