The feeling is bittersweet here in this city. No matter how much we say optimistic about it, the harsh reality will slap us hard in our faces in the very moment.
I'm talking about Dhaka, the place where I've been living for over 15 years now. We who left our home started to search for a living here in this capital city shares kind of mixed feelings about it. But the common ground is, that we never call it home.
I sometimes wonder, why so? Why can't we call it home from our hearts even though we love this city?
Probably the answer lies in our lifestyle. We all do secretly cherish the dream to someday leave this concrete jungle and make our own home somewhere peaceful. Isn't it?
This city is not for us, for you and me who live penny by penny. It feels like a coop sometimes. I can't breathe, I don't know what's coming next.
More than 40% is going on the housing of our income, 30% on food. The equation is hard to balance. We don't know how we are meeting other costs. There's no future, I don't know what will happen if we can't afford it anymore if something happens to us.
Sould we call this a life?
Just Yesterday I was in Uttara, which is a suburb and around 25km away from my living area. I took an auto rickshaw and guess what? It took me more than 3 hours to come back home, to drive through the traffic, to cross just 25 km. It was frustrating, disgusting, and awful. I had to pay more than double the rent of the autorickshaw. Thousands like me were in the same traffic. I was thinking all this while sitting in the coop-like vehicle.
Yes, we are in a coop. Yes, this is not how life should be. Yes, I feel horrid living here. Yes, I don't have any other option right now. And yes, this city is sure not for us. I can't afford it anymore...
