Tum Pass Ho

Jar of Memories, Raina's new Father

CONTINUATION FROM PREVIOUS PART-

unedited.

I and Vaijanti rarely even look t each other but, today I was on cloud 9 after meeting Tupur and Chadrachur. I reached home and there she was leaving for temple. Vaijanti! are you going to temple? except temple where can I go? she mumbled under her breath but audible enough to me. looks like storm might come, I am also accompanying you. That girls unapologetic deeds are solely responsible for my life's biggest storm, that has already come and l got married to you, she clenched her jaws in agony and sat in the car.
Without uttering any word further, I drove and in next half an hour we reached to temple.
The brass bell's jingle and chants of dugga aarti were echoing around, but may be due to inclement weather conditions it looks almost empty. Only an old prist and few ladies engaged in devotional spirit.

We too offered our offerings to that prist and sat there for few minutes acclimatising that placid environment.
My eyes were closed, head leaned to the piller behind me. I could see my Bondita playing with my junior self. She was playing with him and he was responding to her making a soft cooing voice in his mother's embrace. I am feeling like l too can hear his voice, l too can feel her motherly side for our baby. My Bondita looks happy but somewhere is thinking, if l was with her, giving father's love to baby Anirundh and l slowly opened my eyes feeling the baby's cry is echoing in temple's ambiance.

The storm has made his way and sitting in the corner Vaijayanti is still yammering to Dugga Ma for her fate. and l rolled my eyes and found no one was there, and baby's cry are increasing slowly and surely this time it is not hallucination, my mind was trekking the source of voice and there that old prist walking slowly caressing a month old baby in his old arms came in.

"Bitiya! don't cry.... just now l have finished the pooja and now it's time to feed Raina Bitiya!"

Alelele Don't cry!!

Vaijayanti too opened her eyes but immediately turned other side ignoring three of us.

I walked to him and asked, whose daughter is she?

A kind hawker's and his wife Yamuna, who used to sell corns or other seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Anirudh just recalled a corn seller whom they met on the way to Dinpur, next day after his and Bondita's wedding.

His heart started thumping thinking about those kind souls who once depicted him and Bondita as God and Goddess and prayed for their unison.

Pandit Ji! What happened to them ? Where are they?? I asked him in throaty voice, crossing my fingers wishing nothing bad to hear about them but still it is very true that no prayers have the power to change the past and my ear heard those unpleasant happening of the past.

he was from Tulsipur and Yamuna was from Krishnanagar , the famous enemy towns you might know that, one day Someone known as SOMNATH, l guess younger brother of Barrister Babu found it out and beat him to his death but left Yamuna with 8 and half month infant inside her, sobbing and crying in front of him to spear his husband , she was begging for mercy but he paid no heed to her. People were around but no body dared to helped them, after some time when he left few ladies helped her in delivering her baby and on the last glance at her husband's dead body and first on their baby she abode for her heavenly journey.

A month ago, on the way to Kolkata, l was halting in Tulsipur and witnessed that horrific incident in front of my eyes and brought their crying baby here who was crying between the corpses of the couple.

Tears rolled down his cheeks and l tightened my fists on this in crualty of SOM. I feel pity on him that he still holds this much grudge against people of Krishnanagar and is tossing the honour of Tulsipur, being a man, being a living human being. Since last eight to nine months, I am here after Thakuma forwarded the peace-proposal at our home don't know how many times his vicious side has performed such inhumane deeds. He must be punished for this and in few days my work to is getting finished here so, I have to leave for Tulsipur as soon as possible.

My blood was boiling on my real brother, and was about to burst in tears of helplessness when the little angle encircled her tiny softest finger on my little finger. 

That touch was soothing, healing all my pain, all my worries in that moment.

I turned at her, her seraphic smile and beautiful gleaming bluish pupil, yielded my father side, which I felt just a moment ago for my child who is far away from me. 

"PanditJi, If you don't mind can I adopt this little angel."

"Beta! I will be more than happy coz no one is here except to take care of her, since last one month I am trying my best but you know this old and weak body is not able to take care of her properly, you must be God itself who came here for the first time here and is ready to adopt her." He handed me the baby and I cradled that much small baby for the first time, It was overwhelming, just pure and placid unable to express those in words.

I delicately pecked on her forehead, and priest named her "Raina". don't worry son! you have met her in dark and stormy night but her footprints will imprint lot's of happiness in your life. 

Go Son! the storm has passed and a beautiful journey of life is waiting ahead to embrace you and your loved ones.

Hugging my little close to my heart, tears of happiness after a long rolling down my eyes, I and Vaijanti slowly walked down towards our car.

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Thanks for reading.

Are by mistake, talking over the phone l copied national anthem on other tab and instead of closing l published it.

Thank god! The whole chapter was in the draft So, republishing it.

Happy weekend all.