Chal sayane se thoda nadan bann ja tu
Ashapurna walked out of the room with questioning eyes as Somnath shook his head. He had called Aniruddha as soon as Bondita complained of pain and uneasiness. He was already off to court and his house owner had reassured him that the news would reach him soon. He was supposed to come with the allopathic doctor.
“I think it is time.” Ashapurna almost whispered to Somnath as Koeli rushed in with wet towels to comfort Bondita who appeared in a lot of pain. “Talk to Jetha Shoshur Moshai, please.” Somnath nodded and rushed downstairs where Batuk paced the room as Trilochan and Binoy sat on the couch. Ashapurna’s mother had taken Ashutosh with her for the day as soon as she heard.
“What do we do now?” Somnath broke the silence.
“She was not due so soon.” Batuk frowned as his uncle gave him a disapproving stare making him stop.
“Som, go and call Dai.” He insisted as Somnath remained frozen in his place. “We can’t wait for his doctor to arrive.” Trilochan shook his head.
“I will go check if the town doctor is available too.” Batuk was quick to suggest, Binoy handed him the keys to the car and nodded approval.
Dai walked into the dimly lit room and inspected Bondita on the bed. She was sweating and in pain. Dai checked her pulse with her feeble hands and proceeded to check her contractions and then her eyes.
“She is doing fine.” She reassured Asha. “But the baby won’t be here so soon. The contractions need to be closer.” Ashapurna nodded.
Bondita opened her eyes to figure out who was talking as she saw Ashapurna and extended her hands to her.
“Barrister Babu?” She whispered.
“He is on his way, Didibhai.” Ashapurna reassured “Hold on. Dai says you are doing fine.” Bondita looked up at the old woman at her words. Once, she had disregarded her decades-old experience over the degree of the allopathic doctor, but today, Bondita felt a sense of reassurance from her words. Sudden guilt about her previous behaviour crept in but it was soon washed away in the pain of contractions.
“Ma Dugga.” Bondita spoke, grinding her teeth between her breaths, “Never again.”
Ashapurna smiled, wiping some sweat off her forehead and holding her hand reassuringly.
Aniruddha stormed into the Roy Chowdhury mansion, still in his white shirt and black trousers with the lady doctor in toe. Hearing the honk of his car, Batuk and Somnath stepped out into the portico as Ashapurna ran downstairs. She was quick to guide the lady doctor upstairs. It was late evening and Trilochan was calmly lighting a hundred and eight lamps on the feet of the idol of Maa Durga, saying his soft prayers. His eyes fell on a piece of paper at her feet and he smiled. He took the folded paper and walked inside to see Aniruddha talking to his father.
“We had to call Dai as the town doctor was not available either.” Binoy placed his hand on Aniruddha’s shoulder reassuringly “She said Bondita is fine.” Aniruddha nodded and was about to rush up the stairs when Trilochan stopped him.
“You can’t go in there.” He insisted. “Wait outside, Mejo Bouma will update you.” Aniruddha stopped, with his eyes fixed on the closed bedroom door.
“I just want to let her know I am here.” His eyes shone. Trilochan smiled faintly, patting his back gently as he placed the folded letter in Aniruddha’s hand, making him look confused as he walked away. Aniruddha opened the fold and immediately recognised Bondita’s handwriting.
“They say childbirth is risky and I am scared. I have never been this scared, Dugga Ma. But I know you are there with your daughter. I just wish Barrister Babu would be back home before the child’s first cry and may the child be healthy. I won’t wish for a girl or a boy, just a child who would light up our lives.” Aniruddha folded the paper in between his hands as he said a soft, scared prayer, probably for the first time in his life and touched the paper softly to his lips. His prayer was clear. He wanted Bondita healthy and safe. Nothing else mattered.
The night was perhaps the longest in the Roy Chowdhury house as no one got a wink of sleep. Aniruddha rested his tired head on the armchair of the study room and closed his eyes. In his mind’s eye, he could see Bondita under the table, calling out to him. He couldn’t find a voice to answer her. He jolted awake to realise he was dreaming. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, it was three in the morning. Aniruddha tiptoed to the sitting area to find Batuk lying on the couch and Somnath dozing while sitting straight beside him. The light was on in both Binoy and Trilochan’s rooms. The house was in eerie silence. He tiptoed up the stairs and to the threshold of the bedroom. The door was a little open, and from the crack, he could hear soft voices. He stepped back as the door creaked open and Ashapurna stepped out. A little taken aback, she was quick to pull the anchol over her head as he cleared his throat.
“I…”
“The doctor is with her. You go in, she will like to see you.” Aniruddha looked up at her words as Ashapurna smiled “And be quick. We don't want trouble with Jetha Shoshur Moshai.” She walked away to refill the jug as Aniruddha stepped inside the room. The doctor looked up at him and nodded reassuringly.
“She is sleeping. I don’t think anything will happen soon.” The lady reassured him.
“Koeli, please escort her to the guest room.” Aniruddha insisted. “We are here, we will call as soon as she wakes up or feels uneasy. Please freshen up a little. ” The reluctant doctor agreed as Koeli escorted her out. Aniruddha looked around the empty room with a sigh and at Bondita’s sleeping figure. He walked up to the bed. The anchol of her orange saree was spread on the side, he removed it carefully and sat down at her bedside, seeing her sweating in her sleep. He placed his hand slowly on her head and sighed. Bondita stirred. Aniruddha felt alarmed as he held her hand in his, making her open her eyes.
“Barrister Babu?” Bondita’s voice trembled as she smiled, a lone teardrop trickled down her cheek.
“Hush.” Alarmed that they might alert Trilochan he quickly put his finger over his lips in a gesture and wiped away her tears with his thumb. “I am here. It is going to be okay.” She nodded.
“Are you in pain?” Bondita nodded. Aniruddha looked scared, tired, sleepless and now even a little guilty.
“This is still easier than examinations.” Bondita tried to lighten the mood with a faint smile that disappeared into her contraction.
“What happened?” He asked, alarmed as her grip tightened on his hand, in pain.
“Just the contractions closing in like the doctor said it would.” She reassured him. “I am fine. Go and get some sleep, please.” he shook his head at her request.
Koeli stepped into the room to awkwardly look away as Aniruddha got up from the bedside promptly.
“I will come back soon.” He said, placing his hand gently on her forehead as Bondita nodded a little. He walked away.
The dawn of that day saw the first Kash Phool in the grasslands of Tulsipur, marking the beginning of Autumn. Trilochan looked across the horizon at the lone flower swaying in the breeze and smiled. He then folded his hands for his Surya Namaskar. Before he could finish, the silence of the quiet morning and the chirping of birds was broken by the cries of a newborn child. The conch shell blew in three loud auspicious sounds. Bihari Babu rushed out to look for his Malik.
“What is it, Bihari?” Trilochan was quick to ask, handing him his lota.
“It’s a girl, Malik.” Trilochan suddenly looked disappointed but he was quick to hide it with a wide smile.
“Aree, Maa Durga has blessed the Roy Chowdhury house with a Maa Lokkhi. Start the celebrations, and inform the villagers. Call Munshi to distribute sweets.” Bihari folded his hand and bowed to leave in a hurry. There was a lot to do.
Bondita felt a sudden rush of warmth and emotions as she held her daughter for the first time. The child wiggled a little uneasily, in the wrapped Kantha as she smiled, touching her little nose with her fingertips and making her wince a little. The child tightened her already closed eyes a little and shook her head and was about to cry when Bondita cradled her, whispering into her ears.
“It is me, your Maa. Welcome to our crazy world. Oh, how your father will love you.” Bondita’s eyes shone as she noticed the child’s features. It was hard to tell on a newborn, who she had taken after. But Bondita knew one thing, her life had been altered forever. The child cried again, this time Dai stepped in, teaching her how to breastfeed her child. She looked up at the old lady’s smiling face and smiled faintly.
“I apologise if I was rude to you during Asha’s…”
“Choto Malkin, it is not your fault. Her complexities were beyond me.” Daishook her head “But I am always happy to help with basic childcare.” Bondita nodded as she watched the baby suck peacefully, falling asleep in her arms.
Aniruddha had bought a pair of anklets and a pair of gold bangles for his daughter. He was a little disappointed when Trilochan said he couldn’t see the child for the next twenty-one days but resolved not to protest when the doctor supported his tradition by the logic that it is indeed a scientific reason to avoid germs around children. The last thing he’d want was to harm her. But he was also eager to see Bondita. Twenty-one days seemed like a year. In between that Trilochan made him sit for a puja, give alms to the poor and make donations to the temple all in the name of the daughter he was yet to see. The next thing he knew, he was sitting with three pandits, whom he didn’t approve of, who were predicting his daughter’s future written in the alignments of some stars in the universe. Bondita will be proud of me for being silent through this. She better be. He thought in his mind as one of the Pandits handed Trilochan rolls of yellow paper, the Kushti of his daughter.
“The name should start with a ‘P’ syllable.” The man smiled as Trilochan folded his hands.
“Traditionally the elder of the generation names Roy Chowdhury children, like I named the three of you and you named Ashutosh,” Trilochan spoke.
“Technically, Bondita named him.” Aniruddha reminded.
“You want to name your daughter then?” He asked as Aniruddha looked up at his offer. Name his daughter? Give her a name to carry throughout her life? He suddenly felt responsible as he nodded unsurely.
“Very well, on the twenty-first day, we will do the Shashti puja and Naam Karan and then you can see her face.” Trilochan smiled.
Bondita was watching Koeli massage the baby with oil for her bath as she looked up to find an amused Asha had brought her fruits.
“What makes you smile like that?” Bondita asked. Asha giggled.
“Oh, you should see Dadabhai in the study room.” She shook her head. “The dictionaries weren’t enough, he had literally driven to Calcutta to buy baby name books.” Ashapurna gushed “He is feeling the pressure of parenthood already.”
“Good for him.” Bondita was amused “He taunted me for overthinking during Khoka’s Namkaran.” She smiled at the child. “I can’t wait to see Khoka’s reaction to seeing her.” Ashapurna added “His little sister.”
The first time a very scared Aniruddha took his daughter from Trilochan’s arms, wrapped in a red Kantha hand stitched by Asha for her Naam Karan, as Bondita tried to capture the scene in her mind’s eye. His expression was priceless, in the middle of being scared to death and happiest in the world he looked up at her with such pride that she had never ever witnessed in his eyes.
“Did you finally narrow in on a name?” Batuk asked, leaning in to see his niece, sleeping peacefully in her father’s arms. Aniruddha nodded.
“Patralekha.” Bondita smiled at him as he looked up at her and their eyes met. Bondita smiled with an approving glance. She knew why he chose the name. The letters that bound them to each other unknowingly were a strong and personal connection he wanted to remember through their firstborn.
The Shasti puja was done, and Trilochan and Binoy sat down in the sitting area, with the children around,
“Patralekha Roy Chowdhury.” Binoy smiled, “That is very modern.” He approved as he took his granddaughter in his lap.
“Who does she look like?” Batuk wondered. Somnath leaned in to inspect, his words.
“She seems to look like Boudi.” He smiled at Bondita who appeared happy.
“No, but see, her chin is like Dada.” Batuk smiled.
“ I don’t even understand. A child looks like a child.” Binoy shook his head, making everyone smile. “All three of you looked the same. Now, look at you.”
“You mean to say I was as chubby as Batuk?” Somnath raised his eyebrows as Batuk looked annoyed “That can’t be.”
“Boudi!” Batuk ran to Asha’s side and took the Naru from the plate she carried, without her offering. “Tell him not to tease me.”
“When did I tease you? I just stated a fact. You were chubby, right Dada?”
“Yes very.” Aniruddha agreed. Batuk shook his head.
“Okay, hush everyone. Khoka is here to see his sister.” Bondita smiled as she took Ashutosh on her lap and placed him down on the laid-out spread on the ground. Ashapurna placed little Patralekha on his lap as Ashutosh felt intimidated by the baby.
“Doll?” He looked suspicious as the baby moved.
“No, Baby.” His mother corrected. “This is your sister, Khoka.” He looked up confused, first at his mother, then at Bondita with whom he had bonded over the last few weeks and stared back confused at the baby in his lap. He touched her cheek and planted a kiss on her chubby cheek.
“Aw.” Ashapurna and Bondita shared a happy glance as he wiggled away.
“Doll Putul.” He pointed Patralekha in his mother’s arms to Bondita as she nodded.
“Khoka khelbe?” Bondita asked as he nodded. Bondita planted a kiss on his cheek and looked up at Aniruddha smiling at the children as Ashutosh walked back to Patralekha to inspect her tiny hands and feet once again.
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