Anidita: The Mystery of the Past.

Chapter 2

Anirudh kept Bondita pinned to the bed the next day,
"Tum bahar nehi jaogi aur kuch gondogol nehi karogi... samjhi... mai haveli pe ja raha...."
Anirudh left for work after eating his self cooked boiled potato and half molten rice with overcooked boiled lentil. He forced the same into Bondita's mouth and left for work.

Bondita started going restless. Sitting idle isn't her thing, specially when so much adventure and mystery is waiting outside. Suddenly she heard a knock at the door. She ran and opened it.
"Bondita... tumhari tabiyat ab kaisi hai??" Asked the landlady
"Ohh Boudi aap... under ayiye... ab thick hai tabiyat.."
"Dikh to nehi raha aisa... kuch khana banaya??"
"Ha patibabu ne banaya na..."
"Keya?! Tumhare pati khana bana lete hai?!"
"Haa..... yeh dekhiye na... banake khilake geye hai..."
"Accha.... dekhu to..."
The landlady went and opened the dish covers.
"Aahhh......" the landlady understood Anirudh's cooking capability by seeing the white boaring food, "accha hai.. accha hai..."
"Haaa" Bondita forced a smile on her face
"Maine mangso kosha banaya hai... khayogi??" Offered the landlady
"Jarurrr" Bondita jumped.

(Mangso: meat, here mutton)

After having lunch at the landlord's place Bondita packed some for her Patibabu and then went to that riverside gossip party.
"Tum pagal thi jo ghus geyi us bhutiya ghar mai??" Asked Bimala
"Waha koi bhoot nehi tha.... jaise.... woh ghar kiska tha??" Asked Bondita
"Tha.. koi master ka... beti ko padhane ka bohat sokh tha use... isliye to yeh parinan hua..."
"Parinam?? Keya parinam??"
"Saap ne kat liya unhe... ab saap ne kata... to unki to aise satkar na ho sakti na... beta bhi nehi tha unka... to gaowalo ne hi unko Ganga ke pani mai baha diya..."
"Ganga mai baha diya?!"
"Ha... saap se kate inshan ka satkar daho karke nehi hota.... unhe bahaya diya jata hai nadi mai... ab satkar thick se hua nehi... saap ke dangsan se maut... sraap to laga hi tha..."
These things didn't get into Bondita's brain. So akward all these were.
"Unki beti ab kaha hai??"
"Pata nehi... unki maut ke baad unki patni aur beti chele geye gao chorke..."
"Naam keya tha unka??"
"Aab yeh kahani to mere shadi ki pehle ki hai.... mere saas sayed bol paye..."
"To chaliye..."
"Uff... tumhari diljasti bohat hai in chizo mai..."
"Ha woh to hai"

The lady took Bondita to her home. Other ladies too accompanied her.
"Maa.... suniye..."
"Bolo bouma..."
"Yeh nayeb bou hai.. apse us bhutiya ghar ke bare mai janna chahati hai..."
The old lady looked up at her, "tum wahi ho na jo us ghar mai ghusi thi??"
"Haa..."
"Prosenjit rehta tha waha.... larka accha tha... pata nehi beti ko padhane ka bhoot keu sawar hua..."
"Kitni umar thi beti ki??"
"Yahi kareeb 6 saal ki..."
Bimala's husband came rubbing his face with a cloth towel.
"Keya baat hai ma?? Itni bhir keu??"
"Beta... woh tumhare Prosenjit kaku ke beti ka naam keya tha??"
"Prosenjit kaku??"
"R a woh bhutiya ghar wale kaku.... jiski beti tumhe pita karti thi...."
Well this description went personal for him, specially infront of his wife.
"Ha... woh... woh chatpati saitan wali.... uska naam to...."
"BONDITA...." Anirudh called from behind. Bimala's husband looked at him in astonishment. "Keya kar rahi ho tum yaha Bondita... maine kaha tha na tumhe ki ghar se na nikalna... baat keu nehi sunti tum...."
"R a patibabu... rukiye na... us larki ka naam jan rahi thi..."
"Kaunsi larki??"
"Bhutiya ghar wali.... choriye apko samach nehi ayega..... ap boliye to dada us larki ka nam keya tha??"
"Woh.... woh... uska naam.... Bondita... tha.." mumbled the man
"Bondita?! Woh to mera nam hai?!"
"Ha to tumne apni nam ka copyright le rakha hai keya... ek naam ho nehi sakta keya??" Teased Anirudh
"Nehi... per......"
"Accha ruko... abhi saaf kar deta hu ki woh tum nehi ho... accha dada woh bacchi thi na jab apne use dekha??...." asked Anirudh
"Haa..."
"Uski sakal yaad hai na apko??"
"Haa... besakh... us toofan ka sakal koi kaise bhul sakta..."
"Accha to dekhiye...." Anirudh took out his purse from his pocket and showed the decade old picture of him and young Bondita "dekhiye... yeh to woh...."
"Ha yahi to hai! Yahi to hai.... saree mai aur bhi pakk hui dikh rahi hai... uske sath yeh kaun?" The man looked at Anirudh's face and then at the picture. Anirudh was in pure bengali attire with simple specs so he didn't get resemblance with the young gentleman in british attire in the picture. "Yeh to........"
"Ap sure ho... yahi hai??"
"Haa....... yahi to hai Prosenjit kaku ki beti....."
"Bondita... tumhare baba ka naam Prosenjit tha??"
"Haa....." answered Bondita with a cold voice
"Accha kakima.... Prosenjit kaku ki patni ka naam Sumati tha??" Anirudh asked the old lady.
"Ha... haa... wahi tha... Sumati... bohat acchi thi......" the old lady answered
Anirudh went numb. He had nothing more to say. He looked at Bondita who has gone into a frozen state.
"Aise to tumhe sab yaad rehta hai... yeh gao yaad nehi tha??" Asked Anirudh softly.
Bondita nodded her head. Her face became red with a pool of tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Bondita ghar chalo...." Anirudh got her by her shoulder
"Woh ghh... gha...rr..." Bondita's voice became too heavy to come out..
"Ha ha Bondita woh tumhara ghar hai... ab chalo...." Anirudh took her gently back home.

Other ladies just looked at the couple is astonishment. They all just wished if their husbands too took care of them like Anirudh does.
"Amir hai wohlog..." commented the man
"Keya bol rahe ho Ramu... nayeb hai byas is gao ke" replied his mother.
"Woh photo dekhi apne??"
"Pho.. keya??"
"Chobi... chobi..." (chobi= picture)
"Nehi... keya tha??"
"Bondita ne bohat mehengi saree pehni hui thi... sone se dhaki hui... piche bohat sari kitabe.. dekhke hi laga koi ameer ghar ka hai... woh woh larka... saheb jaise kapre pehne the... dekhkar lag raha hai vilaiti hai.... bohat sare vilaiti dekhe hai maine Ma.... yeh unme se hi hai..."
"Per... woh to nayeb hai...." his wife commented softly
"Fer sayed halat kharab ho geyi... ya fer jhagra karke ghar se bichad geya.. yeh bhi vilaiti logo ka ek fitoor hai.. do din mai nikal jati hai..."
"Per......"
"Bondita bhi kaise urti hui ayi... jaise salo pehle aya karti thi.... us photo pe bhi laga... uski muskan ... koi sadharan ghar ki bahu aisi nehi rehti... bohat azad rakhte hai uske pati use...."
"Ha woh to hai...." commented Anirudh's landlady "Bohat khuli soch hai unki..."
"Haa.... dekha ma.. sahi bola..."
"Haa thick hai... teri jasusi dimag zindabad... ab mu haat dhoke kha le.. ja... bouma... jara dekho..." ordered Ramu's mother.