We Are Rekha
T he only daughter of the householder and the maid both share the same name, Rekha. Since the maid is poor and dependent on them, the burden of renaming falls on her. She had been employed in this household for just over a month. On her first day, when her name was heard, the house erupted in laughter. My mother had said, “Oh dear, you both have the same name! When one is called, the other might respond. Or one might think she’s being summoned while the other actually is. No, this won’t do. You must change your name, do you understand?” What the maid understood, no one knew. But so far, we’ve both kept our respective names. There were moments of confusion, but we managed to get by without much trouble. Everything changed when Aunt arrived. She visits Dhaka for three weeks every year. During that time, she stays with us, mostly for medical check-ups to ensure the continued health of every organ in her body. My father, being a well-known doctor, gives her special treatment, even by pass...
