Skip to main content

City of Joy

Tere mere beech mein hai

Ek parde ki doori.


The train whistled as it chugged through the forestland and greenery of Bengal towards Calcutta. The chimney let out grey clouds of steam, and the wooden planks of the coaches shone in the sun. Bondita sat by the window, looking out at the scenes passing by, rather mesmerised. Her nose was still red from crying. Aniruddha looked concerned from beside her, as she sniffed a little. 


Aniruddha was taken aback by the kind of farewell Bondita was having for a five-day trip away from home. She wiped her tears and hugged Ashapurna, reminded Batuk to give his examination well and even got a pen from Som. To top that, she touched Binoy's and Trilochan's feet and started crying. Trilochan, too, looked teary-eyed as he blessed her to score well. Aniruddha finally had to intervene in this long emotional farewell as she met every house help and instructed them on things before leaving the keys of the house with Trilochan, and reminded her they had a train to catch. Their suitcases lay under the seats, his bigger leather one and her smaller tin one. Beside Aniruddha sat a basket full of food that Koeli packed for the trip.


"Look." Bondita suddenly tucked at his arm, making him look surprised. The wind from the open window had made the saree fall from over her head, and she didn't care to pull it back up as her sindoor seemed to attract his attention. Aniruddha looked at the smile that was missing from her face. They were crossing a river.

"It's so beautiful." He followed her gaze to the scenery outside and nodded. 

"Bondita. Do you remember Pari didi's phone number?" He asked. Her smile disappeared into a frown. 

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, Calcutta is a big city, so knowing someone helps in any case of any trouble." He reminded her.

"Is it very crowded?" She asked.

He nodded.

"Too big?" Her eyes were wider.

"Very."

"But you will be with me all the time, why will I be in trouble?" She shrugged and looked out of the window again. Aniruddha looked up at her casually spoken words with a smile.

"Are there cars?"She asked again, still looking out. 

"Lots of them. Hand-pulled rickshaws. Carriages. And trams too."

"I heard of trams." Bondita looked surprised.

"There are big roads and traffic police too," Aniruddha added. "One has to be really careful when crossing roads."

"What if I get lost in the crowd?" She made him smile.

"You only said I would be there." He reassured her.

"Yes, but what about crowds? People get lost in the mela all the time." She looked scared.

"Then hold my hand tightly in the crowd." He said, holding her hand in his. "I won't let it go. That way you will not get lost." He smiled. Bondita suddenly noticed her hand in his and, nodding with a smile, she shrugged it away. Aniruddha grew conscious and concentrated on the scenery outside. The chugging of the train picked up the pace.


The Great Eastern Hotel was bigger than anything Bondita imagined. She looked around the massive hallway and the stairs, which looked like a dream. And till now she had thought that the boat ride across the Hooghly to reach Calcutta from the station was beautiful. Her mouth remained open as they were led into the room. It consisted of two single beds, with a side table with a lamp in the middle, a dressing table, a wardrobe, a washroom with a bathtub, a dining table for two and a writing desk and shelf. 


"Unpack the things. I will order some food." Aniruddha spoke. "You will rest today and resume studying in the morning." He spoke, removing his shoes. The lack of response made him look up at her. Bondita had undone her braid and stood by the large window overlooking the busy street down below. There were hand-pulled rickshaws, carriages, cars, public transport, and a lot of commotion. So many people doing so many different things together, but the scene seemed oddly in order rather than chaotic. 

"Liking the city?" Aniruddha smiled as he walked up to the window beside her.

"Just a little mesmerised and intimidated." She smiled sheepishly. "It's not like I imagined, but in a good way."

"Come. The room service will arrive soon, so freshen up. Today we will have an English dinner." He smiled while taking out his clothes.

"Why?" She frowned, displeased.

"Because you are here. And we will eat what's famous." He smiled. 


"Fork. Like we say, folk. With an 'R'." He said from across the table as Bondita frowned.

"I am saying that only. Fork!"

"No, Bondita. Too much emphasis on the R." He shook his head. 

"Can I just eat?" She narrowed her eyes. "I am hungry and I don't know how to eat this thing."

"Okay, first let's tell you what we have. We have pie, soup with bread, and custard. Okay?" She nodded. "Now tell me how you learnt to use cutlery sets in grooming class."

This made Bondita happy. A chance to display what she knew. Aniruddha watched her attitude change as she imitated the British. He smiled.

"Have you seen them dine?" He asked. 

"When Baba had some people over for dinner." She giggled, "We weren't allowed inside, but I saw them anyway." She giggled. "Once when I was small, I asked Kakababu if I could dress up like them. You know, the dresses they have are like princesses. So pretty." Aniruddha noticed her dreamy rant with a smile.

"What did he say?" He asked.

"He scolded me. Bondita, respect your culture. Imitation leads you to lose your identity." She copied Trilochan, making Aniruddha laugh. "I understood none of it then."

"Do you, now?" He asked. She nodded. 

"We shouldn't forget our roots, culture and where we belong, in the taste of something we think to be better, something foreign. We can adapt to the good things. And coexist."

Aniruddha nodded, impressed.

"You understood more than I predicted you would."

"Is that why you didn't want to go back?" She asked, making him stare at her face. 

"There are a lot of reasons I didn't go back." He made her stop at her morsel and look up at his face. Their eyes met briefly as she looked away. "But that's for some other time." He smiled. "Finish your food. You must be sleepy. And you need rest to start afresh tomorrow."

She nodded.


After dinner, Bondita arranged her books on the table. Aniruddha sat down on one of the beds and arched. She stood by the table and sighed.

"Can I ask you something?" She spoke. Aniruddha nodded.

"Why do people think a man can balance work and home and a woman can't?" He frowned at her question.

"Someone said something to you? Is that why you have been disturbed and unmindful lately?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. I… just had this thought… leave it." She turned to find him inches away, looking at her with concern. 

"Sit down here." He pulled the chair and made her sit. 

"Bondita, most of us see the world the way society wants us to. Where man provides and woman nurtures. It will probably take ages for everyone to see these roles as gender neutral. That doesn't mean a woman can't do two of those together." He smiled reassuringly at her.

"Look at you. Does the Roy Chowdhury mansion function without you there?"

"Asha is there now." She shrugged.

"Yes. But who does Jetha Moshai rely on with keys? Who does Baba ask when he can't find his things? Who does Batuk ask for help from? Who makes my coffee the way I like?" She looked up at his words.

"Everyone relies on you even when you study. You do everything in balance. You don't compromise on your studies, yet keep the house running. Right? Who can dare say you can't do both?" He raised his eyebrows as she looked up at him. Her face looked a little pale. Somnath's words played on her mind. She gulped.

"Besides, I am really tired, trying to get the perfect coffee from Koeli or Ashapurna." He said almost like he was amused. "So get your examinations over with, and I want my coffee back." She smiled faintly at his words.


"Oh, and before I forget…" Aniruddha walked up to his luggage and took out a box. "I got you this." He sat down on his knees in front of her and took out a pair of new school shoes and socks from the box. "You can't go into a school for your examination in those chappals. You need proper shoes." Bondita looked conscious when he held her foot and put the socks on. "I will teach you to wear this, okay?" She smiled at his words as he placed the shoes on her feet.

"Now walk in them." He instructed.

Bondita stood up with a smile. Her feet looked different. Like those of city girls going to school. She walked around the room as the smile refused to leave her face. 

"Thank you, Barrister Babu." She made him smile.

"You should sleep now. It's late." He spoke, checking his watch. Tomorrow I will go and buy you some exam supplies of stationery and a water bottle. Did you bring your watch?" She nodded.

"I will get some curd tomorrow before you leave for the examination. For good luck." His words made her look surprised. 

"I thought you didn't believe in…"

"I don't, but I know you do." He made her smile.

" Goodnight then." He went across to his bed, and Bondita's smile suddenly disappeared. She sat down on the edge of her bed, her back to him, as she removed the shoes. She suddenly remembered the closed doors and Somnath's taunt again. The closed door was an indication enough, wasn't it? She glanced across her shoulder at his sleeping figure. She needed to move on and concentrate on her studies. She needed to forget her feelings if she didn't want the purity of their purpose and bond to be affected. He was the best mentor she could find, giving wings to her dreams. What else did she need?


Aniruddha stayed still on his side till he heard her lie down. He then turned to look at her sleeping figure and smiled. A few more days and he would make everything all right again. She would understand his reasons. And he would have his Bondita back, this time just a bit differently and a lot more intimately. He blushed at the idea. He wanted to plan something special for her. He could figure out that something was bothering her. But he couldn't understand what. It wasn't only the stress of her examination, for sure. He sighed, eyeing her. He would plan something to get his old cheerful Bondita back.





Popular posts from this blog

My Everything

Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda amidst uncertainty and chaos. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rawat Chundawat, and some other chieftains stopped the ongoing Raj Tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani hadn't expected Kunwar Pratap to show up, that too, despite her conveying to him his father's last wish of crowning Kunwar Jagmal. Twenty-one days after Udai Singh's death, she was finally close to a dream she had dared to dream since Jagmal was born. He was not informed about the Raj Tilak as per Dheerbai's instructions. She eyed Rawat Ji. He must have assembled the chiefs to this revolt against her son, against the dead king. No one except them knew where Kunwar Pratap was staying. It was for the safety of his family. " What are you doing, Chotima?" A disappointed voice was directed at her. She could stoop down so low? For the first time, an anger...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Six

Bondita opened her door in the usual hours of the morning and found Thamma and Jyatha Moshai on the couch in their living room, sipping tea. She had half sat on her bed, leaning against the pillow all night, imagining her plight when she faced Aniruddha in the morning. What if he did not think of it as much as she thought of his actions? What if that was his uncomfortable way of comforting her because she was upset? But what about his eyes, his gestures? Had she misread all of it? Bondita blushed to herself the moment she remembered how his eyes followed her around for the past two days. Bondita was hurrying through her daily chores, eyeing the clock, for she would be late for work and overheard Trilochon lament about things not changing since Binoy left. He thought that things were getting better at home, but as soon as Aniruddha had left for Sunderban, Binoy informed him that he had changed the attorney in charge of his case. Bondita frowned slightly as her hand stopped at wearing th...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Five

“The bride is older than the groom.” Aniruddha heard one of the older villagers speak in a judgmental tone. “No wonder the higher castes don’t attend such atrocities.” He eyed the younger man he was talking to, who smiled. Aniruddha was sitting beside them on a bench in the open courtyard of a house where the wedding rituals were taking place. Tirio and Tumdak were playing rhythmically in a corner as some women danced to the tunes surrounding the new bride and groom. The men sat on the other side of the courtyard.  “Forget about the Brahmins, we don’t expect them to come.” The younger man shook his head. “As for traditions, what is wrong if the bride is older?” He smiled sheepishly at the older man. “What’s wrong? Everything. Master Moshai, you can be educated, but our ancient traditions have reasons. The groom must be older than the bride. It has some reason.” He shook his head. The teacher, in turn, educated the man that it was a perfectly normal Santhali ritual to marry older wo...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Seven

“Why will Bondita not come for Holi?” Asha asked as she inspected the colours, Abir, Pichkiri and balloons Somnath had ordered from Baro Bazaar. He shrugged. “She is scared of colours, I think.” Asha smiled, a little amused at her clueless husband. “She is not ten anymore.” He looked up at her words with a sheepish smile, “Well, I never saw her play Holi, perhaps Dadabhai knows the reason.” Asha contemplated her husband’s words. She did not share a relationship with Aniruddha frank enough for him to share things about Bondita. It would be easier for her to ask Bondita instead. “If you wish for her to come,” Som said, like he could almost read her mind, “Perhaps you can invite her. She won’t say no to you.” Asha nodded. “It will be good to have the whole family together. It's not been so since the wedding.” She smiled. Som agreed as he matched the list with the things. “Yes, and Baba will be coming too, he told me not to tell Jethu, but I was surprised by that.” “Maybe because he an...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Eight

Trilochon was so overwhelmed that Binoy came for the Pujo and Kirtan on Dol Purnima. Their neighbours, friends and acquaintances had all gathered in the Thakur Dalan, first for the pujo when the idol of Sree Radha and Sree Krishna were worshipped in the Dalan, and Horir Loot of Batasha and Naru were distributed. Unlike in the village, people here, especially children, did not fight over the Horir Loot . Bondita and Batuk took part in the ritual like they used to as kids, counting the number of Batasha each of them had, amusing the elders who reminisced about their childhood and how Batuk snatched Bondita’s share and ran as she chased after him, shouting. The Kirtan followed the pujo, the tales of Sree Krishna’s prowess, his Leela and Radha’s sacrifice were sung with the sounds of Dhol and Khanjani . It followed the devotional songs praising Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his praises to Lord Krishna. Bondita not only liked the stories of Kirtan but also how the crowd joined in the singing and...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Four

“You are cheating, he can’t play!” Bondita was attracted by the commotion downstairs as she opened the window of her room. She walked out to the balcony to inspect it. It was Sunday, and Padma had promised to make Chicken Curry, knowing Bondita had invited Tapur to join them for lunch. In the courtyard was a group of boys, probably Sidhu’s friends, with a broken pipe for a bat, a wooden plank for a wicket kept between two bricks and a rubber ball, arguing over a game of cricket. Bondita’s eyes stopped at Aniruddha, marking a line with chalk and then measuring feet using steps to mark the boundaries. Bondita looked amused at the sight. “Batuk. You went out fair and square; give me the bat.” Bondita put her hands on her waist as she commanded. Batuk refused to part with his new bat. Som frowned at his brother. “She is right; it was a clean bowl. Give her the bat!” Som commanded. “I was not ready.” Batuk shook his head. “She knew that.” “It's still out.” Bondita frowned. Aniruddha wal...

Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

The Difficulties

“The best of our characters are often reflected in our children.” Kunwar Shakta had visited the court at Udaipur after a Turk marriage offer was turned down by Rana Udai Singh for the third time for one of his Princesses. The Ranimahal at Chittorgarh buzzed with rumours of him warning his father about the consequences of enemity with the Turks and also about the impending doom of Mewar. He had apparently irked Kunwar Partap by suggesting a peace alliance with the Timurids was beneficial to Mewar. Rana Udai Singh, in his anger, had banished him from his court. Kunwar Shakta had sworn not to be associated with the royal family any further and to join allies with the Turks. Rawat Chundawat was calm enough to pacify the angry prince and offer him to shift to Bassi and give his decision a second thought. However, Kunwar Partap had refused to abandon Chittor, defying his father’s orders for a shift to the newly founded capital with his Ranimahal. He wanted to stay at Chittorgarh, which...

Scheme of Things

The ousting of Shams Khan and his troops from Chittorgarh earned Kunwar Partap Singh overnight fame across the land as tales of his bravery made their way through the dunes and hills, across rivers and borders to lands far and beyond. At thirteen, he had commanded an army troop to take over the fort of Chittorgarh and restore Mewar’s borders to their former glory. People started comparing him to his forefathers, the great Rana Kumbha, who built forts across Mewar and his grandfather, Rana Sanga, who had united all Rajputs against external threats. As bards sang praises of the prince, gossip soon followed. Gossip was the most entertaining one could get in the mundane city lives and village gatherings, and it often travelled faster than the fastest Marwadi horse. So alongside the tales of his absolute bravery and how he hoisted the Mewari flag on the fort, were the stories of how his life was in danger, the king and queen did not quite get along and how he was made to live in poverty by ...

Endless

Kunwar Pratap reached the Dangal. Ranima had ordered Ajabdeh to practise regularly. She was nowhere around since he woke up that morning. He had assumed she was with Ranima for the morning prayers, but then she was not in the Dangal on time, either. Ajabdeh was never late. He felt a little uneasy as he picked up the sword. A thunder made him look up at the gloomy sky as he felt the first drop of rain. A little wet, he ran through the corridors.   Ajabdeh had woken up feeling unwell. He was sleeping after a tiring day, so she decided against calling him and, more, worrying him. She bathed, hoping to feel better, performed her puja and went to the gardens for some fresh air. Still feeling uneasy in the gloomy weather, she decided that playing with Parvati might make her feel better. After some talk with Bhago and playing with Parvati, she stood up from the floor and felt dizzy. Bhago caught her hand. " Are you all right?" " I just felt a little dizzy. I don't know why...