Purnota: Chapter Seven

Trilochon was surprised by Aniruddha’s urgent call. He knew that the village and surrounding areas did not have telephone lines, and he would have to travel miles to find a PCO booth. What could be so urgent?

“There is a girl…” Made his heart skip a beat. Then the story put his worry to rest. He was proud of Aniruddha’s humanitarian side, which he always worried Binoy and Somnath lacked. “Of course, we need to help her; child marriage is illegal, and we can inform the police…”

“No, I want to take her with me.” Aniruddha’s voice made him frown.

“Take her?” Where?” he sounded alarmed. “Aniruddha, you can’t just pick up someone’s child without their consent and… that’s kidnapping.”

“No, her parents are dead. Her Thakuma wants to come along; she is her legal guardian. I have the legality sorted. I just want you to send the car and arrange for them to stay temporarily…” Aniruddha sounded unsure.

“Don’t worry about that, but… are you sure you want to do this? Villagers don’t forget such things, and you might not be able to go back eve…” Trilochon was in two minds; he wanted to help, but the cost of his image for the election was too dear.

“I know. I just wanted to let you know because I didn’t want to hurt your image and…” Aniruddha spoke like he could read his mind.ever

“What’s her name? Her Thakuma’s?” Trilochon had a plan of his own. Before his nephew acted, he would order his men to take the woman and child somewhere safe, then call the police headquarters himself. That way, Aniruddha would be safe, and nobody would even know it was him.

“Bondita Das… her Thakuma’s name is Kalindi.” Trilochon was oddly silent as he frowned. “Hello? Jethu?”

“Bring them home, Aniruddha.” His voice seemed distant. “I will take care of everything else.” Aniruddha did not expect Trilochon to agree to this so fast, but he was glad.

Trilochon sat on the aisle chair at midnight, staring out at the open balcony looking over the banks of the Ganges, lost in thought.

He was just fourteen when he last met Kalindi. She begged him to help her out of the mess he had created. He had no idea that his plea to see her by the pond would turn her life upside down. He thought he could convince his father to help her. He thought he was as brave as she was. She always gave him strength and encouragement to speak the truth no matter what. But when he fumbled, telling his grandfather about the gossip about them in the village and what it had cost Kalindi, his grandfather reassured him that he would handle the mess himself. Little did Trilochon know that he was implying damage control. His father was posted at his job in Chandannagar. They often visited him there. But that night, his father insisted on taking him there for the weekend. Little did Trilochon know that he was being deceived by his family. He was never to return. To them, his friendship was not as expensive as their honour. His promises meant very little in front of the facade of caste, class and reputation they had to keep up. His mother interrogated him about his feelings. He had lied blatantly about not having feelings for her to save her honour and life. He could never explain his situation to Kalindi. He could never tell her how he felt, through his innocence and youth in trusting the closest people he had, who betrayed him and now his guilt of living with it. He tried to write to her. But all he knew was her father’s name and the village address. His family made sure that his letters never reached her. He assumed she would be married then and have had kids. He was sure he was a long-forgotten past, never forgiven. But Trilochon often wondered how she was doing, where she was at. If he could seek her out once again, and at least ask for forgiveness. He was sure the Kalindi he knew would never believe him after so many years. When he visited the village well into his fifties, he wanted to look for her family. But the moment he entered the village premises, representing his family, legacy and political party again, he felt the chains of society around him. He was still not strong enough to ask around, especially when some of the elders were still alive. Such scandals were barely forgotten in villages.

Trilochon had no voice to protest when his father started looking for brides. Did he even want to get married? He was not sure. The thought of marriage rattled him, but that was everyone’s thought, wasn’t it? The first girl his father approved of came from a business family in Murshidabad, and her groom would inherit the business. But she seemed too young for him. She was younger than Binoy by ten years. So she was chosen for him instead. Trilochon took it as a sign. Especially when he knew deep in his guilty heart that he could not feel for another woman the way he once felt for Kalindi, even when he did not admit it to himself. He had respected and admired her for the woman she was, but could not keep his word to her because he was not strong enough. He had no issue admitting that in his middle age, he loved her but was not brave enough to choose her. Society and prejudice had won over him. His family had stopped persuading him for marriage, especially when the care of his motherless nephews fell on him.

Trilochon was startled by the sound of the grandfather clock in the corridor, which announced it was time for the morning prayer. He had been awake all night. He stared unmindfully at the break of dawn. They should be here soon. Was this his chance at redemption?

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Purnota: Prologue

2008. Kolkata. The autumnal rain swept across the gravelled streets of Kolkata. In the darkest hour of the night, the occasional thunder rumbled across the sky, now covered in thick grey clouds. The street lights reflected on them as though a shower of golden light was flooding the streets of South Kolkata. It was widely believed that such torrential rain with thunderstorms just before the Durga Puja was a sign of Maa Durga having a marital spat with Baba Mahadev, whose possessiveness and love for his wife made him want to stop her from coming home with the four children for the five-day extravaganza. The rain was her tears, and the thunder rolls were the arguments between husband and wife. Such was the tale told by grandmothers across Bengal when the children flocked around her, scared of the thunder god’s wrath. As the raindrops suddenly changed course and rushed into the room of the boarding house near Southern Avenue with a sudden gust of wind, she was jolted from this romanti...

Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

Purnota: Chapter Three

“Did you ask for me, Dadu?” Bondita asked as the old man smiled at her. She looked fresh, with her hair neatly braided and a cotton pleated skirt, Thamma sewn with a faded top of one of her cousins, as she stood before the old man sitting on the porch. “Yes indeed, Didibhai, you didn’t come for chess yesterday.” The man smiled. “Oh, Pradhan Jyatha wanted me to look out for the …” She stopped as she saw Aniruddha walking towards them down the corridor. She eyed him as the old man followed her gaze. “Oh Aniruddha Babu, come here. This is Bondita Das.” Aniruddha smiled at the child as she looked away. “She is the only girl in the village who has appeared for her final examinations this year. She is very intelligent and…” Aniruddha nodded “She helped me a lot yesterday.” He made her look up, with a cold stare at him as he smiled politely. “Yes, I have called her here to show you around the village. He wants to see the affected areas of the Adivasis, Bondita.” The old man made her nod. “But...

Purnota: Chapter One

“The cyclone that hit Bangladesh on May 2nd, 1994, has left parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar devastated. Landslides have been seen in and around Northeast India, and Dumdum Airport has resumed its function after two days. Fishermen are still prohibited from going into the sea. The winds reached up to 215 km/h…” The men grunted at the radio news while sitting on the bench of the tea stall in Kobi Bharat Chandra Road in Chandannagar. One of the older men put away the Ananda Bazar Patrika, picking up his glass of tea while some of the others looked through a notebook. One of them had thick spectacles on and a pen tucked behind his ear while the younger ones smoked cigarettes and debated about the India-Pakistan match at Sharjah, which Pakistan once again won by thirty-nine runs. “I am telling you, Poritosh Da, they cheated.” A young man said, letting out smoke. “No way they could have won the final had it not been at Sharjah.” “Oh, stop your theories. Nobody except Kambli stood up to them ...

Purnota: Chapter Four

The group of youth provided by the Pradhan proved efficient for Aniruddha’s liking as they helped him survey the villages, create a set of data and provide a rough idea of how much fund was needed to rebuild the roofs and fallen walls. “What if we make them permanent? That way, the next cyclone will cause less damage. Pakka houses may also get other facilities like toilets and…” Aniruddha suggested as his eyes shone in the flickering light of the dimly lit kerosene lamp in the living room of Pradhan’s house. Drops of perspiration had formed on his forehead in the load-shedding, and the mosquitoes buzzed around them. For the first two nights, Aniruddha could barely sleep in the unfamiliar surroundings with buzzing insects, sounds of the unknown, and eerie animals here and there at a distance. Stories of snakes climbing up to the second floor through windows despite the mosquito net protecting his four-poster bed kept him alarmed. By the third day, after a day’s survey through the villag...

A Heart at War

Legend has it that Pratap had to struggle for his father Rana Udai Singh's approval on his wedding with the daughter of Bijoliya's chieftain's daughter, Ajbante Kanwar Punwar. It is so because he was the crown prince and his first queen was supposed to be the next queen of Mewar. Hence his father expected his first bride to be a powerful princess who would aid his political needs. But stubborn as he always was, Kunwar Pratap had other plans. The water of the Bhimlat was still. The sound of the waterfall could be heard in the silent afternoon in the dense forest. A pebble caused ripples in the water and alerted the horse gazing nearby. He looked up at the source of the stone. Then began grazing peacefully once again. The source of the stone however was far from being peaceful. His face wore a frown as he stared around restlessly for the umpteenth time. He sat unmindful on the large rock on the bank of the water body watching the ripples closely, lost in thoughts. The soun...

Purnota: Chapter Six

Kalindi waited outside the hut, on the torn mat they usually slept on, using the hand fan to drive away mosquitoes as she stared at the empty path leading out of the house, the path Bondita had taken some time back. It was almost an hour. Did the foolish girl escape or land in trouble? To her relief, she could hear her nephew snoring away indoors, reassuring her that they were at least not caught by the villagers till now. She was sure Bondita would return empty-handed and hurt, and that she would have no other way than to accept the proposal from the Pradhan. That morning, her Kaka would accompany Sarkar Moshai to the adjacent village to talk to a family friend of the Sarkars. They were looking for a bride for their sixteen-year-old eldest son, who worked as a labourer in Sealdah. Kalindi had tears in her eyes. Not much had changed in these years; not much of women’s fate was different, wasn't it? Kalindi was about ten years old when her father took her to the Roy Chowdhury house ...

Purnota: Chapter Five

Aniruddha finished reading the book he had carried with him in the dim light of the bulb in his room and decided to pack it away. He was leaving in a few days and wanted to make sure he left nothing behind. The construction work on the school had started, and the Panchayat wanted to give him a thankful farewell he humbly refused. The spotlight should be on Trilochon to help with his next election campaign. Aniruddha did not want to associate himself with the party or the job. He contemplated going back home and telling his father that he had decided to pursue a career in India instead of his initial plan of going back to London. He had been giving it a thought for quite some time, and the day he said it out loud to Bondita, he knew in his subconscious mind he had already decided on it. The more he saw the village, the more sure he was that he was needed by his countrymen. Dadu put faith in him that he could be part of something bigger than himself and his career, and he intended to kee...

She Left...

The war was over and so were the hopes of regaining Chittor. The Battle at Haldighati had robbed the Rana of all his wealth, and brave men, and bruised him for life. Trying to match up to Akbar or rather Raja Man Singh's army with one-third its strength had cost his bravery dearly. He had lost his friend and companion. He had brushed past death. The only good thing that this war ensured was that Akbar accepted that he cannot have Mewar. His army retreated and left the country in peace after almost two decades and seventeen wars. This war gave something else too. Kunwar Shakti came to help his brother in his time of need. He lived up to his brother's expectations of being loyal to his family. A heavy-hearted Rana Pratap Singh was overseeing the construction work on his lost friend's memorial right where he died, trying to save his master. The Bronze statue of the life-like Chetak stood tall but was no match for the void Chetak has left behind. He was lost in his thoughts as ...

Purnota: Chapter Two

“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…” ...

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