Here the writer tries to blend fictional characters with realistic events-based lifestyles.
The sun is yet to peek through the earth. The birds have already started chirping with their melody voice. The roosters are following up by crowing with their utmost pride. Last but not least, the cows are giving their morning attendance by ringing their bells as loud as they can. No blue lights, no social media notifications, nothing artificial; It's just the alarm of nature that wakes up Moni Tanchangya in the morning.
The first thing to grab her busyness is cattle grazing. Then she advances for the pasture to collect raw vegetables in her hallong(https://indigenousofficial.wixsite.com/site-0/post/hallong-the-chakma-word-which-doesn-t-have-it-s-english-existence-on-google). Today she gathered enough vegetables; she hopes for a good earning.
The early morning tasks are done; now it's time to show her skills in the kitchen. After many weeks of only plain rice, she wants to fulfill the empty stomachs of her kids with something special today. "Suma Dukya" is the name! Suma Dukya is one of the most delicious dishes listed on the Tanchangya cuisine which is cooked inside a superheated bamboo with the support of fire. From cooking methods to ingredients, this dish has the uniqueness of its kind. If one wants to have it with fish, then ginger coriander is a must to add to drive away from the raw smell of the fish. The breakfast session has finished; it's dishwashing time. Moni is feeling fulfilled; getting to eat her favorite dish is not reason but witnessing the joy of satisfaction in the eyes of her kids is the real cause.
Comfort is a short-time guest in her daily routine. Now arrives the painful moment; the journey of bearing the unbearable amount of vegetables from the hills to the local bazaar and sell enough of them to earn the next day's living.
It's evening already; she couldn't sell much of her vegetables. No one is to blame; the 2nd wave of covid-19 just started to spread fast in the country. Rumors are getting heard that the government is going to announce lockdowns in the coming weeks. It's no less than a nightmare for x to imagine no sources of daily income for the future.
Moni just arrived home; she rushes to her cattle and hens to deliver food. They are well-fed for today. It's dinner table time; her kids are again praising her master cooking. She replies with a silent smile. It's the secret she is hiding that even her husband didn't earn enough today to pass the lockdown. Their younger daughter's birthday is coming; she wished for a "Paiet kapor"(The full dress of a Tanchangya woman is collectively known as "Paiet kapor", which literarily translates to "five parts." Each part bears the same value as the other four.) But they will manage as they always have been.
That's basically how the daily days of hill villagers are going. The story is centered around a Tanchangya woman but at some point reflects the life of every woman villager of the CHT.
Written by Sushmit Chakma
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