Barrister Babu

Chapter 65: Chameli Malkin

"Chameli Malkin..." Bihari stood on the door of Chameli's room.

Chameli was sitting in front of the mirror, admiring the new gold earrings her husband bought for her. It felt like those earrings were just meant for her ears. It suited her really well.

"Kya hua?" she grumbled, obviously hating the interference.

"All the preparations for the veneration are almost done. Just the garlands are left. Should I go and bring them from the market?" he inquired, lowering his gaze, as sharply instructed by Chameli herself that people in lower status than her shouldn't even look into her eyes, just like her husband taught her.

"That Koyeli is always staying in Bondita's room as per Anirudh Dada's instructions. So if you go to the market, Bihari, who will make my English tea after lunch?" she deadpanned.

"Then what should I do, Chameli Malkin?"

Chameli twitched her lips and thought for a while. "Hmm... Is there enough flowers in the garden for a garland?"

"Yes, there are plenty of flowers."

"Great. Then pluck the flowers and give those to Choti patni. Tell her to make garlands for the veneration."

Hearing that, Bihari just couldn't help but sigh.

"Is there any problem, Bihari?" she asked sharply.

He shook his head in denial instantly.

"Then leave."

Bihari walked away from there, wondering how the dynamics had changed. Mala, who was living a lavish lifestyle after Bondita's accident, was now doing the work of Koyeli, as per Chameli's instructions.

"Choti Malkin, we need you."

###

"Dada!" a twelve-year old girl, with two cute ponytails, called out her brother the moment she saw him stepping inside the house. "How was Calcutta?"

Before he could reply to his sister, a woman in her mid thirties appeared. "Mayank? Beta, you are back finally!" Jaya went to her son and hugged him. "How was your meeting in Calcutta? Where is your father?"

"Maa, he is talking outside to the guards about something," he informed her and then again looked at his beloved younger sister, who was standing on the staircase.

"Tara, why are you standing there?" Mayank called out. "Come here and see what I bought for you from Calcutta."

Her face lightened up at that. "Did you bring mishti doi for me, Dada?"

Mayank chortled and nodded as he watched Tara running toward the mishti doi placed on the table. She opened the wrapper and started digging in already.

"This is what you are always doing, Mayank! Spoiling her. Areh, if by eating so many desserts, what if she gets fat? Who will marry her after that?" Jaya started complaining.

Tara froze on her spot. "Marry? Maa, why will I get married at the age of only twelve?"

"What's wrong with getting married at twelve? I got married when I was five years old," Jaya replied to her.

"But Barrister Anirudh Roy Chawdhary Dada set the legal age of girls for marriage to be sixteen," Tara frowned as she uttered that.

"Areh, dekho toh, yeh ladki Barrister babu ko aise pukar rahi hai jaise iski rishtedar lagti hai." Her mom walked to her in anger. "Call him Barrister babu or Zamindar babu, got it?"

"But why, Maa?" she asked innocently.

"Because that's how it is. All of us at Tulsipur call him Barrister babu, or Zamindar babu."