Tere liye (RTMC ff)(Part 17 in Pg 49) - Page 45

Soon the festival drew closer to its culmination. It was the last day of the festival, the day when the idol of the deity "Durga" and of the other deities accompaying her were to be bid farewell and to be immersed into the water with a promise to regress the next year. The day was popularly known as "Bijoya Dashami".

The last day of the festival was being celebrated with full galore and gaiety in the Basu mansion where the Gangulys and Roys have also assembled.

Rita and Aparna were doing the 'arti' in front of the deity while the others were stationed behind them and were engrossed in the spiritual ambience that prevailed over the entire place. With their palms joined and heads lowered in front of the goddess, they offered their prayers and reverence to the deity.

Soon the 'Arti' culminates and Aparna approached them with the oil lamp lit for the purpose of the 'Arti' and stretched her hand out, holding it oput to them. One after the other, all of them took the blessing and Aparna, walking back to the somewhat lower platform in front of the higher platform on which the idols of the deities had been stationed.

However, soon the attention of the people present there was grasped by a loud yet enchanting male voice. Everyone looked hither and thither and scanned the vicinity in an endeavour to locate the owner of the voice and finally noticed the person behind the commotion. It was none else than the charming and handsome Aditya Basu.

Aditya was standing at a short distance and in such a way that he was almost in the midst of all and within a perfect hearing range.

Aditya : "jaise ki aap sabko pata hain aaj hum bangaliyo ke sabse important festival ka aakhri din hain. Toh kya hum isko aise bina dhum dhamake ke beet jaane denge? Hargeez nehi. Adi ke ghar ka puja ka the end bhi Adi ke style mein hoga, dhamake ke saath. So what are we waiting for guys. Let's rock."

He almost snatched the drum from the drummer and stroke it a few times with the stick used for playing it before returning it to the drummer.

Dhaker tale komor dole ( hips are swaying in the rhythm of the drum)

Khushitey naachey mon (heart is dancing in joy)

[Aditya played the drum with the sticks and swayed his hips with the rhythm]

Aaj baja kashor jama aashor (Today play the 'kashor' and rock the party)

Thakbe maa aar kotokhon (Till when will the goddess be with us)

[He twirled around and danced his way to the platform where the deity was situated, kneeled down in front of the goddess and grabbing handful of flowers sorinkled them on the deity]

Dhaker tale komor dole ( hips are swaying in the rhythm of the drum)

Khushitey naachey mon (heart is dancing in joy)

Aaj baja kashor joma aashor (Today play the 'kashor' and rock the party)

Thakbe maa aar kotokhon (Till when will the goddess be with us)

[The rest of the people joined their palms in front of the deity with utmost reverence and swayed with the rhythm]

Mayer roopey mon bhorey jaye (Heart is overwhelmed with the beauty of the goddess)

Pronam janai oi ranga paye (offering our reverence to the Goddess)

[Aditya joined his palms and reverentially lowered his head in front of the Goddess and kneeling down touched the feet of the Goddess]

Dhore dhunuchi duhatey naach re ekhon (Dance now holding 'Dhunuchi' in both hands)

[Aditya takes the 'Dhunuchi' in his hands and danced with them balanced in each hands while many youngsters joined him]

Dhaker tale komor dole (hips are swaying in the rhythm of the drums)

Khushitey naachey mon (heart is dancing in joy)

Aaj baja kashor joma aashor (today play the 'kashor' n rock the party)

Thakbe maa aar kotokhon (Till when will the Goddess be with us)

[He continued dancing with the 'dhunuchi' which was a bengali form of dance performed during the Durga puja and know as "Dhunuchi naach"]

Bolo durga Mai ki

[Yelled Subhankar Basu]

Jai

[Everyone said in chorus]

Bolo Durga mai ki

[Yelled Pranab Ganguly]

Jai

[Everyone said in chorus]

Bolo Durga Mai ki

[Yelled Prabhat Roy]

Jai

[Everyone said toghether]

Aasbe abar maa bochor pore (the Goddess will regress after a year)

Duchokh tobu haye jole bhorey (Tears are still brimming in the eyes)

Aasbe Malokkhi kodin porey (Goddess Laxmi will come after few days)

Mon je tobu haye kemon kore (till the heart feels dejected)

[Aparna and rita joined their palms in front of the Goddess and sang]

Ami janabo Make janabo (I'll tell the Godess)

Aaj amar ei moner aasha (my heart's desire)

[Aditya approached Paromita and danced around her. He joined his palms towards the Goddess and then kept his hand on his heart conveying that he will inform the goddess about his heart's desire]

Jano e mone ei jibone (in this heart, in this life)

Thake emoni bhalobasha (love will stay like this)

[He danced his way to Paromita and danced around her and blew air to her lustrous hair, messing them and receiving a whack on his arm for his mischief in return from a giggling Paromita]

Mayer bhasan hobere aaj (Today the deity will be immersed in water)

Cholche boron aarati naach ( A dance to commemorate is going on)

[Aditya continued swaying and dancing with the rhythm of the song]

Dhaker tale komor dole

Khushitey naachey mon

Aaj baja kashor joma aashor

Thakbe maa aar kotokhon

[Aditya approached mouli and Paromita who were standing beside each other and gestured mouli to come and dance with him but mouli denied. Aditya shook his head with a charming smile as he knew that mouli did not prefer dancing and then grabbed Paromita's hand and pulled her to the midst of the dancing group alongwith him and twirled her around. For a moment Paromita wasstartled at the suddenness of Aditya's action. But she was no less than him and soon with expert skills matched his steps.]

Aami jani na, keno jaani na (I'm unaware, Why I'm unaware)

Aaj nijeke notun lage (Today I feel myself new)

Mon sejeche, rong legeche

Eto khushi dekhini aagey (i havnt seen so much joy before)

[Paromita twirled ith her hands stretched out and sang and she swayed her hips with the rhythm and continued dancing]

Ami peyechi fire peyechi koto diner pore ei hasi (i have got back this smile after so many days)

[Prabhat roy wrapped his daughter in a side hug and sang]

Tai mone hoi, sudhu mone hoi, jano ebhabe sukhe bhasi (That's why I feel like floating in this joy like this)

[Subhankar took both of his sons in a side hug]

Boron seshe sindoor khela (A game of vermilion is going on)

thakbe mone bidai bela ( this hour of seperation will be remembered)

Aj sindoore sohage ranga jibon ( today life is colored with vermilion as well as love)

[Aditya pulled almost everyone in the dance floor except Mouli who stood there fuming at the proximity that Aditya and Paromita were sharing]

Dhaker tale komor dole

Khushitey naachey mon

Aaj baja kashor joma aashor

Thakbe maa aar kotokhon

[Both Aditya and paromita danced toghether. They appeared to be the perfect match for each other as they truly compliment each other. Not a single step they took that didn't match with the other's.]

Finally the festival culminates amidst tears of seperation and a promise to come back.

************************************************************

It was a sunday evening n everyone was in an indolent mood. The Basu, Ganguly n Roy families had assembled in the lawn of the Basu mansion for a private tea party. All of them were scattered across the lawn in their respective small groups. Subhakar, Prabhat n Pranab were engrossed in chat related with business as well as their college lives. Aparna n Rita were engrossed in preparation of tea n arrangement of snacks. Paromita, Arpita were engrossed in chitchat with Paromita mostly teasing Arpita. Mouli was also there but she was not at all concentrating in the discussion in which her sisters were engrossed as all she could think of was the events of yesterday. She glanced at Aditya but no, her worries proved to be wrong as he was not staring at Paromita but was apparently persuading his brother to give his consent to his demand. Mouli sighed in relief n thought to herself that perhaps she was overeacting, perhaps there was nothing between Aditya n Paromita n they just shared a normal cordial relationship n nothing more than that. She cursed Gauri as it was her words that had caused Mouli's thoughts meander the way they did. She shook her head n diverted her full concentration to the discussion her sisters were engaged in. Rita n Aparna poured the tea into the saucers n were about to arrange them on the tray when they were utterly startled by a loud cheer. Not only them but everyone else too was befudled. They scanned the place and finally located the source of the commotion. It was none else than Aditya who was at the present moment grinning sheepishly with an expression of slight contrition adorning his immaculate visage.

Subhankar put a hand on his chest n slightly admonished his son :"Namumkin hain. Is larke ke rehte mera normal death toh bilkul namumkin hi hain. Iske wajah se mujhein toh heart attack aana ekdum pakka hain. Waise kya main pooch sakta hu janab ke aap kis khushi mein itna shor macha raha?"

Aditya chortled at his father's melodramatic act n replied :"Oh come on dad! Aap mere dad hain, Aditya Basu ke dad. Aapka heart itni kamjor thori hi na hain jo bas aivayi attack aa jayega. Abhi toh aapko na jaane mere aur kitne shararto ka sadma sehna hain. Waise bata du ke main bas yuhi nehi shor kar raha tha. Bahut bhari bharkam wajah hain."

Abhishek shook his head beaming while Aditya became the target of eight pairs of curious eyes.

Paromita :"Aur kya hain wo bhari bharkam wajah?"

Aditya smirked :"Bataunga, jarur bataunga. Lekin uske liye dad, mom aur saare baro ko mujhe permission deni paregi. Pehle kahiye main jo kahunga wo aap sabko manjur hoga, sirf tabhi main bataunga."

Pranab smiled :"Accha baba jo tum kahoge uske liye hum maan jayenge. Ab bata bhi do aakhir wo baat hain kya."

Aditya beamed cheerfully :"Thank you kaka. Haan toh main soch raha tha ki parso se toh dada aur baudi ki shaadi ki taiyariyan shuru ho jaani hain aur hum sabko ekdum busy ho jaana hain. Toh kyun na hum sab kal ek outing par chale. Picnik par chalte hain na. Sabke liye refreshing bhi rahega aur fir agle din se hum acche se kaam bhi kar payenge. What say?"

A murmur of approval raised among his audience.

Aparna was the first one to voice her opinion :"Bahut hi accha khayal hain. Humein bilkul jaana chahiye."

The instant she gave her consent Aditya knew that triumph was his as his father would never go against his mother and judging by the expressions of everyone else, they were as much thrilled by the idea as he was. Soon his judgment was proved to be right as the elders as well as the youngsters gave their consent n approved his idea heartily. Soon everything had been arranged n after a lot of arguement the venue for the picnic had been decided to be the farmhouse of the basu family in Lonavla.

Precap - The picnic

A major realization