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Surprises

Kunwar Pratap and Ajabde were at the main entrance of the Mahal. Hansa Bai came out with Jaivanta Bai eager to see Ajabde. Hansa Bai hugged her daughter in happiness.
"How could you leave without telling me, Ajab?"
" Am sorry Maa sa... It won't happen again. I promise."
"Where is Chotima?" Pratap asked Jaivanta as Ajabde looked at him scared. He was angry. God knows what he would say.
" She left for Chittor after a tiff with Ranaji. Kunwar Shakti is here with Chakrapani and Bhagwati."
" Bhai Shakti?"
" Ji Dadabhai... I was missing you all too much, especially Maa Sa." Sajja gave a weird smile and stopped at Shakti's glare. Her son had warned her against smiling like that.
Ajabde went to her room with her mother and hugged Ratan tight.
" Maa so did you tell her?" Ratan's face was serious. She turned to her mother who was fondling baby Balwant.
" No... I...."
" Tell me what?"
"Daata fixed your marriage. Apparently, the insult and your running away made him feel you should better get out of this situation. It's another samant family..." Ajabde was stunned. She looked at her mother helplessly.
" I am sorry but I tried to reason with him." Hansa Bai explained.


"What?? Marriage?" Pratap was stunned as Jaivanta broke the news. She also informed him that the groom's family would fix the dates that day only.


Ajabde stood at the roof sad and unmindful as he walked in. She didn't turn towards him.
"Ajabde..."
"There is nothing left to talk of Kunwarsa. Please leave."
" Am not leaving and you know that very well." He was visibly angry. " Whoever this person is I will talk him out of marrying you."
" No..."
"No??"
" You know my Daata had received enough insults for me. Not anymore." Her determination stunned him as he walked away angrily saying " Fine... Be unhappy!"
She wiped away a silent tear...


That evening Hansa Bai and Jaivanta BAi were dressing up Ajabde in her best lehenga. Bhagwati and Sajja were helping.
" She looks pretty," Ratan concluded.
" She is so lucky to get such a good proposal Jaivanta," Hansa told her friend in happiness.
" No Hansa. He is lucky to have her." Their words were not registering in her brain as she remembered she wore this same lehenga at Bhagwati's wedding and he had loved her so much. Those stealing glances always caught her eyes. Those will remain in her memories forever.


Pratap was pacing in his room when Chakrapani walked in with an attire. "Ranaji send this ... Wear it and come to the hall... Ajabde's marriage..."
" Get out Chakrapani. Am not going anywhere." Pratap scared off Chakrapani.
"Dadabhai Daajiraj is calling you." Shakti stepped in. Pratap looked up at his brother.
" What is wrong with everyone?'' he asked angrily.
'' I said am not going there." Jaivanta walked in asking Shakti to leave. He gave a smile and walked away.
" Pratap..."
" No Ranima... I can't see Ajabde marry a stranger."
" Who said she is marrying a stranger.?"
" What do u mean?"
" We all know him. He is a perfect match for her."
" Know him? Who is he?" Pratap was stunned to see Ranima praise his competitor.
" There ... That's him." Jaivanta smiled pointing to the mirror.
" Where... I can't..." Realisation dawned as he looked at Ranima stunned.
" Are you serious? But how?" A delighted Jaivanta bai told him what happened after he had left. Pratap hugged his mother in joy.
" Does she know?"
"Not yet... Dress up now... Let's give her the surprise of her life..."


Ajabde walked in with her mother. Her face was hidden in the dupatta. There was a priest there looking at her Kundli. Kunwar Pratap came in, stared at her and smiled. She looked away thinking... Where were the guests?


" Baisa has a very good kundli. There is no problem I she gets married soon." Everyone was smiling including Pratap. His smile scared her.
" Kunwarsa's kundli please Maharanisa..."
" Surely Panditji, after all, marriage is for two people."
Ranima's words stunned Ajabde as Ratan whispered to her... " surprise"
She still couldn't believe the what How and when as he smiled at her.
" Next week will be perfect for the Sagaai."
Everyone was happy. They took the elder's blessings and hugged their friends and siblings. She was in her room with the queens and her mother who were happy that their surprise plan worked.
Kunwar Pratap was about to walk in when he hid himself noticing the elders there. She Sa his reflection in the mirror. With a hand gesture, he told her to come out and she nodded no. They didn't realize the elders were smiling.
" Kunwarsa you?''
Sajja Bai stunned Pratap.
" Ha woh... I came to talk to Ranima." They all laughed.
" In Ajabde's room?" She blushed.


They left in silence as Ajabde blushed red.
" Why are you here?"
" I..."
" you knew everything didn't you?" She pointed her finger at him.
" What? No..!"
" Then why were you smiling?"
" ohh I knew then..."
"And you didn't bother to tell me..."
"When could I..."
" I was so worried so scared... I..."
"Hush" He put his finger on her lips to stop her and removed me amused at her.
" I am not talking to you till Sagaai."
" Aree..."
"No... Subhratri!" She turned away. He smiled and walked away telling " I will see how you don't meet or talk!"

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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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