Anidita - Beautiful Lies

17

"Batuk, you need more practice to learn perfectly." He sighed. It has been long 1 month, him, Dhawrkonath babu, teaching this little zamindar, the notes of music. But Batuk being the most impotent fellow failed to learn them. "Look here..." He pointed towards the keys of the piano and effortlessly danced his sleek fingers on them thus showing Batuk the correct way of playing. "You need to remember when go for uper scale and then for lower scale. Then for different cords matching your song..." He instructed tuning a musical rhythm.

"Got it Dada." Batuk tried to smile, but too nervous. He knew playing piano was not a cup of his tea, but yet he was determined to try. Even if he could not he had to, for his Vashma. The love of his life. "Batuk..." Dhawrkonath hissed and stopped the play "Tell me honestly. What made you think of learning it?" "The piano?" Batuk asked. Dhawrkonath sat straightening his spine and nodded in response.

"Well..." Batuk chuckled "I just wanted to. Inspired you can say..."

"Inspired?" Dhawrkonath smiled lightly "from whom?"

"My Anirudh dada.... He plays it really well. I too want to play it for...." And he stopped from committing the gaffe of letting his mentor know his precious innocent wish. "Playing it for?" Dhawrkonath asked raising his brows. He knew what he started but ended mid way. "No..no. I ment just like Anirudh dada played it for us. For boudis"

"Boudi...s....?" His lips twisted at Batuk's word. "Umm. No I said for boudi...." Batuk winked to wrap up his mistake. "I see...." He paused "Anirudh dada must admire your boudi a lot? Isn't it?" "More than he might have admired the moon in this lifetime" Batuk grinned mischievously.

"Batuk?" jinglings of bangles echoed as Bondita rapped on the glass door seeking permission to enter the room. "Boudi...come in.." Batuk appried her with a doting smile. Pulling her purple color pallu close her face, Bondita walked upto them and kept the tray of cups beside them modestly. When she bend to match upto their height, she could sense Dhawrkonath babu gawking at her with the corner of her eyes. As if lips forming unsaid words. Events of evening flashed back her mind and she suddenly started feeling much self aware than she normally is when with a man, in a sense stranger to her.

It was not hard for her to decipher the inappropriateness of someone's lingering gaze. She would be fine, unscathed and comfortable with her patibabu staring at her unblinking all the day long. But for the same thing, with any other man she would die out of shame. Its not that any other random person introduced her to this notion, but it was her inner voice that did let her know the discomforts she encounters when pushed into a situation she is not ready to face.

"Your tea master ji." Bondita offered his cup of tea and noticed how slowly his hands worked to get a modest grip on it. She was sure that he was glaring shamelessly on the red finger marks on her wrist, he awarded her some moments earlier. Hurriedly handing him the cup, stepped back and went behind Batuk, as if trying to hide from him.

"Thank you, Bondita ji." Dhawrkonath hesitantly smiled and managed to take a sip from the cup in delight. The fresh ginger with lemon and honey was taking him to an unventured euphoria. "I hope it helps to reduce your mild headache" Bondita politely replied and her eyes went towards Batuk, who was ready to snap on those cookies infront of him. Smacking his head, leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "Don't stare on these idiot. I will get them for you more, right now concentrate on learning piano. Lest for about you dream of Vashma" Batuk winched a little and huffing focused on the piano.

"Bondita ji..." Bondita mentally facepalmed as Dhawrkonath called her, when she was ready to leave the place secretly. "Yes?"

"Your tea..." He kept the cup back on he tray "reminds me of my mother's one. Every time I used to get cold she was the one offering this heartwarming remedy."

"Um..thats wonderful. Send her my greetings"

"She is with the stars..." His eyes glistened up a little.

"Sorry..." She immediately apologized "Nah its ok..." Dhawrkonath added "Bondita ji, can you please open those windows? Its raining outside. The beautiful timing of dusk and sprinkles of rain is beautiful together." Bondita nodded and shoved the curtains that were hanging down the plane before opening the windows.

Momentarily forgot about the day's stress when her eyes went out for the beautiful weather dancing in merry outside. Taking a long deep breath leaned against the wall and extended her hands out to let the droplets kiss her with longing.

"Rain...." He spoke and she gave him a side look, "brings out the best emotions in man" She shyly nodded and looked back outside. Dhawrkonath sighed and signaled Batuk to give him access to the piano. Without any words Batuk obliged and immediately gave him the space to play it. In the meanwhile Bondita closed her eyes, felling cold breeze filling her void self with love and aphrodisiac essence.

Taking a long breath, apprehensively pressed the keys, sometimes black while sometimes white and sang while producing a mellifluous tone.

Amar akla akash thomke geche rater srote bheshe
Shudhu tomai vhalobeshe
Amar dingulu shob rong chineche tomar kache ese
Shudhu tomai vhalobeshe

My lonely sky stopped sailing in the dark currents of night after loving you....
All my days got familiar with the colors, after I got acquainted with you
After I started loving you

Bondita's eyes popped up in her head when he heard Dharwkonath babu singing the lines beautifully with his eyes closed. Emotions carefully imprisoned in them, so that no one can know. It was none of his fault. The song itself is so meaningful, full of love, love and only love. Though startled at first, she took beamed delightly as he continued signing. At that moment, what she could only understand was her erratic heartbeats, the buzzing of rain and the essence of her Patibabu being around. Thats all.

Although, they both as a couple had not shared much romantic moments yet she felt like living the moment, feeling the shynessn & the love in her own chimera.

Tumi chock mellei ful photeche amar chade ese
Vhorer shirir thot chuye jai
Tomai vhalobeshe

Flowers bloom in my terrace, the moment you opened yours eyes
Morning dews come and kisses my lips
After loving you

The song poked her triggering feelings and to make the situation more intense was the rain. The smell of the soil that the heaved air carried to her nostrils was making the scenario nostalgic. Her knees going wobbly thinking, what she was not letting her heart to feel freely. Though a satisfactory smile on her lips, as she knew for whom her heart crave for.

Astonishing Dhawrkonath babu, Bondita stood up from the slide and sheepishly went near Anirudh's bookself. And sang the next para while caressing his books, telling them all secretly how much she missed him.

Amar klanto mon, Ghor khujeche jokhon
Ami chaitam pete chaitam, Shudhu tomar telephone
Ghor bhora dupur, amar akla thakar sur
Rode gaito ami vhabtam tumi kothai koto dur

Whenever my restless heart, yearned for a home
All I wanted was you call
When the rays would kiss the corners of my room, the sun would sing, my loneliness would resonate
Where and how far you are.

"Patibabu....." Bondita whispered wih teary eyes and Dhawrkonath instantly stopped playing the piano. "Bondita ji..." He called a lost Bondita and softly looked back him, suddenly aware of her circumambient. "You dedicated his song to Anirudh dada. Didn't you?" He was about to profess something but she had long ran away from there slyly. Was she embarrassed? No, probably shy she was.

Shy.