Anidita: The Mystery of the Past.

Chapter 3

Bondita's tears knew no bound as the memories of her past starts to come to her. Anirudh tried to console her though he had no words to. After making her sleep Anirudh went towards the window and looked outside at the barren courtyard. Cool breeze started to sweep past his hair and inside in brain the neurons sparked.

Elsewhere,
"Dada suna... woh Prosenjit ki beti laut ayi hai"
"To??"
"Use agar yaad ay geya usdin keya hua tha to??"
"Itne salo baat??"
"Kaun bol sakta hai Dada... kab kaise keya ho jaye..."
"Uska pati keya kaam karta hai?"
"Neya nayeb hai yaha ka..."
"Somdeb babu ko bulao... "
"Ji Dada..."

Next morning Anirudh instructed Bondita not to leave the house which obviously she will not abide by. He went to the Zamindari Mansion and asked the Khajanchi (Cashier)
"Accha Khajanchi babu woh Prosenjit Das ka jo jameen hai..."
"Prosenjit Das.... matlab... woh srapit jameen?!"
"Srapit??"
"Haa... woh Prosenjit apni beti ko padha likhana chahata tha... mana kiya tha pandit ji ne... fer bhi uski ray na badli... hui na maut snaap ke bish se... Ram Ram.... jaise maine suna uski beti apki patni hai??"
"Hmm.. ha.." Anirudh quite understood that this man was very much enthusiastic to bad mouth his father in law infront of him.
"Ap mujhe unki zameen ka bistar de sakte hai??"

"Keu chahiye apko us zameen ka bistar?? Nayeb ho nayeb ki tarah raho" The voice came from behind.
"Aap kaun?" Asked Anirudh
"Somdeb... Somdeb Maity... ish zamindari ka Talukdar... mere upar zimedari hai is Taluk ka.."
"Accha... namaste" Greeted Anirudh
Somdeb babu ignores him and went to his work. Khajanchi babu didn't agree to give him any information in fear of Somdeb. The attitude of Somdeb made him suspicious, more because he is the suspect in the money laundering issue.

Bondita went near her parental hut defying the words of Anirudh. Ramu's mother being a good associate of her mother made her sit at her place and counseled her to calm her down, but in vain. Ramu tried his best to cheer her up but she kept quiet, much against her nature. As the sun was about to set the Pandit came near the hut with some men.
"Yeh srapit bhumi to nast karna hoga..." announced the pandit
"Per kaise Pandit ji?!" Asked a man
"Nast karna hoga ish ghar ko..." commented the Pandit
"Ji... aap jaisa kahenge... " replied the man
"NEHI...." Bondita answered from behind, "yeh ghar mere Baba ka hai... mere izazat ke bina koi haath nehi lagaiga ghar ko...."

The villagers who gathered around were astounded by Bondita's vocal confidence.
"Kaun hai yeh kanya??" Asked Pandit
"Prosenjit ki beti hai..." replied the Morol
"Accha.... iske karan hi to maut hui thi na Prosenjit ki??"
Anirudh pushed the crowd and came behind Bondita
"Mere karan?!"
"Ha... tumhare pita ne tumhe padha likhane ka dursahasik sidhant jo liya tha.... sraap to lagna hi tha...."
Anirudh and Bondita both were shocked.
"Mujhe padha likhana na chahate the woh?!" Bondita asked in astonishment
"Ha ha.... shir mai bhoot swar hua tha... jaise padh likh ke larki kaunsa Barrister ban jaigi..." mocked a villager. All started laughing.
Anirudh put his hand on her shoulder. Bondita looked at him. He gave a wholesome smile at her which made her feel that her father sent an angel in her husband's attire to accomplish his unfulfilled dream.
*****

Bondita stared outside at the fallow meadows outside the window. The cool night breeze made her hairlocks dance. The moonlight coupled with the mild light of the lantern gave a different aura to her face. Anirudh entered the room after washing his face and that mild lighted aura of her face with the slightly flying hairlocks made his heart go hollow like a blackhole. His throat went to a different succulent state and, much to his unknown, he closed the door behind him and proceeded towards her. Bondita was totally lost in her thoughts when Anirudh came and moved the hairlock from over her face. Bondita didn't react but only spoke lightly,
"Aapko nehi lagta us admi ne intentionally pandit ji ko bulaya??" Asked Bondita
Anirudh moved the veil from over her head and said, "Ramu se jankari hazil karni hogi... ek Somdeb babu hai... usko sakh hota hai mujhe..."
"Keu??"
"Keukiiiii.........." Anirudh got lost moving his fingures slowly over her face.
"Aap mardo ki na yahi problem hai... aplog itna sa bhi serious nehi ho...."
"Kisne kaha hum serious nehi hai?!" Anirudh pulled out Bondita's hairpin making her hair flutter in the upcomming gust.
"Aahhhhh... aappp... jayiye ... khirki bandh kijiye..."
"Jaisi apki agya...." Anirudh closed the window.
Bondita moved back but Anirudh hold her by her anchal and pulled her towards him and came near her face.
"Thoda sa serious ho jane do aj.... itna romantic mausam hai..."
Bondita's youth got lost in the moment and two came closer when the subconscious mind of Bondita kicked her conscious mind and she pushed him back.
"Jayiye... hum pura family planning karke kaam karenge...."
"Family planning?! Kiss karne ke liye family planning ki keya jarurat..."
"Aap bohat bhole ho.... kiss karenge to... to... to mai ma ban jaungi na... itna sa bhi akal nehi apko..." saying so Bondita jumped on the bed and covered herself with the blanket.
Thunder cracked outside symbolising Anirudh's heart breaking into pieces.
With utter disappointment Anirudh lowered the lamp and pushed himself under the blanket.
"Bondita pata hai..."
"Hmm"
"Tum bohat innocent ho.."
"Matlab?!"
"Kiss se koi ma nehi banta..." Anirudh faced her.
"Fer??"
"Fer...." Anirudh moved his fingers over her face lighly which made her heart tickle.
"Fer?"
"Mai tumhe ek kitab dunga... use padh lena... samach jaogi... per... daro mat..jab tak tum nehi samachti... mai SERIOUS nehi hunga....."
"Jii!"
Anirudh moved close towards her moving his hands through her waist with a subtle assurance which gave confidence to Bondita's youth to take the step forward, immersing a bit into each other, doing justice to the light shower, the cold gusts and the thunder lightning. In that moment the window got opened by the gusts and the thunder cracked making a human shadow fall on the ground. Bondita noticed that and quickly pushed away Anirudh only to grasp his kurta again. She gasped with fright. Anirudh took a moment to understand the matter.
"Maine to lock laga diya tha... khirli khul kaise geyi?!" Anirudh attempted to get down.
Bondita hold his hand, "Koi tha waha....."
"Koi... kaun??"
"Maine saya dekha..."
Anirudh put her hand down and went near the window. The lock part was broken. It's not a tough job to unpin the lock from the damp wet wood. Anirudh was assured someone was hiding in the dark trying to hear to their discussions. He tied the window with a rope and went to Bondita and cuddled her to sleep. The storm continued.

In the dreams Bondita saw the shadow move past. The vision continued repeatedly till the strom stopped and the shadow moved past the window again. This time the window is not the same. There is no strom outside yet she can hear the gusts. Suddenly the thunder cracked and she started to breathe fast clutching the blanket. The thunder sound made everything go into a whirlpool and her father called her from behind. It was hazy all around and Bondita wiped her eyes but still it's hazy.
"Bondita beti... prasad kha lo..."
Bondita looked up and in the haze she saw the man whom she met in the evening
"Nehi mujhe nehi khana..." Bondita heard her childhood voice from her throat which made her confused but she couldn't control it...
She saw the hazy image of her father taking the prasad and eating it while closing the door with the bang. Suddenly he feel down making the latern blow off into darkness. The darkness was too deep for her. She started shouting...
"Baba.... Baba.... Babaaaaaaa"

Anirudh got up hearing her scream.
"Bondita.... Bondita..." Anirudh started to move her arms and call her. Her sleep breaks and she started breathing fast.
Anirudh makes her sit and have a glass of water.
"Pi lo Bondita..... keya hua?? Ferse sapna dekha..."
Bondita nodded her head and looked towards the window. She clamed herself a bit and realised that the going past of the shadow, that she saw today, came in her dreams when she first came here, tonight in dreams the two incidents got connected. The man, the dream she saw... is no dream, but reality. She can feel it, but can't say it to Anirudh. Because things are too superficial to believe in.