Main teri aankhon mein
Dekhu sapna mera
"The newspaper says your results are out at noon today." Aniruddha put the paper down on the breakfast table and tapped on the section on it. "I will go check the results myself." He declared. "Bihari, get the car ready." He indulged in the bread, speaking swiftly as Bondita rushed by his side to spread the butter on it.
"I will pack some lunch." Ashapurna insisted, rushing back to the kitchen. Batuk looked flushed as Somnath gave him a reassuring pat on his back.
"Why don't you take the day off from chores?" Trilochan asked Bondita.
"No, I am fine." She looked up at Aniruddha's reassuring face.
"All the best to both of you." Binoy smiled, folding his newspaper back up.
"I am not hungry anymore." Batuk left for his room.
"I will go check on him," Bondita reassured Trilochan, who slipped away to offer a quick prayer to the Goddess.
Batuk was pacing his room, but sat down on the bed the moment Bondita walked in.
"What's done is done." She tried to lighten the mood as she went through some books on his table.
"I know." Batuk shrugged, facing the window overlooking the lawns.
"We can't really change what we wrote." Bondita urged again.
"Uh-huh." He agreed.
"Honestly, I am also scared." Batuk turned at her words.
"You are a far better student than I am. " He smiled sheepishly.
“It’s not enough, Batuk. You are aware of what he expects of me.” Bondita looked scared. “And he left without a word to me. It was intimidating.” She inhaled, trying to control her racing heart.
“Let’s go sit on the porch and wait till Dada arrives,” he said, making her nod.
Though the entire Roy Chowdhury house went about their daily chores, everyone was anxious. Binoy kept checking his watch for the time, Trilochan offered a soft prayer to the goddess every now and then, and Asha kept on checking her two friends who sat like statues on the porch stairs, eyes on the gates of the estate.
“Batuk, tamarind?” He refused Asha’s offer. Asha looked worried. “Perhaps a slice of Mango, Didibhai?” Bondita’s lack of response made Ashapurna retreat back into the house.
The sound of the car made both Bondita and Batuk’s hearts thud as Aniruddha drove up the driveway. His face was unreadable and serious. Dismissing both of their presence, Aniruddha walked up the stairs and towards the study, prompting them to look at each other, a little pale and follow in silence.
“Aniruddha!” Trilochan walked up to the threshold of the study at the sight of him, followed closely by Binoy, Somnath and Ashapurna in tow. Bihari and Koeli stood a little further away, folding their hands in prayer and anticipation.
Aniruddha kept down the files of paper he held with both hands and searched them for pieces of paper. He turned to see Batuk and Bondita on their heels just behind him.
“This one 's Batuk.” His tone was rather monotonous. “He has done okay for himself.” Aniruddha’s limited praise made Batuk frown. “55% is good, I guess.”
Binoy and Trilochan stared at each other, relieved as Batuk smiled.
“I didn’t even expect this much, honestly. Most in our village don’t get above 50%,” He confessed.
“Well, most in our village aren't Roy Chowdhury.” Somnath smiled. “Congratulations.”
“You have done well, indeed.” Binoy agreed. “I didn’t expect you to be very good, given your academics were never good enough like Aniruddha or Somnath.”
“He could have done better.” Aniruddha’s plain voice made Batuk’s heart sink. “I taught him better.” Bondita looked up at his face. Her heart thudded in her chest. He had so many expectations from Batuk, what about her?
“What about Bondita?” Trilochan looked eager, either to know her result or steer Aniruddha’s attention away from Batuk or perhaps, both.
Aniruddha sighed, looking at the piece of paper in his hand. Bondita looked at his face, trying hard to read it.
“Well?” Binoy asked eagerly.
Trilochan didn’t wait for his answer, as he snatched the paper from Aniruddha’s hand to have a look at it.
“62.5% !” He gasped as though he could not believe it. “She scored more than Aniruddha, too!” Binoy looked a little wide-eyed, and Ashapurna and Batuk smiled in awe at each other, proud of their friend.
“Batuk could have made those marks useful.” Somnath spoke under his breath to his wife before speaking up, “Congratulations, Boudi.”
Bondita was too numb to speak. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the paper in Trilochan’s hand and back at Aniruddha. His eyes were proud, his smile, happiest.
“You did it.” He nodded as Bondita finally managed a smile. This was no dream she was hoping to snap out of; it was real! “You did it, Bondita, you scored the highest, not only now, but in the entire history of Tulsipur.” Aniruddha leaned forward, holding her shoulders firmly as if to jerk her awake from her trance.
“We did it.” She managed as tears trickled down her cheeks. “We did it, Barrister Babu. Together!” She jumped in joy and looked back at Batuk, who joined with a proud clap.
“I am so proud of you,” he smiled.
“We all are!” Asha added. “I will go get Roshogolla.” She rushed inside, followed by the house help. Somnath shook his head as Batuk noticed him with a frown. Trilochan was still staring at the result while Binoy peeped in to check the details.
“We did it.” Aniruddha agreed with a nod, leaning down to her height.
“I feel like dancing.” Bondita jumped.
“Me too.” Batuk agreed.
“Then we should. Nothing stops us today!” Aniruddha agreed.
Trilochan looked up in shock to see his eldest nephew being the child, participating in a chicken dance with his youngest brother while Bondita clapped and joined in, her saree falling from her head.
“Bouma!” His gasp made Bondita aware of his and Binoy’s presence as she stopped. Aniruddha noticed that and spoke up, “So what do we do today?” he asked, ignoring the stares of his uncle.
“Kulfi!” Batuk suggested. Bondita agreed.
“ I have a better idea, what about a rooftop dinner party?” Aniruddha made them look surprised.
“A Party?” Batuk’s eyes widened, “You said I can’t go to one till I am twenty!”
“Yes, but this is just us. Somnath can bring cake, and surely Asha can make some food.”
“And we will have candles and decorations!” Bondita clapped excitedly.
“And a fountain?” Batuk asked.
“Let’s not go overboard, Batuk!” Binoy warned.
“And music and dance?” Bondita said almost in a whisper. Aniruddha nodded.
“I can teach Asha to do ball dance!” She giggled, making him frown a bit.
“I will go get the arrangements done. '' he said,'' And we will have ice cream.”
Trilochan shook his head and walked away as Binoy too left for work. Batuk was staring at his result like he couldn’t believe it was his when Bondita walked out, following Aniruddha.
“Wait, Barrister Babu?” She made him stop.
“What is it, Bondita? Do you want something from the market?” He asked. Bondita knelt before a taken-aback Aniruddha and touched his feet.
“What are you doing?” He said in a rather uncomfortable scolding tone, “You know I don’t appreciate…”
“From a wife, yes.” She spoke, getting up with a smile to face him. “From a student, you should. Thank you for being my Sikshak babu.” She smiled. Aniruddha smiled back. “Well, I'd better not argue with the future Barrister!” He teased Bondita. Her smile faded.
“When do you… plan to talk to Kakakbabu?” She asked a little unsure, “I am sure he will be upset hearing we plan to…”
“Today is about your first success. Let’s not think ahead, hmm?” He reminded her with a smile and walked away.
When Ashapurna first saw Aniruddha take Bondita's hand for a waltz, her eyes sparkled. Then she looked across at her husband, sipping a drink whose smell she didn't quite like. Much to the detest of both his elder sibling as well as his wife, Somnath had recently taken up another of his father's "royal bad habits" on his hunting trip. Aniruddha was too happy that day to indulge in a conversation about the ill effects of alcohol with his full-grown brother, while Ashapurna was never asked. She cleared her throat to start a conversation with him as soon as Batuk got up to join Aniruddha and Bondita.
"I never quite got the chance to ask how your hunting trip was." She spoke rather unsure.
"Why, have you not seen the animal skins we brought with us?" He smirked proudly. Of course, she had. Binoy had laid down his son's first kill, a Sambar deer, on display in his trophy room. The deer's helpless eyes haunted her.
"I did. I meant, how it was as an experience."
"Oh!" Somnath sipped the remaining of his drink down and spoke with a smile, "It's very tough. Sit noiselessly for prey for hours. My respect for carnivores has increased."
"You didn't write to me." She said rather awkwardly.
"Oh, but I did," he frowned ", Did it not reach you?" He shrugged. "Must have got lost in the mail." He spoke, shuffling a pack of cards.
"What did you write in it?" Ashapurna asked eagerly.
"About hunting a few deer, boars, and almost chancing upon a bear." He shrugged as her smile faded.
"Umm… you didn't ask me how my week was?" She urged.
"I suppose just like the others, boring and buried in household chores?" Somnath amused himself with a chuckle.
"No." Ashapurna's jaws tightened. "As a matter of fact, I helped with the school. Studied a few books. Went to get tamarind and mangoes with Didibhai like old times and even played hopscotch." She smiled "In Fact she wanted me to help with the school even after…" She stopped noticing how her husband's mood changed from amused to firm.
"You refused, of course." He urged.
"Of course." She nodded. "I know I am not allowed."
Somnath abruptly got up. Ashapurna followed as he stumbled his balance a little. She feared Aniruddha might see, but he was too busy teaching Batuk to use the pocket watch he had got for him. Ashapurna thanked the heavens as she tried to hold on to her husband, who jerked her hand off as they moved down the stairs.
"You mean to say if you were allowed, you would do it. You are taking me as the villain of your life?" Somnath frowned. Ashapurna's face turned pale.
"I said no such thing." She shook her head.
"You meant it. Your husband isn't as good as hers?" Somnath's voice was taunting. "He doesn't let you expose yourself to people to display your intelligence to the world?"
"What are you saying?" Ashapurna whispered. "Please don't create a scene here. We can speak of it alone."
"We will. Now." Somnath spoke as he held her hand firmly, as it ached.
"You are intoxicated. You are not in your right mind." Ashapurna shook her head. "I only spend time with them because I feel like I will be left alone without my friends when they move to college."
"College?" Somnath let out a chuckle."Will he actually send Bondita to college? I thought it was just another of his crazy ideas."
"What's amusing? She scored more than even you." Somnath pushed Ashapurna into the room, looking enraged. "DO NOT compare me with her." He pointed his finger at his scared wife, "Understand?"
Ashapurna gulped.
"And you. I can find a perfect solution to your problem, and that is not studying." He spoke as he shut the door.
Bondita looked a little tense as Batuk, Aniruddha, and she played cards.
"Asha went downstairs to put Som Dada to bed. She should have been back." She said aloud at last.
"Play your hand. You are losing. " Batuk spoke instead. Aniruddha looked up at her troubled face.
"What if he rebuked her for helping with the school?" Bondita paced the room late at night as Aniruddha was forced to shut the book he was reading.
"Why do you always take things on yourself?" He shrugged. "This was your day. You made it about…"
"You don't understand my fear." She shook her head.
"Then tell me. But only if we can do something about it. Provided she wants us to. Otherwise, we can't get between them. It's wrong." He shook his head and got back to the book. Bondita gave him a stare and went to lie down on her bed.
"We will talk to Jetha Moshai first thing tomorrow." His voice seemed to reach her ears, not register in her mind. She inhaled. One battle was won; it was time to prepare for another.
