Dol is celebrated a day before Holi in the same way as Holi is celebrated. The word Dol means swing and Yatra mean journey.

It is said Radha and Krishna used to do Ras leela in Vrindavan. They used to swing together and put colours and that is how Dol originated.

You people must have seen pictures of Radha Krishna sitting on a swing and applying colours.

It was Dol yatra

The whole house was decorated beautifully. Plates full of colours were displayed on the long table on the lawn and A stage was made for performances.

Bondita and I were going to perform together. We had practised a lot for this day. I was dressed as krishna and she was supposed to be Radha.

I was lost when I saw her. She was dressed in an elegant saree and flowers decorated her hair just like Radha.

All other members were dressed in white that day.

She came with a plate of color and touched everyone's feet. "Khush raho" blessed Kaka.

We both were supposed to dance on the stage and enact like Radha and Krishna.

"Ready ho na Batuk?" She asked me.

Soon guests started coming. They all sat down to enjoy the show. Dada sat in the first row.

Soon the music started playing and both of us started grooving like Radha Krishna doing Raas.

In the end, we were supposed to make the iconic Radha Krishna posture.

Bondita took a matka on her head and I enacted to break it with a stone. Then we held each other's hand and moved round and round. With two dandiyas we grooved along with the song just like doing Ras.

We were dancing and enjoying. Bondita pulled Dada for no reason. Dada wasn't willing to but she forcefully asked him to dance.

Gradually everyone gathered on the stage and started applying colours to each other.

Bondita was lost in her dance and so was Dada. They were so lost that she forgot that I was her partner, not her husband.

They started dancing among themselves and as the song ended both of them did the iconic Radha Krishna. Everyone clapped and praised them. I saw kaka admiring the jodi.

Sab Ke Hoton Pe Thehri Thi Aake Koyi Baat

Dhol Manjire Bajne Lage Padi Dafli Par Thaap

Aur Dhumak Dhumak Kar Naach Rahi Thi Meri Radha Pyaari

Jaane Kahan Se Ras Rachane Aaya Chaila Girdari

Dada now tried to apply color on her but she ran away. She ran and Dada chased her. Powdered colours flying everywhere. They splashed colour on each other. Both were running, pushing everyone away from there and then they couldn't be seen.

I felt ignored and lonely as I saw them dancing.

Dada snatched my opportunity yet again. There was no point in me staying there anymore so I rushed to my room.

We were so lost, playing with colour that we didn't notice, we went to the other side of the haveli.

"Rang maat dena" Bondita laughed and ran and I was too desperate to put colors on her.

We ran down old the large open stairs and to stop her I held her hand.

That touch....he suddenly held my hand firmly from behind and I immediately stopped running.

I looked behind, at him with utter shock and nervousness. He was smiling pleasantly at me. He came near me and gently applied a handful of red colour on one side of my face. Unknowingly he felt my maang as well.

I kept looking at him.

I was in my room when Sampoorna maa entered out of nowhere, "tumse baat karni thi".

"Mujhse?" I asked her.

"Dekho mein sab samajhti hu ki kya chal raha hain tumhare dil mein" she said genuinely.

"Ap kya kehrahe hain?" I tried to act as if I wasn't understanding but she chuckled, "mujhe chinta hain tumhara Batuk" she placed her hand on my shoulder.

Socho Batuk, aj Bondita Anirudh Babu k liye sirf ek bacchi hain par 4-5 saal bad bhi kya wo bacchi rahegi?

Agar tumhare Dada ko bhi ussey pyar ho gaya to? Aur unke pyar pe koi prashna nehi uthayega kyu ki rishte se bandhe hain wo log par tum?

Tumhare pyar pe prashna uthayenge log, tum ki riste k adhar par ussey apna banaoge? Soch Batuk issey pehele ki tumhara Dada tumse Bondita ko chin le." She said and went away.

Although I decided not to take her seriously but somewhere she was not completely wrong. I decided to go downstairs.

I was not willing to take a shower, I was not willing to wash off that color that my pati babu applied but I had to. I took a shower that afternoon. I was so so so happy. My pati babu applied colour on me, we danced together.

I came out of my washroom with long wet hair and in a bathrobe and started dancing like a crazy person, daydreaming about him. I danced around the room in my bathrobes, "mein albeli hu mein akeli thora sa jhoom lu mein" I sang and started rotating.

"Bahu rani ji ye ap kya kar rahi hain? Nach kyu rahi hain diwani ki tarha" asked Koyli didi who was laughing, looking at me

"Ha ho gyi hu mein diwani, Aj Bondita bohot khush hain, ap bhi nacho na mere sath" I said excitedly.

"Nehi nehi! Mein to bas guzar rahi thi yaha se" she giggled and went away and I continued to dance

I wanted to talk to Bondita so I went to her room. From a distance, I heard her singing. With a smile on my face, I was about to enter her room but immediately turned my face away.

Bondita was singing and dancing in her bathrobes on. She was jumping on the bed with the door wide open.

With her long wet hair, she was sprinkling water all over the room.

It was an awkward situation for me. I faced the other side and knocked on the door.

By hearing the knock she came back to her senses and without a word, she rushed into the bathroom again.

After a while I heard her soft voice, "andar a jaiye".

I turned back and saw her draped in her usual saree. She was too embarrassed to even look at me.

"copy check kar diya hain maine, aur kal mujhe ek party mein jana hain to kal nehi parha paunga" I said.

She gazed at the floor in embarrassment. I didn't speak much and went away.

Next day at school

I wasn't talking to her. I don't want to get attached to someone who will never be mine.

She tried to talk to me several times but I ignored her. Every time I looked at her, her red hairline caused me more pain. I know that Dada doesn't consider as a wife and I have never seen them behaving like one but still...

During recess, I was talking to my friends. Pratap was tying his tie. "Arrey Pratap ye patniya karte hain" said Anshul and we all laughed.

"Patniya hi kyu?" I asked him.

"Arrey ha, maine apne maa ko dekha hain baba ka tie bandh te huye" he said.

"Ha aur kapde ready karna, ye sab bhi" said Raja .

Yes, kaka always says that a wife makes a husband ready before he leaves for work.

I returned home and changed into a saree that's when pati babu entered in suit pants. He looked so handsome that I couldn't take my eyes off him. He combed his hair and applied his perfume. That smell intoxicated me.

I stared at him but suddenly noticed him struggling with his tie.

"Pati babu mein help kar du?" I asked him hesitantly.

He raised his one eyebrow, "tum kar paogi?"

"Mein dikhti choti hu par sab ata hain mujhe"

I placed a stool in front of him and climbed on it to match his height and started making a knot of the tie around his neck.

I was passing by when my eyes stopped at her room. I saw Bondita standing on a stool and....

No, this is not possible. They don't share a husband-wife relation then how? As my friends said these little things are signs of being together.

Sampoorna maa was right!

Tears dripped down my eyes. I ran to my room and started throwing things here and there.

No! No! No!

Dada doesn't even love her and I know very well that he will break her heart once again as he did earlier. I care for her, her feelings, I never break her heart then why not me???

Why do girls like those boys who break their hearts and not those who genuinely care for them?

I looked at the god's idol, "kyu Durga maa kyu? Kyu dada ki hi patni hain wo" I banged my fist on the table.

Bondita climbed down the stool, "mujhe bhi le chaliye na apke party mein, mein kabhi nehi gyi".

"Wo na baro ki party hain aur tum to bohot choti ho" I looked at her frowning face.

She blew her cheeks, "choti hain Bondita? Ghar nehi sambhalti kya? Aologo ko nehi sambhalti kya?"

I couldn't control my laughter, the way she said all these were too cute.

I pointed towards my shoulder, "jis din yaha tak pohoch jaogi mein khud leke jaunga tumhe apne sath".

"Itna lamba, ap to mujhse bohot lambe ho...itna hone mein to bohot der hain" she said.

I grinned at her, trying hard to control my laughter, "bari ho jaogi to le jaunga, shotti!"

He turned back to leave, I gestured with my hand as if choking him. "Mere gala daba ne se kuch nehi hoga" he said.

My eyes widened, how come he saw me?

"Mere mathe k piche bhi ankhe hain Bondita, tumhe tumse zyada janta hu" he giggled and went away.

"Bara aya zyada janne wala" I made faces, "sab pata hain mujhe kyu nehi le ja rahe hain mujhe, waha angrezi mem honge, nachna nehi hain unke sath? Mein jaungi to nehi kar payenge".

I was burning in anger. "Sab ladki ko mere mithai pe hi hamla kyu karna hota hain?"

I went to the window and saw him leaving, "un ladkiyo ki bhi kya galti, mere pati hi kanhaiya bane ghum te rehte hain" I frowned but then again got lost in his thought, "waise kanha ji jaise to hain man moh lete hain.... Nehi nehi Bondita focus focus mein unhe akele nehi chor sakti".

After an hour or two Bondita came to my room, "Batuk mujhe ek help chahiye".

"Ha bolo na" I tried hard to act normal.

"Tum mujhe waha le chaloge jaha pati babu gye hain" she requested me

"Dada datenge" I said immediately.

"Unhe pata hi nehi chalega, hum chup chup k jayenge unhe pata bhi nehi chalega, please Batuk" she pleaded.

How could I say no to her so I agreed.

I was waiting for her outside the haveli when I saw her coming out in a gown but walking uncomfortably in heels. She was about to fall but I held her, "dada gussa karenge" I warned her.

"Unhe pata hi nehi chalega" she giggled.

I took her to the party. She entered the hall holding my hand. It was the best feeling ever. We entered like a couple dressed most formally. She looked at me and smiled a little and suddenly said, "ofo chote zamindar, apna tie to dekho, dhila hain" and tied it properly.

I was lost in her. Is it a dream?

"pati babu pati babu kyu laga k rakha hain, nehi hu mein tumhara pati" she yelled at her in front of everyone, "nahi tum meri patni ho".

I witnessed her breaking down completely. I knew Dada will break her heart...that is what he is good at.