Barrister Babu

“What is this? How many times have I forbidden you, Devaditya?” Barrister Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, the Choto Malik of Tulsipur, said, feeling somewhat awkward as the Khajanchi's son Devaditya’s hand stopped on the briefcase at his stare. Aniruddha was now twenty-eight or twenty-nine, and though he was against the grandeur of the zamindars, his nobility and good nature reflected his pedigree. But like other privileged Bengalis, he did not support the Britishers. He was not hesitant to protest against any wrongs if need be.
"I...I mean, you hired me, Malik, so..." Devaditya had to stop at Aniruddha's glare. He knew this look well. He has seen with his own eyes what terrible things could happen when the Choto Zamindar Babu got angry.
“You are my childhood friend Devaditya, you may work here but that doesn't mean you will open my car door when I come home. You are my colleague, my childhood friend, no matter what anyone says, I respect you, don't you know that?"
"I know Aniruddha Babu, but..." Devaditya hesitated. The gardener, the doorman, and the servants were around, all of them were his neighbours. How could he suddenly consider himself equal to the Zamindar Babu?
"No ifs and buts. You know your Bouthan well, she will be very angry if she sees her Jamai Babu open the car door like that again." Aniruddha said with half a smile, picking up his foreign-made coat and gown, "Then you have to pacify her anger." Devaditya smiles faintly. Aniruddha climbed the stairs and went towards the inner courtyard of the Zamindar house.

To tell the truth, Devaditya never saw any of the anger, disappointment, happiness, or sorrow of this Bouthan whom Aniruddha talked about. On the day he saw Bondita closely, she had nothing in common with the fiery girl Sampurna often talked about. She was an almost lifeless, sleepy little bride whose husband, about sixty years her senior but rich, died of a heart attack on the day of the wedding. Perhaps God thought of the girl's welfare when he wrote that in her fate, but humans were cruel and stupid. How could they let the girl live? That too, one without a father or a husband, coming from such a poor family?

Devaditya never imagined he would remember the biggest day of his life like that. Who knew that on the day of his and Sampoorna's wedding, the recently returned Barrister Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, who was a guest and the groom's man, was going to bring a storm into his life in that way? Standing in front of the people of Debipur village, he wanted to save an eight-year-old child from the evil of Sati. He didn't know the price he would have to pay for it. When he promised to stay by her side in darkness more than in light, and would not back down to bring light to her life, the revolutionary mind of the clueless young rebel did not know that its cost was the vermilion on Bondita’s hairline. And was there no other way to save the innocent life of little Bondita? If there were, would Aniruddha not have chosen that path? How could he forget all the promises he made to his childhood friend Soudamini to bring down such an apocalypse on the lives of everyone around him? Even today, Devaditya's heart trembled when he thought about it. Most people would not do what Aniruddha did. But he was not the man to stop only at saving her. Bondita was taught to grow up with educated, independent thoughts by her Baristra Babu. He sent her to school by teaching her everything from the alphabet to compound interest, all by himself. Devaditya understood that people misunderstood his selfless friend. He was not insane, not a revolutionary, just a flesh-and-blood man, whose sense of humanity was more intact than theirs.

Aniruddha habitually entered the bedroom and saw his ironed Panjabi in one corner of the bed, the towel, shaving kit and perfume arranged right where he liked them. Just as he took out his purse unmindfully and placed it on the table, he heard the familiar sound of anklets in the hallway. It was approaching the room from the Verandah. Aniruddha was a little surprised. She was not supposed to be home. She had been waiting for that day for a long time, but what happened? Inquisitively, he looked up at the threshold to see Bondita appear, smiling with a glass of Sharbat in her hand.

"What happened? Didn't you go to Didi’s place?" asked Aniruddha, his tone somewhat doubtful. Bondita placed the glass down, wiping her hands in her Anchol and said, "I'm dressed like this because I went there; otherwise, when have you seen me dress so gaudily at home?"

"You can do that if you want to. Jethamoshai will be happy." Aniruddha avoided his wife's gaze, finished his Sharbat in one gulp and smiled.

"Are you taunting me in the middle of the afternoon?"

"Bah, Re, is there a proper time for taunts?" Bondita did not smile, took the glass from Aniruddha's hand and said, "Food is ready, Shoshur Moshai is waiting for you, come to the dining hall." She was about to turn and leave when Aniruddha suddenly blocked her path and said with utmost seriousness, "Tell me exactly, Bondita what happened there that made you leave?"

"What would possibly happen there, Baristra Babu?" Bondita shook her head. "And would you not know if something did happen?"

"So, are you sick?" Aniruddha casually placed his hand on her forehead. Bondita did not shy away. She smiled, amused at his concern and said, “I learnt today that I have more wisdom than you. Understood? Now go to the bathroom, or shall I go and tell Jyathamoshai?”

"Now, who's snickering?" Aniruddha said anxiously. "I know you're smarter than me."

"You know?" Bondita raised her eyebrows in surprise and smiled, "Why didn't you say that until now?"

"Because you will become vain." Aniruddha shook his head, "Go and give me food, I am hungry."

"Oma, I was going, but you stopped me," Bondita was surprised at her husband's amused face, shook her head and walked away towards the kitchen.

Aniruddha began to take out some important papers from his pocket one by one and kept them on the table. Another thought ran through his mind. What was it that Bondita did not say? Suddenly, his eyes fell on a folded envelope. He had forgotten to read Soudamini's letter in the middle of his busy day.

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“The car will not go beyond this point, Choto Malik .” The driver’s words forced Aniruddha to step out, and his feet landed in mud. “The wheels will get stuck. It seems like it rained a lot yesterday.” The driver added as he inspected the road in the dim light of the setting dusk. “How far is the house?” Aniruddha frowned, contemplating. “I can walk.” “This is just the beginning of the area; we have to look for it.” The driver shrugged. “Should I bring out your luggage?” Aniruddha sighed. He had a trolley and a bag. How could he walk with them in the mud? Leaving the car there was not safe either. “Who are you looking for?” The childish voice came through the silence around them, though nobody could be seen. Aniruddha looked around, and so did the alarmed driver. “Whose house are you searching for?” The voice was heard again. The driver jumped back a few steps, saying, “ Bh… Bh… Bhoot… ” “What?” Aniruddha shook his head as the man looked scared “There is no such thing as…” ...

RAABTA

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