Shake or borrow a child?

As I often do, this morning I took Momu with me when I went to the corner shop to buy some water.  My usual shop (the only one I've found in town that sells 3 litre bottles of water - why I'm still buying small and expensive bottles of water after repeatedly being told that some 20 litre bottles are being delivered "next week" is another story) doesn't open til 10am, so I went to my back-up shop to buy 2 litres.

The man who owns this shop is always very excited to see me and usually calls out "Hello Monica!" whenever I walk past.  He was intrigued to see me with a Bangladeshi child, and asked if it was mine.  "No," I said in Bangla, "my small friend."

"Borrow a child?" he asked.

"Yes, she's not mine.  I am unmarried [which I was sure he'd previously asked me - as has every other Bangladeshi person I've met].  My friend," I repeated.

"No - shake or borrow a child?" he asked.

Becoming increasingly confused and wondering what the hell Bangladeshis do with their kids (hasn't anyone told them not to shake a baby?!), I again said, "My friend."  Then I added, "My small friend," just for further clarification.

"No!  Teacher - borrow a!  Shake or borrow a!" he said, clearly getting frustrated with my inability to answer his question properly.

Oh...  Not shake or borrow a child.  He was asking if Momu was Shekor Barua's child.  Shekor (pronounced "shake-or") Barua ("borrow-a") is the guy who lives next door.  Momu's father.

"Yes!  Shekor Barua's child," I confirmed.

Believe it or not, taking less than a minute to work out what the hell the shop-keeper was asking actually makes this one of my more straightforward interactions.