Dhanyawaad ( An Anidita Story )

Ch. 19 Foundation

*Munshi House*

Sourav enters the house lost in his thoughts.

'Anirudh ne Sampurna ki behen ko bacha lia hoga na. Ya nahi. Kya wo samay pe pohoch paya hoga?'

Amidst his overthinking, someone pulled him and started beating him. This brought him out of his thoughts as he realized he was being hit by his baba.

"KYU? KYA ZARURAT THI? BINOY BABU KE KHILAAF JANA H TUJHE? ZAMINDARO K KHILAAF?" He shouted as he slapped his son continuously.

"Kya kar rhe h. Chhodiye usse." His stepmother came to his rescue.

"Kya- kya zarurat padi thi chote malik ko batane ki ki unki dulhan ko vrindavan ki vidhvaaye lekar gayi h!Ab m Binoy babu se kya kahunga. Kya kahunga m unse, ki mera beta hi h namak haraam. Jiski vajah se unka kaam adhura reh gaya."

Sourav stood silent, his head hanging low.

"Jaane dijiye na, baccha h."

"Arrey tum baccha kehti ho isse. Dulhan biyake laya h ye. Bata na kyu kiya aisa. Itni himmat aayi kaha se tujhme?" He asked his son.

Sourav could, however, only stand quietly in front of his father.

They argued over the topic, unaware of the fact that someone was hearing their conversation from behind the door of the other room, her head low like her husband and tears in her eyes.

Munshi started beating Sourav again. He remained still, silently taking all of his father's anger. In this situation, at this stage, his eyes caught hold of his wife, standing behind the door. He immediately turned his eyes away from her. His mother noticed his behavior and looked behind to see Sampurna standing timidly in the corner.

"Chhodiye na. Chhodiye usse. Jaane dijiye. Kitna maar rhe h. Dulhan dekh rhi h." She whispered the last part. No matter, how angry the parents were with their son, it was about his reputation in front of his wife. If they treat him like this, there will be no fear of her husband in her heart.

His father looked sternly at him one last time and went to his room.

Sourav intended to go behind him but his stepmother held him.

"Tu chinta mat kar. Baba ko m samjha dungi. Lekin abhi sahi samay nahi h. Abhi vo bohot gusse m h. Abhi tum jaao jake so jaao. Thikache?"

She also went to her husband's room. Sourav came near Sampurna to say something. But before he could do so, Sampurna dropped her handkerchief in front of him. He stopped and she bent down to pick it up. Her heart was overwhelmed by gratitude towards her husband. Before picking the kerchief, she quickly touched her husband's feet as a sign of her respect for him.

"Aapne aaj jo meri behn ke liye kiya h, usse m jivan bhar nahi bhul paaungi." She said, tears dripping down her face. "Agar aaj aap nahi hote to shayad m apni behn ko dobara kabhi nahi dekh pati." She joined her hands as a sign of thanks and left from there quickly. He had already suffered too much due to her. She didn't want anyone seeing them together on kaalratri and scolding him.

*At the Riverbank*

Anirudh and Bondita are surrounded by the widows from all the directions. They all look ready to pounce on Bondita and snatch her from Anirudh. Bondita sneakily picked up a large stone behind her back ,ready to attack. But the loud rumble of the man standing beside her, made her stop.

"PEECHE CHALO. BONDITA KO KOI HAATH NAHI LAGAYEGA." He roared, scaring the widows a bit.

"T-tum aise isse nahi le jaa sakte. H-h-hume Roy Chowdhary sahab ne sab bata diya h. Ye vidhwa h isliye iske jivan se sare rango ko nasht karke isse Vrindavan m sanyaasi banake rakhenge."

"Agar ek Roy Chowdhary ki baat hi aapke liye atal satya h, to dhyan se suniye. ABHI EK ROY CHOWDHARY HI AAPSE KEH RAHA H KI YE VIDHWA NAHI H. YE MERI-" Anirudh paused. All the scenes from past few hours snapped in front of his eyes. He was hesitant and guilty. Bondita noticed his dilemma.

"YE MERI- Ye meri"

"PATNI. Mein inki patni hu aur ye mere pati h." Bondita completed the sentence for her husband, making sure to emphasise the word- patni. She noticed how Anirudh's eyebrows twitched upon hearing it- a sign of irritation and anger  and his face lost color- probably guilt and regret.

The widows were listening to these two  crazy heads. They were shocked as it is but decided to let them go nevertheless.  After all it was a gain for them. They got the money and also didn't had to take the girl. They returned Bondita's bundle of belongings and left on the boat.

Bondita and Anirudh walked back home silently.

*BHAUMIK HOUSE*

Saudamini lay on her bed like a corpse. Her face was pale and expression-less, eyes swollen from all the crying.
Her heart still couldn't accept the truth. The truth, that the love of her life, Anirudh, had betrayed her. All the memories she shared with him kept coming back to her, pestering and bothering her, hurting her even more.

Her grandmother, who was standing at the door and looking at her granddaughter's distraught state, wiped her tears. She came closer to her, in a hope to console her. She lifted her head and placed it in her lap. Gently patting her head, she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Teen saal ki thi tum jab teri maa ka dehant ho gya. Apni taraf se mene tera poora dhyaan rakha. Poori koshish ki tere bujhe hue chehre pe fir se muskaan laane ki. Lekin kai saalo tak tere baba aur mene teri muskaan na dekhi. Aur fir hum log yaha, Tulsipur aa gye. Yaha tujhe Anirudh ke roop m, ek dost, ek saathi mila. Anirudh ne dheere dheere tujhe aur hume bhi teri muskaan waapis lauta di-"

"Wahi muskan aaj uss khud vaapis chheen li." Saudamini cut her off. "Kamaal ka jaadugar nikla Anirudh. Dekho kaise ek baar ki khushi ke sath zindagi bhar ka dard de diya. Usne to hotho ki muskurahat ko aankho ke aansuon m badal diya." She scoffed and cried silently.

*Roy Chowdhary Mansion*

As soon as Anirudh and Bondita entered the house, they were greeted by Trilochan, who was angry and shouting.

"OHH TO HUMARE DULHE RAJA APNI DULHAN KO VAAPIS LAANE GYE H!"

Anirudh went to the study, from where the sound was coming.

Anirudh saw his baba and kaka inside the study. His kaka was throwing a fit after learning what had happened from his younger brother. Binoy noticed his son entering the room.

"Aapke naa chahte hue bhi m uss ladki ko waapis le aaya hu. Yaha, iss ghar m. Aur jaate vakt m jaldi m thaa issliye aapko bata nahi paaya. Vo galti nahi h, wo meri zimmedari h, jivan bhar ke liye. Isliye accha lage yaa naa lage aadat to daalni hogi aapko bhi aur mujhe bhi, kyuki Roy Chowdhary kabhi apni zubaan aur zimmedari se piche nahi hatte h. Haina baba! Haina kaka?"

Anirudh was trying to establish the fact to his elders, that the girl he married is going to live under the same roof as them and that they have to live with her, whether they like it or not. What he didn't know was that his 'wife' was standing outside the room, hearing to whatever he said just now.