Classes

Tere Kismat teri haaton

Se hi likhi jayegi.

Bondita walked into the study in the early hours of dawn to find Aniruddha ready in his casual shirt and trousers. He did look like a teacher as he was setting up a blackboard across the couch with a pen in his mouth. Standing at the threshold with her pencil and copy in hand, Bondita's wet hair fell over the side of her bottle green cotton saree as she cleared her throat prompting him to look up at her. He removed the pen from his mouth and directed her with a hand gesture towards the couch.

"Did you go to the pond again?" He asked with his back to her, writing something down on the blackboard. She bit her lips.

"I thought you were sleeping." She was quick to defend. "I didn't want to disturb you."

"You can use the washroom without disturbing me. Now you are making excuses to go to the pond. Is it because you meet your friends there?" His voice was unusually different and stern. She looked up at his serious face.

"No. Barrister Babu. I swear. I just thought…"

"You are not going there under any circumstances, you understand?" He spoke sternly, pointing his finger again. Bondita nodded.

"Those men are creeps." He spoke under his breath.

"Should we start?" Bondita opened her copy and looked up at him. He nodded.

"So in the English Language'' "A" is the first letter. Like we spell AA" he spoke as she copied.

"Then there is ''B" like' 'Boh" in our language." She looked up.

"Then "C" for…"

"It's like our language only jumbled up?" Her words made him smile.

"No Bondita. It's a different language altogether. Not jumbled up." He looked amused. "We will do the first five letters today. Okay?"

She nodded.

"Tell me, do you know any English words?" He asked. She nodded. "I know some."

"Okay." He walked around the room. "Tell me something with Aa?"

"Almirah." She pointed.

"Apple?" He said.

"Ashtray." She said as he raised his brows. "I heard it from your father." She was quick to add.

"Amazing!" He smiled.

"Aniruddha?" She pointed her finger at him in excitement and her smile faded as he looked taken aback. "I am sorry. I am so sorry."

"No. No. You are right. That starts with A." He agreed.

"Do you know the meaning of your name?" She asked, closing her copy as he looked up from the book.

"Pardon?" He asked.

"Your name. The meaning. Bondita means someone who can't be bound. It also means to be worshipped." She said smartly.

"I don't know the meaning of my name. Neither do I want to. Here is your homework." He stopped at her disapproving glance.

"Why do you not want to know?" She asked. "You should always ask what you don't know. There is no shame in not knowing. It is shameful if you are blissfully unaware."

Aniruddha closed the book and stared at her, frustrated.

"Okay, fine. Tell me. Tell me what Aniruddha means."

"It means someone who can't be stopped. Free willed."

"And where did you learn that?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Kaka." She giggled.

"Now should we study?" He opened the book again.

"Yes, Sikhshak Babu." She agreed. He shook his head.

It was when Bondita was stacking her books that Saudamini walked in looking for Aniruddha. She was a bit disappointed that he wasn't alone, and it clearly showed on her face as Aniruddha observed.

"Pari Didi! Subho Sokal. Let me get you some tea." Bondita ran off leaving Aniruddha alone with Saudamini in the study. Right outside the door, he could hear her instruct Koeli to prepare extra breakfast for Pari didi. He inhaled remembering Somnath's words.

"What brings you here so early in the morning Mini?" He asked, erasing the board.

"Binoy Uncle didn't tell you?" She asked, surprised.

"Tell me what?" He inquired.

"I enrolled us in the Annual Ball at Calcutta. It is a couple-entry event where the Viceroy comes. It's only for the elitist of the elites. Baba got us passes." She stood up. "Now all I need is for you to teach me how to dance a ball." She sounded excited. Aniruddha turned to face her. "Me?" He asked unsurely.

"Yes, you. Binoy Uncle told me you learnt it in Kingston." Saudamini smiled. Aniruddha looked away as Bondita brought in tea and cookies.

"C'mon Aniruddha, it will be a fun party." Saudamini smiled.

"What's a party?" Bondita asked, staring at Saudamini's excited face.

"It's where men and women…" Saudamini started to explain.

"It's not something kids should know." Anirudha interrupted.

"Who is a kid?" Bondita looked disappointed.

"You are." He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.

"No, I am not." She retorted.

"Aniruddha, she is fifteen. Aren't you?" Saudamini asked as Bondita nodded. "Besides I was only going to tell her about Ball dancing."

"Ball dancing?" Bondita asked. "What's that Pari Didi?"

"It's a type of dance." Bondita looked excited at that.

"Do people dance with Balls?" Aniruddha looked amused at her words. "like in a circus?"

"No Bondita," Aniruddha spoke up. "The Ballroom is an oval-shaped room meant for a particular type of dancing," he explained.

"Will you dance?" She asked excitedly. "Can I see?"

"Sure. You can watch us practice." Saudamini smiled. Aniruddha looked at the ladies helplessly.

"Okay, I can manage some time in the afternoon." He said. "But I don't guarantee I will go. I can teach you."

"Can I learn too?" Bondita asked, amazed. "I never tried dancing."

"No Bondita." Saudamini shook her head. "It's very difficult to learn but you can watch us. It is about teamwork, catching each other's rhythm and understanding."

"I can watch and learn." She looked eager.

"I need to go." Aniruddha walked away.

"Did you ask for me?" Trilochan looked up from work to find Bondita standing there.

"Yes. I saw Saudamini leave. Do you know why she was here?"

"To learn dancing." Trilochan frowned at her words. "What? Who teaches dancing at my house? Ram Ram Ram Ram!"

"Oho." Bondita tapped her forehead with her palm. "None. She and Barrister Babu are going to some party."

"Party?" He looked irked.

"Yes, they said it's dancing for grown-ups." Bondita smiled.

" What is happening in this house?" Trilochan shook his head.

"I said I want to learn too." Trilochan stopped at her words.

"What did they say?" He asked eagerly.

"He said I am a kid." Bondita made a disappointed face.

"Insist on him. You can argue." Trilochan made her look up. "Has it ever happened that you wanted to learn something and someone could say no?"

Trilochan smiled. There was no way Aniruddha would teach her if he said so. He was stubborn. Trilochan was aware of it. But instigating Bondita helped. She would follow them around while they practised.

Bondita's eyes lit up. She would learn something new.

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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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