The Red Gown

             -  Shabana Chowdhury Ahmed, Belgium

Calcutta now known as Kolkata in India served as the capital of  British India from 1773 to 1911 functioning as the primary trade administration and culture under The East India company and later under the British Raj.

Many British officials and their families came to Calcutta and settled there. 

The story teller tells her tale. 

Colonel John was appointed the governor of Calcutta in the year 1773. He arrived with his wife Rose from London to settle down in the governor's residence. Colonel John was busy in his office with his official  duties in the daytime, so Rose was on her own during the daytime. Shanti was an  Indian maid, who could speak and understand English. So she was appointed to look after Rose. Shanti also accompanied Rose as a chaperone, wherever Rose went. The two women became good friends.

Rose enjoyed going to the open vegetables and fruits market, where she could buy what she liked. One day Colonel John informed Rose that they were hosting a grand party at their residence and he would invite all the British officials and their wives. He would also invite the high class Hindu and Muslim noblemen along with their wives. Colonel John was a shrewd man, who wanted friends not enemies. He told his wife to go the cloth merchants bazaar and select a material for her gown. The cloth merchants had tailors in their shops, where customers can have their clothes stitched. It was a bright sunny day, when Rose decided to visit the cloth merchants bazaar with Shanti. They visited some shops but Rose could not find a deep red colour material, which she wanted for her dress. At the end of the street Rose saw a small shop, which had only different shades of red coloured materials. She ran to the shop with excitement. 

A young man was sitting behind the counter. Rose entered the shop and the young man stood up and said, “How may I help you madam?“ Rose said that she was looking for a deep red coloured material.

The young man went to the back room and came back with a roll of deep red coloured material. Rose could not believe her eyes. This was what she wanted.

She asked the young man if he knew a tailor who could stitch a red gown for her. He smiled and said, “I am a tailor too. I can also stitch.“

Rose was excited for she had found the red coloured material she wanted and a tailor to stitch her gown. She gave her address and went home. Next day the young man came to governor's residence to deliver the red gown. She paid him and told Shanti to serve tea and snacks to the young man. 

The governor's residence was in a great hussle and bussel. The staff were very busy cleaning, decorating and cooking for the grand party. Rose was supervising every detail for the entertainment of the guests.

At last the great day arrived. Carriages arrived with their elite masters and mistresses. The ballroom was full of laughter and dancing people. The beautiful garden was being admired by the guests, when on all a sudden men wearing face masks entered the ballroom and started firing at the guests. The governor's guards fired back and managed to kill all the intruders. The governor gave orders for the wounded people to be taken to the hospital and to lay down the dead bodies on the floor for identification.  

Colonel John could not find Rose. He searched for her in the ballroom and garden but she was not to be found anywhere. A heavy feeling wrenched his heart as he walked towards their bedroom. Rose was lying dead on the bed. A masked man's bullet had found it's mark! 

At the funeral of Rose people from all walks of life came to pay tribute to a wonderful and courageous woman, who had secretly helped them to better their lives. Colonel John was astonished, when Shanti told him, how his wife had secretly helped people to better their lives. Flowers were laid on the grave of Rose. Colonel John planted different colours of rose bushes around his beloved wife's grave.

He was heartbroken and resigned from his governor's post. He began drinking alcohol heavily without eating proper food and soon he died of malnutrition and bad health. He was buried besides the grave of Rose his beloved wife.