XOMANTORAL

Chapter 25

7 years ago....

Aditi's results declared. She got 76%. The Environment in the house was gloomy. Her father was sitting on the sofa, holding his head with both his hands. Her mother and borma were preparing for lunch. Sometimes she brings the 'asol' of her sador to wipe her tears. Her 'Borta' was weaving the bamboo fence. Aditi was lying on her bed, without any emotions in her eyes. Her pillow was wet with her tears. No one was consoling her, everyone considered their grief more than her. 

At a point, her father came to her room. He said, with a cruelty in his voice,

"Bhaat dise, khao jodi ahibi."

How could she? Couldn't anybody see her condition? Why was everyone so self centred, she thought. She didn't leave her bed. At a point, her borma came to her room. She patted her head and said,

"Ah ma. Bhat dutaman khai lobi."

She shook her head. Borma again said,

"Ji hol toh holei. Toi janu xoloni koribo paribi? Toi toh sesta korisiliyei noh? Kintu nohol aru. Upai nai."

She started weeping. She looked at Borma and said,

"Ma detai kio bhalkoi mata nai mok? Moi toh issa kori beya koranai porikkha!"

Borma shook her head and said, touching her hair,

"Olop beya lagise xihotoro. Bhal hoi jabo de."

Borma took her to the dining table. When she sat there, her father said,

"Moharani ahise dei. Dactor hobo nohoi!"

Hearing his taunt, she widened her eyes. How could her father say that? That person who never said anything to her. That person who never scolded her when they got to know about her boyfriend in college. That person was taunting her. She felt like lightning stoke her body. He again said,

"Eko nokoute barhi goise eii. Bohut besi hoi goise."

She silently started weeping. He continue,

"Ki hobo goi ase Dekhi asu sobe. Beleg beleg dhandat lagote nijor kam khini koribo lage je pahoriyei goise sage."

Her weeps became loud. Tears were coming out non stop. She couldn't hear her father's scolding, at least. She could fight with the whole world, but not with her father. She needed him the most. Her mother came out of the kitchen, murmuring,

"Aru uthauk muror uporot. Dekhule nohoi ki kori ase?"

She put the vessel and said,

"Ama eko kobo nalage, nijok uttor de. Ghor khonor nam lahe lahe dhonxo kori ahi aso toi."

Aditi put her hands on her ears. She cried loudly. Borma came near her and held her by her shoulders. She shouted,

"Ki hoise tumalok dutar? Suwali joniye ratipuwar pora eko khuwa nai. Etiya tu olop xanti diya taik!"

Aditi shouted, fighting back tears,

"Moi ki Issa kori beya korisu neki result? Moi tu sesta korisilu."

Her father stood from the chair and came near her. Smash!!! She couldn't even understand what happened. It happened so fast. She covered her cheek with her hand and kept looking at the floor. Her mother and borma covered their mouths with their hands. They couldn't believe how he slapped her. He shouted,

"Maat dangor nokor. Ghoror pora uliyai dim. Ki buli bhabiso huh? Nijoke bohut dängor manuh buli bhabiso neki? Eko nokou karone veya holi toi!"

He wept. He grabbed her hands and took her to the front yard. She tried to free her from his hands, but he was angry. He threw her in the floor and said,

"Ulaai jaa!"

Her borta saw it and came running towards her. He said,

"Ki koriso eibur, huh? Manuhok dekhuai ki proman koribo khujiso?"

He picked her up from the floor and took her inside. 

Her borta was angry. He was pacing back and forth in the room. Everyone was sitting in the chair of the dining table, except Aditi. She was in her room, crying as much as she could. She took out her phone and texted her boyfriend,

"Moi ki korú kua? Moi toh Issa kori beya kora naai porikkha?"

He was online, but didn't reply to her messages. 

In the dining hall, Borta said to her father, with rage in his eyes,

"Etiya marile ki hobo? Jetiya xaxon koribo lagisil nokorili! Matric diyar loge logei sceen touch phone di dili. Tair kothabur gom puar pisoto exaro nokoli! Etiya lav nai eibur natok kori!"

Her father was crying. The low marks was a very big issue in their house. Even when she was small, her parents didn't want marks less than 90%. In that case, how could they accept 76%?

But, they had nothing else to do. Her father said,

"Eibur thakatkoi nathaka e bhal."

Aditi overheard their conversation. She felt like her world came to an end. It was the end of everything. How could her father, her own father regret her existence? She looked at the fan hanging in the ceiling. thousands of thoughts gathered in her mind. She couldn't control her mind, like she lost control over herself. He stood up and went to the chair where her dupatta was lying. Picking up the dupatta, she took the chair under the fan. Slowly, her legs crawled to the chair and suddenly, she was standing in the chair. 

"Majoni. Ifale aah sun."

The voice startled her. She finally got to her senses. Finding herself in the chair scared her. She got down and slapped her face. What was she thinking? What would've people said, if she did something like that. She wasn't the girl who would've done that. But, why now? Why? There were no answers. There were only confusions, swirling around her mind.

Once again, she checked her phone, hoping just one message from the person she cared for, the person she was ready to fight for. There was a message from him, but not how she expected. She read,

"Mok dokh nidiba kintu. Ji hoise nijor karoneye hoise.

Aru eneke lukai sur kori message di thakibo loga nai. Jihetu etiya eneo dure dure jaboi lagibo."

Her world felt like falling down over and over again. She was out of control. She was helpless, vulnerable. Everyone decided to leave her side, when she needed them the most. Her eyes were swelled up. Tears were dried. She couldn't cry anymore. No more tears were left to fall down. Her face lost her lively look. She died inside, only with the lifeless face being alive. 

She didn't reply to his texts and threw the phone to the bed. With a heavy heart, she went out. Her Cousin was sitting on the couch. He was the only person who tried to understand her, during her worst days. Seeing him, she couldn't control her tears. She ran and hid herself in his arms.

"Dada."

She broke down. The dried up tears got wet. Her choked heart opened up. Her mind worked after a long time. He held her in his arms, balancing her weak body. She pulled her head and looked into his eyes. She said, crying,

"Dada, moi Issa kori beya kora nai result."

He brushed the strands of her hair backwards and said,

"Eko nohoi Tikli. Toi toh sesta korisili noh."

She nodded rigorously. He smiled and kissed in her cheeks. He said,

"Toi bhal koriso toh. Bhaba mote nohol upaai nai aru. Etiya iman mon mari nathakibi. Bujiso ne?"

She nodded, this time, tired of the day. He pointed at the table and said,

"Saa, tor karone Rasmalai loi ahisu. Etiya kanda bondho kor, okay?"

She stood and moved her head sideways. She held her shoulders and said,

"Good girl. Mukh khon dhui lo ja etiya."

She headed to her bathroom. Tough, it was really tough for her. But, she had to move on, do well and be the best, on whatever she would do. She would be, the best........