Me and my life partner

Life stretches out like the empty sea. Photo:Getty Images

WE spent 25 years together in joy and sorrow, in happy moments and also in bad times. Our life was full of ups and downs. We used to be happy with very little things. He also used to get upset when the question was about his country. He was proud to be a solider and, above all, he was proud to be a Bangladeshi.
His dream was to make this country resourceful, because he knew that his country had lots of potential. To take his country ahead he had plans which he wanted to bring to life after his retirement. Yes I am talking about Shaheed Col. Md. Mojibul Haque, my husband, whom I admire the most. From the day we were married, he taught me how to be social and loved by others. My husband was so patriotic that he always wanted me to wear local sarees, which I always did because I respected him for that. Our children were his life, and he always tried to provide them everything within his means.
Nothing would make him happier than being with his friends. He always loved to meet people and people loved him as well. There is a very small incident I want to share with you all. Mojib went to Pakistan on a official visit along with Shaheed Gen. Shakeel Ahmed. He took the opportunity to take a trip to Sialkot, where he spent his childhood and finished school.
His childhood friends received him so grandly. When his teachers came to know that Mojib would come to that town just to meet them, they kept the school open -- even on a Sunday -- and gave him a grand reception. What a wonderful reception they gave him, and it touched our hearts when we watched that program on videotape. He had the best time when he was in Pakistan meeting his old teachers and catching up with his old friends.
I told Mojib that he should not have any regret in life, because he had received so much love and respect from the people he had barely been in touch with. He did agree, but now I can barely recall anything because they have taken away all my memories and my beautiful life. I can't hold back anything, and tell my children that this belonged to my husband, but they can never refresh there memory by holding their father's belongings. Those miscreants killed my husband brutally and threw him in the sewerage. Why, is my question? I often ask myself, why such brutality? He spent his whole life being a loyal and dedicated soldier serving the people of this country. He used to say that if he was to be born again he would again prefer to be a soldier.
He was supposed to retire from service on April 3rd , and wanted to spend his last days with his soldiers, which he did by marching in his last parade with his soldiers. After that parade he was very proud of his soldiers. He told me: "My soldiers performed the parade so well, I am very proud of them." I still ask myself, is he still proud of those who mercilessly killed the wonderful officers? Each officer had a unique quality, and they have left us with a lot of questions and emptiness in our hearts. This emptiness can never be healed. If we could ever bring justice for them, only then would their souls rest in peace.
Today is February 25, a day of sorrow. This very day last year I had lost everything good from my life. Its so real to me that on this very day last year we were having tea in our backyard garden and I asked him: ''Aren't you getting late?'' He said: ''No lady it will take me only 5 minutes to reach Darbar Hall.'' After a quick conversation he left and, today, it is so unbelievable that he's never coming back.
I still can't believe that he will never come back and call out "Lady where are you?" I always felt unique whenever he called me lady. My heart breaks into pieces when I wake up and look for him -- but he is not there. He will never be there when I'll be in trouble, he won't be there in my loneliness, won't be there with me sharing my happy moments. I can't lean my head on that shoulder where he used to shoulder all my troubles.
Today I am alive, living without my soul, but I have to be alive to finish my partner's unfinished job. Please pray for me so that I can complete my duty as a father, duty as a brother, duty as a friend. We all have to move on with life and none of us knows what our actual destiny is.

Mili Mojib is the wife of Shaheed Col. Md. Mojibul Haque.