Realisation

That year, Ranna Puja at the Roy Chowdhury home was special. It was the first time Bondita was supposed to cook the Bhog by herself. Trilochan Babu did not want to give her the responsibility of cooking alone until she was sixteen years old. Trilochan Babu reminisced about how Aniruddha’s mother used to cook the entire Bhog alone from that age, and there was no reason Bondita could not do the same. Aniruddha protested. "Is this the age for Bondita to do these things? Her exams are near." He stopped at Trilochan Babu's glare. Jethamoshai's expression was as if he knew what Aniruddha might say. "Look, she is your wife, you are teaching her to read and write, sending her to school, you don't listen to us, we have accepted that. But being the eldest daughter-in-law of Roy Chowdhury's house is not a responsibility she can ignore. She must follow the rules of our house. I am still here.” Aniruddha stopped at his words.

“Don't you worry? I will study at night.” Bondita assured him. "What else, then work all day to get sick, and don't have to take exams, that's good." Aniruddha taunted. Bondita smiled faintly. That made him even angrier. "Why are you smiling? Am I kidding?” Bondita put the Ghomta firmly over her head. "Who will do this if I don't?" Her tone made her sound oddly like his mother. "Huh, you are young, be like children, it is not at all wise to spoil your studies and childhood by suddenly wanting to grow up."
"Heard, understood, learnt." Bondita nodded like an obedient child. "But am I still a child?" she smiled again, "Don't you see? Do I play dolls anymore?” Trilochan Babu called out, "Bouma, can I have my tea?" Bondita hurried away from the bedroom, answering him. Her words suddenly sank in Aniruddha’s head. It's been a long time since she played with dolls. Earlier, if Bondita’s dolls got married, there was mayhem at home. Koeli used to cook her favourite food, Batuk used to be the groom’s father, and Sampoorna would come too. Sometimes, Soudamini also came with a foreign doll for Bondita. Aniruddha had not noticed when that had stopped. What a real Ginni she has become.

People from the village have been arriving at the house since morning. Bondita was also busy in the kitchen. Some women came to help with the cooking. There was no time in Bondita’s hand. Bihari made Aniruddha's tea that day. He took a sip and immediately made a face of distaste. It was well done, yet Bondita made it better. Jethamshai always praised his Bouma highly for learning the chores and taking care of every detail around the house. Aniruddha seems to understand its meaning today. He went to the study room with a file in hand.

Meanwhile, it took nearly the entire afternoon to finish all the cooking.

"Get ready before the priest comes, Bourani," Koeli suggested as Sampoorna agreed. "Today I will dress you up." She suggested. Bondita agreed to Didi's wishes. As she did not have children for so long, all the taunts and sadness she had faced were not unknown to Bondita. When she was a child, she used to tell repeatedly how she wished to have a daughter. Dress her up the way she would like. Mami, however, would get angry at that, "Why would someone say something like that? If it's a boy, the house has a bright future." Immediately, Bondita had a question in her mind. "Then is your future dark, Mami?" Mami’s beating answered her questions that day. Sampoorna could not finish dressing her up. With a pigtail on one side, Bondita ran through their yard, with Mami behind her and a stick in her hand. Today, she would dress her sister with care. That was her wish for so many years.

"This saree?" Sampoorna held up a red Baluchari saree in her hand. "He brought this from Calcutta for my first puja." Bondita reminisced. "I was young then, I couldn't handle it."

"Now you can." Sampoorna pushed the saree in her hand. "I will get changed, you take out the jewellery from that box, Didi." Bondita gestured at the box that was kept near the mirror. Sampoorna started walking towards it, but stopped, a little alarmed. She thought about her husband’s warning. They are the Malik. If we don't keep our distance, where will we go if we are in danger? The jewellery box was quite big. Sampoorna was curious. But she stopped herself. Her sister was now the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zamindar Bari. It was natural that she would have jewellery. Bondita was not as unfortunate as her. Bondita came out of the washroom, fixing the bottom of the saree. "Didi? Didn't you take out the jewellery?”

"I don't understand what you should wear; you choose." She smiled. "Let me put on Kajal and Lali."

"If I wear Lali, he will scold me, Didi, don't you remember the last time?"

"Silly girl, you were young then. Today is a celebration at home. Why won't you dress up?" She did not listen to Bondita. She had grown up. She even wears the saree alone without help now. Bondita looked at the clock and quickly started putting on the jewellery. Sampurna left her at the task.

Aniruddha was irked with Somnath forcing him to go upstairs. As soon as he entered the room, his eyes fell upon Bondita. She was sitting on the corner of the bed, busy putting on her jewellery. Haath Phool, Mantasha, ring, Sitahar, she had them all taken out of the box. Aniruddha suddenly recognised the saree. He had bought the saree for the first time with great hesitation. It was Jethamoshai’s order. Or perhaps it was the regret of seeing Bondita cry for her mother on Mahalaya. Little Bondita found it difficult to handle the saree that day. After that, he never saw her wearing it. Observing his unmindful stare, Bondita looked up at him. "I put out your Punjabi." She tied the key to her saree and said, " Get ready. Come down quickly." Bondita eyed her husband in fear. What if he saw the colour on her lips and scolded her? But no words came out of Aniruddha's mouth. He just nodded at her. It was as if Aniruddha saw Bondita in a new way. Aniruddha felt uncomfortable with this realisation himself. His eyes kept hovering on her all evening. Once or twice, when eyes met, it made Aniruddha feel awkward.

After the celebration, when everyone left and Bondita finally retired to her room, Aniruddha was still in the study room. Tiredly, she took off the garland of Jui from her bun. Removed the jewellery one by one. She was about to take out a saree to change into when Koeli came and said, "Choto Malik is calling you to the study room." Suddenly, it angered Bondita. He wanted her to study after such a tiresome day? Do you have no sense, Barristra Babu? She went to the study room with a mindset to fight. There was no way she would study that night. Aniruddha was pacing in the room with a notepad in hand when he said, "Come in," without raising his head to the sound of her familiar anklets.

"Have you no mercy?" Aniruddha looked surprised at her sudden, angry voice. He noticed Bondita had not changed her sari, her hair was open, her face looked tired, and she was wearing a frown. He cleared his throat. "What?"

“Now I will not sit down to study. Not at all.” Bondita shook her head firmly. Aniruddha smiled, amused. "Who told you to study?" He gave the notes to Bondita, "Read this and tell me what you think." Bondita knew that it was the statement of an accused. Aniruddha sometimes made her read his notes and ask what she thought of them. Bondita didn’t know if she could help, but she tried. She paced the room with the notes in hand, while he sat comfortably in a chair, observing her. With his hand on his chin, he looked at Bondita and suddenly noticed that Bondita had developed a habit of pacing while reading, like him. Her wavy hair swayed on her hip, and the vermilion of her hairline and the tip of her forehead had faded after a long day. The kajal had smudged on her eyes after a tiring day, but the sharp intelligence in her eyes had not been diminished even by the fatigue. Bondita keeps reading, and Aniruddha waits for her advice. He stumbled while putting his hand on the table, missing the edge altogether. When the paperweight fell by the jerk of his elbow, Aniruddha realised that he was staring at his wife. Bondita’s attention was captured by the paperweight stumbling on the ground, but she didn't notice how long her husband had been staring at her. Aniruddha breathed a sigh of relief.

“What is it? How did it fall?” Bondita asked as she picked up the paperweight and handed it to him.

"I think I was distracted," Aniruddha said, turning his face away from her.

"Where is your mind?"

"Only if you knew that, I would be in trouble," Aniruddha murmured.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"What did you say to me?"

"No, I didn't tell you, I told myself."

"Who talks alone?" Frowned Bondita. Aniruddha knew that if he did not change the topic, Bondita would ask questions.

"Tell me what you understand. I'm sleepy."

"Then listen." Bondita waved her hand and explained herself. Aniruddha stared at her absent-mindedly. Not all the words registered in his mind. Bondita forgot what she was saying at his stare, stuttered and resumed her speech. Anirudha smiled to himself. Even if his wife was unaware, he felt good that she forgot whatever she was thinking just by his glance at her. Was he not fortunate enough to be able to silence a girl like Bondita just with his stare?

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Two

Bondita got down from the local train with a duffle bag and her hoodie tied around the waist of her dark green Kurti, which she teamed with white leggings and a white dupatta. The weather at Canning seemed hotter and humid than Chandannagar, and at first glance, Bondita spotted the spring blooms of Krishnachura painting the tree at the station red. She picked up her bag and looked around the crowded station. Someone was supposed to come and get her. She dragged her bag through the crowd and finally reached the gates. The rickshaws, vans and small autos were shouting out names of different places, names that appeared like images in her memories. “Bondita Malkin?” She turned to see a woman in a checked printed saree worn above the ankle with a Ghomta over her head and the Anchol tied to her waist. Bondita nodded as the woman in her forties surprised her by touching her feet. Bondita jolted away in shock. “What are you doing?” She asked with raised brows as the woman took her duffel bag. ...

My Everything

Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda amidst uncertainty and chaos. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rawat Chundawat, and some other chieftains stopped the ongoing Raj Tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani hadn't expected Kunwar Pratap to show up, that too, despite her conveying to him his father's last wish of crowning Kunwar Jagmal. Twenty-one days after Udai Singh's death, she was finally close to a dream she had dared to dream since Jagmal was born. He was not informed about the Raj Tilak as per Dheerbai's instructions. She eyed Rawat Ji. He must have assembled the chiefs to this revolt against her son, against the dead king. No one except them knew where Kunwar Pratap was staying. It was for the safety of his family. " What are you doing, Chotima?" A disappointed voice was directed at her. She could stoop down so low? For the first time, an anger...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Three

Aniruddha stepped out of his room, in a wrinkled Kurta, with a towel and toothbrush, to almost bump into Bondita, who was hurrying out of her room, trying to wear her watch on the go. He stopped before she barged into him and spotted her in one of Thamma’s Dhakai sarees. It was a white-on-white saree she had worn with a quarter-sleeved black blouse. Her hair was bunned with a claw clip, and she wore a small black Teep complementing her Kajol-drawn eyes. She looked slightly startled as she stopped at his dishevelled appearance and looked away at his stare. “Why are you…” He cleared his throat to do away with his morning groggy voice, “Dressed up?” Bondita shook her head at his words. “Because I have camp today, the NGO representative is waiting downstairs.” At her words, Aniruddha nodded and promptly held her wrist to check her watch. Bondita eyed his index finger and thumb, briefly brushing around her wrist as he suppressed a yawn. “But… It's 7 AM.” Bondita smiled, amused at his wo...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Six

Bondita opened her door in the usual hours of the morning and found Thamma and Jyatha Moshai on the couch in their living room, sipping tea. She had half sat on her bed, leaning against the pillow all night, imagining her plight when she faced Aniruddha in the morning. What if he did not think of it as much as she thought of his actions? What if that was his uncomfortable way of comforting her because she was upset? But what about his eyes, his gestures? Had she misread all of it? Bondita blushed to herself the moment she remembered how his eyes followed her around for the past two days. Bondita was hurrying through her daily chores, eyeing the clock, for she would be late for work and overheard Trilochon lament about things not changing since Binoy left. He thought that things were getting better at home, but as soon as Aniruddha had left for Sunderban, Binoy informed him that he had changed the attorney in charge of his case. Bondita frowned slightly as her hand stopped at wearing th...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Five

“The bride is older than the groom.” Aniruddha heard one of the older villagers speak in a judgmental tone. “No wonder the higher castes don’t attend such atrocities.” He eyed the younger man he was talking to, who smiled. Aniruddha was sitting beside them on a bench in the open courtyard of a house where the wedding rituals were taking place. Tirio and Tumdak were playing rhythmically in a corner as some women danced to the tunes surrounding the new bride and groom. The men sat on the other side of the courtyard. “Forget about the Brahmins, we don’t expect them to come.” The younger man shook his head. “As for traditions, what is wrong if the bride is older?” He smiled sheepishly at the older man. “What’s wrong? Everything. Master Moshai, you can be educated, but our ancient traditions have reasons. The groom must be older than the bride. It has some reason.” He shook his head. The teacher, in turn, educated the man that it was a perfectly normal Santhali ritual to marry older wo...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Seven

“Why will Bondita not come for Holi?” Asha asked as she inspected the colours, Abir, Pichkiri and balloons Somnath had ordered from Baro Bazaar. He shrugged. “She is scared of colours, I think.” Asha smiled, a little amused at her clueless husband. “She is not ten anymore.” He looked up at her words with a sheepish smile, “Well, I never saw her play Holi, perhaps Dadabhai knows the reason.” Asha contemplated her husband’s words. She did not share a relationship with Aniruddha frank enough for him to share things about Bondita. It would be easier for her to ask Bondita instead. “If you wish for her to come,” Som said, like he could almost read her mind, “Perhaps you can invite her. She won’t say no to you.” Asha nodded. “It will be good to have the whole family together. It's not been so since the wedding.” She smiled. Som agreed as he matched the list with the things. “Yes, and Baba will be coming too, he told me not to tell Jethu, but I was surprised by that.” “Maybe because he an...

Scheme of Things

The ousting of Shams Khan and his troops from Chittorgarh earned Kunwar Partap Singh overnight fame across the land as tales of his bravery made their way through the dunes and hills, across rivers and borders to lands far and beyond. At thirteen, he had commanded an army troop to take over the fort of Chittorgarh and restore Mewar’s borders to their former glory. People started comparing him to his forefathers, the great Rana Kumbha, who built forts across Mewar and his grandfather, Rana Sanga, who had united all Rajputs against external threats. As bards sang praises of the prince, gossip soon followed. Gossip was the most entertaining one could get in the mundane city lives and village gatherings, and it often travelled faster than the fastest Marwadi horse. So alongside the tales of his absolute bravery and how he hoisted the Mewari flag on the fort, were the stories of how his life was in danger, the king and queen did not quite get along and how he was made to live in poverty by ...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty Four

“You are cheating, he can’t play!” Bondita was attracted by the commotion downstairs as she opened the window of her room. She walked out to the balcony to inspect it. It was Sunday, and Padma had promised to make Chicken Curry, knowing Bondita had invited Tapur to join them for lunch. In the courtyard was a group of boys, probably Sidhu’s friends, with a broken pipe for a bat, a wooden plank for a wicket kept between two bricks and a rubber ball, arguing over a game of cricket. Bondita’s eyes stopped at Aniruddha, marking a line with chalk and then measuring feet using steps to mark the boundaries. Bondita looked amused at the sight. “Batuk. You went out fair and square; give me the bat.” Bondita put her hands on her waist as she commanded. Batuk refused to part with his new bat. Som frowned at his brother. “She is right; it was a clean bowl. Give her the bat!” Som commanded. “I was not ready.” Batuk shook his head. “She knew that.” “It's still out.” Bondita frowned. Aniruddha wal...

The Difficulties

“The best of our characters are often reflected in our children.” Kunwar Shakta had visited the court at Udaipur after a Turk marriage offer was turned down by Rana Udai Singh for the third time for one of his Princesses. The Ranimahal at Chittorgarh buzzed with rumours of him warning his father about the consequences of enemity with the Turks and also about the impending doom of Mewar. He had apparently irked Kunwar Partap by suggesting a peace alliance with the Timurids was beneficial to Mewar. Rana Udai Singh, in his anger, had banished him from his court. Kunwar Shakta had sworn not to be associated with the royal family any further and to join allies with the Turks. Rawat Chundawat was calm enough to pacify the angry prince and offer him to shift to Bassi and give his decision a second thought. However, Kunwar Partap had refused to abandon Chittor, defying his father’s orders for a shift to the newly founded capital with his Ranimahal. He wanted to stay at Chittorgarh, which...

Purnota: Chapter Thirty One

“Please, Sir, we were going to show the evacuation notice to the lawyer.” The older man with a salt and pepper beard and a bald head pleaded with the Judiciary official, who handed him a paper of illegal occupancy. The NGO stood on the ground of the property that belonged to the Bhowmicks. Their lawyer, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, had sent a notice of warning and evacuation that the NGO did not pay heed to. The man in charge looked least concerned at the plea of the older man. His hands were folded, eyes teary, as the men who came with the Bull Dozer to knock down the one-storey house with thatched roof broke down the board of the NGO. “Why did you not show the notice then?” The man rebuked in a gruff voice. “Because we thought it was some mistake.” Another man, relatively younger and calmer, came forward from the crowd that stood there watching as he spoke. “We got the land as a gift from Mr. Bhowmick some eleven years back to make the school for the orphans.” “Then where is the dee...

RAABTA

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