“Kichu bolbe, Bouma?” Trilochon enquired if Asha had something to say. She smiled, trying to sound cheerful as she said, “The annual examinations are over, so … your nephew was wondering if we should take a holiday before school resumes.”
“Of course.” Trilochon smiled. “That is a good idea. I was worried about Som’s work pressure. He is trying to find his feet in the political world and with Binoy handing over the business to him, if he feels burdened by our expectations…” Asha wondered if that was what truly worried Trilochon. She smiled reassuringly.
“You know, he wanted to fit into both roles. He always wanted to.” She shook her head. “I am sure after a few months, he will get used to it.”
“Where are you planning to go?” Trilochon changed the topic as he took a sip from the cup and praised her for adding cardamom to the tea.
“He said we should visit Shimla Manali. It's fairly good weather there now, but…” Asha stopped as Trilochon raised his brows.
“But?” Trilochon asked, putting the half-empty cup down and eyeing Asha, “Do you not like mountains, or are you afraid of heights?”
“No.” Asha shook her head again with a smile. “I … was thinking of asking Koeli to stay for those ten days. I…” Trilochon smiled faintly at her words.
“Bouma, we survived without a woman before you came for almost two decades. We will be fine. Don’t worry about us. Enjoy your vacation.” He reassured her.
“I was thinking of asking Bondita to supervise…” Asha eyed his smile fade.
“I don’t know if her Thakuma will like that.” He shook his head. “You can ask Koeli to stay, she has been here a long time…” Asha nodded, “But will Bondita not be upset if I don’t tell her?” She shrugged.
“Bouma, she is not going to be here for long… I mean…” Trilochon exhaled. “Her Thamma is serious about looking for a groom. She was talking about some family who wanted to come by and see her.”
“You don’t seem too happy about it?” Asha asked, suggestively raising her brows. Trilochon looked up at the woman and gestured for her to sit down on the desk chair. Asha did, waiting for him to speak.
“You see… I was silly enough to… think…” Trilochon was unsure of how to put his thoughts into words to sound less embarrassing. “That we could keep her here.”
“Had she said something? Is she eager to get married?” Asha asked as Trilochon shook his head. “No… but… someday she will.” He smiled to himself.
“I thought she wanted to focus on her career now.” Asha asserted. “She is just starting…”
“Yes, she would like someone who supports her career.” Trilochon agreed and suddenly let out an amused smile. “Perhaps I am getting old after all. I thought Aniruddha would want her around. I thought he would change his mind about …” His voice trailed as Asha wondered if it was time to speak her mind.
“Did you talk to him?” Asha narrowed her brows, wondering. Truth be told, she thought the same. She saw how Bondita often felt embarrassed at her indirect teasing. Trilochon shook his head. “You know how he behaves if I bring it up.”
“Will he react the same if it's her?” Asha wondered. Asha knew how much Aniruddha was dependent on Bondita for the things beyond his workplace, for the coffee he liked the way she made it, for keeping his things in place and for every time he needed someone to talk to. It did not escape Asha’s keen eyes that when the brothers fought, she was the only one who could talk to him. Trilochon shrugged. “Forget him. I don’t think Kalindi will be too happy with our idea. And I can’t begin to comprehend telling Binoy. He has always been critical of my liking towards her.”
“But Baba will not oppose it if Dadabhai wants it.” Asha wondered aloud. “Why would Thamma oppose? Is it because he is older?”
“Probably, and Kalindi feels that his influence is bad for her lately.” Trilochon shook his head. Asha narrowed her brows slightly. “You see, I understand where she comes from. She has seen bad days due to poverty, and she does not want Bondita going around the villages helping people without any monetary benefits coming her way. Also, Ja Din Kal… she worries for her safety.”
“But would it not be different if you expressed your desire to Thamma for her to be… his wife?” Asha asked. Trilochon did not respond as she stood up, contemplating her observations. Things she could not tell her father-in-law, of course. She had noticed Aniruddha’s eyes hovering on Bondita during the Holi lunch, when she served food with Asha. She had seen Bondita avoiding his glance as if she knew he was staring. Occasionally, when eyes met, Bondita tried hard to suppress a blush. They rarely spoke to each other throughout the day, but Batuk narrated to her how he and Dadabhai had managed to put Abir on Bondita after she had taken a bath. But when Trilochon enquired, Aniruddha had only mentioned Batuk. She had expressed to her husband a small hint of how Bondita and Aniruddha always behaved like an old couple, and he had laughed off her observation, saying they had always been like that. Som had even warned her not to share her feelings with anyone else if she did not want to be judged or worse, made fun of. Asha was not sure why nobody seemed to see what she saw, but she knew she needed to do something about it.
“Ami boli ki…” She waited for Trilochon to allow her to speak as she placed her anchol over her lap. “You should talk to Thamma first, and I can ask Bondita. If I ask her playfully, she will not get an inkling of our idea. She is not going to go tell Dadabhai about it.”
“And what should I tell your Thamma?” Trilochon straightened himself in the chair and asked, leaning his weight on the elbow as he brushed his chin in thought.
“Just run the idea by, that you have been looking for so long for someone for him, and Thamma would not find a house and family she knows for sure to be perfect for her. He can help with her career, too. She will also be right here for her when she needs Bondita.” Trilochon looked sceptical. Although Asha was no longer new, she did not know a side of Kalindi that he was aware of.
“Or… I can ask her to ask Bondita if she wants to be paraded in front of strangers? If not, then what does she want?” He suggested. Asha could see that her powerful, stubborn-headed father-in-law was somehow intimidated by this timid-looking widowed woman whom he called a friend. She wondered why, although she nodded at the idea. “But if Thamma is not keen on the idea, Bondita is probably aware of it and won’t open up to her the way she will with me.” Trilochon agreed. “Yes, she seems to have befriended you well. Do what you want to, Bouma. You have my blessings.” Trilochon nodded.
“If she agrees, then you and Baba can directly ask for her hand from Thamma. But you must drop the topic once by Thamma. Otherwise, that would be like keeping her in the darkness. I don’t think she will like that.” Asha tried to suppress her excitement as Trilochon nodded. “But what if Binoy is upset?”
“Upset about what, Dada?” Asha stood up, seeing Binoy at the door as she took the tray from the table, asked Binoy if he would like some tea and took their leave, informing him she had some paperwork to do for school. Binoy nodded at her in acknowledgement before sitting down on the edge of his brother’s bed. Trilochon eyed him and cleared his throat.
“Bouma and I think…” He formed the sentence in his head, pausing briefly before speaking again. “That we should get Aniruddha married.”
Binoy raised his eyebrows in surprise and amusement. “Have you not been thinking that for a decade now? What changed?”
“Well…” Trilochon cleared his throat. “I think it is someone he would not refuse this time.” Binoy’s amusement faded into realisation as he added, “But I am not sure whether you or her Thamma would be happy with my idea.”
“What did Aniruddha say?” Binoy enquired, ignoring his brother’s questioning glance for his approval. Trilochon shook his head. “After the last two times, I am not going to ask him.” He eyed Binoy. “He is your son, too. But…”
“But?” Binoy asked as Trilochon looked sceptical. “I don’t want things to be strange between them if they refuse.” Binoy could not help but smile. His brother had been doubtful of his observations of Aniruddha and Bondita. Binoy stood up as Trilochon anticipated a reaction.
“Let me talk to him.” Trilochon was gladly surprised at his lack of resistance to the idea.
“I thought you were going to be upset or perhaps call me a fool again.” Trilochon shook his head.
“I am not.” Binoy’s eyes met Trilochon's as he said, “I know why this is important to you.” Trilochon’s heart sank at his stare. There was a sense of pity in his tone, the kind he had never seen in Binoy’s eyes for him before. Although they never talked of it, Binoy knew what had transpired from Alamethi to Chandannagar. Worse, when their father refused to take Trilochon to Gosaba for his grandfather’s last rites, he had witnessed a heated argument between them, where his father blamed Trilochon for his misfortune and Trilochon accused his parents of being vengeful towards him. Before Trilochon could utter another word, perhaps in protest, Binoy walked away.
