“It’s a small space,” Aniruddha spoke, keeping down the luggage in front of the main door of a large but not so well-maintained mansion as he knocked on the door using the rusty knob twice, wiping some sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief after that. They had taken a ferry from the station, across the river, and got on to a hand-pulled rickshaw to reach this narrow lane where he had rented the apartment. The location was convenient, he had reminded her many times during their otherwise quiet journey. It was in the vicinity of her University, and nearby to the Courthouse as well.
Bondita narrowed her eyes at his tone. She surely didn’t expect a large mansion for a temporary living. Why was he so conscious of space? Before she could speak her mind the door opened and a middle-aged man, in a white dhoti and a white undershirt, frowned at them. He was bald and had a mixture of white and black hair on the sideburns as well as on the thick moustache. He stared at them like he was trying to recollect who they were.
“Nomoskar Banerjee Babu. Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury.” The man’s face immediately changed into a welcoming smile as he nodded. “I called yesterday.” Aniruddha reminded him just to be sure.
“Yes, Yes. Ginni? O, Ginni?” He suddenly looked in a hurry “Wait here. Ginni?” He went inside, holding his dhoti up as Bondita managed to catch a glimpse inside. The narrow doorway led to a courtyard where lines of wet clothes were getting dried in the sun. The floor was scrubbed wet from the looks of it, and a few women sat on one side of the courtyard, drying chillies. Banerjee Babu’s hurried call made them look up at the door and at each other.
“Must be new tenants.” They talked among themselves.
“Do a lot of… tenants live in this house?” Bondita asked, a bit alarmed, drawing her anchol over her head, seeing Bannerjee Babu approach them again with his wife. Aniruddha nodded. Banerjee Babu introduced them to his wife. “Sorry to keep you waiting. My better half Sarala. She won’t let Bouma come in without a welcome. It’s a tradition in this house.” He smiled sheepishly at Aniruddha. Sarala Devi was healthy, middle-aged, and wore a cotton saree. She carried a plate with a lamp and Dhaan Dubba on it and welcomed the new tenants with a smile. Bondita smiled back at her as she welcomed them. She promptly touched the older woman’s feet, taking Aniruddha by surprise.
“Welcome home, Bouma.” Sarala Devi spoke, as one of the other tenants rushed to hold the plate for her, to help her loosen the bunch of keys from the end of her saree. Bondita’s smile faded at those words. A few months ago, those exact same words made her feel at home. Now, she was perhaps a bird who lost her way, looking for a temporary shelter in the storm. Sarala Devi handed Bondita the key.
“Here’s your key. Come, I will show you the room.” She looked up at her husband who nodded and left. She took the new tenants up the stairs. The stairway had rusty railings, and the floor was red. Bondita suddenly missed the black and white Italian tiles at home. Bondita walked behind her, observingly. Small plantations were peeking out of cracks in the walls of the house. She could sense the eyes of the ladies in the courtyard on her. They were whispering among themselves. Aniruddha followed right behind her with the luggage. They had paid the rickshaw puller to bring the rest of their luggage up in exchange for a tip.
“Most of the tenants stay on the first floor.” Sarala Devi pointed. “See those rooms.” She showed them around. “All are occupied.”
“How many….” Bondita stopped unsure.
“There are twenty-three families here, excluding us, and the left wing is for the Bachelor’s mess. They have a separate entry, don't worry.” Sarala Devi was quick to add. “ About ten men live there. Mostly clerks. They work in banks and government offices.” She led them up one more flight of stairs. “Those men are very helpful with difficult chores.”
“Aniruddha Babu said you needed a bigger apartment with a washroom. All tenants have common washrooms here. We assumed that you had children.” She smiled at a wide-eyed Bondita. She glanced over her shoulder at her husband who seemed pretending not to hear the conversation as he took the luggage up, engaging in a conversation with the rickshaw puller about the market nearby.
“We stay in the left wing of the second floor. The right-wing has two apartments. One is locked as of now. We are looking for tenants. Nobody is ready to pay high prices here. The other…” She showed the door, and opened the large lock on the door with one of the keys in her bunch “Is yours now.” She pointed at a spiral staircase at the end of the common corridor balcony “That leads to the roof. Everyone uses it.” Bondita nodded. “Be there early in the morning if you need more space.”
“Do you need help settling in? Should I send someone?” Sarala Devi asked politely. Aniruddha shook his head.
“No, that is not needed. Thank you so much.” He smiled. “We will manage.”
“ If you live here we have a few rules. Don’t be formal with us, we are neighbours. Call me Mashima. And if you need anything at all, be free to ask for help.” She smiled a warm smile at Bondita.”In case you get late from work, the main door closes by nine. The situation in Calcutta owing to the movement... “ She stopped “Be careful around here.” She said particularly at Bondita who nodded.
Bondita crossed over the threshold of the empty apartment and looked around. The door opened into a room with four windows reaching to the floor and a shelf on one of the walls. The room led to a smaller room with a single window and a small shelf, a small washroom and a kitchen with a slab to cook on. She visualised the empty rooms to be decorated the way she wanted them to be. One of the perks of living alone was that. At home, back in Tulsipur, every piece of curtain or decoration had to be approved by Trilochan. The thought of home made her sigh.
“It is small but…” Aniruddha cleared his throat again as he paid off the rickshaw puller.
“But enough,” Bondita spoke, tying the end of her saree on her waist. “Let’s get to work. Go to the market. I need a broom, bucket, mug, and utensils.” She looked around. “Should I write them down?”
“I will remember Madam.” He nodded as she narrowed her eyes at him. Aniruddha smiled faintly and walked away. Bondita sighed and opened one of the large windows. It overlooked the busy street outside. The noise of people, cars and horns was ear-deafening. How did people in the city live in peace? She wondered as she remembered Trilochan’s words. What if she hated the city too?
Bondita got to work. She took out a few books, a picture of the family, their Calcutta couple picture, her Sindur Kouto, a hand mirror, a comb, and his perfume bottle and placed them up on the rack of the inner room. She placed a small idol of Maa Durga she had carried from home, up on the shelf of the living room and folded her hands.
“Bouma?” Sarala Devi made her turn as she arrived with a jug of water. “Here is some water. Where is your husband?” She looked around. A sudden honk on the streets down below made Bondita jump.
“Don’t worry my dear.” Sarala Devi smiled. “It takes a while to get used to the noise.”
“It is ear-deafening.” She smiled sheepishly, noticing the jug in Sarala’s hand and taking it.
“Oh, Dhonnobad Mashima. He has gone to get brooms.” She smiled.”We will start cleaning up.”
“Don’t worry about lunch.” Sarala Devi insisted “I will send some over. My daughter will be back from college by afternoon, she will bring it to you.” Bondita looked up at her words.
Bondita asked eagerly “Your daughter goes to college?”
“Oh yes. Her father insists. The man we fixed her marriage to is a scholar so he needs a woman with a degree.” Sarala Devi nodded.
“What is her subject?” Bondita urged.
“Bengali.” Sarala Devi shook her head “I have not even stepped into a school so don’t ask me for details.” She looked at Bondita smiling faintly “Come down to the courtyard in the evening. All the ladies have tea there. I will introduce you to the neighbours.” Bondita nodded a bit unsure at her words. “Tell me, what does your husband do?”
“He is a barrister.” Bondita smiled.
“Oh very well.” Sarala Devi spoke, “Mine has a business in Boro Bazaar.” Bondita nodded.
“Do you have any furniture?” Sarala Devi asked, looking around. Bondita shook her head.
“Then do tell your husband to talk to mine. We have some in the storeroom, we can rent them out to you, till you buy your own.”
Sarala Devi’s words came as a welcome relief to Bondita.
“I will Mashima, thank you. It means a lot.” She smiled.
“Oh don’t be so formal. When I came here with your Meshomoshai from the village, I was scared of the big city too. I am here if you need help.”
“You are from the village too?” Bondita asked eagerly.
“Yes, Deenpur. I got married into this household when I was around ten. This house was made by his great-grandfather. Now it is more of a liability, hence we rent it out to pay for repairs.”
“We have a house in Tulsipur,” Bondita spoke consciously. “Umm… I mean…”
“My husband said you are Zamindars.” Sarala Devi spoke like she didn’t believe it. Bondita nodded. “My Kakababu is…. Err… kaka...Shoshur moshai…” Sarala Devi gasped.
“Then why are you here?” Sarala asked rather suspiciously, “Can't you stay with the mother-in-law? I understand. Mine is a headache.” She laughed. Bondita shook her head.
“My mother-in-law passed away when my husband was a child. I am here to study law.” A small gasp escaped Sarala’s lips. She had grasped the idea of women going to college, teaching, and indulging in professions even, through the constant words of her daughter. She assumed these women were in appearance and nature different from the housewives she was accustomed to. However, Bondita was exactly the kind of woman who at first appearance looked to her as if she was one of her own kind.
“You will study law? To teach?” Sarala Devi enquired.
Bondita was about to answer her query when Aniruddha arrived, making Sarala Devi leave in a hurry.
“Mashima said we can rent some furniture from them. You should talk to Meshomoshai.” She spoke inspecting the things he had brought. “She is also kind enough to offer us lunch.”
“That is good. So tell me where to start.” Aniruddha spoke, rolling up his sleeves as Bondita looked a little wide-eyed.
“You… will clean?” She asked with raised eyebrows. Aniruddha frowned “Why not?”
“Have you ever…” Bondita couldn’t finish her sentence as he grabbed the broom from her hand and started dusting a corner of the room. The dust flew into his nose and made him sneeze. Bondita let out a laugh.
“Here.” She promptly took a handkerchief from the bag, and placed it on his nose “Try this.” Eyes met as she looked rather amused, and he nodded. They spend the entire day cleaning the floor and setting the trunk of clothes up in a corner to act like a wardrobe.
“We need a cupboard to keep clothes in,” Bondita spoke. “And a mirror.”
“And a bed.” Aniruddha spoke nonchalantly “I wonder how much all that would cost.”
“We can do without a bed as of now. The mattress on the floor will be fine.” Bondita insisted “We have a lot of expenses ahead. The University fees…”
“I forgot to enquire about the scholarship. If you get it, it will solve a lot of the problems. I will go to the University tomorrow to enquire about it.” He reassured Bondita who prayed in silence. After relatively setting up the room, Aniruddha went over to the Banerjee’s to talk about the furniture while Bondita was offered lunch by Sarala Devi.
“My daughter isn’t home yet.” She sighed. “Why don’t you both come over for lunch?”
“Oh, we don’t want to trouble you.” Bondita shook her head.
“It is no trouble at all. If I had a son…” Sarala Devi stopped. “Come along. I will show you my home.”
Bondita could overhear Aniruddha talk of the furniture that would be cleaned and delivered to their apartment the next day. Meanwhile, Banerjee Babu ordered one of his servants to bring out the mattress from the store room and deliver it to their apartment.
“We keep the main door open all the time.” Sarala Devi spoke as Bondita offered to help her in the kitchen “The tenants here are all trustworthy.” She nodded. “The main entrance of the house is locked instead..”
“Tell me how long have you two been married?” Sarala Devi’s question made Bondita glance over at Aniruddha sitting on the sofa while Banerjee Babu spoke of his feats in business.
“Umm… almost a year.” She smiled.
“Why! A newlywed couple.” Sarala Devi gushed “Pardon me, I thought you were married a long time. So, where are you actually from?”
“Umm… Krishnanagar.” She smiled.
“Tell me how he found you then! My younger daughter is fifteen. The elder one is already betrothed. Not this one. She needs a groom. Does he have brothers?” Bondita smiled at Sarala Devi’s queries.
“Ginni! Serve us lunch already!” Her husband’s voice made Sarala Devi rush.
After lunch when they were back at the apartment, Banerjee Babu’s servant delivered a mattress to their room.
“I will get some bedsheets.” Bondita opened the trunk. “We will need curtains. Right now bedsheets will work temporarily.” She spoke, going about her work. Aniruddha sat down on the floor tired.
“I can’t think of these anymore today. We will do the rest tomorrow.” He made her smile in agreement.
“ Are you alright?” They spoke in unison and looked at each other with faint smiles.
Aniruddha shook his head. “At least the landlords are nice.”
“Barrister babu… maybe we should call home and…” Bondita’s words made his smile fade as he looked away, and his jaws tightened “I will take you to meet Sampoorna Boudi over the weekend.”
“One call home for Kaka…” Bondita stopped at his cold stare.
She knew that sooner or later she would convince him maybe not today.
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