Helal Hafiz could not marry anyone else without loving Helen. Hafiz said, ‘No girl has ever married Helal!’ He died in the washroom. What a horrible, tragic death! Everyone loved his poetry, but no one loved Helal Hafiz! In 2021, Dr. Tarek Shamsur Rehman also died alone in the bathroom of his flat. His wife had a family, but they lived abroad! Mr. Rehman lived alone in the country! Having a family or not – just an option for peace of mind in debates and discussions! Being alone is a reality!
There is no room for denial, many of us are alone! Alone due to work and alone due to character! The number of those who are forced to be alone is not very small. We could not be together in our youth! So, we will be together in old age, we will both live as a couple or our children will keep an eye on us – all hope! The reality is different or the same – I don’t know what will happen! I can’t even imagine how painful the future can be. I can be strong in my body and stay apart. I can be arrogant and keep my face closed, but can people really live without people? They can live and die!
Helal Hafiz or Dr. Tarek Shamsur Rehman are famous, so there is mourning over their deaths. The country is shaken by the issue of discussion. We, who are insignificant, will not benefit from their deaths. Many may not even know – nor should we. This is life. Is there more to it? That day I came, opened my eyes and with a few blinks saw that I had reached old age. How lonely I am among so many people. Leaving my family and staying away just to provide food for survival – what a strange life. People are not there when people need us the most. What is the meaning of life for someone who did not even get a little water at the time of death? What is the meaning of this life of ours?
There is no shortage of people who feel sorry for the one who has passed away. But what message did the one who left feeling sad leave with the society? What good is all this fuss, busyness – so much greed for wealth or chasing after power? Dr. Rehman or Helal Hafiz did not lack wealth or respect. There was a lack of companionship. One cannot prevent death, but one can reduce suffering. This loneliness should be overcome. One needs to have a family and one should be with the family. Even if one dies in sleep, one should feel someone’s hand touch one’s forehead. Someone puts a spoonful of water in one’s mouth. Cry a little.
No one should have an outcome like Helal Hafiz’s life. It is not right to love someone so much that one cannot welcome another. What Helal Hafiz gave to Bengali literature is unforgettable, but what did he take away? Was there any comfort? The mentally unbalanced Helena may not even know how much sorrow Helal left behind. There needs to be a person who will at least open the door, no matter how long he doesn’t see it, he will search for it. How long after his death was the Hafiz of Bengali literature rescued, that mystery will remain unsolved. Seeing someone’s face so that we die. Dying alone is very difficult, very painful. Dear Helal Hafiz, how are you doing now? Have you met your deceased companions?
