RAABTA

Trilochon and Kalindi were having tea in the morning in their living room when Binoy walked downstairs in his Pajama Panjabi, pipe in hand and found them. Watching him unusually in his home attire, Trilochon frowned. “Are you sick? I thought you had already left.” Binoy sat down on the single chaise chair beside the couch as Kalindi poured some tea for him.  “ I told you, Dada, I am here to retire.” He said, putting his pipe in his pocket. “Today, Som is going alone. We will see how that goes.” Their conversation was interrupted by Asha coming into the house in a white and red saree, with a red sindoor Teep on her forehead. She had a basket with her, and Koeli was accompanying her as she offered them the sweets she had taken as Prasad. “Since it’s his first day at the new position, we went to the temple together.” Asha narrated to Kalindi. “He left for work from there.” “Do you not have school today?” Kalindi enquired as Asha shook her head. She smiled, eyeing Trilochon, who narra...

Aniruddha contemplated Binoy's words the moment he found Bondita in the study room. It was early in the morning, and she was accompanying Advocate Sarkar to Kolkata for a matter and was scheduled to return that evening. Trilochon had insisted that she take his car and driver instead of the local train. Bondita was in a neatly pleated white saree, with a black border, her coat hanging from her arm as she picked up the file she was supposed to take with her for the case and was going through it. Her hair was pinned up in a bun, and the little pearl earrings were tangled with her locks. She looked up at him, standing at the threshold, still in his leisure clothes that he slept in, hair messy, without his glasses, wearing a questioning look as she acknowledged his presence and let him know she was on her way. The house was quiet, except for the chanting of Mantras and the bell that rang from the Thakur Ghor adjacent to the Thakur Dalan, where Trilochon was saying his morning prayers. T...