**HERE I FINALLY PRESENT THE CHAPTERRRR**
**PLEASE DO COMMENT YOUR VIEWS**
Soft wind hit his face lightly, and he very gently let out a sigh. Aniruddha was feeling so suffocated that he went to the terrace for a fresh joint of air but it wasn't doing any good. The myriad of emotions weren't letting him breathe. He felt as if the wide expanse of sea was sucking him in. He wanted to throw his hands and legs out, wanted to shout for help but was he deserving enough for that help? Did he need any help? Bondita was always there to guide him in his tough times, but for the very first time he wanted to run away from Bondita. Suddenly facing her was a task, he wasn't ready for? Will he ever be? Another sigh left his mouth. And the cherry on the top was this new question hanging. Did he love Bondita? What is love anyway? Friendship? Care? Respect? Trust? Didn't they have all of these? Yeah, trust was dwindling a little right now but in general they have trusted each other blindly. So they kind of tick all the boxes, so can he say this is love?
"Ughhh" Aniruddha groaned frustratingly. A mere dhai akshar ka shabd prem has been messing up with his head since last so many hours. Moreover, what is wrong with baba? What was the need to ask such a question? Zindagi me vaise hi kam dikkatein thodi hai.
The rustling sound around the corner caught his attention and when he went to peek a little, he saw baba taking in a drag of cigar. Baba smokes? Wow! He didn't know that. He tiptoed towards him like a small kid trying to escape with a cookie in his hand. He very simply stood beside him and cleared his throat, startling Binoy.
"Aniruddha! Kya kar rahe ho? Hame to dara hi diya tumne. Aisa bhala koi kart hai kya? Bachpan chala gya par bachpana abhi bhi hai." Binoy said with a loud voice but still it didn't do a bit of threatening. Seems like baba wants to keep his facade intact. Adding to that Aniruddha observed Binoy did not remove that cigar and continued taking drags, completely understanding it was a daily act.
The next silence that took place made Aniruddha realize a song being played in the background. "Jeevan ka matlab to, Aana aur jaana hai. Do pal ke jeevan se, Ek umar churani hai. Zindagi aur kuchh bhi nahi. Teri meri kahani hai." Deep.
"Aap itni raat ko chatt pe kya kar rhe hai? Aur aapne cigar peena kabse chalu kiya?" Aniruddha questioned.
"Ye baat to mujhe tumse poochni chahiye ki tum chatt pe kya kar rhe ho? Kyunki jaha tak mujhe yaad hai us raat ke baad tum kabhi bhi yaha nhi aaye. 7 saal ho gye na? To aaj aisa kya hua jo Aniruddha Roy Chaudhary ko haveli ke is kone me le aaya?" Binoy asked taking another puff.
"Baba..." Aniruddha started to say something. He knew which night he was talking about. The night when he decorated this whole place for someone who was least deserving of all his attention. Saudamini. Now just the mere mention of her name brings all flavor of bitterness in his mouth. However, shaking his head asked "aap cigar kabse pee rahe hai? Aapko pata hai na ye sehat ke liye theek nhi."
"Sehat ke liye to bohot kuch theek nhi hota beta par zindagi me tab bhi hum vo sab karte hai. Hai ki nhi?" Binoy asked eyeing Aniruddha. A sarcastic laugh left his mouth and he again looked at the sky, cigar making his way towards his lips.
Aniruddha hastily snatched the cigar and threw it away.
Binoy chuckled. He turned around, kept his elbow on the railing and leaned back. He eyed Aniruddha silently, and finally turning sober and serious told "Tumhari maa ki yaad aati hai mujhe. Jab bhi kabhi uske baare me sochke ghutan hone lagti hai to chatt pe aa jata hu. Cigar usi ke jaane ke baad shuru kiya. Bohot chidhti thi agar kisi ko cigar peeta dekhti thi to. Kehti thi ajeeb log hai? Aise roz thoda thoda marne ka kya shauk hai?" Binoy looked away from his son and inhaled strongly. "Haah! Itne saalo se cigar pee rha hu is ummeed me ki roz roz thoda maru aur jaldi uske paas pohoch jau. Par pata nhi ye roz roz kab khatm hoga aur kab ek hi baar me..."
Binoy stopped abruptly when Aniruddha shouted in between "Baba! Kya kuch bhi bol rhe hai aap. Aapko pata hai na maa ko ye sab bilkul accha nhi lagega. Aap ki jaan bohot keemti hai. Aise aap keval apne aap ko nhi balki apne aas pas ke logo ko bhi dard de rahe hai." By the end Aniruddha's eyes had tears very well understanding why such a song was being played and Binoy mirrored the same.
Binoy giving a small smile said "Maa ke paas jaldi jaana hai mujhe isliye aisa karta hu. Mere dard se sabko dard hoga par tumhari maa ne jo umra bhar ka dard diya uska kya? Beech raaste me sath chodd diya uska kya? Vaada kiya tha usne ki har sukh dukh me sath rahegi, shaadi ke samay phere liye the mere saath, dil se apnaya tha na is rishte ko to kis haq se chali gyi mujhe akela chodd ke? Rishta to dono ka tha na, to fir akele usko chodne ka faisla aise kaise le liya usne?"
Binoy was missing his Chadralekha too much today. He missed her at every step. Beginning it from Bondita's ordeal to her calling him baba to his very dear son Aniruddha being a pain. He desperately wanted to share his both sorrow and happiness with her, but she was nowhere to be seen or heard.
"Baba mujhe nhi pata tha aap maa ko itna yaad karte hai ya fir aapke man me itna sab kuch hai. Aapne ye saari baatein kabhi hamse kyu nhi ki?" Aniruddha asked warmly. This side was new for him. He always considered Binoy Roy Chaudhary to be a stoic zamindar.
"Tum teeno ne apni maa ko khoya tha. Uske upar tumhare baba bhi apni dikkaton ka bojh leke tumhare paas aate to ye to galat hota na. Upar se itne chote the tum teeno. Sahi aur galat ki kya hi samajh thi. Tum teeno ko apne aap se bachane ke chakkar me kab tum teeno se itna door ho gya pata hi nhi chala." Binoy replied with a sad smile and eyes still held high, searching for something in the sky.
Binoy with a satisfied smile found what he was looking for. "Vo dekh rahe ho? Dhruv taara hai vo." Binoy said with his finger pointing towards that direction. "Chandralekha ke jaane ke baad hamesh us dhruv taara ne meri madad ki hai. Mere har sahi, mere har galat me vo mere saath raha hai. Kabhi kabhi to lagta hai shayad vahi hai tumhari maa. Maano saath na ho kar bhi saath hai. Door hokar bhi apna vaada nibha rhi hai."
Binoy looked his eyes in the son without any worry of tears now trailing down and making his way down the cheeks. "Zindagi me jitna mahatva ek parivaar ka, mata-pita ka, behen-bhai ka, dosto ka, vidya ka, kaam ka, icchao ka hota hai na, usse kai zyada mahatva ek jeevan saathi ka hota hai. Aur tumhe pata hai sabke naseeb me ye sukh nhi hota. Kehne ko to shaadi ho jati hai, bacche ho jate hai, grihsti jaise taise chal deti hai par vo anubhav nhi milta sabko. Aur vo sabke paas hota nhi isliye uska swaad sabko pata nhi. Kisi ko milta hai to vo use le leta hai, koi thukra deta hai, kisi ko kabhi milta hi nhi hai, aur koi to itne kismat waale hote hai ki 2 baar uska anand uthane ka muka milta hai."
Binoy laughed heartily looking at Aniruddha's face. A big question could be clearly seen on his face. God! His son might be rebellious, ambitious, arrogant, impulsive or stubborn but he was still that same innocent Gopal. He still had the same sparkling eyes and the same habit of biting his inner cheeks whenever confused or in worry.
"Accha ek baat batao. Kya ye jo Aniruddha Roy Chaudhary hai sabke sath ek samaan hai? Matlab kya tum apne kaka, baba, batuk, somnath, apne dosto, apne karya sthal ke logo ya jinse bhi milte ho ek jaise hi rehte ho?" Binoy asked.
"Nhi baba. Ghar walo ke sath alag sambandh hota hai aur bahar walo ke sath alag." Aniruddha replied still unknown to where this conversation was heading to.
"Haa vo to hai par ghar me bhi kaka aur mere prati tumhare andar aadar hai. Da ko tum mujhse zyada maante ho kyunki bachpan se maa ke baad unhone hi tumhe sambhala hai. Batuk aur Somnath ke liye tumhare andar pyaar hai aur ek zimmedari ki bhavna hai. Batuk sabse chota hai to uske saath tum ek dost ki tarah khelte bhi ho. Bihari ke sath mazaak masti ka rishta hai. Apne dosto ke sath ek alag anubhav hai tumhara. Usi prakaar kaam karte samay tum ekdum lakshya ke taraf samarpit rehte ho isliye logo ke liye bhagwaan se kam nhi ho. Jo log galat karte hai unke taraf tumhara gussa bhi utna hi bhayankar hai. Ek hi Aniruddha ke kitne roop hai!"
Aniruddha nodded surprised with so many versions of his but still confused.
"Par aisa kon hai tumhare zindagi me jisne ye saare avtaar dekhe hai, balki inse zyada? Tumhare gusse se log kaapte hai par aisa kon hai jise tumhare gusse se koi darr nhi balki vo tumhe shaant karta hai? Aisa kon hai jiske paas tum apni saari dikkato ko leke jaate ho bhale hi uske paas uska koi upay ho ya na ho? Aisa kon hai jiske saamne tumhe apna koi bhi roop galat nhi lagta? Aisa kon hai jiske ek hasi se tum apne saare dukh bhool jaate ho aur usi chehre pe ek bhi shikan dekhlo to lagta hai ki sab kuch tabah kar do? Aisa kon hai jiske liye tum zameen asmaan ek kar sakte ho? Aisa kon hai jiske hone se zindagi sundar aur na hone se zindagi kharaab lagti hai?" Binoy asked with a knowing smile on his face. Unknowingly this conversation took a turn that might hit some sense in his son's head.
"Bondita?" Aniruddha questioned still in daze with whatever his baba asked.
Binoy gently patted his shoulder and said "Ek jeevan sathi hi vo hota hai jo ye saare sawalo ka jawaab hota hai. Mere liye in saare sawaalo ka jawaab Chandralekha hai. Kal bhi thi, aaj bhi hai aur aage bhi hamesha vahi rahegi." Giving another pat he left his son alone.
After walking a few steps, he turned around and called out Aniruddha.
"Jis chatt pe tum 7 saal nhi aaye uski vajah kabhi Saudamini nhi thi. Jiske vajah se tumne yaha aana chodda tha, aaj usi ke vajah se tum yaha aaye ho. Jisne tumhari zindagi ek pal me cheeni usi ne us zindagi to hazaar guna haseen karke tumhe lautai hai. Ek tasveer me sirf rang nhi balki us kalakaar ki soch bhi utni hi mahatvapurna hoti hai varna vo tasveer itni sundar kabhi nhi banegi. Usi tarah aapke zindagi me aye log bhi bohot mahatvapurna hote hai. Kabhi bhi kisi galat fehmi, darr ya gusse ki vajah se unko apne se door mat karna kyunki vo agar door ho gye to aapki zindagi me na rang bachega aur na hi khushi." Binoy told. He glanced towards the pole star and silently thanked his wife, his dhruv taara for again guiding him and helping him show a different perspective to his son's toiled heart. May this time he actually come out of this self created mess beautifully.
Aniruddha saw his baba leave him alone with his set of emotions. Did they just converse about Bondita even without taking her name? Did his baba just tell him how important Bondita is that now his life revolves around her? Is she his jeevan sathi? But weren't we discussing about love?
"Baba ke liye maa unki jeevan sathi hai aur aaj unke aakhon me saaf saaf unke liye pyaar dikha." His heart piqued in between.
"Isse ye thodi pata chalta hai ki mujhe bhi meri jeevan sathi mil chuki hai?" Aniruddha countered.
"Tum apne aap se jhooth bol rahe ho Aniruddha. Tumne khud Bondita ka naam liya tha jab baba ne vo saare sawaal pooche to. Tumhare dil me hai vo, jubaan pe is baat ko lao ya fir nahi, koi farak nhi padhta kyunki sach nhi badlega. Haa par tumhara ye jo darr hai na, iski vajah se tum shayad Bondita ko kho do. Baba ki kahe ye teen shabd yaad rakhna. Galat fehmi, darr aur gussa. Aur haan itna bhi der mat karna ki zindagi bhar pachtate reh jao. Tum apne darr ke vajah se kahi koi aisa anubhav na thukra do ki uske baad zindagi tumhe tukhrane pe majboor ho jaye. Saare sawaal aur jawaab tumhare saamne hai bas der hai tumhe unhe samajhne ki." His heart replied.
Aniruddha didn't have anything left to revert back. Maybe his heart was right but what about his brain? Maybe his profession of law is acting as a hindrance? Maybe this time he should listen to his heart? But his brain has never been wrong. Wasn't this because of his brain that he won all his cases? But maybe this time he should give his heart a chance? Bina mauka diye kaise pata chalega jo dil keh rha hai vo sahi hai ya galat?
*Ek pyaar ka nagmaa hai, maujon ki ravaani hai.
Zindagi aur kuch bhi nhi teri meri kahaani hai.*
Hello everyone!!
Here I present the next chapter. I hope you all liked it because I personally enjoyed writing this. Life isn't easy when someone leaves and therefore I wanted to show a vulnerable side of Binoy because he is one such character which can be explored to no bounds. Secondly, I feel we have seen a lot of mother-daughter conversations but father-son conversation isn't fancied so much. It's not always about work or studies, sometimes they can also have some emotional man to man talk.
Thanking you all for being so considerate. I feel blessed. I would love to read your thoughts on this chapter.
And now what do you think Aniruddha's gonna do? Is some happiness finally gonna make some room in this family's life?
To know that stay tuned. Till then sending you all tons of love. Stay safe and be happy.
P.S. Don't missed the song attached.
Veerangna 🌿