Bondita was sitting in the mandir waiting for news of her Pati Babu as the men of the house went out looking for him. It was about eleven when Koyeli informed her of their arrival. She ran to the entrance.
" Where is he ?" She asked pleading, looking to the door as everyone had stepped in. " Kaka Sasurji, where is he ?" She twisted her pallu in her hands. Village men were there too. And even a few women.
Trilochan could not look at his Bahu. This house had promised her every happiness but today it had given her the grief of her life. He moved past her, his vision blurry.
" Som Dada !" She clutched his cuff to stop him. " Tell me where is he ?"
" Baudi..." Somnath was himself having the hardest time of his life. When his mother left them, he had been too young to know what he had lost, Batuk didn't even have a single recollection of their mother. For them today was the biggest lose. " I am sorry Baudi."
" Sorry for what ?" Bondita asked panicking. " I don't have time for apologies Dada. Where is he ? Where is my Pati Babu ?" She was about to beg those people for an answer if she didn't get one soon.
" We... found his car hanging from an old broken tree over the cliff. Not even..." His lips shivered as he recalled the scene. " Not even hanging from the very... edge...but...way away...Han... hanging over a cliff. We... couldn't... couldn't reach it."
" Where is he ?" She just wanted one answer. One.
" It was...the motor car...was on fire Baudi..."
Bondita felt all air leave her body as she lost her balance and was about to fall when Somnath held her by her shoulders. She tried taking in a few breaths. Keeping a hand over her heart, it was all alright. It had to be.
" Where.Is.He ?"
" We... didn't find...him Baudi..."
A cry left Sampoorna's lips as Batuk let out a sob turning away as he covered his eyes.
" What does that mean ?" Bondita asked.
Somnath could speak no more. Binoy was out at the gate still with the police and had just entered looking like a dead man walking. The police had told him he had most probably fallen down the cliff. The motor car was on fire too. There was no way we would have survived it. The hood of the motor car was up too making it packed and quite difficult for him to escape instantly and get out before the car caught fire. After the fire destroyed it's structure, it was quite possibly the body fell off. Further confirmation could be done only after they got that motor car down, if possible at all.
Somnath ran to his father and supported him leading him to the sofa where his Kaka sat equally devastated.
" Chhoti Malikin..." A man came out of the crowd. " He is...no more. Our Barrister Babu...is no..."
" SHUT UP !!!" Bondita had never yelled louder than this through her entire existence. " SHUT.UP !!!!"
"Baudi...!" The only one who had it just a little together was Batuk. He had not gone with them. He had not seen what they had. Sampoorna was a crying mess. Only he was there to help his Boudi but he knew today it was not going to be enough. " Baudi... listen..."
" WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO !?! LOOK AT WHAT HE IS SAYING !!!!" She yelled again making the people look at her with pity. The women had even started crying. She walked up to them angrily. " Why are you crying, huh ? Why are you crying ??!!!" She pushed a woman a little and saw her stumble back. Even Somnath saw that and came to her.
" Baudi... Stop..." Som requested. " Koyeli take her up stairs."
Bondita didn't budge, starring at the man who had just given the news as if she would kill him just by that look.
" Chhoti Malikin..." A woman started.
" Is it not quite late for women to be out of their homes." She spat. " Go back. We are waiting for my Pati Babu. I have no time for this !" She turned back about to move to the mandir.
" But he is never coming back." Bondita stopped. Praying for all of them to stop talking. " You are a widow now Chhoti Malikin." Even Batuk and Som felt the shiver and dread that passed her body turning it to stone. She slowly turned her head back, her eyes had no mercy. The women stepped back when they saw Bondita's eyes. She really did look that she would not spare them. They won't be able to protect themselves from a wounded woman who has just lost her husband.
Bondita eyed them head to toe noticing there atire for the first time.
Widows...
They were all widows...five of them.
" We...we have come to...hel...help you. Chhoti Malikin... In your...time of grief. We know how you are feeling. We have... felt that...too..."
Bondita didn't want to listen more and was ready to pounce on her but Somnath held her from the back by her arms.
" I AM NOT LIKE YOU !!!! I WILL NEVER BE !!" She struggled to get out of Dada's grasp. " LEAVE ME DADA... ! I AM GOING TO KILL HER !!"
" BAUDI STOP !"
" HOW DARE YOU !" She yelled at the woman.
" Baudi control yourself !"
" I said leave me Dada...!" She yelled back looking at his hands on her. " I am your Baudi." She said looking into his eyes. " Your Dada's wife." She didn't mean to ever disrespect any of her dever due to her higher relation because age wise she was younger to both of them. But today she had blood rushing through her brain. Every thing that linked her to him, she wanted highlighted, to give her some strength. Even if it meant impossing her superiority, given due to her marriage to her Pati Babu, over Somnath Dada. She didn't care right now about anyone or anything else except she was the wife of the first born son of the haveli.
" Chhoti Malikin." A woman standing at the back stepped up as Som left his Baudi's arm looking embarrassed but didn't mind a word she said. The women looked the eldest among them. " Take your time. To come to terms with the reality but we can't let you disrespect him."
" Disrespect him !" Bondita bared her teeth. " I WOULD DISRESPECT HIM ??!!!"
" What the hell are you talking about ?!" Sampoorna added in not able to take the scene infront of her anymore. The same fate her sister had faced so many years ago. The fate he had saved her from...he had given her the very life today he had saved her from that fate night.
" It is disrespectful, isn't it ?" The woman said calmly. She had handled many such women. " To go around wearing all marks of suhag when the man that gave them to her is gone ?"
" It has not been even a day...!" Sampoorna felt the disgust bile up for that woman.
" Her life has been ruined within a moment. A day ? She will have a lifetime to cry for it. What else is left now for her ?"
" Shut your mouth up !" Batuk had lost all control.
" I am just here to take her away Chhote Zamindar."
" Take her ? What do you mean take her ?" Somnath stepped infront of Bondita as Sampoorna held her sister close to her. Bondita on the other hand looked unfazed, as if still planning to kill them.
" For sati..."
The haveli went quite. Once Sampoorna had tried to save Bondita from Sati. Once Bondita had saved Sampoorna from it. Both sisters knew what effect it had on them. The word Sati...
Trilochan and Binoy had been sitting silently till now, letting Bondita to get it all out. But that woman had just crossed a limit. Both of them stood up, eyes on the group of women. Bondita might spare them but they won't if someone tried to touch their Bahu.
She was Aniruddh's responsibility. They would not let him down.
" You woman." Trilochan stood infront of her. " Get out."
" It is a pratha Sarkar."
" How ? We did not find a body. " Bondita felt her resolve break at the sound of her Kaka Sasurji trying to be strong for her. She hid her face in her Didi's embrace. She could not hear it. She just couldn't. " Sati is done...with the body...of...of..." He didn't complete. He didn't want to.
" But he died in a fire."
These words made Bondita want to jump in a pit of fire, if not for Sati...then for peace.
" So ?" Trilochan questioned. Generally Binoy was good with all this as he was considerably morden and knew how to humiliate others better. But he didn't look in the condition to do so. He was standing with him was in it self a big thing right now. Trilochan had brought up Aniruddh like a mother but Binoy actually was his father.
" So it is a bad omen. The wife has to go in a fire too."
" I don't have any memory of such a practice. "
" But there is."
There were screeching sounds of tire outside the haveli and after a few moments came the sound of running and there was at their door steps.
Kalindi.
Nothing was hidden from her and when she heard the news of the accident she got out of Das haveli without telling anyone. What she had infront of her stated her fears to be true.
" Thakuma...!!" Sampoorna cried as Bondita held her tighter in fear. This was all a dream and her Didi was her anchor till the time she woke up. She just needed to wake up.
" What is going on ?!!" Thakuma felt a knob in her throat.
Her daughter...her... daughter.
She looked at Bondita with teary eyes. She wanted to take her in her arms but Bondita didn't look in a condition to be even touched.
" She...says she wants to Sati her...!!" Sampoorna cried as she kept her cheek on top of her sister's head.
Kalindi turned to the woman. She knew them. She had frequented their ashram for visits as a vaidya. " Who sent you ?"
" No one sends us anywhere Thakuma. We are needed here."
" For what ?"
" For Sati..."
Kalindi had never slapped a woman quicker or harder. " Open your mouth without thinking again and it will be my rifel and your head. "
" We..." Said a man from the crowd. " We think they are...right."
" Shambhu !!!" Kalindi yelled at her driver. " Get my rifel !"
" She will not perform Sati !" Trilochan had found his voice back. He really needed support. His own support had been snatched from him for forever.
" But...it might bring bad luck to the... village..." He stopped as Thakuma pointed her rifel to his chest, finger on the trigger.
" You are Zamindar Babu..." Another man started. " You can do... anything. Save your Bahu or kill someone without... consequenses. But...but we are small people. A little bad luck would do you... nothing but it would destroy our lives. We are too poor for that Malik."
" If you think we can do things unjust, then let us prove it right." Trilochan replied. " Anyone who touches her, I will torche them by my own hands." Trilochan had seen his share of dark days. He was a good man at heart but his hands were not untainted. From time to time, being a Zamindar made him and Binoy pay the prize. He just held his head high because no good man had lost his life at his hands. But a few had suffered miserably. One had been a rapist who had destroyed many girls. Others equally monstrous. He didn't have them silenced by his own very hands but he couldn't say their blood was not on his forehead. " I will do it myself."
People had not seen this side of the forever just, kind and smiling Roy Chowdhury family. It had not been even six hours since Barrister Babu was gone and he had already taken the humanity of this haveli with him. No one dared to speak a word. They knew the threat was not empty.
One might shoot them, the other might burn them.
Bondita had been listening for a while now. She moved away from her sister to face everyone. " It is a pointless discussion. He is alive."
Kalindi took in the sight of her daughter and felt she her own heart tremble. Why had Durga maa cursed the women of her family like this ? " Bondita...beta .." She called out to her.
" He is !!" Bondita stressed. " He promised he would come back. Soon. Maybe tomorrow. He will definitely come tomorrow. You will see !"
" Bondita...he is gone." Trilochan said without looking at her.
" NO ! HE IS NOT !"
" You don't know that..." Trilochan said through tears.
" I DO !...I..." Bondita held on to her words " I do. I would have... felt it. Here..." She placed a hand over her heart. " He is just... delayed... He is alright... I know. I know..." Bondita stepped back towards the mandir. " If... something was to happen to him...I would...I would feel it." She clutched her mangalsutra. " I am his wife...I would know..." She whispered to herself as she turned and ran to the mandir. She sat at the foot of her Dugga maa and joined her hands. That is when she noticed her shaka Pola. The new ones he got her. The day that master had broken them flashed infront of her. It was just four days ago. Her heart sank even more. Was it a sign ?
No. No.
This was all rubish. No ornament could decide his well being. Even she knew she didn't believe in what she was just thinking. Her faith in such things was always strong. But she didn't want it to be true this time.
She looked at her red bangles and her decorated light, cream saree. Her shrinagar... everything was for him. Everything...
Were they the symbol of his life really...? She didn't know. But right now she felt them useless. Pinching.
What was the point ? What was the point of her wearing them if they could not save him ? What value were those of if he was not around to see her wear them ? Those women had come to make her Sati. And Bondita knew right now that it would not matter to her to even fight them back if what they were saying was true.
That he was...
What would she do living alone, a life without him ? Nothing...
She was nothing without him.
The school, education... seemed valueless.
The dream of becoming a Barrister... The eyes that saw the dream...if they were closed then...what would she do persuing it.
Nothing would be left for her to live for...
Nothing...
Aniruddh had come to know as he reached half way to haveli that it was a bad idea to drive in this wheather. But he had a good news and he wanted to be home and share it with everyone. It was a very long drive and he had given his driver an off after he drove him to Calcutta. He had stopped for tea at place, just two villages away from Tulsipur, ten minutes ago and was now having more difficulty in driving. And after a little distance he realised his breaks had failed. It was shocking and threw him into a panick drive. It was night time and the roads to village were nothing to boast about. He tried to manage as much as he could. Only a little more to go.
Try to have a grip Aniruddh...
Try...
It was not helping. He had not been in a situation like this before. And he could see a cliff approaching. Aniruddh knew the area. The side of the road right now were not that deep as that dangerous cliff. He if crossed this segment of the road he was sure to die as he knew he won't be able to make a sharp cut at this speed. He decided to risk his luck, called to Durga maa, opened the door of his motor car and jumped out to the side of the road, leaving his car on full speed to run down the cliff. He toppled down a few rough stair like levels of the small hill but he already knew it was not the dangerous area. But a sting on his back told him he had gotten himself injured. It was stark dark with nothing in site. He had heard a crash letting him know that the motor car had hit something, most probably the dried trees at the edge. Good. He would collect his car later. Have it repaired.
He heard footsteps and felt relieved.
People. That meant help. The fall had knocked out air from his lungs and he couldn't call for help. He raised his hand but he was too low on the side and among the bushes for them to see him in the dark. He managed to somehow turn on his belly and crawl up a little. But it too was not much.
What he heard next made him feel thankful for not being visible to them. For the knocked out lung.
" Is he...dead ?" A man asked. There seemed to be more than two people judging by the footsteps.
" Fool ! How can he be dead ? The motor is still stuck in the tree. He will die only if it falls."
" Should we cut the tree ?" Third man asked.
" And with what ?"
Aniruddh could not believe his ears. Was he targeted to be murdered ? He held back a painful cry as his injured back came in contact with something rough.
" He was supposed to die in an accident. Or be severely, severely injured. But he is just hanging there. His wife must have kept some strong vrats."
" Stop it !" The second man yelled. " Give me the torch ! "
" What are you doing ?"
" We can't wait for him to just drop. What if he makes it out of it ?"
Aniruddh was now sure that these were not very bright men and had clearly missed his jump in the dark if they had been following him, which he was pretty sure they were.
He heard one set of foot move and a little later there was a blasting sound. Those bastards had set his motor car on fire. He liked his motor car. He had to wait for them to leave so he gets back to the haveli. Maybe get some help on the way.
" You !" He heard the second man, he seemed like their leader. " Go to the haveli. Collect some men and go to the haveli. Tell everyone that he has met with an accident."
" But why ?" The man asked. " They will come to know eventually."
" Yes. But that wife of his."
Aniruddh held his breath. Bondita...
" Oh yes. I forgot about her." The first man replied.
" We need to have her be Sati first thing in the morning. The grief would be too much for her to fight back. Even her family won't be able to help her much as they would be busy crying. If we give her time to absorb the news and get a hold on her self, she will not go down easily."
" Right." The third man said. " School and independence. Ban on child marriage. This couple thought they could just come and change the world. That girl is a bad example for our women. She has to die."
" We just have to feed people some superstitious rubbish. It might not work but we have to try. If not burn her, shave her head, make her a proper widow and send her away from here." The first man said.
" Yes we need to. And so go and spread some sort of rumour of how it is a bad luck for her to not be Sati while you go and give the bad news to the village." The second man ordered.
Aniruddh heard a motor start at a distance and drive off. He didn't move for a while, pain too numbing. He could not just go into the village now. He didn't know who the men were but they were going to the haveli. To hurt Bondita. He trusted his family to not let a scratch land on his wife but he needed to make his presence known before they took away her happiness. But it was equally risky to ask for help from someone now, who knew who all were involved in this. And he was injured. What if he was killed before he reached haveli. He was not scared of death but of what they were planning to do to Bondita once he died. She was not safe without him.
He somehow got on top of the road. Deenpur was not far. Just around the corner of the village was the ashram for widows and other women. Aarti ji. She lived there too. He could ask for help there.
Taking cover of the dark night, he started walking up to the ashram, on the way opposite to the one Police and his family had taken to reach the accident site, missing him by moments. He walked and walked for what felt like hours. So...it was not as close as he had judged it to be from behind the stearing wheel. He reached the ashram gates behind which she lived in a small cottage on the ashram land as she was there as a social worker. He crossed the gate, no guards. It was not even a surprise to him. He walked up to her room and slammed his fist hard on her door. After a few loud knocks she opened the door.
" Aniruddh Babu ?" She looked surprised and uncomfortable to have a man this late at her gates. She looked around nervously to see if someone had seen him. She pulled him in when he seemed to be in no mood to reply and closed the door hurriedly. It was not a good situation she was in.
" Aniruddh Babu what are you doing here ?" She whisper yelled.
" I need...help." His cracked voice made her pick up the lantern in her room and bring it close to his face. She gasped audibly. He was covered in dirt and leaves. Cuts over his face, his lip bleeding.
" What happened !??!!" She asked as she went around lighting more candles.
" You... should not have...pulled...me in." He said walking up to the door.
" Don't open the door !" She ran to him. She would be ruined if someone saw him here. At her door or behind them would make no difference to her destroyed reputation.
" Help me..." His head was spinning. " Bon... Bondita..." He felt her hands trying to make him stand steady. " I have to reach... haveli..."
But Aarti had her eyes strained to the mirror which reflected his back. Something was sticking out of his back on the right side and blood had drenched his clothes. It looked like a tree branch.
" Aniruddh Babu..." She tried to make him stand still as the branch was moving with his every movement. " Stay still... You have... something has pierced your back."
" Please help me reach haveli..."
" But..."
" I know there is a guard here, bhagwan knows he is... sleeping somewhere..." He winced in pain. " Call him for...help. I promise he would not say a word...of this...to anyone. I would make sure...of it."
Though Aarti was scared for her reputation, she knew it didn't matter to anyone in the village. She already was seen as an uncultured woman for speaking for herself and other women. Her beauty and young age had every woman hating her, blaming her for trying to steal their husbands. Her honour was the same value as dirt to those people. She had to keep that aside and help a man in need.
And he was no ordinary man.
" Stand still..." She nervously asked him and he looked at her, confusion evident even through his injured face. She saw his eyes grow wide as she reached for the branch with her left hand, it felt small in her hands but must be hurting like a sword, at his back and while looking at him whispered a ' Sorry ' before she pulled it out.
His painful scream was muffled by her hand on his mouth as tears escaped his eyes. The last thought that crossed his mind was Bondita as he slithered down to the floor with a thud.
Aarti was guilty of not holding him before he hit the ground but she knew she would not be able to bear his weight. She covered her mouth with both her hands as she looked at him realising fully the situation.
The Barrister Babu, the Zamindar of the village...lay bloodied on her floor in the middle of the night.
This could go so wrong...
*****
Story is getting more serious with every chapter to write. And chapters are getting longer. So it just takes more time to write it. 🤧 So...it is taking more time to update with every chapter.
And then the studies. 🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧
I try to right it in free time, avoiding any unpleasant stares my parents throw my way. 👀
Story of every Desi family !
And I am no lawyer or detective. Please ignore any legal technicality I might get wrong or any loop hole in this whole accident thing. Or anywhere else in the story. 🙈🙈🙈
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