With whom could Aniruddha share his dilemma? Soudamini helped him during this turmoil by wiping away his sense of guilt towards her and clarifying her feelings. She became a friend. Aniruddha understood the mistakes he made at a young age. What he thought was love was a habit. As his sense of guilt faded, his affection for Bondita grew stronger. But he didn't want to make any mistakes. He didn't know what Bondita understood, but he thought in his heart that the day he realised that Bondita was old enough to understand the complexity of their relationship, he would tell everything to his wife. Now was the time for him to wait; the responsibility of fulfilling the dream of Bondita was on his shoulders. She would grow up and show the path to other girls; that was Aniruddha's only dream.
Bondita was fifteen when Somnath's marriage was discussed at home. One day, a Jetha from a close relationship came to meet Trilochan Babu. He offered to find a girl for Somnath. Bondita drew the Ghomta and touched his feet before serving the tea. He spoke to Trilochan with a slight disregard, "If you understand, Bhaya, finding a girl for the son of a Zamindar house is very difficult. Not any random girl can become the daughter-in-law without the house being humiliated.” Trilochan understood quite well what he was implying. "That's what I was saying."
"Right, do you understand, Bouma?" Stopping at the words of Trilochan, Bondita nodded, and a frown appeared on the face of the stranger.
"That's it, your Thakurpo's wife, you will see, judge and teach." Many questions came into Bondita’s mind: how would she see and judge? But the guest was present. Would she remember all her questions?
"You know them well; you also know Somnath's preferences." He shook his head.
When Aniruddha came home, the questionnaire came before him, even before the glass of water.
"If you go to see a girl to be your bride, what do you have to judge?" Aniruddha choked on his water.
"What?" He asked his wife with wide eyes.
"That's what the Jetha Shoshurmoshai said." Bondita sat down in the corner of the bed, looking worried. Aniruddha narrowed his eyes as she said, "You will teach Somnath's wife." Aniruddha's hand stopped at her words, "What? Somnath's wife?"
"Yes, that’s what I’m talking about!" Bondita suddenly jumped in excitement. "There will be a wedding at home, new jewellery, clothes, lots of sweets." Her eyes sparkled.
"And an excuse to skip school? That's the real thing, isn't it?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Oho!” Bondita shook her head "I thought you'd be happy to hear that, you have such a headmaster's nature." She complained. Aniruddha advised her to calm down while opening the watch. There is no reason to be happy so soon. First, the girl would be met, then if the families like each other, then the wedding dates would come, arrangements to be made, and jewellery sarees would come much later. Bondita suddenly felt dejected. She had not thought this through.
"No need to tell Somnath now." She nodded at Aniruddha's words. Then she walked out of the room slowly as the sound of her anklets faded into the hallway. Aniruddha looked up and wondered. Perhaps the disappointment of not getting to eat the sweets of a wedding that year was bothering her.
Aniruddha was checking her schoolwork in the evening when Bondita came into the room, wiping her hands on her Anchol. They had an unspoken routine now. Aniruddha would read and work till she fell asleep or pretended to sleep; he would then go to the reading room to sleep. Again, he would return to the room before anyone woke up. Aniruddha would take his place on one side of the bed, and then Bondita would get up and go to school after completing household chores. Both pretended as if the other did not know this secret. But no matter what, the village would still speculate about them.
"Look what I brought for you, don't give it to everyone." Aniruddha points to a box placed next to the bed. Bondita did not move; she could see what it was. Imported Chocolate.
“Oma, I wanted to eat something very sweet,” Bondita said with a cheeky smile.
"I know."
"How did you know? I didn't say." The answer did not come. He was probably absent-minded. Bondita opened the wrapper and took a mouthful of chocolate.
"Who will I give it away to? Do I tell Batuk about everything that you bring?”
"You have no shortage of people to give things away to." Aniruddha replied, "Now read the geography chapter."
One day, Aniruddha had just come home from work and sat down after washing his hands and face. Bihari had kept food and water in front of him when he heard the sound of the familiar anklets. Bondita was coming towards the room very slowly. Aniruddha frowned and looked up at the door. Bondita felt startled as soon as the curtain was removed and their eyes met briefly before she turned back and called Batuk to the room with a smile. Aniruddha knew the meaning of the two of them entering the room like that. Either they needed to save themselves from complaints after doing something wrong, or they wanted something. He didn't have to wait for his answer.
"Look at this." Bondita took a book hidden inside her Anchol out and placed it on the table. Aniruddha had no difficulty understanding that the book was from Somnath's college. He brought it himself from College Street. Batuk looked scared as he once said, “Give up, Bouthan. Why bother Bardada..." Aniruddha stared at his wife with a questioning look. "Suddenly, you want to read Somnath's book?" Bondita thumped her fist on her forehead and sighed. Batuk laughed. Then Dada’s angry look made him stop.
“No, not that!!” Bondita sounded like a typical housewife as she jingled the keys tied to her saree’s anchol. “Look inside.” Aniruddha opened the book. A picture emerges from the folds. A blurry picture of a sixteen and seventeen-year-old girl. "Who is this?"
"My Boudidi." Batuk shook his head.
"What?!" Aniruddha left the chair and got up.
“Som Dada’s choice of a bride,” laughed Batuk.
“Oh so..” Aniruddha sat back down, Bondita frowned at him, “What did you think?”
"No, I don't know anything." Anirudha shook his head at his wife. “So I…”
"Don't worry, Dada, I'm not implying otherwise. How many heads do I have on my neck?" Batuk eyed Bondita. Anirudha glared back at him. Batuk knew this was the right time to escape. Then who can say whether Dada would beat him up or Boudi would kill him?
"You have a job to do." Bondita took the photo and spoke. "You can understand that Baro Thakurpo liked her."
"Really? How did you know?" Aniruddha sounded amused.
“I know everything. That's why Jetha Shashurmoshai said to me, You will know what Somnath thinks, Bouma ."
"And just like that, she left her studies and ran to take charge." Bondita ignored Aniruddha’s taunts.
"What you need to do now is to find out what kind of girl she is."
“I'm not a policeman nor a detective but a Barrister. What can I do?” Aniruddha was surprised.
"There is no job in this world that you cannot do." There was a hint of pride in Bondita’s voice.
"Is that so?" Anirudha smiled. "Why do you have so much faith in me?" Bondita wanted to say that she knew the truth, so she had no qualms about what Aniruddha could do. But if she told the truth, would Aniruddha be happy?
“I don't know, your brother, you will check. I am done with my responsibility." Bondita walked away. Aniruddha decided to give this job to Soudamini.
A few days later, Soudamini informed in a letter that the girl was not sixteen but thirteen. Greedy about the offer from the Zamindar's house, her father had lied. She also informed him that the man had many debts to his name. He had the habit of gambling at the race course. Aniruddha thought he should give this news to Somnath himself. That day, he returned home and sent for his younger brother to his room. He let him read the letter. Inevitably, Somnath would have questions in his mind, but he did not ask anything after the letter, only saying, "You should inform Jethamshai." Aniruddha shook his head. That's when Bondita entered the room. Aniruddha handed the letter to her and went to talk to the elders. To be honest, Bondita liked the picture of the girl, but who knew more than her how inappropriate child marriage was? Thinking about her first few days scared her. What would have happened if not for Barristra Babu?
The day when Bondita first set foot in Roy Chowdhury's house, such a big house seemed like a maze to her; So many rooms, so many people, more outsiders than the people in the house. They all worked at Roy Chowdhury's house. That’s what Bihari told her. She did not understand why her in-laws were unhappy, but she understood that her new husband was the only supporter in the whole house. No one except him had seen her enter the house. No one wanted to know her name and didn't introduce themselves, but Bondita was intelligent. She understood that the elders were the fathers-in-law, and the other two were her husband's brothers. But where was the mother-in-law? There is no one to call a sister, even. Bihari Babu said Ginnima had died several years ago. Suddenly, it was as if the fatherless Bondita found similarities between herself and the new husband.
"Take her to the room, Bihari." Aniruddha suddenly said in the middle of the quarrel. Bondita was looking at everyone in surprise.
"Which room?" Bihari asked. Aniruddha remained silent.
"The room of the one who brought her into the house." Trilochan Babu said in anger. As soon as she left the room with Bihari, Binoy politely enquired with his brother, "Should the minor stay in his room, Dada?" He stopped at Trilochan’s glare.
"Yes, she will, the one who took her responsibility should be the one bearing the brunt, let him understand that everything has consequences. Let him realise what wrong he had done!" Trilochan Babu left Binoy behind him, trying to explain that although Aniruddha married the girl to save her, she can never be his wife; she is a child. A minor.
"Vermilion is not child's play, Binoy," Trilochan said firmly. “Even if we don't agree, she is Aniruddha's wife, the eldest daughter-in-law of this house. We are elders. This is our responsibility. If Bouthan were alive, she would have opened her arms for the girl today. Don’t you know that? I will perform all her duties in her absence." No one spoke in Roy Chowdhury's house after Trilochan's last words. He raised these motherless boys, so he had the last word when it came to everything about them.
"The girl has to be taught, whatever happens..." Trilochan stopped. Aniruddha stood at the threshold. He looked reluctant. Seeing him, Binoy left, annoyed. He came and sat on the floor in front of his uncle, leaning on the armchair.
"I had no choice, believe me," he cried. Trilochan put his hand on his head that day.
"Can you do this? Honour this relationship?” He asked. Aniruddha wiped her eyes, "But I..."
"She is your wife from now on; you are responsible for her good and bad." Aniruddha nodded his head.
"I can, and I will never let her understand that the beginning of our relationship is not like the others.”
"Maa Lakshmi is coming to this house after a long time, Aniruddha. Make sure she is never disrespected." Anirudha looked up at Jetha Moshai's words. A while ago, he was strongly opposed the marriage.
"I promise." Aniruddha smiled softly; He knew his uncle could be a strict Zamindar, but he was a soft man.
"Tomorrow, we will do all the rituals. Now go." He got up.
When he came to his room, he saw a bundle of sarees torn open on the floor, many toys, some sarees and combs, ribbons, bangles, and other girls' accessories came out of it. The one who was sitting around these was looking at Aniruddha with questioning eyes. Aniruddha, in a somewhat normal soft tone, asked, "What are these?"
"The man said I would stay in this room, so I was taking things out. Ma told me to unpack my things myself, but I can't." Aniruddha smiled and sat in front of her, "I will tell Koeli tomorrow, she will arrange everything. Alright?” She nodded.
"Who is Koeli?" The girl asked the first question.
"She works in our house, she will show you everything. Now..." Aniruddha looked around, "You do one thing, lie on that bed, I..."
"And the food?" The girl seemed upset, "Won’t you let me eat?" To tell the truth, there was such a storm brewing in his life that Aniruddha did not even feel hungry.
"Oh..." He said, a bit unprepared, "Wait", he called Bihari, and the food came on a brass plate for the new bride. She saw with surprised eyes, she had never seen so much food, and she had never eaten like that. Mami used to wrap it in leaves and let her eat whatever was left over. Didi sometimes secretly brought good things, but that was not every day.
"Eat as much as you can," said Aniruddha, as if he could read her mind. "What's your name?"
The girl suddenly chuckled. Her Ghomta fell as she tilted her head, but she didn't pay attention to it. "What, you brought me here and you don’t know my name?"
"Do you know my name?" Aniruddha suddenly sounded irked. The girl stopped laughing. But there was a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"Oma, my Maa said not to take your name, you are God."
"Am I God?" Aniruddha shook his head and sat down. The girl began to eat, and he observed the hint of intelligence in her eyes, "Why is that?"
"How will I know?" She was surprised. "My mother said so, do mothers ever lie?"
"I'm telling you something today, listen carefully." She stopped eating, looked at Aniruddha, and nodded,
"Never obey anyone without question. You will ask as many questions as you want, whatever you think, you will believe only if you get the answer you want." The girl's eyes widened.
"I used to ask, but Mami used to beat me up. What if someone beats me here?”
"No one will beat you, and if anyone asks, tell them, Aniruddha said. That's my name."
"Aniruddha." The girl mumbled. Staring at him, as if he couldn't quite believe it. "Maa said..."
"Do you always listen to everything she says?" She stopped at Aniruddha's question and shook her head. "Did she not tell you to obey me?"
"But, you are older than I am. Taking an elder's name is disrespectful. Maa told me to respect you.” Aniruddha did not expect such an argument in the mind of an eight-year-old child. At her age, his brothers didn't dare to speak against any of Dada's words. Was this girl different?
"What's your name?" Aniruddha asked again.
"Bondita." She smiled, and Aniruddha noticed one of her front teeth was missing. Aniruddha suddenly felt pity for her. Those who still had their milk teeth, how could they understand the relationship complexities in an in-laws’ place? What kind of society was this?
"Bondita," Anirudh says with a smile. “Good name. Well, I agree with you. Then you can call me..." Aniruddha thought for a while. "Barrister Babu?"
"What is that again?" Bondita asked, raising her eyes.
"I guess it’s another name for me."
"Barristra babu?" Aniruddha laughed at her pronunciation. But the day Bondita came from school and addressed him properly, he felt bad.
"You say Barristra." He said, "That's good, different from everyone else." The ten-year-old girl had nodded.
At the end of the meal, when Aniruddha showed her the bed and decided to leave with his pillow, she suddenly grabbed the corner of his Punjabi. The more effortlessly she did it, the more awkward he was.
“I can't sleep alone, Maa sleeps with me. I'm afraid of the dark." Aniruddha thought for a while. Who would he call to sleep with Bondita? There is no maid in the house at night.
"Okay, well, you sleep, I'm here." He made up his mind that when Bondita fell asleep, he would go to the adjoining reading room and sleep. But Bondita slept clutching his Punjabi corner with all her might. He was her only asset amid new places and unfamiliar faces. That day, Aniruddha felt more affection for her than a sense of responsibility. Since then, it has been like this every day. Bondita slept holding a corner of his Panjabi as if to make sure he was always there. Aniruddha gradually got into the habit of sleeping next to her.
