Anidita: Falling Apart

In Black Ink my love may still

Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea
But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?

Contd from last chap....

Author's POV

Anirudh (with an ironic grin) - I can understand you don't trust your Rakshak babu anymore. Fair enough. After all you are mature enough today with unparalleled logical skills of law empowered by your thakuma alongside sharpened with self-defense skills to protect your dignity and security. Why would you need your Rakshak babu anymore?

Bondita (with a morose smile) - Barrister babu. I am indeed empowered with self-defence methods, but my Shikshak babu once taught me that weak is the one who raises hand on others unless there's a threat to his own life. Remember?

Flashback:

Bondita- thik hai agar choti Patni ka haath uthana apko bura nehi laga toh ye lijiye mariye mujhe. Aur aap bhi baki mardo ki tarah ho jaiye ye. Agar aapko ye sahi lagta k koi apki Patni par haath uthaye toh uthahiye na haath aap apni Patni par. Dikhaiye apni takat. Thoda thoda karke vishwas todne ki jagah pura hi vishwas tod dijiye. Toh iske baad se Ummed nehi rakhungi k aap Bachane ayenge mujhe. Dhaal bankar rahenge aap mere. Ye lijiye pati babu mariye mujhe lijiye na. Pati babu mariye mujhe mariye.

Flashback ends.....

"If you did not feel your younger wife's raising up her hand on me was wrong then become like other men. If you feel it's right for anyone to raise hand on your wife, then show your strength. Breaking my faith on you little by little everyday break it once and for all. So, from next time I will not keep hopes at all from you to come and save me Or serve as my protective shield. Take the stick and thrash me." Pressing tightly her eyes together to hold back her tears, Bondita collected herself back as her repressed memories of miseries hit her present again.

"Maine agar Bondita ko sabke samne daanta toh Issey Bondita ko sheh mil jaigi" Anirudh heaved a heavy breath as those obsolete moments washed my present consciousness "Bondita, I do remember; you reminded me this during our study session after Manorama raised her hand on you and I did not say anything to her. But Bondita, I felt guilty and was hitting my own hand on my thighs out of irritation. I did scold her in the lawn. She was trying to give her reasons but I did not listen to her. I told her she could have opted some other way out to explain you, what was the need to raise hand? Not understanding something, overcome by fear or anger, doesn't justify physical abuse on anyone. I had warned her that night itself, to be careful while behaving with you and in case anything happened to you even an inch, the outcome would be quite awful for her.

Bondita (with a calm smile) - Awful outcome? For whome? For her or me? Your slightly worried uncle came and kept the dignity of his elder daughter-in-law while you threw away the stick and commanded me to fill up the hostel form.

Flashback contd.....

Anirudh - bus Bondita. Kal hi tumhara interview lene k liye Dalhousie boarding se 1 Mahoday aa rahe hai. Woh tumse kuch sawal puchenge aur tum her sawal ka sahi jawab dogi Bondita. School k admission form mey sign karogi aur kal hi Dalhousie boarding school chali jaogi tum. Mai apna nirnay nehi badlunga. Aaj raat apna saman bandhlo aur study mey aa jana. Interview skip karne ka koi bahana nehi chalega Bondita.