ANIDITA : A Life For Revolution

CHAPTER 1 : Part 4

Bondita's p.o.v

"Pareeksha achi tarah di?" he enquired sarcastically.

"Ji KSJ" I replied calmly.

"Anirudh kahan hai?"

"Woh Mahila Ghar ki -"

"Arre jab dekho Mahila Ghar Mahila Ghar. Kya... Kya zaroorat hai tum donon ko aise un ladkiyon ke peeche bhagne ki? Anirudh kam tha kya ab tum bhi uske hi kadam par chalne lage ho bahu?"

"Lekin KSJ, apne hi toh sikhaya hai na? Hamesha pati ka sath dena"

"Tum mere sikhayi huyi baaton ko mujhpar mat pheko bahu"

"Da ap kyun bewaja bechari par gussa kar rahe hai? Arre pareeksha dekar aa rahi hai. Thak gayi hogi, aaram karne do use" Sasur Ji entered the scene.

"Wah Binoy! Ab tum bhi kaho ki mein hi galat hoon. Mein bewaja gussa nahi kar raha hoon Binoy. Tum jante ho isne kya kiya hai?"

My heart leapt to my throat. What was KSJ talking about? Does he know about my night adventures?

"Kya kiya hai tumne Bondita?" Sasur Ji enquired.

I shook my head, indicating I didn't know.

"Mein batata hoon. Yeh raat ko chup chup ke Mahila Ghar jaate hai... Un ladkiyon ko padhane"

My breathing hitched and I struggled to maintain my heart beating wildly against my ribs.

"Aise kya dekh rahe ho humein? Yahi soch rahi ho na, ki hamein keise pata chal gaya? Arre kya samajhkar rakha hai tumne humein? Hum kya ullu hai? Mati nahi hai kya humein? Tum aur Anirudh hamare peeth peeche kuch karogi toh hamein samajh nahi ayega? Aise hi zamindar nahi bane hai hum"

"KSJ ham apse kuch chupana nahi chahte the. Lekin agar apko bata deti toh ap mujhe jaane nahi denge na? Isiliye -"

"Tum shaam ko padhane jati ho na? Hamne kuch bola tumse? Tumhe roka? Nahi na? Ab jab shaam ko ja rahi hai toh phir raat ko bhi jane ki kya zaroorat thi tumhe?"

"KSJ samay bohot kam hai hamare liye. Aur bhi padhana hai. Sirf shaam ke -"

"Kyun kar rahi ho tum donon yeh sab? Kya zaroorat hai un vidhwawon ho padhane ki? Iss gaav ke baaki ladkiyon ko padhake khush nahi the? Kya zaroorat thi un vidhwawon ko Vrindavan se bachakar lane ki? Ek toh unhe vidhwa dharm nibhana nahi diya ki ab padhana bhi chahti ho? Yeh kya fitoor lekar beithe ho tum donon? Hamein toh lagta tha tum Anirudh ko samjhakar uski krantikaari dimaag ko kabu mein la paoge lekin nahi... tum toh uske sath kadam pe kadam milakar chal rahi ho"

"Apni patni dharm nibha rahi hoon KSJ. Aur mein jo kuch bhi kar rahi hoon, apni marzi se kar rahi hoon. Mujhe apne Pati babu par poora bharosa hai. Samaj ko badalne ki unki jo khwaish hai, use poori karne mein, mein unka poora sath dungi. Kyunki mein janti hoon unka sapna galat nahi hai"

"Wah bahu! Ab tum bhi bilkul Anirudh ki tarah baat karne lage ho. Ab ham kyun kuch bole? Hamari baat koyi sunte hai iss ghar mein?"

"Mein sununga na apki baat Kaka" Someone interrupted.

We all turned our heads to see Somnath dada smiling up at us.

"Somu dada" I exclaimed with shock and happiness.

"Arre Som" Sasur Ji went and hugged his son.

Somnath dada took blessings from KSJ and Sasur Ji and shared a hug with KSJ. It's been a year since Somu dada left for Culcutta for his graduation.

"Somnath, aise achanak bina bataye?" KSJ asked him.

"Kaka chutti hai na? Socha kyun na aake sabse miloon"

"Bohot acha kiya Som" KSJ complimented.

"Bahu jao jake mithayi lekar aao... Aur haan, khaane ka prabandh bhi karna. Hamara beta aagaya hai bhai. Thoda jashn manana hai ki nahi?" KSJ was on cloud nine.

"Haan Boudi, kuch acha khasa banana. Culcutta mein rahke apke hath ka khana bohot miss kiya hai meine" Dada replied.

"Haan haan dada ap bas bolo apko kya chahiye Bondita apke liye sab kuch banayegi" I replied.

"Woh chodo pehle yeh batao mujhe thanks kab kehne wali ho?" he murmured so that only I could hear.

"Kyun?" I narrowed my brows.

"Agar mein nahi hota toh aj Kaka se bohot daat padti na?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you dada"

"You're welcome Boudi"

.......................................

It was night and the family was having a peaceful dinner together. It was pure bliss to see my whole family together once more.

"Yeh kya baat huyi boudi? Apne Somu dada ko teen teen roshogulle diye aur mujhe sirf ek? Itna pyaar toh apne Anirudh dada ko bhi nahi diya... Unhe ek bhi nahi mila" Batuk taunted.

"Chote zamindar sahab! Ap har din das das handiyan khate hai na? Aj jab Somu dada itne din baad ghar wapas aa gaye hai toh mein unhe roshogulle nahi de sakti?" I replied irritated.

"Ab baat toh Batuk sahi kah raha hai Bondita. Itna bada atyachar kiya hai tumne mujhpe. Mujhe ek bhi roshgulla nahi diya!" Pati babu defended Batuk.

"Kya Pati babu ap bhi? Agar apko roshogulla chahiye tha toh apne mujhe poocha kyun nahi?"

"Som ne tumhe kab poocha tha?"

"Woh mein aise hi..."

"Wahi! Yeh toh atyaachar hua hai mere aur Batuk ke upar. Isiliye ham tumse baat nahi karenge. Kyun Batuk?"

"Haan dada. Mein baat nahi karne wala tumse" Batuk whined.

Pati babu burst out his face like I do and crossed his arms. Batuk too imitated him. I struggled hard not to laugh at his childishness. I narrowed my eyes and placed my hands on hip.

"Anirudh! Tum 26 saal ke ho jo aisa bartaav kar rahe ho! Ab yeh sab chodo aur khana khao" KSJ instructed, laughing. 

I gave a triumphant smile to Pati babu indicating to do as KSJ told him to.

"Arre da ap jante hai na, Bondita ke saamne toh Anirudh chota bacha hi hai" Sasur Ji made fun of him. I struggled not to burst out.

"Wah Baba! Ap mera mazak udha raha hai?" Pati babu whined.

"Aise bartaav karega toh aur kya -" Sasur Ji got interrupted with a loud banging sound. Batuk jumped while the roshogulla in his mouth popped out to his plate.

We all ran towards the source of the sound – to the front door. My eyes widened at the sight in front of me. Laya lied there half-consciously. I ran towards her and scooped her up my arms.

"Laya... Laya kya hua tumhe? Apni ankhen kholo Laya. Laya!"

"Bondita... Bondita mujhe... mujhe bachao... mujhe bachao Bondita" she cried to my chest and eventually passed out.

I couldn't stop the tears flowing down my cheeks. My Laya... What had happened to my Laya?