Cold war

The wedding preparations were in full swing. Survi's relatives and friends were surprised. A career-minded girl like her marrying this early was not something they expected. Jaivanta explained that it was a proposal too good to refuse. The wedding party was a small one of a hundred and eight people. They were all close friends and some relatives. As they got busy with weddings they didn't get much time. Survi realised that with each dream her past was clearer than her present. She was a happy bride. Pratap was tensed. He remembered the past and dreaded losing her again. He kept an eye on her making people feel he was a possessive groom in love. They teased Survi as she blushed. But he didn't mind any tag just to make sure she was safe. The wedding was going to be a low-key affair or so she thought. She always liked things simple, but they always got complicated.

Hansa was happy that her practical-minded career-driven boy had found love in this perfect girl. She liked Survi the minute she saw her. There was a kind of attachment she couldn't describe. However, Hansa refused to believe they met in Chavand the way they said. He had never brought a girl home and when he did he was marrying her. That couldn't be a coincidence. They must have met in the past.

Survi had noticed Dheer in secret calls and sneaking out many times. But the rituals kept her busy as she couldn’t talk to Pratap. She saw Dheer sneak out of the Mehendi ceremony. As her hands were drying she excused herself and walked straight into Dheer’s empty room. She decided to be safe and brought a pocket knife she carried for her study, with her hidden in her dupatta. She was looking for the red file and found it under a pile of clothes in the wardrobe.

“ What?? Fraud?” Her eyes widened.
She heard footsteps as she quickly shut the wardrobe noiselessly. Someone was behind her. She turned and like a warrior, her knife was on his neck.

“ Ajab… it’s me!” Pratap looked alarmed.

“ Survi! You will land us in trouble!” She frowned.

“ Miss Survi, today, in this attire, you are looking like my Ajabdeh.” He took away the knife and said “ One Minute.”

He walked to her back Took the flowing Dupatta of the lehenga from her back and put it on her head.

“ There. My Ajabdeh.” He smiled. She smiled back as her eyes twinkled. Their story was one of a kind, never to be told.

“ Look what I found.” She showed him the files as he smiled adding “ Time for a showdown!”

" Waise..." he added, "What's with the knife?"

" I... took it for protection" She smiled.

" I am your protection." He smiled. " keep your Rajputani bravery in check now Delhite!"

“ We are going to the wedding location before the Sangeet,” Pratap spoke to an excited crowd.

“ But where is it?” Hansa asked as he took his bride’s hand and added “ Surprise!”

Survi gasped at the sight. The Bijolia Kalan was decorated with drapes of red and gold. Marigolds decorated the mandap. The sight was exactly like it was 500 years ago. A teardrop appeared in her eyes as he wiped it away.

“ No more tears. It’s time to make others cry.” He took her hand in his.

Hansa smiled at Jaivanta. The history buffs had chosen the perfect location.

Dheer stepped out of the car expecting nothing and was preoccupied with her sudden dreams. Rather nightmares. As soon as she saw the Kalan her eyes were fixed on the couple up there and a memory became vivid. The Nightmares became a reality of the past. Survi noticed her turn pale and so did Pratap.

“ I am not well, we need to go.” She called at Hansa as Pratap hid a victorious smile. She did remember, they were not alone.

On the way back, Survi insisted to stop at the temple. Hansa and Jaivanta gathered the duo wanted to take blessings before the wedding and left them alone. She walked up to the Shiva linga and folded her hands.

“ I don’t know why you send us those memories and made us meet but we do know we have had unfulfilled dreams in the past. Let me live this one like a dream, Har Har Mahadev!” She was loud and clear as he added. “ Give us the strength to defeat the evil.”

She took the aarti thaal and did his tilak as they smiled at each other. Time was just another word for their love.

“ What is Pratap going to perform to?” Dheer asked at the sangeet rather impatiently.

“ Mausiji, He said he has something special let's wait and watch.” Survi smiled pressing Dheer’s cold hands as she looked uneasy.

The lights went off and the focus was on Pratap as Hansa smiled “ There he is.” Haunting music appeared.

Begani si Begani hai, Tanhai si Tanhai hai, aur ek hum hai pyyar ke bin... He smiled at the crowd.

Sunne walo Suno Aisa Bhi Hota Hai… Koi Jitna Haseen utna hi Rota hai….

Dheer looked wide-eyed, Survi searched her face for the expression as Hansa and others looked clueless. Pratap was in… Royal attire? And a pagri. He remembered, did he? Dheer looked at him and back at a clapping Survi.

Pyaar aisa jo karta hai, kya marke bhi marta hai?Ao tum bhi aaj Sunlo. Pratap sang as Dheer started sweating. Survi smiled at him.

“ He is singing the wrong lyrics.” She shrugged cooly at a stunned Dheer.

Daastaan hai yeh ke uss Massoom haseena ne jise kiya viswas woh thi Andar se harjaayi….

“Wow, he’s made a song,” Survi added. “ But why?” She looked amused at Dheer.

Sang dil se dil lagake, bewafaa ke haat aake ussne ekdin maut hi payi….

Dheer stared at a smiling Survi before staring back at Pratap. What was he...

Ek sitam ka fasaana hai, jisko sabhi…. Dheer got up to leave the room. He blocked her way.

Kyun koi Kaatil samajhta nahi, yeh jurm woh hai jo chupta nahi… yeh daag who hai jo mitta nahi… Rehta hai khooni ke haat par….

He took Survi’s hand and twirled her as Dheer stood.

Khun uss hasseena ka Jab tha hua…Koi waha tha pouch to Gaya

Lekin usse woh Bacha na saka, Roya tha pyaar uski maut par…

He looked at Survi who sang along smiling a reassuring smile at him Roya thaa pyaar uske maut paar…

Dastaan hai yeh ke jo pehchaan ta hai khooni ko woh Naujawaan hai lautke aya…. Dheer wiped her forehead.

Keh Rahi hai Zindagi, kaatil samajh le Usske sarr pe cha chuka hai maut ka saya…
Janmo ki karmo ki hai kahani jisse…
He stopped as Dheer walked away. Survi looked at the speechless confused crowd as she added
“ Wow, Pratap what a performance!” jerking him back to reality as he smiled at her.

Does he know? No, he doesn’t! He won’t believe in some stupid dream than me. That was just a song. But why that song? Maybe I am overthinking. I l escape the night of the wedding itself. Dheer made up her mind.

That night Survi lay sleepless as she heard footsteps making her heart skip a beat. She was about to shout when the lights of the room were lit and she heard Pratap ask “ What are you doing here Dheer Mausi?” Survi jolted up in bed as Dheer stood where she was right at her feet.

“ I…came to check on the bride.” Dheer smiled at Survi as she exchanged a quick glance with Pratap.

“ Now that’s done, Mausi. Goodnight.” Pratap prompted her to walk away as he added to Survi
“ Lock the door. We have a wedding at Dawn”.

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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...

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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