ANIDITA : A Life For Revolution

CHAPTER 10 : Part 2

Bondita's p.o.v

"Didi ap khud soch lijiye. Kya Anirudh dada ko acha lagega apko aise dekhke? Raat hogayi hai... Apne na kuch khaya hai, na kuch peeya hai... Yeh galat hai na? Chalo yeh khana kha lo" Shubha insisted.

"Mujhe bhook nahi hai Shubha" I repeated for the hundredth time.

"Bondita yeh kya bachpana hai?! Dekho ab mujhe gussa aarahi hai" Laya yelled.

I ignored her rants and continued staring at our photograph. Not after long, a file was placed in front of me. I looked up to see Tappu giving a consoling smile to my direction.

"Kya hai yeh?" I muttered.

"FIR ki copy hai... Senior ke naam ka"

I looked down at the file and my heart twitched a bit more.

"Use kyun de rahe ho? Tumhe zaroorat hai na uska?" I can hear Sasur Ji behind.

"Nahi uncle... Yeh case mein nahi, Barrister babu ladegi"

I looked up at him in shock. Me? No! I can't! I won't! This will be my first independent case if I do. I cannot take risk when it's about my Pati babu! What if I lose?

"Kya? Tapas..." Sasur Ji adjusted his spectacles before continuing "Hamne faisla liya tha na? Ab tum aise kyun kah rahe ho?"

"Kyunki mujhe lagta hai yeh sahi hoga... Senior ki bhi yahi icha hogi. Hai na Barrister babu?"

I swallowed but couldn't reply. He is right. Pati babu would want that. But can I do it? Am I confident enough?

"Tapas mujhe nahi lagta yeh sahi hoga... Bondita ne aj tak koyi mukadma nahi lada hai. Anirudh ke jaan ko khatra hai Tapas, yeh koyi aam baat nahi hai" Sasur Ji protested.

"Mujhe lagta hai Tapas dada sahi kah raha hai. Boudi ko hi karna chahiye" Batuk defended.

"Haan Baba. Boudi ko karne do... Anirudh dada bhi khush hoga" Som dada spoke up too.

"Aur chinta mat kijiye Uncle. Bondita akele nahi hai, mein hoon uske sath... Ham donon milke, In fact, ham sab milke Senior ko wapas laoge" Tappu assured.

Sasur Ji thought for a moment and adjusted his spectacles before replying.

"Theek hai... Agar tum sab ko lagta hai ki Bondita yeh kar paogi toh karne do use... Tum karogi na Bondita?"

I just stared at him impassively. What if I cannot get the evidences on time? What if I get outwitted by Greenwood? What if I fail?

"Karegi! Kyun nahi karegi? Zaroor karegi... Apne Pati babu keliye" Tappu was the one to speak, as though he knew I wouldn't reply to that.

"Ab hamein chalna hai yeh file padhne... Kal Senior se bhi milna hai, meine permission liya hai" he held my wrist and dragged me towards the study.

"Kya kar rahe ho tum Tappu? Chodo!" I started protesting when we reached study.

He made me sit on the sofa and kneeled before me. I rubbed my wrist and kept my eyes down.

"Meri ankhon mein dekho Barrister babu" he commanded.

I looked up hesitantly.

"Pareshani kya hai?"

I looked down again, my eyes welling up.

"Bondita... Bolo" he insisted.

"Mein nahi kar paungi" I murmured.

"Kya?" he enquired.