Anidita : Broken Strings

Somnath to Feed Bondita

"Nahi rehna Bondita ko yahan, toh uski marzi. Kaka, baaki ki rasmein nahi karwayenge?" Anirudh said.
"Sach mein kuch farak nahi padta tujhe Anirudh? Bahu ka kya haal kiya hai tune! Ab tujhe farak nahi padta?" Trilochan said.
"Kya kiya hai maine? Bondita ko maine kaha tha yeh sab karne ke liye?"
"Abhi bhi tu kutark kar raha hai?! Ek baat yaad rakhna Anirudh. Tune jo kiya hai na, kabhi maaf nahi karenge hum tujhe!" Trilochan left saying this.
"Rasmein... Main karwa deti hoon nav-vivahit jode ki. Aao nayi bahu, aao Anirudh.... Babu" Sampoorna said smiling wickedly.

Anirudh's PoV

This woman! I very well know where her interests lie! She enjoys Bondita and I getting distanced. She knows how to laugh on tragedy goin on in people's life. Only if the situations weren't so, I wouldn't have tolerated this! Anyway, if none will be present in the rituals, I'll have to do something to instigate Bondita. "Haan haan. Karwaiye rasmein meri aur meri PATNI ki" I said loudly laying extra emphasis on PATNI. And Bondita was hearing this all I knew. She saw it too. She saw me giving the mirror I had gifted her to Manorama. She turned back to her room.
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"Kahan jaa rahe ho yeh plate lekar Bihari? Bondita ke liye le gaye the na? Phir wapas kyun le jaa rahe ho?" I asked. Trying to act I wasn't concerned.
"Chhoti Malkin ne khana khane se mana kar diya. Bahut kaha maine unse par nahi maani woh." He replied.
"Aapko kyun chinta ho rahi hai Dada?" A voice came from back. It was Som. I was happy in a way seeing his concern and care for Bondita.
"Som ab tum bhi sawaal poochhoge? Raat bahut ho gayi hai, jaa kar so jao. Mujhse behens na karo." I tried to escape a heated argument which I saw coming.
"Haan. Aapse chhota hoon toh sawaal na poochhoon? Par mujhe bhi aapse baat nahi karni Dada. Aapke vichaaron ka itna prabhaav tha mujhpar. Aur jo aapne kar diya na..." He left the sentence incomplete in despair. And started leaving. "Yeh plate mujhe dedo Bihari" Bihari left. Today, my entire family was against me. But all are doing this for Bondita. She came into my life like a storm. So unexpectedly and now she's attached to everyone in the family.
"Ruko Som" He turned back at my call but did not say anything.
"Aaj tumne Bondita ko samjhane ki koshish ki, isliye woh shaant ho gayi. Toh tum Bondita ko khana khila doge?" I asked with hope in my eyes. For the first time I had seen him stand by his Boudi. Som took the plate from my hand without any questions. But looked at me with confusion. I realised that this concern of mine towards Bondita could be bad idea but I was too late to realise it.
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Somnath's PoV

"Boudi ek niwala toh kha lo" I insisted. While Bondita swayed her head in disagreement. "Dada mujhe ek niwala khane ka bhi mann nahi hai. Bhookh nahi hai. Aap itna agrah mat kariye." She said. I knew she was just as stubborn as Dada. She wouldn't eat that easily. I need to act wisely here.
"Boudi, Dada ne galat kiya na tumhare saath? Tum maanti ho na? Agar woh galat tha toh tum bhi apne aap ko kasht dekar galat kar rahi ho. Please khana kha lo. Aur... aur.. Isse toh yahi saaabit hoga ki Bondita Boudi kamzor hai. Galat ke khilaaf awaaz uthana toh door, kamre mein baith gayi aur kha pi nahi rahi." I tried my best.
"Dada aapne khud mujhe chup karwakar yahan bheja aur ab yahan baithna galat hai? Aur.. Main kamzor nahi hoon." She was falling in my word trap.
"Toh saabit karo kamzor nahi ho. Shakti chahiye na tumhe saabit karne ke liye? Uske liye khana toh padega. Thoda sa kha lo." The final stroke. She lowered her eyes which I took as a sign of her agreement and as I was placing the morsel back in the plate to forward it to her, she leaned forward. She waited for me to... Feed her. I don't know since when I saw a sister in her. Her innocence made me smile. But my heart clenched at the same time thinking how Dada is affecting this innocence of her. I fed her. How wouldn't I? Bondita, I'll be there, even if no-one else is. I murmured.
"Kuch kaha aapne Dada?" She asked.
"Nahi... Haan tum keh rahi thi na Boudi ki maine hi tumko shant karwa kar kamre mein bheja. Kyunki tum jaldbazi mein faisla lene wali thi, Dada ki tarah. Aur jaldbazi mein kiye gaye kaan, aqsar nirarthak siddh hote hain. Yeh sab maine Dada se hi seekha .... Kuch galat na ho jaye isliye roka maine tumhein. Par yahan khudko kasht dena, yeh galat hai. Samjhi?" She nodded her head. I smiled. A tear escaped her eye.
"Kya hua Boudi? Tum ro kyun rahi ho?"
"Kamzor nahi hoon main Dada. Par asaan toh nahi hai na yeh?" She asked wiping it off.
"Asaan toh... Nahi hai. Lekin... Tum bhi toh Bondita ho." I said to cheer her up. "Ab so jana tum. Lights bandh kar raha hu."
"Neend toh nahi aayegi Dada. Par.. than...thank you." She said. I turned back and smiled.
What is Dada doing here? I saw him as I descended the stairs. But I pretended that I did not see him. I went straight to the kitchen.

Anirudh's PoV
Somnath took an empty plate to the kitchen. Means Bondita ate the dinner! How do I thank you Som! When did you grow up so much? I thought. I hid myself as soon as he returned from kitchen. Hope he didn't see me.
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"Anirudh! Anirudh! Woh Bondita... Bondita.." Manorama hurriedly came to him.
"Tum itna hadbada kyun rahi ho? Kya hua Bondita ko?" Anirudh asked.
"Woh main apna sanduk laane gayi thi toh maine dekha ki Bon.. Bondita kaanp rahi thi. Apne sar ko yun dabakar, kambal ko kaskar pakde huye thi. Lambi lambi saasein le rahi thi. Jaise kisise darr rahi ho." She said. Anirudh was shocked.
"Kya hua hai usey Anirudh? Tumhe pata hai?" Manorama asked Anirudh who was hurrying towards Bondita's room.
"Trauma. Abhi waqt nahi hai. Mujhe Bondita ke paas jaana hoga." He said and ran as fast as he could.
"Par Anirudh! Tum Bondita ke paas nahi jaa... Ani.." Manorama called him from back but in vain.
"Bondita! Bondita aankhein kholo!" Anirudh said as he held Bondita's face and shook. While Bondita tried to run away from him. She took his hands off.
"Bon.. Bondita main hu. Tumhare Biristra Babu hain Bondita! Daro mat. Kuch nahi hoga Bondita. Shaant ho jao." Anirudh said almost in tears. Bondita then recognised him. He took her hand in his and caressed her hair. He sang her untill she was calmed down. His voice shaked as he was about to cry seeing Bondita like that. But his shaky voice didn't matter. His presence in her room did. That could calm her down. He started to get up when Bondita held his hand in sleep. Anirudh turned back and released his hand from her grip. Just then, he noticed the scratch on her hand. Finally, a tear escaped his eye.
"Kyun karti ho Bondita aisa? Tumhe dard hoga toh mujhe khushi milegi?" He said. He went away.
Soon, he returned with a bowl with turmeric paste in it. He gently applied it to her wound. His fingers trembled as he touched it. He sat there for a while. Just looking at Bondita asleep. He hurried out of the room as he saw Bondita moving. What if she wakes up?

Someone noticed him coming out of Bondita's room.