His Acceptance ♥ | Rudhita (ON HOLD)

Part-21

"Dada toh kehkar gye the ki sham tak aayenge, phir kon hoga?" Sumati muttered to herself when she heard a knock at the door. Leaving the kitchen, she rushed to open the door. She was stunned to see Bondita standing at the threshold with her luggage. She wasn't expecting her of course. What was she doing here and that too just after a day of her marriage? She was wondering about all these, when suddenly her eyes fell on her injured hand. She panicked on seeing it.

"Bo...Bondita tere haath ko kya hua?" She enquired holding her hand. A light smile made its way to Bondita's lips as she saw that even after so much, her mother still cares for her just the way she used to do before. But it didn't last long as Sumati left her hand jerkily. This was because, she remembered the betrayal which Bondita had given her and that eclipsed her emotions.

"Tu yahan kya karne aayi hai?" She asked rudely, avoiding to look at her.

"Maa main..."

"Kon Maa? Whi jise tune kahinka nahi chora? Jiske saare sapne tune tod diye bas apni zidd poori karne ke liye! Mar gyi hai wo, tune toh usey usi din maar diya tha jisdin apne shadi ke mandap se bhagi thi tu!" Sumati said controlling her tears.

"Meri baat toh sunn..." Bondita was already very hurt and Sumati's behaviour was breaking her more.

"Abb kuch kehne-sunne ko bacha hai kya? Aur tu apna saaman bandh kar yahan kyun aayi hai?" Sumati told off.

Bondita didn't response on being asked the reason of her sudden visit. She kept staring at the ground. Seeing her this way, Sumati became worried. All of a sudden, a thought struck her mind. What if...her husband had left her? This made her gulp. No, this can't be happening!

"Kahin...kahin tu apna sasural chor ke toh..." Sumati asked, secretly praying to hear a no from Bondita. But to her disappointment, she lifted her gaze and slowly nodded her head in agreement. Sumati's feet stumbled at her response. She held the wall for support. It was as if the ground was snatched away from under her feet. She never wanted her daughter to live the life which she did. This society never lets a lone woman to live peacefully. How would she survive? She has her whole life ahead of her. Who'll support her? Who'll protect her? She has nobody.

"Maine tujhse kaha tha na, ki jaise apne mayike ka sar jhukaya, waise sasural ki izzat par dag mat lagne dena, phir tune aisa kyun kiya?" She held her shoulders and shook her aggressively.

"Maa maine kuch nhi kiya! Unhone he..."

"Bas Bondita! Zaroor tune he apne tark-kutark kiye honge, isiliye unhone phek diya tujhe ghar se bahar! Kitni baar kaha tha tujhe ki sasural mein ladkiyan zabaan nhi chalati! Par tune toh meri kisi baat ka maan nhi rakkha!" Sumati wept holding her shoulders.

"Agar swarg main samman na miley toh main usey bhi thokar maar doon, phir ye toh sasural hai." Bondita said looking at her injury. She stood her ground. Not for once did she regret her decision of leaving her husband's house for the sake of her self-respect.

"Tu pagal hogyi hai Bondita!" Sumati shouted.

"Agar ye pagalpan hai toh main pagal he sahi." She said sternly. Her father had taught her that one should never compromise with one's self respect. Though he wasn't with her, she had always valued his teachings.

"Ye karne ke baad abb tu kahin ki nahi rahi Bondita, kahinki nhi. Na sasural mein tere liye jagah bachi aur na he mayike mein." Her last line stabbed Bondita's heart. The house where she had been brought up, where she had played, had made memories and which she once considered hers, isn't accepting her now. Her own people have turned into strangers for her. They don't consider her as theirs. She didn't care whether she had others to support her or not, but what she wanted the most was her mother to stand up for her. But she too, like the others, left her side.