The Wounds of Love

The procession had stopped at a clearing. The women and children needed to rest for the day. The maids and guards who had followed them into this life of difficulty and sacrifice quickly laid the tents for rest. The young crown prince, still a child, was not used to the extreme conditions of the open air and the desert sun. He was slightly feverish. In his tent, his mother put her hand on his warm forehead worried. There were sounds of footsteps and she grew alarmed. The tent curtains parted. It was his father. She managed a smile, he looked worried and tired.

"Is he all right? He still has a fever doesn't he?" His voice was filled with guilt. Maybe if he did not want the throne or take it upon himself to liberate their land from the Mughals, his son would have lived the luxurious life he lived.

" He is fine Kunwar sa, he is only five. He needs to get some rest. He is not used to the desert sun. Please stop worrying." He clearly saw the worry in her eyes. She just could not lie. He sighed heavily and sat down beside her. Taking her hand in his, he looked at the sleeping boy and smiled. He reminded him of those days when he used to sleep soundly on his mother's lap, much before the Mughal Emperor decided to be his sworn enemy.

"You go and eat your dinner with Rana Ji and Kunwar Jagmal. I am here with him."

" No, I will eat later, with you."

" Solankini..."

" Go feed her, I am sitting with Amar."

"Kunwar Pratap!" Her stern voice stirred him. " She is your responsibility, she is new in the family and it's your duty to make her feel comfortable."

"I did not want to marry her, you forced me to take care of her yourself."

" This is not how a Rajput prince behaves."

"Really? This is how a princess fights with her husband?"

" I am not a princess."

" Yes, you are."

" Kunwar Pratap!"

Their childish fight was interrupted by Solankhini Bai's entrance.

" I am so sorry, I did not know Kunwar Sa is here Jija." She apologised. " I came to see Kunwar Amar." She grew uneasy. She had found a sister in the kind-hearted and gentle Ajabde who was loved by everyone, yet even after almost a year of marriage, she was scared of Kunwar Pratap's presence. She knew he always turned to Ajabde for support and she was relieved it was that way. She was his queen but not his wife yet despite Ajabde's several tries.

" It's fine Behena, he was leaving." Ajabde gave her husband a cold stare. He got up reluctantly and gave a half smile to Solankhini before leaving. Solankhini rushed to Ajabde's side.

" Has his fever receded?"

" No, I am so worried." Ajabde opened her worry to her new friend.

" Shouldn't we call the Rajvaid?"

" No, it will worry everyone. I will see what I can do."

" Why don't you ask Pandit Ji to help?"

" You are right, he might be able to." Calling the daasi, she sends her to Chakrapani's tent to get some medicine for Amar.

" Can I ask you something, Jija?"

" Of Course Behena."

" You called Kunwar sa by name..." Ajabde bit her lips, it was indeed bravery on her part but only inside the closed doors between him and her, now Solankhini knew. Seeing her blush, Solankini smiled. " You and Kunwar Sa are indeed just like I heard before marriage." She left Ajabde smiling.

At night the guards announced that no one should leave the group alone as danger lurked in every corner of the forest. They would resume their journey at noon the next day. As she lay half awake beside her son, Kunwar Pratap came in. She sat up startled.

" Hush." He made a hand gesture at her. " You will wake him."

He came and sat on the other side of the bed.

" Kunwar..."

" No, I will not leave his side." She knew arguing was in vain.

The next day they woke to an alarming noise of guards and maids. Kunwar Pratap stepped out and saw the maids of Solankhini crying. His heart filled with concern. Ajabde rushed to their side. " What is it?"

" Baiji Sa, we woke up and Choti Bai Sa was not there, we searched for her everywhere."

" Hey Eklingji, I hope she did not leave alone in search of the river." Ajabde murmured worriedly.

Pratap rushed to the armoury chest, took out his sword and getting on Chetak ordered Ajabde, " Nobody leaves this spot until I find her." She nodded.

Kunwar Pratap searched all the way to the rivers calling her name in vain. He rode across the clearing in search of her. His anger turned to concern for his new bride. In a clearing, he thought he heard a twig break. He jumped off Chetak and started looking for clues. Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps. He turned in time to catch Solankhini almost falling at his feet, she was breathless.

" I saw a wild cat and I was so scared I..."

" Who told you to go alone?" He held her up, supporting her with his hands.

" I..."

More noises in the clearing and they turned towards the sound. Kunwar Amar stepped out of the trees surprised to see his Choti Ma sa and father in what looked like a hug to him.

" Amar..." Ajabde's call was heard as she appeared behind him taken aback. She dragged Amar by his hand, ignoring what she thought to be a private moment between her husband and his wife and scolded him, " I told you not to run off, you are not well, start listening to your Maa sa." They left for the tent.

Kunwar Pratap let go of Solankhini's arm and called the maids to take her to her tent. He knew what Ajabde thought. He rushed to her tent. On the way, he spotted Amar playing with his grandmother. Ajabde was singing bhajans while making a garland of wildflowers for her Lord Krishna. His footsteps stopped her but she didn't turn to look at him.

" AjabDe..."

" Kunwar sa you should have a bath and get dressed, we are leaving in an hour or two." She looked away.

" There is no one here."

" I know."

" Still you are calling me Kunwar Sa? What's wrong ?"

" Nothing."

" What you saw there..."

" You don't need to explain your personal life to me."

" Yes, I do." Kunwar Pratap rushed to her side. Their eyes met, he knew she had cried. He knew this would eventually hurt her.

" Nothing happened, she fell and I..."

" She is your wife, you owe me no explanation." Ajabde's voice was calm.

" I knew this! I knew you would be hurt someday, I did not want this." He sounded like he was about to cry. " I told you I don't need another wife." Ajabde knew her mistake. She was not supposed to show him she was hurt, he would be reluctant to alliances then and it would also be unfair to Solankhini. She called out as he was about to leave.

" Kunwar Pratap." He stopped to turn back and look at her. She smiled at him and walked up to him.

Their eyes met and she hugged him. He smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. They smiled at each other and Ajabde moved away saying, " Go now, get dressed, Amar will come back." He saw her blush afraid of what he might do next, in a tent, under broad daylight and he walked away with a smile leaving her to her Pujas. Back in her tent, as the daasis treated her wound, Solankhini smiled at the closest she had got to Kunwar Pratap in the last few months, and the worry she witnessed in his eyes. She said to herself, Jija was right, maybe someday I will get his respect if not love, and be his wife instead of a Queen.

Comments

Protisruti

প্রতিশ্রুতি বন্দিতা মা কে জড়িয়ে ধরে যেন প্রাণ ফিরে পায়। “ভাল আছিস?” জিগেস করে সুমতি। বন্দিতা হঠাৎ খেয়াল করে আগের মতো তার মুখ দেখেই তার মা আর তার মনের অবস্থা বুঝতে পারেন না। তার সাথে হঠাৎ মনে পরে কত অনায়াসে অনিরুদ্ধ বোঝে যে তার মন খারাপ। একবার জিজ্ঞেস করেছিল সে স্বামীকে, কি করে তিনি বোঝেন তার মন খারাপ। ছোট বন্দিতাকে তার মতন করে বুঝিয়েছিলেন তার স্বামী। আজ বন্দিতা বড় হয়েছে কিন্তু সেই প্রশ্ন সে আর করতে পারেনা। বন্দিতাকে খাটিয়ার উপর বসিয়ে এর মধ্যেই সুমতি যায় তার জন্য মুড়ি মুড়কি আনতে। বন্দিতার চোখ পরে পায়ের নূপুরের উপর। তিনি বলেছিলেন “তুমি খুশি হলে তোমার নূপুরের আওয়াজ অন্যরকম হয়, আর তোমার মন খারাপ হলে অন্যরকম।” বন্দিতা নূপুরটা বাজিয়ে দেখেছিল সেদিন। আজকে সে জানে পার্থক্য তার নূপুরের শব্দে নয়, অনিরুদ্ধের পর্যবেক্ষণ শক্তিতে। আবার কেন তার কথা ভাবছে সে? বাড়ি এসেছে মায়ের কাছে। আর ভাববে না সে, হয়তো দু তিন দিন পর ত্রিলোচনবাবু পাঠাবেন বিহারী কে বন্দিতাকে বাড়ি নিয়ে যেতে, ততদিন মায়ের কাছে একটু শান্তিতে থাকুক না সে। দুপুরে আম দুধ দিয়ে ভাত দেয় তাকে সুমতি। “তোর প্রিয় খাবার দেখ, মাম...

Answers

Aniruddha could not work all day. It started raining heavily outside, the curtains of the room swayed in the gusty wind, and things around the room toppled over. Koeli came to pick them up, to see if he wanted to eat anything but Aniruddha wanted to be left alone. Countless questions and fears raced through his mind. Bondita never went home like she did that day. Rather, once a year, even before Jamai Sasti, she checked the household chores a hundred times. If Batuk had a test, if someone was sick, she was reluctant to go. She just packed a bundle so quickly and left for her mother’s place. Had she distanced herself from Aniruddha? Was it his fault? Anirudha started thinking. Could she not take him as a husband because he pushed her away and hurt her? Aniruddha repented for his actions. If indeed Bondita denied their relationship knowing the truth behind it, could she be blamed? But was that why she was pretending to be asleep even though she was awake that night? What did she think ab...

Promises

Bondita hugged her mother as if to find herself again. "Are you okay?" Sumati smiled. Bondita suddenly noticed that her mother couldn't understand her state of mind just by looking at her face anymore. With that, she suddenly remembered how easily Aniruddha understood that she was upset. Once she asked her husband how he understood things without her saying it. Her husband explained to little Bondita in a way she would understand. Now that Bondita was grown up she could perhaps never ask him that question again. Meanwhile, Sumati hurried to get her some Muri Murki while she sat down on the bed. Bondita's eyes fell on her feet. He had said, "When you are happy, your anklet sounds different, and when you are sad, it is different." Bondita stirred her anklets unmindfully. Today she knew the difference was not in the sound of her Nupur but in Aniruddha's powers of observation. Why was she thinking about him? She came home to her mother. And she would not th...

Choices

The winter rains and gusty wind were unpleasant weather for Adhiraja Ishaan Dev. The Suryapalian capital was far more tropical weather of the plain lands than that of Neelambargarh, situated on a plateau rather close to the Heemdevi. It rained more in Neelambargarh, and the winters were cold. The wine did very little to comfort him as he kept the lamps of his chamber lit in an attempt to feel warmer. On the contrary, he observed how Priyambada complained that the winter isn't cold enough. It had been a quarter of the moon cycle since Maharani Priyambada met Kumari Advika of Mait. Although Ishaan Dev was eager to know what the ladies did talk about, he wasn’t sure whether to ask Priyambada. So he waited for her to tell him something, anything! But Priyambada seemed to act like the meeting never happened. She didn’t even disclose anything to Smriti as per Kumar Viraj. Ishaan Dev was perplexed. What was talked of in the meeting? Worse, did Advika mention him? She must have. The last t...

Going Home

Bondita's Mama came to Tulsipur to meet his daughter. He was a poor man and wore a short dhoti and a Batik shirt. It was wrong to come empty-handed to the daughter's house, so two pots of sweets accompanied him. Reluctantly, he had to go to Roy Chowdhury's house. They were the Zamindar of Tulsipur, the master of the father-in-law of Sampoorna, they needed to be respected. Apart from that, the fate of the sister and niece who he was reluctant to shelter and spent day and night rebuking them about had turned, the same sister now handed over some money to him by the end of the month, because of the kindness of Aniruddha Babu. He did not have the luxury of pushing Lakshmi away. Hence it was necessary to come to the landlord's house to meet his niece. In their house servants also dressed better than him; Look at the fate of the girl . Where he had arranged for her to stay in a corner of an old man's house, now Bondita was living a queen’s life. Zamindar Trilochan Roy Ch...

Uttor

উত্তর সারাদিন কাজে মন বসেনা অনিরুদ্ধর। বাইরে অঝোরে বৃষ্টি হতে থাকে, ঝোড়োও হওয়ায় ঘরের পর্দা দোলে , জিনিসপত্র এলোমেলো হয়ে যায়। কয়েলি আসে ছোট মালিকের জিনিস গুছিয়ে দিতে, তিনি কিছু খাবেন কিনা শুধোতে কিন্তু তাকে চলে যেতে বলে ঘরে খিল দেয় অনিরুদ্ধ। একা থাকতে চায়। তার মনে আনাগোনা করে অসংখ প্রশ্ন এবং আশংকা। যে ভাবে বন্দিতা স্বেচ্ছায় মায়ের কাছে গেল আজ, সেরকম সে কোনদিন যায়না । বরং বছরে একবার জামাই ষষ্টিতে যাওয়ার আগেও একশো বার বাড়ির কাজকম্ম দেখে শুনে যায়। বটুকের পরীক্ষা, কারুর শরীর খারাপ হলে তো কথাই নেই। সেই বন্দিতা আজ হঠাৎ বাড়ি যাবে বলে কি তাড়াতাড়ি পোটলা গুছিয়েছে। এতই কি দূরে চলে গেছে সে অনিরুদ্ধের থেকে? তা কি তার নিজের দোষে? ভাবতে থাকে অনিরুদ্ধ। সে দূরে সরিয়ে দিয়েছে বলে অভিমান না কি তাকে স্বামী রূপে গ্রহণ করতে পারেনা বন্দিতা? অনিরুদ্ধ পশ্চাতাপ করে। সত্যি যদি বন্দিতা সব জেনে তাদের সম্পর্ক অস্বীকার করে, তাকে কি দোষ দেওয়া চলে? তবে কি তাই সেদিন রাত্রে জেগে থাকা সত্যেও ঘুমের অভিনয় করছিল সে? কি ভেবেছে সে অনিরুদ্ধের ব্যাপারে? কেন চারিদিক বাছবিচার না করে এমন করল অনিরুদ্ধ? নিজের প্রতিজ্ঞ...

Adornment

The rainy night had given way to a rather pleasant summer morning in Suryapali. The temperature was no longer soaring and a gentle breeze blew through the plains of Suryapali. The sun peeped out through the floating clouds occasionally. Priyambada walked into her chambers after a luncheon to find trays laid with drapes and jewellery, waiting for her. “The Maharani sent this for some celebration in the evening,” Vrinda spoke, bowing at her mistress who nodded silently. Priyambada eyed the trays and exhaled. She wasn’t sure if anyone talked to Ishaan Dev about the rituals. She dismissed Vrinda and decided to read the scripture. As Priyambada sat down on the edge of the bed, scripture in hand, her thoughts travelled to the happenings of the night and she inhaled as her throat felt dry. Why did he stop? Did he feel that he had offended her? Priyambada wondered. She walked up to the attire laid down for the evening and picked up the drape wrapped into a bodice and wrap-around skirt. They w...

Ghore Fera

ঘরে ফেরা বন্দিতার মামা মেয়ের সাথে দেখা করতে আসেন তুলশিপুর। গরিবের ঘরের ছা পোষা চেহারা তার, পরনে খাটো ধুতি ও ছিটের জামা। মেয়ের শশুরবাড়িতে খালি হাতে আসা অন্যায় তাই দুটি মিষ্টির হাড়ি সাথে। অনিচ্ছা সত্তেও রায় চৌধুরী বাড়িতে যেতে হয় তাকে। তারা তুলশিপুরের জমিদার, সম্পূর্ণার শ্বশুরের মনিব, তাদের সম্মান করে চলা মঙ্গল। তা ছাড়া যে বোন ও বোনঝিকে আশ্রয় দেওয়া নিয়ে দিনরাত কথা শোনাতে বাঁধতো না তার, সেই বোন এখন মাস গেলে তার হাতে টাকা তুলে দেয়, অনিরুদ্ধ বাবুর দয়ায়। হাতে আসা লক্ষ্মী পায়ে ঠেলার বিলাসিতা করার মত মুরোদ নয় তার। অগত্যা বোনঝির সাথে দেখা করতে জমিদার বাড়ি আসা। এদের বাড়ির চাকররাও তার থেকে ভাল পোশাক পরে; ভাগ্য দেখো মেয়েটার। কোথায় কোন বুড়োর বাড়ির এক কোণে পরে থাকার ব্যবস্থা করেছিল সে, এখন বন্দিতা রাজরানী। জমিদার ত্রিলোচন রায় চৌধুরীর যাকে পছন্দ নয় তাকে তিনি সেটা বুঝিয়ে দিতে দ্বিধা বোধ করেন না। বন্দিতার মামা তার তেমন এক অপছন্দের পাত্র । বৌমার মুখে তিনি যা শুনেছেন তারপর বৌমার তাদের প্রতি টান দেখে আশ্চর্য হন ত্রিলোচন বাবু। কিন্তু কুটুম্ব তারা। হাতে কর...

Trust

Ishaan Dev woke up at the sound of the hourly bells and trumpets and found himself alone in bed. It took him some time to realise that he had perhaps overslept as he looked confused, half asleep first at the hourglass and then at the sun rays coming into the chambers through the swaying curtains. He sat up to suddenly remember the happenings of the night, as his eyes travelled to the blood stain on the sheet and he sat in contemplation for a good few minutes. He finally had his moment with Priyambada and it was nothing like he had imagined it to be. A part of him that yearned to touch her and taste her was satisfied enough to realise that his longing for her was not only physical. When bodies entwined in the union, and he had pushed himself in, as he had with a hundred other women before her, something in him felt a different sense of completeness and fulfilment that he realised was missing from his life. He had seen Priyambada react to the sensations that were completely new to her, m...

Gratefulness

Aniruddha did not return home that night, he informed on the telephone that he was stuck in urgent work so he would return home the next day after spending the night at the client's house. Bondita spent a sleepless night. What would she tell Barrister Babu? And why would he believe it? She was lost in her thoughts twisting and turning in bed all night. She was hurt. Was her husband so reluctant towards their relationship that he did not wish to return home because of her? Once he was busy with some work and was pacing in the study room. Bondita was a child. Her Jetha Shoshur Moshai had taught her to serve her husband. She used to see Bihari take a cup of tea to the study room every day. Despite Bihari's resistance, she picked up the cup of tea that day. "Don't do this, Ginnima ," Bihari was terrified. “Barrister Babu does not like to talk or be disturbed during his work. If he gets angry, I will lose my job.” Bondita ignored his words and entered the study room w...

RAABTA

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