It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

74

Sampoorna sat in the mandir with Bondita in her arms. They both had been waiting because Bondita had faith that he was alive. The first of the sunlight could be seen from the windows and she wished it brought good news for her sister.

Bondita had prayed and prayed all night for him to come back soon.  It felt like ages ago that he had picked her up with that smile. The whole morning ran in her mind as if she was reliving it. His voice echoed in her ears and with that her heart ached more. Fresh tears fell from her eyes as she held on to her Didi tighter. She regretted letting him go. Her shaka Pola had broken. It was a sign from Dugga maa. Bhagwan always tells his child of upcoming times. She was just too ignorant to see it. She should have taken care of him. She didn't believe that their breaking had caused the misfortune. No. But she did have faith in them. She did believe them to be a warning.
She should have not let him go...

And now...he was not back.

All the things Som Dada said about her Pati Babu being no more was plaguing her. That could not be true. Just...no...
But...who would survive something like that ?
She considered him her bhagwan but he was just a...

The widows had not left, adamant to turn her into one of them. They didn't care about her pain. They just wanted her shrinagar. Take away her pretty jewellery, those colourful sarees. All that was red in her life. She sat all night thinking what was the point ? Of resistance...
They didn't matter to her anymore. She would eat tasteless food all life if it meant he would walk through that door this moment. She was never into her looks, never cared about what she wore. Maybe because she knew he would not be looking at her. He won't notice how her skin glowed in a certain colour or how her hair shone. He never cared so she never bothered.
And now she won't be able to...
Looks didn't matter to her when he was around...they won't matter when all of that would be snatched in his absence.

The cruel news had started to etch itself in her heart even after her firm faith. She closed her eyes hoping that when she opened them he would be infront of her...

" Get back !" Bondita woke up to her Didi shouting angrily as she was pressed to her bosoms even more. " I said get back !!"

Bondita opened her eyes to look at her Didi and then followed her sight to the gate of the mandir where two widows stood. " Som !!" Sampoorna cried for help .

" It is time now." One widow said.

" It is time for nothing ! How can you be this cruel ? Let her atleast cry...! Give her time !"

" What is going on ?" Binoy and Som stood behind the widows as Trilochan followed them.

" Sarkar, we have to do the ritual. "

" No one is putting anyone on Sati fire." Som said.

" But Doctor Babu..."

" Widows..." Binoy recalled how he had called some widows to get rid of Bondita by putting Aniruddh to sleep. And look now. She was being taken by widows again when his son was... asleep. Your deeds did bite you in this very life. He wanted to protect her, for his son. His son had no children as his shadow left behind. She was the one, Bondita was his only legacy. The last imprint of his son. He could not let her...die. " You will not be taking her anywhere."

" You can't stop a ritual." The eldest widow came forward.

" I can stop you. Will that be Ok ?" Trilochan said. He saw that she understood the implication. " A few widows gone missing, no one will care. Will they ?"

" But she is a widow now. She needs to give up atleast the rights of a married woman." Trilochan looked at his Bahu sitting motionless, not uttering a word. The Bondita he knew would have dragged them down so bad but she didn't even look affected. " She can't wear sindoor now. She can't eat good food now." Trilochan could not take off his eyes from his Bahu. She ran around the house laughing, eating roshogulle after roshogulle, wearing those bright sarees he ordered only for her. But now...
" What would she do living in this haveli filled with every luxury a widow has no right on ?"