This story is being taken from the memoirs of anidita. this is what bondita remembered at a flashback on her marriage anniversary.đ¤Ş
The lights were beaming parallel to the french mattress. It was dark, blur, and beautiful outside. Her pupils gazed at her mirage on glass. Her large mustard curls were swirling side by side, at the command of breeze. She had worn a coral blouse, with cream embroidery. decking her breasts. The glazed lavish, jewels had adorned her like a queen tonight.
''are didi,itna Kun saza Rhi hei?'' she asked sampoorna.
she drew a cupric dot, folded the jasmine florets in her pleats, and sprinkled some scent on her body.
''there's a reason to deck you, tonight is the anniversary of your marriage's said giggling.
After 4 years, the enmity between both villages was tarnished, they got married. It was so stiff, even to look at the past, so they accepted their fate in present.
The cars were being lined up, at the gate. there were candles been falling everywhere, the rose altars being sprinkled on guests, and florets everywhere.
''acha bata toh Anirudh khan hei? aya Nhi Abhi tk?'' she asked folding the anchal at the bottom.
Such is sisterly love, that she can shatter, you gloom with just her choice of actions. As a kid, when the little bondita, would wail for toys, and sweets, she would spare some annas, and let her buy them. After years, twisted their relation, she was still her sampoorna didi, a victim of social cause, a pillar of matrical thoughts.
''B-on-d-i-t-a''
''le agye tere pati, abb Mera kya Kam?'' she giggled at her.
''So you're here...'' she said rolling her eyes.
''yes, kaka had called...why are you so upset?'' he asked her.
he stood in front of her, bending he kissed her palms and said,'' if your mind is troubled, speak to me''
her heart would be slithered, as a smile arched in her lips.
''let's go...'' she nodded shyly.
'what is this girl thinking?'-he wondered.
the guests cheered the party and greeted them. but for anidita, it was another blissful twilight of the year.
''ma, if I worship, my husband, will he fulfill all my wishes?''
yes, he had fulfilled. He had planted the fragile, dream to be a barrister, which turned so revolutionary.
''Barrister babu, why Iam so lucky? that I married a man, who helped me a lot to cope up with this world...''-she thought as tears dripped on her cheeks.
''Bondita, why let tears fall?....today...''-he wiped her mushy cheeks and planted a kiss instead.
''let's cut the cake,boudi, I must have the bigger piece of a vanilla slice...''
''chote,zamindar,surely...pati babu''
A large echo of claps hunged in, as the cake was sliced.
Both of them, sliced the vanilla cake, as infinite happiness, was imprinted on their faces.' who could have thought? A divorcee, reunited after years, and left so united, so lovable!... The age that gasps every relation worked beautifully for them.
''I wish, they live happily ever, Trouble, indeed, but least they sparkle with their love and deeds...'' exclaimed kaka , looking at the family frame.
''Bondita, you look like a crybaby while shedding your tears, won't you meet ma?''
''Ma-''she turned around and saw sumati standing.
she embraced her mom, worthier ain't the child who didn't love his parents, often you have heard?don't you?
Such is the remark of nurturing, that it slays years of intellectual into mere dust.No one would offer you a warm cup of water, except surely your mom. Sumati, was standing, with the same, white fabric, dusted over her thin figure, head shaved, eyes glint, and heart still ready to accept.
She threw herself at her mom, her solace lap, her same warmth, that let her remind, she is bondita,'apne ma ki beti hun,chmchi nhi'
''ma, this is unfair, Seems, the jamai had lost his right, let me embrace ma,bondita hush..hush..'' uttered Anirudh trying to side her.
Sumati was a parental figure to both the barristers. Often, on long trips, near krishnagar, she would pack, the luchis and aloo posto for his long-term journeys, he made sure, he had his mom's magic, every time.
Anirudh had a successful career in barristree and as a social worker. Bengal was aware of his tempered and witty debates, he picked, his tender care to illicit kids dumped in the legacy of orthodoxy, and his charm, just as a person.
'' Patti babu, won't you lend me the gift you have sought for me? or Should I plead you more with honey?'' she asked unbuttoning his shirt.
''ahh..your nails have grown so tall .durga ma, I wonder the story of pisach,is so true...We RC's have found one...here..'' he laughed eyeing her.
''huffh...pisach, have you ever eyed yourself,van manush''
''did you say something?'' he asked her.
''why will, I? my gift?'' she forwarded her palms to him.
''Close your eyes...and place your palms straight to me''
''This is what we do every time, barrister babu, what's so-''
''when instructed, follow please..'' he said with a glint in his eyes.
he waved his arms and smiled .she was blind to peep for now.soem creek,andreek,sound were leding from desk.
''Open your eyes bondita.....and see''
''what's this? A slate...'' she uttered in disbelief.
''fool,I meant..flip it ..yes..''
As she flipped, the slate there, were small, comic figures, of a lad, lass and a kid.
''who drew this? Surely, not you..''
''Boudi..............!!''
The little doll, gushed from the desk, bottom and hugged bondita.
''Did you like it? boudi, It took me ages of hard work..ahhh dada leave my ears,...here is your chocolate, I had bought from savings..''
''why won't, I like, my saswati had bought me such a lovely gift..and this is your reward''
She handed her a lemonade candy, as she rushed downstairs.
''Everyone had gifted me, when will you?''
''when will you? the sam I ask for '' he echoed back.
''Anirudh come downstairs, when will you bahu''
they went towards the hall, as kaka wanted to gift them in privacy.
''the way, you had lifted the upbringing of the household for a decade, along with you barristree, bahu is so rare....so rare, bahu, this is just a golden choker,subhra had this from her mother-in-law...let this have you...'' kaka handed her.
''Anirudh, here is your book...'' forwarded Binoy
they both looked at each other.
''Close your eyes'' was the only remark that escaped their lips.
both of them faced back, as Anirudh grabbed the stuff and bondita drew the present from her bag.they lent each other gifts, and they glanced opening their eyes. It was a 'the picture of awards and honors, she had received since, a student' which he placed on her palms. He often lied, he cares not about her, and here he was busy piling all her memories.
'There was a frame of sumati, Arvind and Choti bondita, and one another frame was her childhood memories, in her in-law's house
''you had collected them over all these years? still..''
''bondita, you always wanted this frame with your parents, didn't you '' he said as tears dripped from his eyes.
''It's so rare to see husbands gifting these to wives...I wonder, what she has done with Anirudh babu....who respects widow nowadays, to put them in frames, huh...'' commented one of the ladies
''yes, what she did, to meet is, affinity to what I always wanted to be, why shouldn't widows be in the frame? It was sumati ma, who lent me her gem, her bondita, people don't share clothes, pieces of food, and she lent me her whole life, shouldn't I respect her?'' he said to them calmly and turned towards her.
Her eyes were already shedding tears, lips trembling to support her cries and she embraced him back. she bolted his mushy lips, with kisses that had left them moist, excited, and solace ofcourse. she rubbed his hairs, lazily, while clutching his gorget.
''here you go...'' he said as he flung himself from her. She facepalmed at her actions, as daughters, and ladies weren't supposed to do so.
''Pati babu,I wish, this name is always my tkiya kalam, till Iam ...''
''it would be boudi....''' said som.
'she forwarded him, some files, some boxes'
''what is this bondita? so many things..hah...''
'There were his diaries, of first cases, which he had prepared with sleepless nights, the honors he had received while helping girls, new laws cut from magazines, that she had pasted.
''I collected them, since,I was 11,pati babu...''
''it's beautiful bondita...'' he said encircling his hands at her waist.
'Life brings tears, smiles, and memories. The tears dry, the smiles fade, but the memories last forever
she folded the last letter of her diary, before mailing it to RC's mansion.
'London,1920.
Dear Anirudh,
It has been days since, my health is Detroit, and when these letters are mailed to you, I might be breathing the last, yet, these are the happy memories, I have crafted over the years.
Over the years, you have been my love, mentor, and loadstar. yet, There's only one mistake that, I had executed, in my life. Your bondita couldn't thank you for all your gratitude towards me, for the last time,do not let tears pool over my handwriting, Sakha babu.
Iam still yours, still, as you're still mine.
your's lovingly
Bondita
it was 1930, March. he folded the piece of paper, and burnt it in a pile of woods, dreaming, all he read was an illusion. since bondita, won't lie. his heart awaited her, as he read the burnt letter again and again. it had been a decade flipped, with time, but alas, she wasn't still here.
''The letters flamed, the words were a blur, but the remark, still hurts me......'' he exclaimed.
'
Anupamaa
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