WHAT IS LOVE??

PYAAR DOSTI HAI??

Bondita came back from the court very upset & with swollen red eyes which didn't go unnoticed by Aniruddh. She hurried up the stairs to her room followed by him. Bondita rushed inside her room & fell on the bed crying her heart out. Aniruddh saw her crying like that & his heart clenched in pain. An immediate urge to take away all her pain made him rush towards the sprawled sobbing figure. He quietly sat beside her & put his hand on her head calling her out gently. "Bondita..."

Bondita turned towards him with her red teary eyes & after a few seconds jumped up & grabbed him in a tight hug. Sobbing hysterically as a perplexed Aniruddh kept rubbing her back to calm her down. She kept muttering breathlessly, "Mai.. Maine aapko dhoka nahi diya pati babu.... D.. Dho.. Dhoka nahi diya."
Betrayal?? Aniruddh frowned as he kept carresing her to soothe her. Of course he knew that his Bondita will never betray him. Not even in his wildest dreams can he ever think like that for her. Then why was she saying this?? What was bothering her??
Aniruddh slowly separated himself from her & cupped her face in his palms, softly wiping her tears with his thumb.
"Bondita... Mujhe agar swayam Bhagwan aake bhi bataye na ki meri Bondita ne mujhe dhoka diya hai... Mai tab bhi nahi maanunga. Mujhe mera saaya dhoka de sakta hai par meri Bondita kabhi nahi."
Bondita's fingers fisted around his collar as she continued sobbing badly. "Pa... Pati... Pati Babu... Mai..." She couldn't speak due to her tears.
Aniruddh held her close as he continued murmuring sweet nothings in her ear, hugging her to him & rocking them both trying to calm her down.
Bondita looked up at him & spoke very softly as her voice was hoarse from crying so much. "Mai Aman se apni dosti tod dungi... tod dungi bas... Bas hogaya..."
Aniruddh frowned. Aman Singh Oberoi was one of Bondita's best friends. The closest one. They knew each other from childhood. Then what might have happened that she decided to end the bond of friendship between them.
"Kya hua hai Bondita?? Kya kiya Aman ne??"

"Ussne kuch nahi kiya... Par uss dosti ki wajah se log mere pyaar pe sawaal uthaye... Woh sahi nahi. Woh mai hone nahi dungi."
"Bondita... Mujhe saaf saaf batao baat kya hui hai... Tumhe pata hai na mai duniya mein sab seh sakta hu par tumhare aankhon mein aansu nahi... Please shona... Batao..."
Bondita looked at him timidly & began speaking, "Woh Pati Babu..."
Aniruddh held her close & pressed a light kiss to her knuckles encouragingly. "Bolo Bondita..."
"Pati Babu... Aaj court mein sabne.... Sabne.... Mere aur Aman ke rishte pe sawaal uthaya.. Kaha... Kaha ki... Hum dono ek dusre se pyaar karte hai, kyunki duniyaa ka yeh maanna hai ki ladka aur ladki kabhi dost nahi ho sakte. Unka hisaab se pyaar dosti hai. Par mera vishwas kijiye pati babu... Aman ke liye mere mann mein kabhi aisa kuch nahi aaya. Mai toh..." Bondita began weeping agaon as Aniruddh first frowned & then sighed.
"Bondita... Exactly kya hua aisa ki meri bahadur Bondita itnu kamzor pad gayi?? Hmm??"
"Pati Babu aaj na Aman ek bohot difficult case jeeta. Aur na... Woh bohot khush hua. Bohot... Usi khushi mein usne mujhe gale laga liya. Dost hai woh mera, maine bhi usse gale laga liya... Sach keh rahi hu, mere mann mein kabhi aisa khayal tak nahi aaya... Patu Babu mai..."
Aniruddh shushed her with a finger on her lips. "Shhh.... Phir kya hua batao..."
"Woh log... Unhone kaha ki mai aapko... Dh... Dhoka...Achcha pati babu... Batao na.... Kya do dost ek dusre ke gale bhi nahi lag sakte?? Kya do dosto ka ek dusre ke saath hasna, baat karna, gale lagne ka matlab kya pyaar hai??"
Aniruddh smiled at her softly, loosening a strand of her hair from her bun before saying, "Bilkul nahi. Ladka ladki ka bhedbhav dosti mein jam se kam nahi hona chahiye. Do dosto ko toh ek dusre ke gale milna hi chahiye. Hasi mazaak karna hi chahiye."

"Toh phir kyun??"
Aniruddh chuckled lightly before speaking. He said, "Bondita... Woh toh logo ki soch hai... Aur logo ki soch ki wajah se hum apne rishte badal de ya tod de yeh toh achchi baat nahi hai na??"
Bondita looked at him & nodded understanding his words but there were some thoughts which kept plaguing her mind. Not being able to keep it in herself, she asked, "Par aap aur pari didi bhi toh bachpan ke dost the.... Aur aap dono ko bhi toh ek dusre se pyaar tha..." She fidgeted a bit uncomfortably.
Aniruddh sighed deeply & spoke, "Bondita mujhe kabhi Saudamini se pyaar tha hi nahi.... Usse mehez bachpan ki dost ke prati lagav keh sakti ho. Agar woh pythe hota toh mai tumse pehli dafaa shaadi hi nahi kar pata...agar woh pyaar hota toh usse sazaa hote huye dekh mera dil rota... Par aisa kuch bhi nahi tha. Mujhe kabhi uske meri zindagi se chale jaane pe takleef nahi hui. Aur na hi usse na shaadi kar paane ka dukh zyada din raha. Agar woh pyaar hota toh woh dard mujhe puri zindagi rehta aur agar sach mein mera aur Saudamini ka pyaar sachcha hota toh woh mere saath khadi hoti meri khushi ke liye, na ki mere khilaaf, apni khushi ke liye. Saudamini aur mere rishte ka dosh kaafi hadh tak mai hamare gharwalo ko bhi deta hu jo baaki samaaj ki tarah hi aisa hi maante the ki ladka aur ladki sirf dost kabhi nahi ho sakte. Bachpan se woh hume yahi sikhate rahe ki meri aur Saudamini ki bare ho kar shaadi hogi. Wahi hamare bhi dimaag mein kahi na kahi baith gaya tha."

Bondita smiled at him but that smile didn't quite reach her eyes. He understood that his Bondita has some more questions swirling in her mind. He smiled.
"Aur bhi sawaal hai na aapke mann mein patni deviji?? Puchiye puchiye..." He said good humouredly pecking the tip of her nose.
Bondita looked at him hesitantly before saying the words which was spreading like dread in her heart.
"Par Pati Babu... Hamara rishta... Hamara pyaar bhi toh dosti se shuru huya tha na...."

Aniruddh watched as dark clouds of moisture gathered in her eyes again, ready to be shed. He carefully chose his next words, he knew that he wasn't just speaking his heart out to his love or soothing his wife, he was also showing his student the correct way.
"Haan Bondita. Hamare rishte ki shuruwat bhi dosti se hi hui, aur aaj bhi hum ek dusre ke sakha sakhi hai... Haina??"
Bondita nodded vulnerably. "Par tumhe pata hai ki hamare iss rishte mein pyaar kaise aaya??"
"Hamare beech ki dosti pyaar mein badal gayi..." Bondita answered in a heavy voice.
Aniruddh caressed her hair for a few moments before answering, "Na shona... Dosti kabhi pyaar mein nahi badalti. Dosti ek swatantra rishta hai... Jiske andar bhi pyaar hota hai jaise hamare baaki rishton mein."

Bondita frowned in confusion. Didn't he just say that love & friendship are different??

Aniruddh smiled at her & lightly tapped her forehead saying, "Merri Buddhu Bondita.... Jaise pyaar bhai behen ke beech hota hai, maa baap aur santan ke beech mein hota hai, kya kabhi hum jaisa pyaar apne maata pita se karte hai, theek hubahu waisa hi pyaar apne behen ya bhai se kar payenge?? Bhavuk ho kar nahi... Soch ke jawab dena Bondita."
Bondita thought hard for a few moments before answering. "Nahi..."

Achcha apne pati babu ki Bondita... Batao toh... Kya jaisa pyaar tum mujhse karti ho... Waisa hi apni maa se bhi karti ho??"
Bondita was baffled. She said, "Aap jaisa pyaar mai maa se kyun karungi... Aur maa jaisa pyaar aapse kyun karungi?? Aap mere jeevansathi hai aur woh meri maa... Aap dono ki jagah meri zindagi mein alag alag hai. Mujhe aap dono se pyaar hai."
Aniruddh smiled triumphantly at her making Bondita frown at him angrily. She huffed saying, "Aap pehle utpatang sawaal puchte ho aur phir haste ho?? Kyun has rahe hai aise??"
Aniruddh looked at her pouting at him adorably & replied, "Tumne toh apne sawaal ka jawaab khud hi de diya Bondita. Jaise maa, baap, bhai, behen jeevansathi, sabki alag alag jagah hoti hai ek ki zindagi mein, waise hi dosti aur doston ki alag hi jagah hoti hai aur honi chahiye. Jaise maa baap ke gale lagne se kisi aur rishte ke prati humara pyaar kam nahi hota waise hi dost ke gale lagne se jeevansathi ke prati anyaay ya dhokebaazi nahi hoti. Phir chahe woh dost ladki ho ya ladka."
Bondita looked at her husband in awe, feeling extremely lucky to have him in her life.
"Hamara samaaj hi purush pradhan pichchra hua hai Bondita, jo ek ladka aur ladki ke beech ek hi rishta maante hai aur jaante hai. Par samaaj ki wajah se hum apne rishte tod de, yeh toh sahi nahi hai na."
Bondita nodded as he continued, "Yaad rakhna Bondita, dosti mein pyaar zaroor hota hai par pyaar dosti nahi hoti."
Bondita nodded again finally understanding fully. Aniruddh drew her closer to himself as he sighed wistfully, "Bondita... Mujhe asha hai
humara samaaj badlega, aaj nahi kam se kam 100 saal baad toh badlega."