The Unventured Passions

House by the River

The wind pushed on the black Ford to no avail. The tiny British Indian flag on the car fluttered violently in the wind. It was winsome on the city streets but at that moment, on the highway the tiny ensign moved so quickly and noisily that Bondita wondered if it might break away from the pole. She watched the cheap plastic bending and the material beat as if it were trying to take flight. But, it stayed that way, a battle between pole and flag until the car slowed for the off ramp. Life is all about such relentless battles at times. She recalled how the British governor gifted Anirudh that tiny flag as a symbol of elitism, and how half-heartedly Anirudh had accepted the gift.
"Some battles are not to be fought openly, Bondita.' Anirudh had said.
"Sometimes, you need to be inside the system to defeat the system from within."

Bondita took a deep breath, switching her attention to the changing scenery...
So, this would be her home for her university years!
Although, she had been to Calcutta before, but she never stayed more than just a few days. It's glitz and glam has always bedazzled her to enchantment. But, now that she had come to live here, the same place, the streets, the glamour shops... all felt so alien, and yet, no doubt when the time would come for her to go, she knew she would feel a wrench to leave... Exactly like Dehradun!

"We are like those migratory birds, aren't we?"
Bondita muttered softly as she rested her head on Anirudh's shoulder.

"Migratory birds are the lucky ones Bondita." Anirudh hushed, cradling the sleeping baby on his lap as he wrapped his right arm around his wife, pulling her closer.

"How are they lucky?" Bondita's gaze was fixated at the vast blue sky outside the speeding car window.

"They get to see the best of both worlds... home and away!" Anirudh smiled lovingly at his beautiful wife, tucking a strand of her hair behind her right ear.
The car had stopped for the toll tax. Bondita saw lazily as Batuk got down from the car to pay off the toll. She saw him speaking to the British police guard before getting inside the car once again.
Bondita took a long deep breath trying to inhale the city air before turning around a bit to hide her face in Anirudh's chest, the only place where her heart could find solace.

"Dada... Get a driver or please ask Boudi to drive." Batuk suddenly interjected as Anirudh saw him adjusting the rear looking glass to evade their reflection from it.
Anirudh laughed sensing his brother's awkwardness.

"Why, what happened Batuk?"

"I'm done playing 'Lakshman' to you two!" Batuk fixed the glass once again looking back at his elder brother.
"It's all Kaka's fault, he would chant 'Ram Lakshman', 'Ram Lakshman' all day long and now I have started behaving like one... Ask your Surpanakha to drive instead!"

"Surpanakha would be my sister-in-law, Batuk." Bondita sat upright, throwing a tease at him lightheartedly.

"No wonder, with you hovering over my head, I'll find none but Surpanakha herself!" Batuk teased back.

"Enough you two", Anirudh hushed them, careful enough not to wake Rudhi up.
"Tell me what did the police guard say to you."

Batuk looked surprised.
"How did you know he said something?"

"I'm your elder brother Batuk, now tell me."

Batuk let out a sigh.
"He thought you to be some British personnel... And he thought me to be your driver, so he addressed me as 'handsome cur'!"

Anirudh's fist tightened and his jaw muscles clenched at Batuk's words. Bondita immediately sensed his fuming rage and started rubbing his arms to calm him down. Her touch worked.
Anirudh swallowed sharply as if remembering his own words, 'some battles are indeed not worth fighting!'