There is one funny thing about my first semester that I feel I should mention here. Actually, this incident happened sometime after the final exams of the first semester. A good number of people in BRAC U happen to be related to me, the most prominent of which would be Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, Professor of Physics. He is my first cousin, believe it or not. By extension, his brother-in-law Dr. Fuad Hasan Mallick is also my relative, and I would always address him as Fuad Bhai back when I was a kid. But then a lot had gone on in our lives, I had not met Fuad Bhai in almost two years, and to be honest I did not really miss him that much either. So when I would run into Johnny Bhai, I would smile and exchange pleasantries. When I met JRC, I would be deferential and greet him as a student should greet the master, especially one of Jamilur Reza Chowdhury’s caliber. But when I ran into Fuad Bhai, I would assume he does not know me and vice versa.
The whole semester went by this way, and I never even paused to consider that maybe my dearest brother’s dear brother-in-law did indeed know me. Then the exams came and went, and it was a time for celebration. On that note, I was attending a dinner at Johnny Bhai’s place when my mom brought forth Fuad Bhai. Apparently he wanted to see me, thus making me even more sure he does not know me by face. But then, he came up and took me in his arms, jokingly remarking “ ei chele mone kore ami oke chini na!” I was taken aback! Not only did he know me, he knew why I never spoke to him! Maybe that was the day I became an ardent fan of Fuad Bhai, realizing what a loving brother lies behind that exterior that pretends to not even notice what’s going on in the whole wide world around him. It was a great feeling, knowing that even when a man is just passing you by not talking to you, he actually loves you just as much as those who stop by and say a few words.
