"Jante ho pati babu master ji se mujhe itna dar lagta tha ki unke samne mein saare uttar bhul jati thi aur wo mujhe jharise bohot marte the" Bondita said innocently as I was feeding her the food. "Aur maine bohot kaha ki mujhe dard ho raha hain par wo nehi sune" she added.

Bondita was narrating me everything that she went through and I sat there numb, unable to say anything, surprised by the thought how much she had to bear.

"Aur waha motu sa ek chuha bhi tha, tabhi to mein gir gyi" she said spreading her hands, gesturing how fat the rat was.

"Bondita to bahadur hain, wo chuhe se daarti hain kya?" I asked her calmly.

"Ha mein bahadur hu, sirf chuhe, jhingoor aur chipkali se daar lagta hain" she rolled her lower lips to which I let out a soft chuckle.

"Aur Chinu bhi thi waha pe" she widened her eyes. "Chinu?" I asked her almost puzzled.

"Shhh" she kept her finger on my lips, "uska naam maat lijiye, maa keheti hain wo badmash baccho ko kha jaati hain".

I placed my hand on her head. Suddenly her expressions changed as if she was recalling her experience in the room. She closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her hands around me, "mujhe school nehi jana" she cried out.

I know this is quite natural for her to behave like this but she has to go to school so I tried to explain it to her that this is not a solution to her problem.

I kept the bowl of food aside, "Bondita school nehi jaogi to Barrister babu banogi kaise?"

"Ap to mujhe parha te hain to mein apke pas nehi par sakti kya?" She asked me.

"Barrister banne k liye degree, ankh ye sab chahiye hota hain jo sirf ek sangstha de sakta hain, mein nehi" I tried to explain to her but Kaka entered the spot to make matters worse.

"Arrey nehi jaygi bahu school, pehele hi maine kaha tha ki ladkiyo ko nehi bhejna chahiye, abh dekhliya" kaka scolded me.

Pati babu was about to open his mouth but kaka scolded him again, "tere isko school bhej ne ki zidd k wajase huya hain ye sab".

When he said that Pati babu lost all hope of defending himself, "mere wajase?" He questioned kaka. The situation was going out of hand when I spoke out, "kaka sasurji mein school jaungi. Mein bahadur Bondita hu, mujhe ye sab dagmaga nehi sakta. Mere liye pati babu k sapne se pehele aur kuch bhi nehi".

Pati babu looked at me with a warm smile on his face and pride in his eyes.

"Hum tumhare bhalai k liye hi bol rahe the par tum apne pati babu ki chamchi....jo marzi karo" kaka was infuriated.

I missed her a lot at school. She took a short break due to her illness. I copied all notes for her. These days dada made her study at home. She slowly started recovering.

Dada made sure that the teacher get his deserved punishment. He was rusticated from his job and got 2 years of imprisonment. He stayed awake day and night and took care of her. I stayed awake too but in my room. I was as much concerned as he was, but the only difference is he had the right to take care of her and I couldn't. He could show his concern but I couldn't.

All of us took her great care and finally she resumed going to school. From that day onwards Dada used to drop her at school and pick her up from school. We used to have kulfis even. With dada, our movements were a bit restricted. He wouldn't allow us to climb trees or have fun.

One day Dada had to go to Calcutta due to some urgent work and I promised him that I won't leave her alone in the school. Both Bondita and I decided to visit the market while returning.

We were having fuchkas when I noticed Bondita staring at a shop. I looked at the banner, "Tillotomma" a cosmetic shop.

It was weird that she wasn't looking at toys but weird beauty products.

"Batuk mein abhi ayi" she said and went away.

I entered the shop and was fascinated to see women of all ages buying different products. I have never been to such shops so I looked around.

"Arrey o behen idhar ao aur dekho kitne rang hain" called a seller. I went to him and looked at those colours. "Issey chitra banate hain na?" I asked him.

He laughed a little, "arrey ye hoton pe lagate hain, us aurat ko dekho" he pointed towards a British lady.

She looked amazing as her lips shone with crimson red.

"Aur ye nakhoon pe lagate hain" he pointed towards small paint bottles. I was so fascinated to see so much amazing things but I had no money at that time.

These things made me more interested than toys ever did.

I came outside when Batuk asked me, "kaha gyi thi?"

"Wo mujhe kuch khareedne the par paise nehi hain"

He took out his wallet but he didn't have enough money too. "Sorry Boudi! Mujhe bas itna hi pocket money dete hain baba, par koi baat nehi tum dada se mang lena".

I returned home that night and was sitting in my study, doing some paperwork when Bondita entered with a cup of coffee.

"Pati babu kapi" she handed me a cup of coffee and stood there silently.

"Kuch kehna hain tumhe?" I asked her.

"Wo...wo..." She was hesitating too much. "Bolo Bondita" I insisted.

"Mujhe kuch kharidna hain par wo...wo...paise nehi the...to..."

I kept the cup aside, "agar tumhe mujhse paise chahiye to bejijak puch sakti ho, kal chale jana Bihari k sath bazar, mein paise de dunga".

"Nehi bhari kaka nehi, mein akele jaungi" she said immediately.

I creased my eyebrows, "kyu?"

"Wo...mujhe jo kharidna hain...mein bhari kaka ko...nehi...matlab...please pati babu, Bhari kaka nehi" she was behaving weirdly.

"Par mein tumhe akele nehi chor sakta, accha mein chalunga sath mein"

"Nehi!" She shouted out, "ap nehi a sakte".

"Nehi mein aunga, agar mere sath chal sakte ho to chalna varna nehi," I scolded her to which she nodded in agreement.

The next day I took her to the market from school. "Mein jo kharidna chahati hu, ap doge na mujhe?" Asked Bondita. I kneeled down a little, "kyu nehi dunga bhala?". I thought she wants to buy some dolls or something so I turned to her right but she called me, "pati babu waha nehi yaha".

I looked up and saw her entering a cosmetic shop.

What? Cosmetic shop? Does she want to buy these things? Since when?

"Chaliye na" she pulled me in.

She entered the shop and went to a random counter, I followed her as I have never been to such a place and had no idea about these things.

"Wo kal wala hooton ka rang dikhao na dada" she told the man.

The man displayed a tray of different hues of red.

She tapped her cheeks, "konsa rang lu?"

I looked away as I knew what will happen next.

"Pati babu konsa lu?" She asked me.

"Saare hi to lal dikh rahe hain mujhe" I said confusingly.

"Behen, ye wala lo" he pointed to a tray. Bondita applied a bit and looked at the mirror, "acchi lag rahi hu na?"

Honestly, I couldn't spot any difference between After Bondita and Before Bondita. Since when is she caring about beauty and stuff. Then again she is growing up. This place is so weird. I wish I had stayed at home.

"Pari lag rahi hai aap" the man complimented her, of course, to sell his product.

I saw her face turning red by the compliment. "Isssshhhhh" she exclaimed.

I cleared my throat intentionally to bring her back to the real world. The man who was grinning changed his expression and looked at me with fear.

Shocking!!! Yes this version of her is a great shock for me.

"Ye dekhiye behen, ye narangi apke nakhoono par khub sajenge" said the man when she forwarded her hands.

I never noticed that she had grown her nails so much. "Bondita tumne nakhoon kyu baraye, bad manners" I scolded her.

"Ofho pati babu issey mere hath khoobsurat dikhenge"

My eyes widened hearing it, "kya?? Hath ko bhi khubsoorat dikhna hota hain kya?"

She paid no attention to me and started applying paints to her nails.

"Aur ye powder, issey gori bhi dikhengi ap aur umar bhi ghatata hain" he said with a wide smile.

"Dada rukiye!" I interrupted him, "umar ghatata hain ka kya matlab? Ye abhi bacchi hain, issey zyada umar ghata to dikhegi hi nehi ye, ".

"Pati babu" she frowned at me, "isiliye mein nehi chahati thi ki ap ao, apko insab k baare mein kya hi pata".

She continued to buy those stupid things and I placed my palm on my face. Ye kaha fas gaya mein?

There were young women buying stuffs. One woman was staring at me for a long time. She was smiling at me. I tried to ignore looking at her.

Bondita was about to say something but noticed that woman and suddenly held my hand firmly, "Chaliye PATI BABU!" She said loudly emphasizing more on the word pati as if she wanted the whole shop to hear the word. I couldn't understand why she suddenly did that.

"Ho gaya?" I asked her in frustration.

"Ha chaliye" she said.

Before leaving I gave an angry look at that man for eating up Bondita's brain.

After reaching home Bondita took me to her room, "pati babu pati babu ankho k liye konsa rang lagau, pila ya gulabi?" She asked me.

"Bondita, ye tumhara chehera hain canvas nehi" I tried to explain her, "kya hain ye sab, kaha se ye sab khyal atein hain?"

"Mujhe sundar dikhna hain" she frowned and stormed out of the room.

Batuk's pov

Bondita has changed a lot nowadays. She started acting more girly now.

That day we heard kaka shouting, "shiv shiv shiv...." from his room so we all rushed in. "Kya huya kaka?" Asked Som dada.

"Bahu ko dekho" kaka pointed her.

We all looked at her and found her face covered with some whitish thing.

She looked so funny that we all bursted out laughing.

"Kya hain ye Bondita? Bhoot banke kyu ghum rahi ho?" I laughed and held my stomach.

"Ye multani mitti hain, issey chehera saaf hota hain" she replied timidly but we all continued to laugh at her not noticing her teary eyes.

I just wanted to look pretty like Saudamini didi and Manorama ji but all of them made fun of me. This house is full of men and they won't understand such things.

I felt really bad when all were laughing at me. I felt like crying. Baba, kaka, Batuk, Som Dada, Bihari kaka all laughed and teased me. I noticed koyli didi and Sampoorna didi giggling.

I just wanted to look pretty, is that my fault?

Bondita has lost all her senses. She has been acting wierd now like most girls of her age do and it is quite natural but not for the Roy Chowdhuries. Point to be noted, here we all are men so we have no idea about how a girl grows up, her physical and mental development. So naturally it was a funny moment for all of us.

I was laughing too but suddenly noticed her standing quietly and gazing at the ground. She couldn't take the joke on herself.

Is she crying? Yes she is...

I gestured all to stop laughing but they all didn't.

"Accha bohot ho gaya abh niche chalo sab aur bahu ye bhoot banna band karo" kaka instructed her and went away.

I remained there and found her weeping secretly.

I took out my handkerchief and kneeled down in front of her, "Bondita, tum ye sab kyu kar rahi ho?" I asked her gently, wiping off her face.

"Mujhe accha dikhna hain" she said softly.

"Tum to kitni pyari ho, in sab ki kya zaroorat tumhe? Tum sirf parhai pe dhyan do"

I could feel her mind diverting from studies so I decided to have a talk to her teacher. I need to consult her teacher because now I have to handle her delicately as she is neither a child nor a woman. She is a child-woman.

After a while I realized that I might have broken her heart by making fun of her.

I entered her room with a bowl of rasgullas. "Bondita sorry" I held my ears but she looked away.

"Mein tumhare liye rasogolla laya tha".

Hearing this her face shone brightly and she smacked her lips. "To do mujhe".

"Sorry Bondita, mein hasna nehi chahata tha" I apologized once again.

"Its ok Batuk" she said and hugged me.

Yes, she hugged me and that's the first time I felt butterflies in my stomach. She hugged me! We were so close to each other.