Perception

Chapter 1

Sampoorna had been worried for her sister who was not ready to come down of the tamarind top.

"Bondita, if you finish all the imlis  today only, what are we going to eat tomorrow?

"We will eat rosogollas then," said Bondita with tamarinds in her hand and a bright smile on her face for she was a girl with big smiles and a little care in her mind.

"Rosogollas don't grow on trees."

"They do grow in my dreams, hehe."

"Please Bondita, come down or else you will fall down and strangle your bones," continued Sampoorna with her anxious appeals.

"Oh ho Sampoorna di! How can you carry that mountain of worries in your head? I am born to break the chains not my bones," shouted Bondita from the highest branch with her feet kicking the air.

"Baba!" Exclaimed Sampoorna looking the other way.

Bondita jumped down with a thud. Her hair almost blocked her view that at one moment she was tangled by her saree and was going to fall but she somehow managed to put herself together.

"Hey Dugga maa!!! Who jumps like that? Bondita, are you okay?"

"Yes. But where is Baba? She looked in all directions but Baba was nowhere to be found. "
"You lied!"

"Bondita, it's running late. Let us go home."

"No! I will not go home with you nor  talk to you. And forget about imlis, you will not get a single one." And Bondita puffed her face like a balloon, her forever go to manipulation method.

"I thought to spend these last moments laughing and eating Imlis and rosogollas with you. But if you're stubborn then..., said Sampoorna in a sad tone.

If this couldn't soften Bondita what could? Her Sampoorna di was getting married the next week and she was to lose her only companion. How could her heart bear it?

"Sampoorna di, why do you have to marry?"

"Because I want to, I need to. I need a companion for my life. Otherwise I will remain a spinster forever. I don't want to be a burden to my family anymore.

"You don't think I'm a good enough companion to you?"

"You are. But a woman needs the kind of support and security which only a man can provide."

"The kind of support which Baba is providing us? The kind Somnath is providing us!? The sarcasm was evident from her tone.

"Not everyone is like them. Don't think of people so harshly. And you even made me talk to him, didn't you? He is very nice , shotti!"

"No, all men are same. They all think they are above us . They think that they own us , just their ways of saying it are different"

"A husband gives love and security to his wife so even if he thinks himself a bit higher, there's nothing wrong."

"And a wife gives him care, love, delicious food, her womb to their child. Then, how can only the husband think high of himself ?"

Sampoorna had no answer to this. The headstrong girl that Bondta is, it was never in her power to convince her.

"So, you will marry then? Bondita asked half in question.

"Bondita, how can you even ask such a question? It is all settled."

"Settled by Baba, correction! He likes him as his son-in-law. But do you like him? And most importantly, does he like you? Can he give you the love that you deserve?

"I do like him. And he too returns it. I've noticed his gestures when I talked to him. The credit goes to you."

Bondita was disappointed. Sampoorna di met her to-be-husband just for two days and hardly talked to each other after all the hardwork she had to put to even bring them in front of each other. How can they fall in love within the course of just two days, or should she say two hours? She must be lying.

"I don't believe you", said Bondita curtly and walked away.