Kyun Utthe Dil Chhod Aaye

1. Bondita Kishore Singh

01 January, 1947

It's a new day and an entirely new year but only God knows what all challenges we are going to face this year. The British colonization in India is all set to come to an end but this end comes with a hefty price that all the Indians will have to pay.

The partition of India is not about the borders to be drawn between the two countries but drawing borders in the hearts of people who were once brothers. Jo haath kal tak mubarak dene aur gale milne ko aage badhte the, aaj unhi haathon ne talwar pakad liya.

Jis desh ki azaadi ka sapna, hindu aur musalmano ne ek saath dekha tha, aaj ussi sapne ko apne haathon se baant
rahe hain.

Jo hindu aur musalman kal tak gale mil rahe the, aaj vahin hindu aur musalman ek dusre ke gale kaatne ko daudte hain.

Ye bantwaare ki aag na jaane kitne dilon aur zindagi ko aag laga de.

"Bondita puttar, where are you?" Bauji called out my name loudly to which I yelled "I'm coming" in response.

After the annulment of child marriage in India, Barrister Babu had to nullify our marriage so as to set an example and encourage the victims of child marriage to look past their fears and attain freedom from the unnecessary evil practices that destroys their lives. This act of his was really commendable because when he did so, a lot of small girls took the initiative to nullify their marriage with their husbands. Even I was really happy for them. At least they wouldn't have to go through the things that I went through. However, Barrister Babu did not wish to part ways with me as he feared that if he didn't stay by my side, I would no longer be able to study and build a good life for myself and I was the torch bearer of the revolution he wanted to bring in the society so even after the annulment we kept in touch. His family especially his Kaka wished to have me as their daughter-in-law again so Barrister Babu assured him that after I turn 18, he would marry me again, only then he agreed for the annulment of our marriage. Manorama was able to complete her mission of killing the Viceory that day but continued living in the Roy Choudhury Mansion as Barrister Babu's second wife, now only wife, to actively participate in other such muhim as without the title of Roy Choudhury daughter-in-law she wouldn't be able to attend such parties and everyone agreed to it. Kaka was a little hesitant but then gave up because of his patriotism.

When my Thakumaa and my biological mother got to know about how I divorced my own husband, they cut off all ties with me. Barrister Babu brought my biological mother to his home as my mama and mami oust her out of their home. He thought that this would help me in residing in his house at ease even after divorce but it didn't set right with me. It didn't feel right to live in that house without any relations. Although Kaka said that I should continue living with them since he considered me as his daughter but that makes no difference. And above all of it, I no longer wished to be near my mother anymore. The same mother for whom I had fought with everyone, I no longer loved. She went from being my mother to my biological mother, the day she chose to accept my husband's act of second marriage. She accepted his second wife and gave her the love of a mother and also blessed their relationship. No matter what was the reason for their marriage, I was harmed. The person who promised to protect me till his last breath, is the same person who inflicted me with such a pain that could never be eased. He gave me wounds so deep that it will never heal. And she was my mother. She was supposed to stick by my side when all of that happened but she didn't and if she can't perform the role of a mother, she doesn't even deserve to be called a mother.

But amidst all of this, one day I stumbled upon my bauji and maa in the village temple. I have been singing bhajans ever since I was 10 years old, in the village temple on Saturdays. They usually didn't visit the temple on Saturday but somehow that day they decided to visit when they heard about me from some village folks. When I was about to head home, they came up to meet me and asked about my family and my whereabouts and that's when I told them everything about how my ex-husband married me to save from me from being sati, how he fought for my education and lastly how he practiced the same polygamy he preached was wrong when he fell in love with Manorama and later on I was divorced to set an example to help those girls who wanted to get out of the child marriage but were scared to be the one starting it. I know telling a complete stranger about your entire life seems too much like attention seeking and playing the victim card but sometimes it's the strangers only that are actually ready to hear you out. Sometimes it's only the strangers that you can talk to and share about your life. They were that kind of strangers you could talk to. It was in that moment I knew they were genuinely concerned for me and weren't just pretending. They actually cared. After listening to everything about my life I remember my baauji said "Puttar tere naal changi kudi main aaj tak na dekhia si! Itna sab hone ke baad bhi itna vinamr rehna koi aam baat nahi hai. Rabb kare, tenu iss duniya ki saari khushiyan mile." I don't know why but my heart melted hearing his words. What he said meant that he had never seen a girl more lovely than me. He said it's not easy to be like me. He wished me all the happiness in the world. And then, my maa who was then a stranger to me too, lovingly patted my head and suprisingly it held all the love of a mother. The love that I was trying to find in my biological mother, resided in her. The way her hands felt warm when she cupped my cheeks or the love that I felt when she hugged me, was enough for me to know that love doesn't need blood relations. It blooms in the hearts of humans.