"Yes Jomidar Babu, she is a pure Ghoti. " The Ghatak spoke.
"You know we don't bring Bangal Bou from Padma paar. (beyond the River Padma)" Trilochan eyed the man.
“Bouma?” He called out as Ghotok Thakur stood pleased. “Bondita? Mejo Bouma?” He called out louder. The sounds of anklets made the Ghatak aware as the women came down the stairs. He was usually used to women standing behind curtains or purdahs in the living rooms of big houses. Although both these women had their ghomtas drawn they made no attempts to hide their faces. He wasn’t used to such ideas around the villages.
“Look at this one.” Trilochan handed the picture to Bondita who took it to Ashapurna and both of them smiled in agreement.
“She looks sharp,” Ashapurna spoke first. “Her hair is like Maa Dugga.”
“Does she study?” Bondita’s question surprised Ghatak.
“She knows how to read and write.” He nodded. Bondita shook her head.
“No, I mean our deyor will stay abroad, she needs to be educated enough.” The Ghatak looked puzzled.
“Oh, she can learn.” Trilochan was quick to add.
“I have another one, that is studying for matriculation.” The man spoke, making Trilochan look up.
“Ghatak Thakur, do you want me to give you a muhurat for bringing that up?” He retorted.
“I apologise, Jomidar Moshai.” He shook his head as he brought out another Kundli and a picture from his bag. “I have to check the kundlis though.” He added quickly. Bondita took the picture of the girl from Trilochan
“Shyam borna.” He commented clearly indicating he liked the other girl more.
“What is her name?” Bondita asked.
“Tupur Rani.” The Ghatak smiled. “The family is very well known in Barrackpore. They have houses, fields, business, farming….” Trilochan made him stop.
“First check the Kundli.” The man nodded.
“If it matches, should I inform her guardian? She already has another good match.”
“A good match?” Trilochan spoke in rebuke “Anyone would be honoured to give their daughters to Roy Chowdhury.”
“ Her father is not like that. He has almost chosen a clerical government worker for her.” The ghotok spoke.
“Then hurry up with your match, will you?” Trilochan rebuked. The man bowed and left in a hurry. Bondita eyed the picture and smiled at Ashapurna.
Batuk was sitting with the newspaper going through the jobs section. He was circling out everything, from the requirements of history teachers to opportunities abroad. The bombings had put a pause on his plans but he should have backups just in case. He stopped to look up at Ashapurna and Bondita at his threshold, smiling at him amused. Batuk frowned.
“What is it?”
Bondita placed the picture over his newspaper as he looked down at it.
“How is she?”
“I can’t believe this.” Batuk shook his head. “You found a random person so easily.”
“Oh, looks like he is blushing.” Ashapurna giggled as Bondita smiled.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Boudi.” He shook his head. “I am worried about my career and you two…” He stopped as Poritosh’s cries rang through the silent afternoon. Ashapurna rushed to attend to the child, as Bondita sat down on the bed. Batuk glanced over his shoulder at her.
“What will you take to leave me alone?” He asked as Bondita smiled.
“The truth.” Batuk raised his eyebrows at her words.
“What?”
“I have known you since we were eight, I know you better than anyone else in this house, Batuk. You don’t want to get married. I want to know why.” Bondita asked, twirling the end of her anchol with her hand as Batuk stood up.
“Don’t you think this is hurried?” He shrugged “I mean I don’t want to get married just because I need someone to take care of me abroad. Or that Jetha Moshai fears I will get someone there.” Batuk made Bondita nod. “I want to be married because I want to spend the rest of my life with someone who shares my ideas. Like you and Dada.”
“Well, we didn’t choose to be…” Bondita started as Batuk stopped her.
“But you know what I mean.”
“I do.” Bondita nodded.
“Then help me, Maa Bondita.” He pleaded with his hands folded as Bondita giggled.
“Alright, we will reject this one.” She shrugged.
“Jetha Moshai will bring another,” Batuk spoke.
“We will keep delaying and rejecting till you find something and leave, suddenly.” Bondita smiled.
“He will be disappointed.” Batuk frowned.
“Better than you deciding your life on his ideas.” Bondita shook her head. Batuk agreed. “Leave it to me.” She reassured him.
“Bondita? Bondita!” Aniruddha’s call rang through the corridor as Batuk smiled.
“What will he do without you?” He stuck out his tongue as Bondita narrowed her eyebrows.
“Wait, I am telling your Dada what you just said!”
“No no no no.” Batuk looked scared “Boudi, please.” Bondita giggled.
“Bondita?” Aniruddha called again.
“Uff, ashchi.”
Calcutta was declared safe after almost three months of turmoil due to the war and despite Trilochan’s opposition both Batuk and Aniruddha decided it was time to leave Tulsipur. The court was back to its normal functioning and Aniruddha needed to be in Calcutta. Most importantly since Bondita was now graduated, he wanted her to be his co-council in some of the cases he dealt with. Another small awaited step for Bondita as she was about to enter the courtroom.
Although most of her job involved assisting Aniruddha with paperwork and evidence, the excitement of being present in the courtroom, hearing Aniruddha fight for his client, and learning from him, made Bondita feel she was living a dream. She would often tie her neckband improperly, making him adjust it for her, smiling as he did so with pride, as they walked side by side, file in hand, in their black gowns and neckbands through the corridors of the High Court of Calcutta into courtrooms and hearings. By now she had confided in Birendra that Aniruddha was in fact her husband, and he was shocked for he had spent hours with Bondita behind Aniruddha’s back discussing how grumpy he was as a senior. Embarrassed as he was, Birendra found a sister in Bondita much to his delight. Working with Aniruddha also meant that when Sampoorna was unavailable for babysitting Patralekha, due to her newly flourishing singing classes, they could adjust their schedules accordingly. Bondita felt happy to skip a day or two and spend time with Patralekha as well as run errands for the house as did Aniruddha at times.
The war situation was better, but it had given the much-needed opportunity to the rise of the freedom movement. The streets were often agitated and people were now openly in support of the revolutionaries. Everyone wanted the British Raj to leave. The famine, drought, pandemic and economic failures that they had brought upon the country that was once called the golden bird, were now a flaw everyone could see across the world, with their naked eyes. Amid these agitations Bondita often in her solitude remembered Debaditya, Maheshda or Manorama. She had had the privilege of knowing some of the bravest of fighters. Perhaps the world would never know their name, but Bondita would never forget them. She wondered what happened to the men who used to run the revolutionary activities at Tulsipur. Where were they now?
Poila Baisakh was approaching. Although not being at Tulsipur meant missing out on the puja, feast and new clothes as well as the crowd of guests, Bondita had decided to go to the market herself, to get a few nice frocks for Patralekha. Patralekha was happily playing with Mohi at Latika’s place while she ran her errands and ended up at the children’s dress shop. Usually, most of Patralekha’s dresses and frocks were made either by Sampoorna or Ashapurna. Bina Pishima sometimes knit her sweaters. Prabha had sent some really fashionable clothes to both Ashutosh and her. But Bondita had no time to sew or knit for her daughter. A part of her felt guilty and wanted to compensate for it with her own hard-earned money. The little she managed to earn in the internship she had saved to buy Patralekha some things. She had selected some nice frocks and a churidar set and walked out with the packets in hand, under the scorching afternoon sun. Wiping her forehead with the end of her anchol she made her way across the street towards the house.
On the way, where the tram lines bent into stops for the passengers to get down at, sat a woman on the edge of the pavement, dressed flashily in a sequenced red saree, and makeup. Her lips were drawn bright red, her hair dishevelled and her face powdered. Her eyes were drawn with Kajol. She seemed like she had sobbed. She was requesting water from passersby but everyone seemed to ignore her presence. Some of the women dragging their children along even looked disgusted at her. It didn’t take Bondita much time to realise which “prohibited” part of the city she was from.
Bondita went up to the curb where she sat and held out her water bottle towards the woman. The woman looked up at her face. She indicated the water. The woman smiled.
“Aren’t you afraid of your society?” She spoke almost amused. “Coming near women like me would spoil you.” Bondita shook her head.
“My husband tells me everyone should be treated the same way. That is the law. That is humanity.”
The woman looked amused again, “Did he even think you would apply that to women like us?”
“I am sure he won’t mind me offering water to a thirsty stranger.” Bondita pushed the bottle into her hand, as she drank from it. It looked like she had been wandering for a long time. Bondita noticed the passersby's judgemental stares as she sat down beside the woman, almost startling her.
“Why were you crying?” Her question made the woman search for her tiny purse and take out a mirror.
“My, My! I do look scary.” She spoke as she took out a handkerchief from the same purse and the smell of cheap Attar hit Bondita’s nostrils. “Nothing to worry you with, dear.” She shook her head.
“My mother says if you share your woes, your trouble reduces,” Bondita spoke as she eyed her watch. “So tell me, nobody else will ask you. Besides, I would need to leave soon. My baby is with the neighbour.” The woman looked up at her words.
“I have a son too. I don’t know whose.” The second sentence came almost as a joke. Bondita looked up.
The woman looked young, probably younger than her.
“I have a daughter.”
“I barely see him, you know. The kind of work we do…” The woman shrugged. “I am Suraiya Bai, by the way.”
“I am Bondita.” Bondita folded her hands to a namaskar, which surprised the woman. “And I don’t see my daughter often either. I work…”
“You are a teacher?” Suraiya Bai made an assumption as she rubbed the smudged kajal off her eyelids. Bondita shook her head.
“I am a barrister, and so is my husband.” Suraiya Bai froze as she observed Bondita.
“ If I believed there was a god, I would say you are god sent.” She almost spoke in disbelief, “You can help me after all. At least guide me …” Bondita nodded.
“Our Kothi near Kalighat is owned by Seth. Our girls have been there since his father’s generation. Now before handing over properties to his son, who wants to give them off to builders, he wants to remove us from the Kothi.”
“You are tenants?”
The woman nodded, “The paper is with our Kothi head, Rasiya Bai.”
“Did he threaten you?” Bondita asked almost immediately, sounding worried.
“Yes, he threw some of our things out today and even hurt some of our boys, and used hired goons to scare us away. He is offering us a small house in some village and money. It won’t help us at all so Rasiya Bai refused him. Now we are all split up, looking for help from all our clients.” She shook her head. “It seems none of these people who willingly come to our bed, even want to recognize us in broad daylight, let alone help us.”
“If you don’t mind, can I talk to Rasiya Bai? And see the papers?”
The woman nodded. “I will tell her about you. But where do I find you, Barrister Madam?” Bondita smiled. She searched her bag and found Aniruddha’s card with the address of the chamber on it. “Here. This is my husband’s card. Come by any time.” The woman nodded as she stood up.
“So you want to help them?” Aniruddha asked while inspecting Patralekha’s new clothes and Bondita cradled her in her arms.
“Yes. I want us to help them.” Bondita smiled “I felt so bad today, at how people didn’t even want to give her water. She is doing the best she can. They can’t throw these people away by force. They are not garbage. Neither did they choose this life. Right, Barrister Babu?”
Aniruddha nodded. He was proud of her.
“You know what, I have an idea.” Bondita looked up at his words. “I think it is time you fought your own independent case.”
“But…”
“You see Bondita, you have been working under me for the last two years, and even after your graduation, there was a good six months gap due to the bombing. You have done brilliantly as an intern and I as a mentor think you are ready.”
“I don’t want my mistake to cost a client…” Bondita spoke a little unsure.
“Bondita.” Aniruddha got up to walk up to her as she faced him, “Trust me this fear remains throughout the career. No matter how many cases you deal with, each one is unique and mistakes are bound to happen. We are humans. We learn from them.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“I suggest you take this case up independently. Not only will it be good for your career and experience, but it will also give a clear message to society that women stand up for women. Nobody is alone or helpless.” Bondita looked up at his words.
“Are you sure, Barrister Babu?”
“Yes, I am Barrister Babu.” Aniruddha smiled, reassuringly patting her head.
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