This was the first 'OS' of sorts, that I had written, in collaboration with one of my favourite writers ever, and honestly, one of my best friends, and sister! It was such an amazing experience, writing it down, and working through the different situations, giving me goosebumps, as the scenes took place one after the other.
Couldn't find a better Bondita to my Anirudh @pravi_fan ! Thank you for doing this with me 🤍
(Please Note : Here, Bondita is aged 22, and Anirudh is 30)
Narrator's POV :
"Pati Babu! Uthiye na aap, yeh dekhiye meri chudiyan"
She giggled, shaking his shoulders.
"Pati Babu"
The laughter became loud and the jingling of the bangles too.
He woke up with a jerk.
He was astonished to see her there, his Bondita.
The Bondita who had left him, years ago, to a fault of his.
He thought of her everyday, and had been on the verge of giving his life multiple times, only to be stopped by his family.
He had seen no meaning to his life ever since the accident had happened, not so much an accident, as something that he had caused.
Seeing Bondita made him suspect his eyes for a second, he'd just woken up anyways.
"Bondita, tum?"
"Haan main, aur kaun aa sakta hai aapko jagane?"
She kept her hand on her waist and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Achha ye sab chhodiye, mai kaise lag rahi hu, bataye na
Kaka Sasurji ne dekh liya mujhe yahan toh anarth ho jayega
Mana kiya tha unhone ki vivah ke pehle nahi mil sakti aapse, par mera man nahi maana!"
She blushed, and showed him the blue bangles on her wrist, which didn't match her wedding attire in anyway, but she didn't care about that.
He was finding it hard to believe what was happening, but it seemed too realistic to be untrue.
"Bondita, yeh sach mein tum ho kya?
Mujhe vishwas hi nahi ho raha"
She slapped her forehead lightly, chuckling.
"Kya pati babu, aap bhi na. Kaise baatein karte hai
Aisa toh nahi ki hamaare vivah ke khushi mein aapne wine pi li hain?"
She asked playfully.
She cupped his face in her hand and leaned towards him
"Mere bhole pati babu apne Bondita ko yaad kar rahe hon aur woh na aaye aisa ho sakta hai kya!"
She looked straight in his eyes.
He had tears in his eyes by now
"Tum pehle kyu nahi aayi Bondita, mai tumhe kitna yaad karta hu, tumhe nahi pata?
Itne din tak mai tumhe subah se shaam yaad karta tha, par tumne apne pati babu ko chhod diya?
Mai kitni bar mar jaane wala tha, mujhe laga ki tum aur nahi rahi, itne din tak mujhse chhupkar kyu rahi tum?"
She wiped his tears lovingly and pecked his forehead.
"Ab mai aa gayi hun na, ab mai kahin nahi jaungi, shotti
Apne Pati Babu ko chhodkar"
"Shotti na Bondita? Kahi nahi jaogi na tum? Tumhe pata hai, sab tumhe kitna yaad karte the..."
He hugged her, gesturing indirectly that he wouldn't let her go away from him.
"Mai tumhe kahi nahi jaane dunga Bondita."
She caressed his hair affectionately.
"Main toh kabhi gayi hi nahi thi aapko chodkar, aapke paas hi thi main, aapke dil mein.
Ab chodiye mujhe!
Koi aa gaya toh kya sochega hamare baare mein, abhi vivah nahi huyi hai hamari."
She looked at him blushing.
"Koi nahi dekhega hume Bondita,
Thode der mere paas reh jao na, kitne din se nahi dekha hai tumhe."
He cupped her face and pecked her forehead.
"Meri Bondita mujhe wapas mil gayi.
Achhi Bondita, tum kaha chali gayi thi?
Maine kitna dukh diya tha na tumhe?
Mujhse ruthke chali gayi thi.
Mai tumhe aur kabhi kuch aisa karne nahi bolunga jo tum na chahti ho.
Shotti!"
"Main bus kuch dino ke liye Maa ke ghar chali gaye toh aisa haal bana liya aapne apna."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Aapki bahut yaad aayi mujhe"
YOU ARE READING
ANIDITA : With Time
General FictionWith its roots grounded in the 1920's, 11 year old, cheery, Bondita Das, and a 22 year old barrister, Anirudh Roy Chaudhary, with radical thoughts, find their paths tied together, through not just a conventional marriage done in order to prevent Sat...
