“ Bondita aaj zaraa jaldi ghar aana. Tujhe dekhne keliye ladke waale aane waale hain.” Thakumaa said as she saw Bondita all dressedup and ready to leave for the court.
“ Dekhiye Thakumaa, maine aapse kal bhi kahaa hai kimujhe abhi vivah ke baare mein sochna bhi nahi hai, main London jaake Barristerisliye nahi bani kyuki mujhe waapis lautke kisi ghar ka chulha-chauka sambhalnatha. Maine vivah ke liye manaa nahi kiya hai par mujhe kab vivah karna hai, yeh nirnay meraa hoga.” She replied back, looking at Thakumaa in her eye.
“ Sahi toh keh rahi hai Bondita Thakumaa, abhi-abhitoh vilaayat se aayi hai, rehene dijiye thode samay ke liye.” Chandrachur said,giving a lusty look to Bondita which she failed to pick up and agreed with him.
“ Dekhiye Jamai babu, apraadhi ki sazaa aur aurat jaatke vivah ko zyaada der ho gayi toh yeh acchi baat nahi hoti hai. Bondita, agartune meri baat nahi maani toh…..” Thakumaa continued but Sumati cut her off.
“ Toh tu apni maa ka maraa muh dekhegi, samjhi?” She said, walking towards Bondita who windened her eyes in surprise.
“ Kya maa, tu aisi baatein kyu karti hai? Tujhe pataahai na ki tu jo chahti hai, teri beti waisa hi karegi. Mai aajaungi ghar samayse pehele.” Bondita said, addressing everyone in the room before walking out to leave for Deenpur court but not without a layer of tears in her eyes.
“ Yeh sab kya ho raha hai Sakha babu? Mujhe aapki zaroorat hai. Maine jabse pyaar shabd ka matlab samjha hai, tabse yeh bhi jaanliya hai ki who aap hi hain jinse main pyaar karti hoon. Sirf aap. Par aap hain ki meri surat tak nahi dekhna chahte hain aur yahaan maa aur Thakumaa ko merevivah ki jaldi hai. Samjh lijiye aaj aap yeh baat Barrister Babu, vivah toh mai aapke alaawa kisi se nahi karungi, chahe phir mujhe dobaara yahaan se bhagna hi kyu na pade.” She muttered to herself as she started towards the court.
It took her about twenty minutes to reach. Today was a very important hearing and she was bloody well prepared to take the prosecution down. It was a case of enemity between two families whose kids fell in love and got married without the knowledge of the family and the girl’s family filed a case against the boy for forcefully marrying the daughter.
“ My lordship, Aashima aur Bhaskor dono hi baalik hain, apne faisle khud lene ki Shamata rakhte hain. Aur pichli saari daleelon mein Aashima bol chuki hai ki usne yeh shaadi kisi bhi majboori ya dar se nahiki hai. Yeh dono ek doosre ko pasand karte hain aur apni zindagi ek saathbitaana chahte hain toh isme galat kya hai? Ab din kispe aajaye uspe kisi kabas nahi hai, khud uss insaan ka bhi nahi toh isme kisi ki bhi kya galti ya gunah nahi ho sakta. Pyaar toh bas ho jaata hai, bina kuch soche ya samjhe,bina koi dushmani jaane, bina kisi ki parwah kiye aur na kisi ki umar dekh ke.Pyaar ke alag-alag roop ho sakte hain par hota toh who pyaar hi hai.” She said those last words without thinking of anyone but her Sakha babu, who unknown toher was passing right by the courtroom where she was and stopped to hear herarguing.
“ Barrister babu, chalein?” Anirudh’s assistant askedhim as he stopped but he held his one hand up to stop him from speaking at allbecause a voice fell in his ears. The same voice which he had heard when shecalled for him to turn around and look at her when he handed her over to Krishnanagar, then again when she held his hand as she had disguised herself as a swordfighter andquestioned him for not talking to her, looking at her and not celebrating together after the fulfillment of the dream they had seen together years ago.The same voice which he heard quivering when he told her that she means no one to him, she was just a responsibility and nothing more. Now, Anirudh was proud of her, her tarks, her words, her confidence and her everything was attracting him towards her like a moth was attracted towards fire. He knew that he wouldburn, the walls that he had built around him for 8 years would but he couldn’tstop himself. He tried, he totally did but failed and like always, he did not mind failing to see her win because seeing her win was his biggest win and so he walked in that courtroom and took a seat at the very back, hiding himself from her eyes. Not that he really needed to because she was completely engrossed in presenting her case.
A proud smile rested on Anirudh Roy Chaudhary’s lipsand his eyes matched the same emotions. His eyes which had masked all his emotions for the past 8 years were now teary. All he wanted was to go and pull Bondita in his embrace and never let go but instead as he focused on what shewas saying, especially her last line, something woke up inside of him,something he had suppressed for so long that he didn’t knew existed. Her words,made his heart feel something fluttery, as if confessing her love for him and yetshe hadn’t taken his name even once. That is the kind of relationship theyshared, dil se dil tak.
“ Barrister Babu, you should be in the other courtroom. The judge will be there any moment.” His assistant broke him out ofhis trace and he gave a quick nod to him and stood up, walking out of the courtroom without grabbing anyone’s attention. This time too, he didn’t see herface and like all the previous times, he was left disappointed not being ableto see her once even when it was his decision not to.
Bondita on the other hand did win her case and she wason cloud nine. This was her first major case and she had won. The judge ruledin their favor and it was for the first time in Deenpur court that a womanBarrister was practicing, let alone winning. This news disturbed a fewmisogynistic Barristers in court.
“ Suna aapne Chatarjee Babu, app woh mahila Barrister ne apne Sen babu ko haraa diya.” One of them said and that’s when theprosecutor walked to them who had just lost.
“ Usko toh mai chodunga nahi, aaj mujhe beizzat kiyahai na, ab mai karunga aur who bhi aaj hi.” Sen babu said as he formulated aplan to humiliate Bondita in front of everyone along with his other Barristerfriends.
On the other hand, Bondita who was oblivious to the planning and plotting was busy in being happy and conflicted whether to go toher Sakha babu to give him this news or not. He had made it very clear that hedidn’t want anything to do with her and Bondita, for some reason too felt thatshe will not be able to face him today because of the fact that someone wouldbe at her place to see her to take a decision regarding marriage, she felt likeeven seeing the man who was coming at her pace later today would be cheatingtowards her Sakha babu and thus went her good mood to a terribly dampen one.
“ Nahi nahi….mai nahi jaungi Sakha babu ke paas, nahijaungi.” She said to herself and went to her desk. It was still time for herbefore she had to leave and so she thought of getting some work done beforeleaving.
Anirudh who too had managed to win another one of hiscases was in his chambers, restless for some reason. A part of him wantedBondita to barge right in his chambers and tell him about how she won today andthen sit in front of him so that he could see the excitement on her face,happiness in her eyes which used to light up his entire world and that smilewhich was so contagious that he would laugh with her.
“ Kyu Bondita, humaare saath hi aisaa kyun hona tha?Yeh dushmani kyu honi thi? Iss dushmani ki wajah se maine 8 saal se tumhe nahidekha, apne jeene ki wajah ko nahi dekha aur apne pyaar ko nahi dekha. Tum hitoh ho yeh sab kuch mera, ek baar aajao na.” These words slipped from his mouthbefore he could control them.
“ Aaj 8 saal baad tumhare dil ki baat tumhari zubaanpar aahi gayi na Anirudh.” He heard a voice, Sampoorna’s voice was had walkedin his chambers.
“ Are Sampoorna maa aap yahan?” He was a littlesurprised seeing her here.
“ Woh Jeth ji ne Bihari ko kisi kaam se baahar bhejatha isliye yeh khaana layi aur accha hi hua ki aa gayi.” She said, keeping thelunch on the table and looked at Anirudh.
“ Bondita yahin hai Anirudh aur sab log baatein karrahe hain ki kaise woh jeeti hai aaj.” She said with a loving smile but anexpression of fear.
“ Toh uske liye accha hai.” He said sternly, lookingaway.
“ Kaash accha hota Anirudh kar iss baar Bondita kotumhari madad ki zaroorat hai. Maine kuch doorse Barrister logon ko bolte huesuna hai ki who badla lena chahte hainusse aur who bhi aaj hi. Uss bechaari ko toh pataa bhi nahi hai. Meri behen kobachaa lo Anirudh.” Sampoorna asked him helplessly and that’s when Anirudh’sblood started to boil.
“ Aap chinta mar kariye Sampoorna maa, inn giddhon kiburi nazar tak nahi padne doonga Bondita pe.” He said and dashed out of hischambers off to somewhere.
Here, Bondita was almost done with work when a fewbarristers asked her to come along with them for sherbet to celebrate her win.She hesitated for a minute before saying yes because after all, there was noharm or so she thought.
As they all started talking about cases, win andclients Bondita had no idea that she was being offered sherbets with somealcohol content in it and before she knew it, she had started to feel tipsy anda few more, completely out of her own control and then finally dizzy andunconscious.
The other Barristers gave each other a look anddecided to play the next part of whatever their plan was but before they couldeven start, a voice, that voice which was feared in the courtroom, evenrespected by judges roared in their ears.
“ Kaise mard ho tum sab? Ek baar haar kya gaye tohbadla lene ke liye itna neeche gir gaye? Sharaab pila di Bondita ko?” He wasbarely being able to control the anger bubbling inside of him.
All of them turned to see his face which was fearsomeat that point. A few opened their mouths to spurt lies but one look fromAnirudh and their mouths were sealed.
Anirudh then walked towards where Bondita was passedout and on his way gave nice punches to those Barristers who then ran out.Messing with Roy Chaudharys, let alone Anirudh Roy Chaudhary wasn’t somethingon their list ever.
Anirudh suddenly stopped in his tracks as Bondita hadstarted to regain her consciousness and was trying to make sense of everythingaround her as she tried to stand on her feet but because of the alcohol in hersystem, she was about to fall on her face when Anirudh held her hand frombehind, balancing her.
“ Oops.” She giggled and then started to swing whileAnirudh was still holding her hand.
“ Bondita.” Anirudh took her name this loud for thefirst time in years and yet not once it felt foreign, it felt like he had beentaking this name everyday or every year they had been away from each other.
Hearing the voice, Bondita’s eyes widened in shock.Sober or not, she could never fail to recognize her Sakha Babu’s voice ever.She stopped swinging and her body stood up straight and stiff.
“ Sakha babu, aap…..aap jayiye yahan se tabhi mai bhijaa paungi.” She muttered but it was loud enough for Anirudh to hear.
“ Tum 2 kadam akele nahi chal paogi iss samayBondita.” He replied and taking a deep breath, he turned her towards him.
The moment he looked at her, is was as if he couldlook at the world and he released a breath that he had been holding for solong, a sigh perhaps but it was of relief. He felt like a man who had beengiven a reason to like again, feel again and something surprising happened, notthat he was surprised really because the girl standing in front of his with hereyes closed tightly and lips slightly apart never failed to surprise him andthis time, she made his dead heart to beat again, so loud that he could almosthear it.
She had grown into a beautiful woman but he couldstill see his little Bondita inside of her even with her eyes closed. He wishedthat they could stay like this till the end of time so that he could fill herup in her eyes and after that, even death won’t be painful. Barrister AnirudhRoy Chaudhary, whose heart had turned to ice was melting, and he wasn’t mindingthat at all.
“ Apni aankhein kholo Bondita.” He found himselfcommanding her. He was desperate to see those eyes once again and to look athimself through her eyes and get to know her once again.
Bondita, on the other hand when drunk was a shyBondita. Had she been sober, she herself would have forced him to look at herbut right now, it was the opposite. He wanted her to look at him and she wasdenying.
“ Apni aankhein kholo Bondita.” Anirudh said onceagain, sternly and this time, she didn’t find it in herself to disobey him andso she did and the moment their eyes met, a gasp left her lips.
“ Sakha…..Sakha babu , aap sa….sach mein yahan hain?Mere saamne?” She couldn’t believe her eyes. The man who was hell bent onavoiding her till posterity was standing inches away from her currently.
“ Haan Bondita, tumhare Sakha Babu yahi hain, tumharesaamne. Mujhe toh pata hi nahi tha ki tumhe dekh kar hi mera dil dhadakta hai.”He confessed to her and a huge smile made way on his face. That smile which wasalways Bondita’s.
“ Apko pa….pata hai Sakha babu, maine aapko kitna yaadkiya? Kitna try kiya ki aap ek baar mujhse baat kar lein, ek baar meri tarafdekh lein aur ek baar mujhe apne gale se lagaa lein par aapne toh apni Bonditako hi apne se door kar diya. Apni Bondita ko hi apna dushman bana liya. KyuSakha babu, kyon?” She was agitated now and held his collar, jerking him and helet her. Her anger was completely justified.
Anirudh couldn’t say anything, instead he pulled hertightly towards himself and wrapped his arms around her and felt her head onhis chest. That was a sense of fulfillment that he had been longing for eightyears and he had no idea about it. Everything seemed just perfect at thispoint, now. Everything else ceased to exist for him and so did for her but herhappiness was short lived because even in this condition she remembered hermother’s words and she distanced herself from him and he looked shocked.
“ Mujhe ghar jaana hai Sakha babu. Aaj mujhe ladkewaali vivah ke liye dekhne aa rahe hain aur agar main ahi gayi toh maa mujhekabhi maaf nahi karegi.” She said with tears in her eyes and this time, shedidn’t even bother hiding them.
“ Vi….vivah. Tum kisi aur se vivah kar rahi hoBondita?” He asked her, so shocked that he didn’t even know that his hands automaticallytravelled to her own an gripped them.
“ Haan.” She lied to him. She wanted to know what hefelt for her or her love was just one sided and she was being dilusional.
“ Tum koi shaadi vaadi nahi kar sakti Bondita. Areabhi toh tumne apni practice shuru ki hai.” He said, now extremely angry. Herehe was, in love with this girl standing in front of him and this was the firsttime he had looked at her in 8 years. This was pure, unadulterated love and shewas talking about getting married to someone else.
“ Par maa yahi chahti hai Sakha babu. Aur agar maineaisaa nahi kiya toh woh umar bhar mere se baat karna toh door, meri shakal bhi nahidekhengi.” She said, telling him the half truth.
“ Bondita, tumhara vivah toh main kisi aur se honenahi dunga.” He announced. He knew that he was being extremely selfish but hewanted his Bondita for himself. He couldn’t even think of someone else gettingmarried to her.
“ Sakha babu, aapko yaad hai ki aapne 8 saal pehelemujhse kahaa tha ki apne Jeevan saathi ko chunne ka adhikaar sirf mera hoga?”She reminded him of that time, those pleasant memories and nodded knowing whatwas coming next.
“ Haan Bondita, uska hak sirf tumhara hai.” He said, looseninghis grip and taking a step away from her. She took a step towards him.
“ Toh aapko yeh bhi yaad hoga ki maine aapse pucha thaki kya samay aane par mai aapko bhi chun sakti hoon?” She asked, a very smallsmile playing on her lips.
“ Haan kahaa tha.” He once again replied, with a tingeof sadness in his eyes because he thought Bondita does not feel for him as hedoes for her.
“ Toh Sakha babu, kya aaj bhi woh aapke shabd aapkeliye maayine rakhte hain? Kya aapko chunne ka hak aaj bhi hai mere paas?” Sheasked he final question with a million butterflies in her stomach and Anirudh,who was standing so sad and broken till now felt like yet once again, Bonditawas giving him a reason to live.
“ Haan Bondita, yeh hak tumhara tha, humhara hai auraage humesha tumhara hi rahega.” He said, cupping her face and placed a smallkiss on her forehead which made her face turn all red, this time because of Anirudhrather than the gulaal like earlier.
“ Toh phir Sakha babu, main aapko hi chunti hoon.Chunti hoon kya, mai aapko tab se hi chun chuki hoon jab se pyaar shabd ka asalmatlab samjha hai, jaana hai.” She told him, without looking at him because shefelt shy.
“ Meri taraf dekh toh lo Bondita.” He asked her but shenodded in a no still looking down. He then, kept his index finger in her chinand made her look into his eyes.
“ Aaj mai keheta hoon Bondita, aami tumaake baalobaashi. Khub baalo baashi.” He said with so much love in his eyes that Bonditafailed to keep her eyes captivated to his and to hide her blush, hugged himtightly only to hear him chuckle.
“ Waise tumhe nahi lagta ki tumhe bhi bolna chahiye?”He asked, gently caressing her head.
“ Ji nahi. Jitna aapne pichle 2 mahino se saataya haina aapne, mai itni jaldi toh apko who bolne se rahi jo aap sunna chahte hain.Ab sataane ke baari meri.” She replied sternly, earning a full laugh out ofAnirudh Roy Chaudhary, a man who supposedly had forgotten how to laugh.
“ Yeh bhi sweekar hai.” He said as she took a step awayfrom him after realizing how close they were actually standing.
“ Ab mujhe jaana hoga Sakha babu. Maa raah dekh rahihogi.” She said, sadness taking over for a moment.
“ Par tum uss vivah prastaav ka kya karogi?” He asked seriouslyand she decided to have some more fun.
“ Accha laga toh sweekaar lungi warna aap toh hain hina.” She joked and started to laugh looking at his expressions. He was seethingin anger and jealousy.
“ Aisaa mazaak mujhe bilkul pasand nahi hai Bondita.”Rarely Anirudh’s possessive side used to come out in front of anyone and thiswas one of those times.
“ Kisne kahaa aapse ki mai mazaak kar rahi hoon?” Sheraised an eyebrow and he snaked his arm on her waist and pulled her towards himas she balanced herself, keeping her hands on his chest.
“ Ab mai batata hoon ki tum kya karogi. Tum jaake ussvivah prastaav ko thukra dogi aur meri prateeksha karogi. Iss dushmani ke liyemain tumhare aur mere rishte ke aahuti kisi ko bhi nahi dene doonga, khud kobhi nahi.” He said these words with such intensity that all Bondita could dowas nod like an obedient student. Anirudh then pecked her once again on herforehead and she melted into it.
These two may have had distance between them but theydidn’t let distance come between them, neither did their hearts.
By Mahiii12
