Anidita : With you always

CHAPTER 8

Anirudh and aazadi express made there way towards the fair. They were waiting for the right time to enter inside the fair and set things up. They hid near a tree to keep an eye on the people entering the fair. Their krantikari saathi will also come from the entrance only with 3-4 british police officers with him. He'll be all tied up, so all anirudh had to get keys from the police officer. Pretty simple right, but not really. If he got caught while taking keys he'll be arrested on spot or of anything goes wrong, it'll surely be difficult to escape from there. 

Their plan was to distract the police officers by doing a performance. Anirudh will be playing a 'dufflie' and will be roaming around, where as aazadi express will be dancing in the center. While roaming around, anirudh will make his way towards the officer who has the keys and then stealthy take keys from him. Then he'll pass it to other krantikari who will be present in the crowd. Anirudh was revising the whole plan in his mind. He didn't want to make any mistake.

"Vaise barrister babu mujhe pata hai humne koi bhi niji baat karne se mana kiya tha, par ik baat hai joh main aapse puchna chahti hu, agar aapki ijazat ho toh."

Anirudh nodded his head. Tough they decided not to talk about their personal life but there were many instances where unknowingly they shared bits and pieces of there life. Aazadi express mostly talked about how she became part of krantikari group and what all they have done till date, and anirudh talked about how he wants a free country not just from britishers but also from regressive thinking that had blinded people of his country. He also shared how bondita was his biggest support system, but he never told her about why he agreed to be part of this mission.

"Aap iss mission ka hissa kyu bane?"

"Meri bondita ke liye, Bondita bina kisi rukawat ke school ja sake iss liye."

"Mei kuch samjhi nhi. Bondita toh school jati hai toh rukawat kaise?"

"Aazadi express yeh toh tum janti hi ho ki mei gao ke hi ik ghar mei bondita ke saath rhe rha hu. Uss ka karan yeh hai ki mere baba ne mujhe challenge ik chunauti di ki main bondita ko apne kamae hue pasio se school bheju. Toh maine bhi than liya ki ab bondita ki school ki fees main apne balbute pe hi bharunga. Maine court mei cases ladh ke paise kamane ka socha tha, barrister joh hu toh yhi kaam sabse aasan laga tha, par shyad logo ko mujh par bharosa nhi. Zamindar samaj ke mere pass nhi aate case lekar, sochte hai ki ik zamindar kyu humara case ladega ya yeh toh zamindar hai kyu humare liye kuch karega. Bhul jate hai ki zamindar hone se phele ik barrister hu mei" Anirudh exhaled a sigh
"Tab tumne prastav rakha ki agar tumhari madad ki toh tum mujhe uske badle mei paise dogi. Toh socha ki apne andar ke barrister se na sahi par krantikari ke madad se hi bondita ke school ki fees bhar dunag. Tabhi uss din tumhare samne shart rakhi ki agar mujhe kuch ho jae toh meri bondita ka khyal rakhna." Anirudh finished while looking at the setting sun.

Aazadi express always had respected him for his thoughts but today it was increased by ten folds. A time where women had no basic rights and were asked to be puppets of first their father and then their husbands, anirudh was that one in a million man who wanted her wife and other women of this country to get the basic right of education. And the way he said 'Meri Bondita' showed how much attached he was to the little girl. It was not love but care, respect and affection he had for his little wife that were reflecting from his words. She looked at him with a warm smile which anirudh also reciprocated. 

On the other hand anirudh was well aware that he said 'Meri Bondita'. He knew that he didn't consider her as his wife, she was just a child in his eyes. But that didn't stop him from saying those words. In front of the world they were husband wife, bondita was anirudh's zimmedari. But apart from that they also shared a maan ka rishta. He knew that bondita is someone who over all this time has become important to him. She was his kranti ki mashal, his friend and his jeene ki wajha.