Mohidhar was feeling restless for quite some time at night and then got up and sat on the bed. Lighting the torch he saw it was 1.30 a.m. in the wall-clock. His head was feeling heavy. It seemed that someone kept an iron ball on his chest. He felt a lack of air in his room. He got down from the bed and staggered to open the door and came out in the yard.
A shining black sky and bright stars were welcoming him spreading their hands. He slowly walked towards the leafy Kadamba tree and stood under it. After many years he could smell the Kadamba flowers like his childhood. He heard the assured deep voice - "How are you?" He touched the tree and felt clearly its heartbeats in his palm. He took a deep breath and went back towards his room.
While passing by Dharitri's room he suddenly halted. He felt a yearning to enter the room, see Dharitri's sleeping face and keep his hand on her forehead. He was about to open the door but stopped. For quite a long time Dharitri had shut the door of her mind as well as that of her room. Dharitri became his wife with all the rituals of Hinduism, but she could never become his wife and companion wholeheartedly, maybe she did not want to.
Mohidhar came to his room and sat on the chair. He had a lot of work to do the next day. They would celebrate the birthday of Mother Earth tomorrow. He created the replica of Mother Earth with all his dedication and hard labour for a long time. His palms stroked the image with great love and care. The replica would be installed and inaugurated the next day. He remembered so many things. So many people ridiculed his idea of celebrating the birthday of Mother Earth. Some said, "We don't have time to remember our own birthdays, let alone the Earth's birthday". Some said pretending to be surprised, "You will celebrate the Earth's birthday! We did not realize when Earth was born!" He tried to make them understand repeatedly that man accepts the day when he comes out of the mother's womb and takes shelter in the lap of the Earth - as his/her birthday. But it is not his/her real birthday. When a man/woman starts his/her life as an Embryo for the first day in his/her mother's womb, that day is actually his/her birthday. But a mother starts to realize that Embryo's existence after sometime. That's why only the Creator of this world knows the hundred percent correct times and date of a baby's birth. He is literally the Father of all the creatures. So if a mother feels the existence of her child a few days after the Embryo is born then is it possible to know which day is the birthday of the Earth which is created billions of years ago according to the will of our Mother Earth or The Creator?
So we ourselves can determine a day to celebrate Mother Earth's birthday and honour her through our heartfelt gratitude, songs, dances, recitations, questionnaire all about mysterious Mother Earth, etc., make it a colourful day with meaningful gestures. We can make this day unforgettable. Tomorrow is the day.
But why my eyelids are becoming so heavy - why the light of the room has become so dim - who called me? Swapan Baul, no, how can Swapan come so late at night? Then is it Sambit? He loves me a lot and cares for me. A few days back while talking to him on this subject Sambit wanted to know with a smiling face, "Please explain to us yourself why Mother Earth is the greatest subject."
Mohidhar also started to explain with a smiling face, "Well, everything is established on creation. There are debates about which subject is the best, throughout the world, there are so many opinions about every subject, and so many arguments and views on the Earth. The Earth is the subject of all subjects, greater than the greatest. You tell me, there can be comparative discussions of all the subjects with other subjects, but can any other subject be compared with the Earth?" Earth is the foundation of all the subjects. She herself is a perfect subject and does not need any interpreters.
"She is only one unwritten subject who adopts every subject and presents the final extracts from within, for the citizens of the Earth ….. Don't worry, all the arrangements have been made - all those little boys and girls, they have taken responsibility and have done everything - I'm in such agony - oh! -
Mohidhar took a deep breath and his head bent on the table,
at the feet of the Idol of Mother Earth. He muttered inaudibly -
Dha-ri-tri.
Whom did Mohidhar remember at the last moment - "Dharitri" (another name of Mother Earth) or his wife Dharitri or did he remember both of them together? The answer to this question remained unknown and unuttered on the Earth.