"Are you okay?" Sumati smiled. Bondita suddenly noticed that her mother couldn't understand her state of mind just by looking at her face anymore. With that, she suddenly remembered how easily Aniruddha understood that she was upset. Once she asked her husband how he understood things without her saying it. Her husband explained to little Bondita in a way she would understand. Now that Bondita had grown up, she could perhaps never ask him that question again. Meanwhile, Sumati hurried to get her some Muri Murki while she sat down on the bed. Bondita's eyes fell on her feet. He had said, "When you are happy, your anklet sounds different, and when you are sad, it is different." Bondita stirred her anklets unmindfully. Today, she knew the difference was not in the sound of her Nupur but in Aniruddha's powers of observation. Why was she thinking about him? She came home to her mother. And she would not think anymore, maybe after two or three days, Trilochan Babu would send Bihari to take Bondita home, until then, she would stay with her mother in peace.
Sumati offered her rice with mango and milk in the afternoon. "Look, it's your favourite food, Mama has brought mangoes." Bondita smiled and sat down to eat, not telling her mother that eight years of Bondita's favourite was mango and milk, but seventeen-year-old Bondita now preferred Rashogolla, Payesh and Pithe. In the eyes of her mother, she was the little girl she was ten years ago. "Is everyone okay?" Her mother’s question startled her. When she finished her questioning, Mami came, asking about Sampoorna and her newborn child. "She is lucky it was a boy. Otherwise, who knows they would have returned her." Mami says to herself.
"Say, are your studies over, or is there more left?" Kakima from next door came and stood in front of them, smiling. "Why are you bothered? You can't even write your name," her daughter jested. "Shut up." Her mother retorted sternly. Mami agreed, "Didi, we had become mothers of two at this age, but they are more educated landlords, and their lifestyle is different." Bondita got up, hoping to escape their superficial discussions. "Her husband seems to be overly into her. Haven’t you seen him come by to take her? He will be here soon." They laughed. Bondita went to sit by the pond in the afternoon, watching the children playing hide and seek in the field at a distance.
"Then I will hide with Choto Thakurpo, and you will search." Aniruddha reluctantly shook his head at Bondita. "But twice, then I have work to do." Bondita ran away as he closed his eyes and started counting. In the other room, he could hear the whispers of Bondita and Batuk and then the sound of her anklet. She was easily found. "How did you know where I am?" Bondita asked from under the table in the study room. "That's how much I know you." She did not believe her husband, and while walking, she noticed the sound of her anklets. "You cheated, listening to the sound of my anklet." She took off the anklets, looking at him with accusatory glances "Okay, hide now, I'll still find you."
"Wherever I hide?" Bondita spoke in a challenging voice. Aniruddha nodded.
"Hide anywhere in the world," Aniruddha said, bending down and standing in front of her. "I'll find you right away."
In the fear of being questioned if someone across the pond saw her, Bondita wiped away her tears. She thought to herself, Today I am not hiding, Baristra Babu, but why don't you want to seek me?
Aniruddha did not come after two days. Bondita knew he would not come. He still hadn't forgiven her for the vial at Mashima's house. But unexpectedly, a letter came in her name. Mama brought the envelope to her. Bondita knows her name on the envelope was Barrister Babu's handwriting. She hurried into the room, afraid he had abandoned her. Told her that she did not have to return home. What would she say to her mother? Where would she go? She opened the letter with trembling hands and sat down to read it.
"Today, a case came from Kolkata. An accused should be bailed out immediately. I know I said I would come to pick you up today, so I am writing to inform you that I will go to Devipur immediately after finishing work in Calcutta. You don't have to call Bihari.
That day, the whole room was a mess in the rain and storm. If you're not there, it's like I can’t take care of my things anymore. I sat down to collect them, thinking that you would be angry when you came. I opened your old trunk and saw all your dolls, pencils, and coloured pastels. How many journal notebooks have you written? I found your letter in one of the books." Suddenly, Bondita’s heart skipped a beat. She knew which letter Aniruddha was talking about.
"Why didn't you give me the letter when you wrote it? Why didn't you want answers to the question if you had them? Of course, how can I accuse you of being a coward? I have never asked you any questions out of fear myself. Today I am writing the answer to your question. Maybe I will not have the courage to say this out loud to you. Who am I to rescue you, Bondita? How many brave, intelligent girls like you are in the land of Bengal? I returned from abroad thinking that I would save the country. I will not be enslaved by the British. But you made me realise that I needed to be rescued, too. You have shown me the direction in my disorganised life, a directionless revolutionary I had in me. Believe me, since the day I first saw you, as a helpless, innocent child, I have never found you to be anything like that girl. You have shown me the path of liberation, and the purpose of my life is to fulfil your dreams. What path do I have without you? All my dreams, visions of the future and revolution revolve around you. I should have understood that you are different from the others. I should have told you the truth that you knew otherwise. I was also afraid that after knowing the truth, if you do not accept me as a husband, what will happen to me? Today, I can't tell you my thoughts in rich words like poets; I can't write literary essays and novels for you. But if someone told me today to find another way to save your life, I would proudly say that I made the best decision of my life that day.
I have never regretted it. And any day, in any situation, in this birth and all future births, I will choose you as my partner without hesitation. Our life is not easy, your dream is much bigger than our world, you have to become a barrister, rescue girls, and show them the dream of living freely in independent India. I want to be a little part of it, stay by your side in that big dream, walking through life with you. I want you to win all difficult trials in life while holding my hand. This is what I need from our relationship. I know everyone has many speculations about us, but Bondita, they don't make our family, they don't live our life. How do they know our definition of happiness? So tell me, ignoring everyone's words just like before, can't you hold my hand and be happy in life?"
Suddenly, the letter fell from Bondita’s hands at the sound of the car's engine. Her vision was blurry as if she wanted to burst the dam of tears that had accumulated for a long time. Bondita sat down on the floor. At the door, the younger cousin informed her that Jamai Babu had come to take her home. He did not have time, so she had to get ready quickly. Bondita’s voice trembled as she answered her sister. She took out the red saree from the bundle. How could she look at him? What would Bondita say? She picked up the letter and kept it neatly in the fold of the clothes. With the Ghomta on her head, she stood behind her sister in the courtyard. Mama was pestering Aniruddha to eat mangoes, and he was refusing the offer politely. His eyes fell on Bondita. He suddenly remembered the red saree from their Ashtamangala. Bondita avoided his glances coyly as if she were a new bride.
"We'll take your leave." Aniruddha got up after taking Sumati’s blessings. "Please come to Tulshipur now, or else I won't come to Jamai Shasti next time." He said and got into the car. Bondita hugged her mother. She was teary and overwhelmed. As if she were going home for the first time after marriage. She approached the car and took the seat beside Aniruddha.
No words were exchanged, as if the need for spoken words vanished between them; this silence was a witness to their intimacy. That day was a promise of new life, dreams, and commitment for Aniruddha and Bondita. The car continued towards Tulsipur.
The End
