“Wake up, wake up!” Bondita smiled, amused at Aniruddha and Batuk sleeping on his bed, hugging each other like children. She removed the curtains, and the room was flooded in daylight.
“Urgh.” Batuk stirred as Aniruddha sat up.
“What is wrong with you?” Batuk threw the pillow Bondita caught before it hit the floor. Her wet hair shone in the sunlight, with droplets of water lingering on its tips as she adjusted her well-pleated orange saree with a blue border and opened the window. A gust of cold breeze blew in from the Ganges, prompting Batuk to pull his blanket over his face.
“Let me sleep, Daini!” He murmured. “Is it not enough that you all gave away my room to guests?” Aniruddha was stretching and yawning as Bondita chuckled, amused, pulling her wet hair to the side of her shoulder.
“Why are you dressed up?” Aniruddha asked, suppressing a yawn.
“Oh, you should be, too. Jyatha Moshai said We are going to Kalighat.” She raised her brows, amused.
“Oh shit,” Aniruddha murmured, hitting his face on the pillow. “I forgot about that…” He hurried to get up, and Bondita suddenly noticed his hair dishevelled like a crow’s nest. Watching her smile amused him. Aniruddha narrowed his brows.
“What?” Aniruddha’s hand travelled to adjust his hair. She shook her head, looking serious.
“Hurry, Bihari is ready with the list. I have lots of chores after coming home.”
“You will go… like that?” Aniruddha raised his brows as Bondita frowned.
“In a saree? Yes.” Bondita nodded. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing,” he shook his head. “You look… umm…” He tried in vain to phrase it better, not to anger her. “Grown up?” He said, sounding unsure as she sighed.
“Get ready. I have to perform the puja at Kalighat; I have fasted.” She shook her head as she hit Batuk with the pillow. He groaned.
“Why?” Aniruddha frowned. “Why do you have to go inside the temple?”
“Because we are going that way. We should thank her.” She shrugged and added with urgency, “Hurry!”
“Yes, yes, I am going…” He picked up his shaving kit as Bondita hit Batuk again.
“Choto Saheb, get up! You are appointed as Som Dada’s assistant.” She chuckled. “Whatever he needs…”
“Urgh, do you not let people be in peace, Daini Buri?” Batuk pushed the pillow away as she pulled his blanket away. “Do you know I barely slept in this other room?”
“What are you complaining about?” Aniruddha scolded from the threshold of the washroom, his voice alarming Batuk enough to sit up and rub his eyes. Bondita looked amused. “You were the one kicking me all night.”
“ Oho, yet when I came in, both of you were sleeping like children, hugging each other.” Bondita smiled as they protested in unison, “No, we were not!”
“Fine, Choto Saheb, downstairs, now! And you…” She pointed her finger at Aniruddha and snapped, “Hurry before I faint.”
“You can just eat something…” He murmured and stopped at her glare as she walked away.
“Is it me, or was she always this Bossy?” Batuk yawned and wondered. Aniruddha smiled at him. He knew how much convincing it took from Trilochon and himself for Bondita to walk back into the house and take charge.
Now, with his cousins, relatives and friends filling every room of the house, Binoy and they barely crossed paths and coexisted in silence. Batuk came home with no idea about what had transpired. Aniruddha knew in his mind that Kalindi had made Bondita take over the responsibilities of the house again. She reminded Bondita that if she was grateful for what Trilochon had done for them, she should take responsibility when Trilochon needed them. From her perspective, Bondita was confused. Maybe she had read Thamma wrong, she had told Aniruddha. They had observed Thamma take charge of the house and every detail of the wedding, with Trilochon watching. Binoy did not care; he was waiting to be away from this world, far beyond his understanding, once his duties towards Som were fulfilled. It took some pushing from Aniruddha, with excuses like finding things around the house, for Bondita to get back to her normal self. But Aniruddha was more troubled with trying to understand Trilochon and Kalindi. Especially the Thamma, whom he always read as aloof, seemed to be more involved in Som’s wedding if he were her child. He guessed that they had a conversation he had no clue about that made Kalindi take up responsibilities. Whatever it was, Aniruddha was glad things were back to normal, and now he just needed to wait for the right moment to ask Bondita about presenting the unread letters to Thamma once again.
Bondita and Bihari were standing by the car when he walked out in a pair of jeans and a Maroon Panjabi. Bondita eyed him as he took the list of things from Bihari and went through it. He smelled fresh, of aftershave and soap, as he removed his glasses and nodded at her.
“Get in. We are late.” He said in mock scolding as she narrowed her brows. “Yes, because of you.” She got in and opened her wet hair from the claw clip that was holding it up as he opened the windows of the car. He looked at her with questioning eyes, and she shrugged. “My hair is wet; it will dry on the way.” He shook his head as they drove towards the highway.
“Bondita?”
“Hmm?”
“Remove your hair, it's tickling my hand on the wheel.”
“Oh, sorry.” Bondita pulled her hair to her side and struggled to get it off her face.
Kalighat was crowded as they navigated through the road behind the temple after finding a parking spot. Priests and shopkeepers were heckling on either side of the road in makeshift stalls selling flowers, Pera, Chunri, and boards hung with prices, and racks to keep shoes in were in each stall.
“We should attend to the list before…” Aniruddha’s words were ignored as Bondita entered a shop.
“Bondita, Bihari and I can shop, and you can join us after you…” Bondita eyed him and sulked.
“Will you leave me alone in this crowd?” Aniruddha looked concerned at her words.
“She is right, Choto Malik, we should not…” Bihari quipped.
Aniruddha could not remember the last time he had been to a temple. All he guessed was that it must have been with his mother. Bondita pulled the hibiscus flower from the basket and pushed it into his hand as the priest asked for their names and gotras. Aniruddha reluctantly followed behind her in the line that led to the Garba Griha. As she folded her hands in front of the idol, amidst the chaos and chatter in the premises, the pushing and arguments in the line, Aniruddha found himself imitating her, staring first at the idol of Maa Kali, with her fiery red eyes, the tongue coated in gold, flowers, offerings and sarees at her feet. He wondered what he could ask, or say, to the Goddess as he eyed Bondita, murmuring something with her eyes closed. He sighed. Whatever she wished for looked important. He touched his hand to his forehead and watched her do the same. She turned to smile reassuringly at him as they moved out. The crowd was a little unruly, and Aniruddha found himself with his hand between the crowd and her, protecting her as Bihari moved ahead with the priest. She could barely see the steps as she almost tripped, her hand reaching out to his, as he asked, “Are you alright?” She nodded, letting go of his hand as she made her way to the Shiva Temple.
“This is Nakuleshwar Bhairav…” She said as she touched the Phallus of the Lord to her head. “He protects Her.”
Aniruddha took out some cash to pay the priest as he eyed her.
“I did not take you to be so religious…” He shrugged. “Never saw you pray daily like Jethu or Thamma.”
“I am… fascinated by stories…” Bondita smiled. “No matter how far the pieces of Sati’s body fell, Lord Shiva travelled to make these Shakti Peeths, and he appointed Bhairava in his form to protect her.” Aniruddha nodded at her words. “There are plenty of mythology books in the study you can read.” She smiled, amused at him, “Where do you think I read this from?”
Aniruddha smiled at her, realising he had no idea what she used to do other than studying and playing with Batuk, as they took their slippers, and Bihari took out the list. Aniruddha shook his head. “Let's eat first, or else she will faint.” He eyed Bondita as they walked to a Kachori shop. As Bondita dipped the Kochuri in the Torkari and Aniruddha watched her, he admitted he did not remember the last time he visited a temple.
“You don’t have to be religious to visit Maa.” She shrugged. “You can visit like you would visit relatives…”
“That will never be then. But I get what you are saying. Spiritualism is individual, and we must nurture it.” He ate hurriedly, making her look keenly at him as she adjusted her saree and stood up to wash her hands. “Have you not had breakfast?”
“When did I? You said we were in a hurry…” Aniruddha shrugged.
“I guess I was not the only one fasting then.” Bondita smiled as she went to wash her hands. Aniruddha stared at her briefly at her words and resumed eating.
For the rest of the day, Aniruddha watched Bondita go from shop to shop with the list and carefully inspect the things they brought. He would have never been so meticulous had he been alone. She inspected Sindoor brands, the length and breadth of Sankha Pola and even the little things like the cotton strings they bought for lamps. It was almost evening when Bihari carried two heavy bags into the car, and Bondita exhaled once she sat in the passenger seat beside him.
“I am so tired…” She shook her head. “My legs are in pain…”
“I need to have something like tea or coffee; otherwise, I would fall asleep while driving.” Aniruddha shrugged.
“I know a place we can visit nearby…” Bondita offered.
“Of course you do.” He nodded.
Bondita took him to the Cafe at Hazra Crossing, where they sat having coffee. Bihari insisted he stayed at a tea stall by the car to keep a watch on things. Aniruddha made a face as he tasted the coffee. Bondita smiled.
“I know it's not the usual black coffee you want, but…”
“It's fine…” He shrugged. “I am dreading going back home to the chaos.” Bondita smiled at his words. “So many people…”
“I like people… Bina Pishi told me she will teach me to make Chacher Sandesh.” Aniruddha raised his brows. “Wow, a much-needed life skill?” He taunted.
“She insists I will need it once I get married.” Bondita sipped the coffee as Aniruddha looked up at her.
“Do you want to…” He asked with narrowed brows.
“What?” She asked as he repeated, “Get married?” Bondita’s heart skipped a beat because she almost imagined his face disappointed. “I don’t know yet… I have not given it any thought…”
“Good…” He nodded. “Concentrate on your career first.” She nodded silently as he paid the bill.
Bondita watched the ladies, aunts from both sides, gossiping while they cut the coconut and used the hand-grinding Sheel Nora to make a paste.
“We will add sugar and milk to it and make it into the mix we use for the Chacher Sandesh.” Bina Pishi instructed her. Her back was aching from the grinding, and Bondita offered to do the rest.
“You do this, and I will be back.” She asked some of the other ladies to accompany her to check the sarees Trilochon had brought for the Pronami that would go to the elders of the Bride’s side.
Bondita sat down on the floor, using the Sheel Nora, a hand-grinding stone slab, to mix the coconut. As she started putting the coconut pieces on the slab and grinding them into a fine paste, then putting them in the bowl using her hands, her hands were messy, and Bondita could feel a lock of her hair sticking out of her hairline, coming onto her face. She had no pieces of cloth to clean her hands with, and the saree was relatively new. So Bondita tried to move the lock away from her view by blowing at it in vain. Aniruddha entered the kitchen with an empty bottle and looked for Koeli. He did not ask for her, but Bondita eyed the bottle in his hand briefly as she spoke.
“She is busy, and my hands are full.”
He eyed her struggling with the hairlock and asked, “Where did everyone go?”
Bondita spoke without looking up at him as he filled the bottle from the filter. “To check the Pronami. Thamma is at the temple with Mamima, and Jyatha Moshai went with Samaresh Kaka to the sweet shop. Som Dada is in his room.” He nodded and placed his bottle down on the kitchen top. He knelt beside her as the smell of his perfume hit her nostrils. Folding the sleeves of his Panjabi, he offered to grind the coconut, which she refused.
“God forbid they see you do all this!” Bondita sounded amused.
“Why?” Aniruddha frowned. “Because I am a man?” She did not reply as the sound of the grinder echoed in the empty kitchen. “You know, my friends who stay in nuclear families help their mothers and wives in the kitchen.” Bondita nodded, her hand not stopping at the grinder as she tilted her head a little to let the lock of hair not bother her vision.
“Uff, at least tie your hair properly.” Aniruddha shook his head and used his thumb and index finger to pull the hair away from her face and tuck it behind her ear. Bondita looked up at him, and their eyes met. “Look, you are all sweaty and red.” He frowned as she looked away. “Why are you so red? Are you sick?” She stopped grinding and sighed.
“Will you let me finish my chores?” Aniruddha backed away, putting his hands up in the air. “Was just trying to help.” He picked up his bottle and was about to leave as she resumed grinding. He stopped at the threshold. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched her, with her saree tucked at the waist, hair bunned up and forehead sweaty, the Kajal smudged after a tiring day as she worked in the kitchen. He suddenly remembered a vision of his mother in her Aath Poure sharee as she commanded the Roy Chowdhury house and made it a home. He had missed the feeling of home since she was gone. Trilochon tried his best but often lamented how Cchhanno Chara chaotic the house became without the touch of femininity. Aniruddha’s throat felt dry as his stomach churned. He attributed it to the lack of water in his room and took a sip from the bottle.
“Kichu Chai?” Kalindi’s words made him jolt like he was caught doing something he should not have. “I … umm… no.” He waved the bottle with a faint smile and left in a hurry. Kalindi walked to the threshold and watched Bondita, busy grinding the coconut, as she glanced over her shoulder to see Aniruddha disappear into the study room.
