*DO NOT MISS THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END*
Bondita was done packing her bags. She was just going through the room doing last minute brushing. Books? Check. Keys? Check. Coat? Check. And most importantly, ticket? She rummaged her bag, and check! All was set. She just needs to wear her watch and she was all set to leave. Yeah, leave.
"Bihari! Zara jaakar dekho Choti tayyar hui jaane ko ki nhi? Gaadi ka samay ho rha hai." Trilochan Roy Chaudhary instructed with a trembling voice. Choti ke sath sath aaj dil ka ek tukda bhi jaane wala tha. Choti, his very dear bahu. Um, actually, she was no more his bahu. Trilochan quickly wiped his tears. That day was still fresh in his memory.
5 years ago
The Roy Chaudhary Haveli was decorated with white lilies all around. There were yellow fairy lights in every possible corner. The room smelled of incense sticks. A lavish dinner party was planned. The feast consisted of aamsotto chutney, uchhe bhaja, potol posto, chanar dalna, alur dum, luchi, chawal, mishti doi and definitely ek badam wale roshogulle. It was Roy Chaudhary bahu's 18th birthday. And everything was planned according to their sweet Bondita's taste.
Bondita was spell bound with such preparation. She has always been a part of planning committee. Always planning and executing parties, pujas, surprises, for others. But she never expected something of this sort for herself. She was overwhelmed and all this was going to make it all the more difficult to stick to her plan. She had a very important work in her hand and she needs to do it today itself at any cost.
The party was a blast. Everyone enjoyed to the fullest. After everyone left, Bondita and Aniruddha were sitting in his study like every other day. It was their time of the day. Either they used to talk, read novel, discuss about cases, sometimes sit in silence and let the gramophone do its work, and whereas on other days just fight like bulls. But today something was amiss. Bondita wasn't in her element. She was lost, as if she wanted to let something out but couldn't. Aniruddha waited for a long time, but at the end, his patience gave up.
"Kya baat hai Bondita? Aaj bohot kati kati si lag rhi ho. Sab theek hai na? Party pasand nhi ayi kya?" He asked keeping himself in check. With her he understood, anger isn't the key to answers.
"Nhi aisa kuch nhi hai Barrister Babu. Bas kuch soch rhi thi. Asal me kuch kehna hai, par thoda samay denge aap?" She said looking into his eyes. Her eyes were full of confusion and worry. On the other hand, Aniruddha nodded, but did not miss the tone and definitely Barrister Babu. It was after very long he heard her call him that. He somehow got used to her Pati Babu.
Bondita silently got up, left his study, leaving a confused Aniruddha behind. After sometime she came back, but didn't bring anything with her. Why did she go out? But before he could ask her anything, worried Trilochan, Binoy, Somnath and Battuk came behind in hurry. He was right. Something was amiss.
"Kya hua Aniruddha? Tumne bahu ko kuch kaha kya? Itni raat gaye hame study me vo bhi itni hadbadi me kyu bulaya hai?" Trilochan asked Aniruddha with a presumption that the reason for his bahu's misery was his beta.
"Arre kaka maine kuch nhi kaha. Hum to itne der se shaant hi baithe hai. Usne kaha ki kuch batana hai par batane ki jagah aap sabko yaha le ayi." Aniruddha replied in hurry, eyeing Trilochan and Bondita simultaneously. How wonderfully his family can make him guilty.
"Bonditaaa! Kya baat hai beta. Janamdin wale din muh kyu utra hua hai tumhara aur hum sabko kyu bulaya?" Binoy asked his beti, his bahu, ignoring the two men. How easily they always deviate from the main topic, he thought with a sigh.
"Mujhe sab sach pata chal gya hai." Bondita told out of the blue.
"Kya pta chal gya hai?" Aniruddha asked curiously with a frown on his face. He looked at everyone, and the confused faces just told that they were also as clueless as him.
"Humari shaadi ke bare me. Mujhe sab pta hai us raat kya hua tha." Bondita blurted out, her eyes fixed at the carpet and it was like a thunder shock for everyone else present in the room. They never told her about it. They wanted to save her from this truth. It wasn't meant for her to know, at least not on the day of her birthday. Who told her?
"Kya pta hai? Tum dono ki shaadi hui thi. Isme pta karne ka kya hai? Har dusre pati patni ki tarah tum dono ne phere liye the, vachan diye the. Bas. Isme naya kya hai?" Trilochan questioned with worry gripping. Yeah, he wasn't happy with Aniruddha that day but he accepted Bondita with open arms. She was his sweet little girl. There wasn't anything to know, he convinced himself, dismissing every negative thought.
"Mujhe sab apne solahve (16th) janamdin par hi pata chal gya tha. Ye baat to pehle se hi samajh aane lagi thi ki mera aur Barrister Babu ka rishta har pati patni jaisa nhi hai. Par apne bachpane me kabhi is baat pe zyada gaur nhi kiya. Lekin 2 saal pehle sab pta chal gya mujhe." Bondita replied ignoring whatever Trilochan said.
"Saudamini didi ko jab jail hui thi us time unhone ek aadmi ke haatho kuch chithiyaan bhijwayi thi mujhe. Us samay gusse ke karan nhi padi thi aur almirah me kahi peeche rakh di thi. Lekin us din apne janamdin par jab kamra saaf kar rhi thi, tab vo chittiyaan fir se mili, aur us baar padh liya maine. Usme sab kuch likha tha. Har ek cheez. Barrister Babu kaise unse pyaar karte the, apne dil ka izhaar karne wale the lekin mai beech me aa gyi. Kaise maine unka ghar basne se pehle hi tod diya. Kaise mujhe sati me jalane wale the par..." Bondita chocked. This was too overwhelming to speak. All this sounded okay in her head when she was rehearsing but right now it was anything but okay.
"Aap pagal ho chuki hai boudi. Kuch bhi bol rhi hai. Aap koi beech me nhi ayi hai aur na hi aapne koi ghar toda hai. Balki aapne to ek saap ko is ghar me basne se roka hai. Is ghar ko khushiyon se bhar diya hai jo koi aur nhi kar sakta tha. Aur sabse badi baat, aapne dada ko acche ke liye badal diya hai. Aapse zyada acche se is ghar me koi nhi samajhta unhe." Somnath ushered in between. He had hated this girl in start. He always felt she took Saudamini's place but now he knows, if not for his boudi, this family would have been broken by now. Roy Chaudhary ghar ka abhimaan hai Bondita.
Bondita in return just smiled at Somnath. She went towards Aniruddha and folding her hands said, "aapka bohot bohot dhanyawaad mujhe ek nayi zindagi dene ke liye. Bohot shukriya ki aapne mera har kadam par saath diya. Kabhi kisi museebat me akele nhi chhoda. Jaisa maa ne bataya tha, andhkaar me bhi sath diya hai aapne. Par mai aapki sirf ek zimmedari hu. Haina?"
Aniruddha was shocked would be an understatement. Uske pairo ke neeche se zameen khisak gyi thi. She even knew about zimmedari? Is choti si jaan me itni saari baatein chupane ka saahas kaha se aaya? Aniruddha just looked with shock all over his face and tears in his eyes. He wasn't in the condition to react.
Bondita smiled with a sense of relief and pain mixed. His eyes conveyed everything. It was the time for her aakhri gugli.
"Maine ye kehne ke liye aap sab ko bulaya hai ki mera Calcutta ke college me daakhila ho chuka hai. Parso se classes start ho rhi hai to kal pohoch jaana hai. Fees ka bhi intezaam ho gya hai. 2 saal se mai paas ke pustakalay me kaam kar rhi thi. School ki extra classes ka bahana bana kar jaati thi. Kuch paiso ka intezaam maa ne bhi kar diya hai. Aur baki ke college me rehne ke lie college walo se baat ki hai, kuch na kuch intezaam ho jayega." Bondita told everything in a single breath.
If everything shared earlier by her was a shock for the whole family, this was an unimaginable and unexpected disaster. What has even gotten into this girl? Kuch bhi bole jaa rhi hai. Akal pata nhi kaha bech khayi.
"Kya bole jaa rhi ho tum Bondita? Jo mann me aa rha hai keh rhi ho. Bado ka lihaaz karna bhool chuki ho kya? College, paise, kya hai ye sab? Tum apni zindagi ka itna bada faisla ghar me kisi se bina puche kaise le sakti ho? Aur do saal se ye sab chal rha hai? Aniruddha ko pta tha?" Binoy asked with fury and pain. He was a silent spectator till now, but seems like his one idiot of a son wouldn't speak anything. Kamaan ko apne hath me lena padega.
"Zaroor puchti sabse agar is ghar ka hissa hoti. Par jab mai hissa hu hi nhi to kis adhikaar se kuch bolti ya maangti. Bachpan se aap sab ne mera bohot khayal rakha. Kabhi bhi ghar ki kami nhi hone di, par tab mai choti thi. Ab to badi ho gyi hu na. Ab kaise aap sabka apne fayde ke liye istemaal kar sakti hu?" Bondita replied. She has already prepared all her answers for every question her way.
"Ghar ka hissa? Adhikaar? Kya keh rhi ho bahu? Kabhi bhi tumhe bahar wale hone ka ahsaas karaya hai kya? Hamesha ek parivaar samjha hai tumhe. Arre samjha kya hai tum parivaar ho. Jaan basti hai sabki tum me. To fir kyu aise kuch bhi bole ja rhi ho. Maana tumhe khud apni fees bharne ki iccha hui par hamse ye baat chipane ki kya zarurat thi? Aur vahan rehne ke liye maa se paise maange tumne? Humse bola hota, kabhi mana karte kya tumhe? Ye puri haveli tumhari hai. Har ek paise pe tumhara utna hi adhikaar hai jitna Aniruddha ka. Bahu ho tum is ghar ki. Is ghar ki choti malkin." Trilochan said as sweetly as possible. Everything was going out of control.
"Aapne mujhe kabhi bhi aisa mehsoos nhi karaya aur mai bohot zyada khush naseeb hu ki mujhe aise parivaar ke sath apni zindagi ke sapbse haseen pal, apna bachpan aur ladakpan bitane ka saubhagya mila. Par is ghar pe aur paiso pe ya is parivaar se judi kisi bhi cheez pe mera adhikaar nhi hai. Adhikaar hai to Barrister Babu ki patni ka. Jo mai nhi hu." Bondita replied, keeping her position intact. She knew what she was dealing with, but she needs to end it for once and for all.
"Patni? To aap kya lagti hai dada ki? Bachpan se pati babu aise hai pati babu vaise hai sunta sunta bada hua hu mai. Mujhe to lagta hai is ghar ki har deewar ko dada ki kisi na kisi baat ke baare me andaaza hoga hi. Par achanak se kya ho gya aapko aaj, boudi. Behki behki baatein kyu kar rhi hai aap?" Battuk asked with his patience at edge. His boudi has gone mad. Party me kuch ulta seedha to nhi pee liya tha na?
"Patni nhi zimmedari. Bachpan me is baat ka andaaza hi nhi tha mujhe. Par jaise jaise badi hoti gyi samajhte gyi. Jab mai inki patni hi nhi hu to tumhari aur somnath dada ki boudi, aap dono ki bahu aur is ghar ki choti malkin kaise hui? Ye saare rishte to us ladki ke liye hai jo Barrister Babu ki patni hogi." She said looking at everyone. It wasn't easy for Bondita as well. She has always considered them to be her family, but now being indifferent to them was aching her equally.
"Fir se vahi baat. Paagal ho chuki hai aap boudi, paagal. Dada aap hi kuch boliye na. Boliye ki aap unhe apni patni maante hai. Boliye ki ye sab unka bhi utna hi hai jitna hum sabka. Bataiye ki vahi hai sirf meri boudi." Somnath shouted. His voice just told in few minutes he would be crying in some corner.
Seeing Aniruddha silent and watching everything unfold like a statue, Trilochan approached him and shook him by his shoulders. "Aniruddha?". This was all he could manage to ask, because his eyes answered every other unasked question. His son did not consider Bondita his patni. Vo sach bolta jab vo use zimmedari kehta tha. Vo uska koi bachpna nhi tha. Aniruddha's state just told, he wouldn't be saying anything, because he didn't have anything to say. Trilochan looked at everyone with his emotionless eyes, conveying everyone the dreaded answer. Conveying that probably Bondita was right.
Bondita went towards the stairs and brought a bag. She hesitantly walked towards Aniruddha, and handed it to him, and silently left the study. Hereby leaving behind everyone with a broken heart. They knew they can't stop her. They did not hold any right. Trilochan took the bag and it had sinddor dani and that was the last straw. He knew that everything has ended. He gave a dry look to Aniruddha and left for Durga Maa's sthapna sthal. He'll find solace over there only.
That day was the last day Roy Chaudhary Haveli laughed whole heartedly. After that the haveli had had its ups and downs, but that toothy happiness of that little girl never touched them again. However, after five years, Bondita paid a visit. She evolved over the years. She wasn't the chirpy girl anymore but a very strong and determined lady. She was a barrister now. Her aura was full of confidence and respect. She was no more the bahu of this place, but was Choti of everyone's heart. She came for a week as promised. She promised Binoy before leaving that once she completes her barristery, she'll meet them. Today, one week completed and she was leaving back to Calcutta.
Bondita came down with Bihari Babu carrying her bags behind. She took aashirvaad from everyone with teary eyes because this was probably her last time with them. She doesn't know what the future holds for her, but whatever it may be she gonna face it with the strength her Barrister Babu had inculcated.
She walked towards Aniruddha and gave him a very wide smile that only showcased admiration and respect for the man in front. The whole family was upset with Aniruddha after that day, but constant letters from Bondita made them come together again. It wasn't his fault that he didn't consider her, his patni but a zimmedari and she was just happy about that. He married a girl of his brother's age. He united hell and heaven for a girl that was a mere stranger. He left behind his love for her. He married her with all the rituals so that no one could question her. A man sacrificed his life for a random little girl. How can she be even angry at him? How can she let others be angry at him? He was her dhruv taara, and whatever comes her way, she won't let anything happen to him. He was the sole reason, she is standing on her feet today, making an identity for herself.
Yeah, she won't deny, he was her first crush, but he was her first rescuer, her first best friend, her first confidant and her first guru as well. No one can take his place. She would have loved to spend her life being his wife but this wasn't what she wanted. Aniruddha didn't go against the whole society just so that she stays limited inside the four walls of this haveli and just be a bahu and patni. He had dreamed a full sky for her, and she'll be a free bird, enjoying every corner.
"Hamesha khush rehna Bondita. Tumhare naseeb me sirf asmaan hai, usse kam kuch nhi. Koi tumhare parr nhi kaat sakta. Mujhe pura viishwaas hai tumpe, Barrister Bondita Das, tum mera sir kabhi nhi jhukne dogi. Aur chittiyaan likhna mat bhoolna." Aniruddha said giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze.
"Bilkul. Aapki har ek seekh mere saath mere pure zindagi rahegi, Aniruddha Babu." Bondita replied with a smirk trying to give him a hint and he very well got that. He remembered the day he promised his kaka, ek din aisa zaroor ayega jab Bondita mera naam legi aur apke sanskaaro ke viruddh jaye bina. He was proud of her. Very proud. They hugged for the first and maybe for the last time and she took a leave.
Her departure left a void in everyone's heart. No one was happy. They just prayed to Dugga Maa for a different future. Both Bondita and Aniruddha felt devastated. They were leaving behind a part of them in each other. There was this pain in their heart. Yes, they were incomplete without each other. Yes, they loved each other, but not everything in life can be romanticized. Har ladke ladki ke beech ka rishta ek aadmi aur aurat ke pyaar me tabdeel ho ye zaruri nhi. There was this yearning in their heart, but they didn't know what it was and they didn't even want to ponder about the same. Sometimes you need to go against your heart, because that is what is right. They have always let the destiny play its game whenever it was about emotions and this time also everything depends on destiny. If they are meant to be together then they'll meet in future otherwise ending it on a happy note and embracing life with a smile, is always the best option.
Hello everyone!
Here I present this pretty long OS. I have been thinking about it lately how will it be if Bondita and Aniruddha part ways that too without any hard feelings and with just love and respect for each other? And this is the best story I could come up with.
Life is not a bed of roses and you do not always get what you want. Sometimes you just need to enjoy what is thrown your way with a hope always rising within. So everyone, who is going through a bad phase, please don't lose hope. Someday you'll definitely catch that ray that will brighten up your life.
Till then hoping you all liked this OS and sending tons of love. And please excuse me if I mispronounced any of the dishes mentioned. I don't really know few of the items and just googled. XP
P.S. Please listen to the song attached.
Veerangna 🌿