Love transcends everything for Aminul and Tasmia

Aminul was looking for a perfect life partner. His Chattogram-based family had approached matchmakers and finally found a girl in their neighborhood at Bateshwar.

Aminul’s mother went to Tasmia’s house with a marriage proposal. Their proposal was accepted. 

Amiul’s mother gave Tasmia’s mother the Facebook ID of her son, a TV journalist, and took the address of Tasmia too.

As Aminul found Tasmia’s profile on Facebook how did he feel? He says, “Wow! She’s so pretty!” 

And Tasmia’s reaction? “I took a look into his profile and felt he was good.”

Then the two began chatting on Facebook. As the two liked each other, their families wanted to finalise the marriage. They wanted that Aminul and Tasmia to meet before they actually tie the knot.

“We had a family trip to Khagrachhari and the meeting was scheduled after that,” Tasmia said.

The couple were looking forward to their first meeting and the first words they would exchange. Everything was right in place until the tour.

As Tasmia, who was studying at a private university, and her family reached Khagracchari, they rode a human hauler to reach Sajek valley. It was an adventurous journey among the hills. They were excited by the twists and ‘rollercoaster’ ride until the driver lost control and the vehicle fell into a ditch.

“It was silence all on a sudden and when I awoke I was at Khagrachhari General Hospital.” From here Tasmia was sent to a private hospital where the physician said her right hand needed amputation.

Tasmia was brought to a hospital in Dhaka where the surgery took place. When she regained her sense she was completely upset. “I could not think of anything else. Everything seemed lost.”

After a few months stay at hospital, she returned home, but ‘was panicked to stand before the mirror.” Her teachers and classmates inspired her to rein in her fear. She started to attend classes again and began learning how to do things with one hand. “After 25 years, I started writing with my left hand.” She mentions her teachers who were were considerate enought to take her exams separately.

Meanwhile, Aminul was informed of the incident three days after the accident. As Aminul called Tasmia’s mother, she was crying. “I rushed to the hospital as I heard the news, “ he said. “But I was so nervous to face her.” It would have been their first meeting and what would Tasmia think of him! “I came back thinking a lot of things.”

But he became obsessed with Tasmia’s thoughts throughout several weary days and nights. After a few months he went to Chattogram and learnt that Tasmia was to get an artificial hand. Aminul’s family in the meantime had begun looking for other girls, but Aminul let them know that he would not marry anyone else. 

Many tried to make him understand that it was a wrong decision. How a girl without a hand would manage the family and raise children and so on. Aminul was hurt. “I was at Savar to cover the Rana Plaza accident. A woman was recovered and her hand was cut off. She was wailing as being carried on a stretcher ‘will my in-laws accept me without a hand?”

Aminul told his family that his decision was final.

Braving various hurdles, Tasmia and Aminul at last tied the knot on 11 February 2019. None of them want to remember the role of their family members as that would hurt them. Aminul says, “Perhaps, everything will be okay by time.”

“We are fine and I never feel she doesn’t have a hand. She can do everything,” Tasmia looks at Aminul as he goes on. She reiterates that they had a shared dream that was nurtured by their confidence, trust and love. This is a love that brought two souls together.

* The report, originally published in print edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Nusrat Nowrin.