I am nervous...yes because I have been selected among the 40 students who will fight for the position of prefect. Only 16 will be selected that is 4 from every four houses.

I am the only female student and the only female to be elected.

"Ms Greta" I said to my teacher, "I think I can't do this, please select someone else".

She smiled at me, "Bondita my child, follow me" she said while closing her book and taking me to the room of fame where all school trophies are kept.

"Look at that," she said pointing me towards the prefect board. This board contains the names of all students who have been prefects. "See row 6 column 8" she said.

I did the same and saw the name, "Aniruddh Roy Chowdhury"

"Pati babu bhi prefect the!" I exclaimed with joy.

"Haa the" she said in broken Hindi.

"Listen! We selected you as you have the potential and moreover if you become prefect you will be the first-ever female prefect of this school. You will be able to show others the leadership quality of a girl, you will be a leader of 10000 boys" she said.

"Par mein kar to paungi?" I asked her.

"Ofcourse, now look! You are in class 10. There are total 16 prefects, 4 from each house and out of that 4 three will be only one house captain. From the 4 house captain of respective houses, only one will be selected as school captain at the end of the academic year".

I took a deep breath.

"Anirudh was not only prefect but also the house captain of Red house and eventually became the school captain and he was one of the best school captain, iska udaharan har saal mein apne students ko deti hu par mein chahati hu tum apne pati ko chap jao taki agli baar tumhari example de saku"

"I won't let you and my Pati Babu down" I said confidently.

I reached home and without changing into my saree, I ran to study, "pati babu" I called him excitedly.

"Kya baat hain? Bohot khush dikh rahi ho tum" he said and grinned.

She suddenly bent down and touched my feet. I backed off, "kaha hain na paer maat chuo".

"Aj chune dijiye kyuki mein apke nakhshe kadam pe chalne wali hu" she said excitedly, "40 baccho ka aj selection huya hain unme se mein ek hu, kal interview mein pass ho gyi to peheli ladki prefect ban jaungi mein, mahila netri" she clapped happily.

I was so happy at that point of time. I know her capability and I am sure she will be a great prefect who will set examples in mear future.

"Pati babu apko to pata hain kaise sawal puche jayenge to practice karwao na" she urged.

Thik hain, "so Mrs Bondita tell me ladka aur ladki mein fark hain...kya ap issey mante hain" I asked her.

"Ha!"

I was disappointed by her answer but she continued, "ladka aur ladki mein bohot fark hain par wo fark khoobsurat hain, fark hain ye galat nehi hain balki fark karne wale galat hain. Issi fark k karan ladka aur ladki dono ko bohot kuch sehna parta hain, a son can cry and a girl can fly" she answered with a smile.

I changed my mind. I was so happy with her answer. "Apko kya lagta hain is vishay pe ki ladkiya kamzoor hain".

"Haa to," she said and pulled my hair and I groaned in pain, "kya hain ye sab?" I scolded her.

"Bohot dard huya? Itne mein ladko ko itna dard hota hain par aise hi ladkiya apne bhuye ke baal nikal ti hain" she grinned

I smiled at her witty action.

"Ladkiya kamzor hain? Jisdin ladko k sharir se panch din lagatar khoon niklenge tabh pata chalega ladkiya kitni kamzor hain. Maa Durga ko hum puj te hain unhe hi kamzor kehna thik hain kya"

"Bravo girl! Bravo! I am proud of you"

I clapped my hands with pride in my eyes.

"Kal bhi aise hi jawab degi apki Bondita" she said folding her arms, "abh mein chalti hu, bohot kaam hain mujhe, itni si jaan aur itna saara kam" she said and went running outside.

"Itni si jaan aur itna saara kaam! Drame baaz" I mimicked her and chuckled.

She suddenly came back jumping and hopping, "ek book leni thi" picked up a book secretly and left.

What book was that?

After Bondita gave us sandhya arti She and I sat with kaka. It was our storytelling time. Yes, kaka narrates us mythological stories but sometimes Bondita takes it too seriously.

At first, both of us secretly ate the laddoos and then sat with kaka. Last time he told the story of samundar manthan.

"Aj konsi kahani sunayenge kaka sasurji" asked Bondita.

"Mira bai ki" he replied, "wo ek rajkumari thi jinhe bhagwan shri krishna se prem tha".

"Kya kaka ap bhi! Aisa thori na hota hain?" I asked him.

"Aarey huya hain aisa! Bachpan mein unhone apse hone wale pati k baare mein pucha tha to unke maa ne kaha bhagwan krishna hain tere pati aur tabh se unhone unhe hi pati man liya. Preet ki lagi aisi lagan Mira bai ho gyi jogan" kaka ended saying.

I noticed Bondita lost in her own thoughts. "Bondita!" I snapped my fingers, "bolo na pati babu" she replied still lost.

"Bahu!" Kaka called her and now she came back to her senses. God knows what she was thinking.

"Kaka sasurji ek prashna hain" she spoke out.

"Ha ha iske bina tum rehe thori sakti ho" he teased her.

"Wo aggar hum bhi kisiko bohot pyar kare aur dil se chahe to humme bhi wo miljayga kya?"

"Ha ha zaroor" kaka said.

No, I don't think so. One-sided love has never been good, it only hurts a person, ask me.

She suddenly stood up and started leaving. "Arrey bahu kaha jaa rahi ho" kaka called her but again she was lost in her thoughts and ignored us completely.

Kaka and I gave a confused look to each other.

I was passing from Bondita's room when I heard someone singing. I was about to knock but what I saw resisted me to do so.

She was again dancing in her room, jumping on the bed spreading her arms in the air and flipping her hair. She started spreading rose petals in the air.

I wonder what has happened to her. This is the second time I saw her behaving like this.

I knocked at the door to which she became cautious.

"Tum nach kyu rahi ho" I raised my eyebrows.

"N...n...nehi to" she stammered, apne galat dekha.

"Mein jab bhi ata hu tum nach te huye hi milti ho mujhe".

"Bilkul nehi" she made silly faces at me. "Mein bhala kyu nachne lagi?" she lied straight on my face.

"Parne baitho, thori parhai karo varna prefect banna gaya" I scolded her.

She seemed lost in her thoughts.

"Accha aj tumne mere study mein se konsi kitab li?" I asked her.

"Wo ek hain....mein par k wapas kar dungi" she replied.

"Parhai hi ki hain na? Koi baaro ki kitab to nehi hain na?" I looked at her suspiciously. "Arrey nehi hain!"

He almost caught me but I succeeded to lie. After he went away I jumped on my bed and laid down, "kitne bhole hain ap" I wondered.

"Mein bhi apse aj se bohot pyar karungi, purna nishtha se to apko mere hone se koi nehi rok sakta...kaka sasurji k kahani mein bhi to yahi tha".

I spread my arms, "preet ki lagi aisi lagan, mein to ho gyi jogan" and giggled after distorting what kaka sasurji had said.

I know Bondita very well, what is cooking up in her mind. It's okay...let her do whatever madness she wants but let not dada know it. I am scared if Dada gets to know about her pagalpan again, he will take a drastic step to stop her this time as he did before and that might hurt her.

Bondita is thinking just like Mira bai assumed lord Krishna as his wife and loved him dedicatedly, she will do that too and Dada will be compelled to love her back.

Stupidity at its peak.....

Nowadays Bondita doesn't understand the stories, uski sui har bar ghum phir k pati babu k pyar paane pe hi atak jati hain. Kaka told the story to let us know her dedication towards god, her sacrifices and how great and divine she was.

But Bondita is a legend....simply legend. Isme bhi isne dada ko paane ki tarkib dhundli.

I can guarantee one thing, whatever she does, Dada is dada! He will never accept her as his wife instead scold her. Hope she doesn't make any mistake compelling him to take any such step.

The next morning at the breakfast table my assumptions were proved right.

After she served food, she started at dada for a long time with a smile on her face.

"Bahu aur ye Sampoorna dono suno, agle hafte Mahapandit ji aane wale hain to koi garbar nehi chahiye mujhe"

"Nastiko se nivedaan hain ki koi tamasha na kare, aisa hain to ghar se dur rehe sakte hain" he looked indirectly at dada, "aur koi patni vrata pati agar yaha maujood hain to unse bhi nivedaan hain ki apna ye sab apne kamre tak hi simit rakhe" he said taunting baba.

Som dada and I giggled at it.

Suddenly sampoorna spoke out, "haha apki bari bahu k pass utna wakt thori hain pooja path karne ki, wo abh pari likhi jo thairi".

"Mein dono kaam ek sath kar sakti hu" she said with a bright smile.

Kaka made an irritated face at Sampoorna.

"Ha ha tu parhegi, ghar bar bacche.....ooo maaf karna wo to tujhse huya nehi" she taunted her but Bondita looked confused.

"Sampoorna!" Dada stood up and banged that table so hard that we all got scared. He gestured Koyli to take Bondita inside.

After she went away Dada outbursted at Sampoorna maa,"agli baar agar aise galat shabd Bondita k samne kaha na tumne to mujhse bura koi nehi hoga!" He warned her by pointing a finger at her.

"Peheli baar is Sampoorna ne kuch sahi kaha" kaka spoke out.

"Kya sahi kaha?"

Arrey tu mujhe jite ji apne pota poti ka muh dekhne ka afsar dega ya nehi?" Kaka told him.

"Kaka wo bacchi hain, ye uske khel kud ki parne ki umar hain aur usne apne khel kud k kacche umr mein ghar ki chavi pakri kya ye apke liye kaafi nehi!" He screamed.

"Ha ha, 5 saal pehele bhi bacchi thi, aj bhi bacchi hain aur 5 saal baad bhi bacchi rahegi" kaka said sarcastically.

"Aarrey aplog pagal ho kya, wo 15 saal ki hain sirf " dada felt irritated.

I support Dada, what they were saying was utter nonsense.

"Hum sab samajh rahe hain Anirudh babu" said Sampoorna maa.

"Kya samajh rahi ho tum?"

"Asli baat to ye hain ki Bondita ko zaroor koi samasya hain".

"Sampoorna!" He yelled loudly and approached her.

"Anirudh awaz niche, aude mein bari hain wo " Baba scolded dada.

Dada stormed away from there.

I went to the terrace. I was feeling low at that time. How can they expect such things from a little girl, how can Sampoorna use such words for her.

Why is our society so cheap in the first place? How am I going to protect her from this? It is not new, it had happened earlier but now they are raising questions on her. I felt like crying at that point of time.

She is a dreamer. She dreams big and a bright future is waiting for her but this society won't let that happen. She wants to be like me, a prefect, a school captain then Barrister Babu but this society wants to cage her I promise to break every such cage that will try to captivate her and her dreams.

Something evil was cooking up in Sampoorna's mind. She went to Market and saw few women gossiping. She went to them and whispered, "ap logo ne suna hain kya?"

"Kya?" Asked one.

"Aarey Roy Chowdhury o ki bari bahu ko koi samasya hain vaarna vivaah k itne saal bad bhi kok mein santan nehi aya" she said.

"Ye baat sahi hain, unke umr mein to mere dono bete ho gye the" said one woman.

"Aur meri bahu abhi 13 saal ki hain aur maa banne bhi wali hain" said Another woman.

"Wahi to" said Sampoorna and left thinking, "mera kaam to ho gaya. Jab Bondita pe daag lagega tabh hoga mere apmaan ka badla pura, Anirudh Roy Chowdhury".

I was practicing how I will act once I become a prefect. I made a batch out of paper and pinned it to my saree and was acting in front of the mirror.

Suddenly Sampoorna didi and kaka sasurji walked in. "Bahu tumse baat karna hain".

I immediately put on my pallu, "ji kahiye".

Sampoorna Didi opened my batch and threw it away and placed a baby doll in my arms, "ye hain tera asli maksaad".

"Matlab'? I was a bit confused.

"Bahu patni ka dharm hota hain ki 5-6 swast pusht bete ka janm dena" said Kaka Sasurji.

I was confused. What are they saying???

"Par maa kehti hain bacche pari deke jaate hain" I said.

"Nehi bacche pari nehi dete, tujhe dena parega" Sampoorna didi said in a way of scolding. "Sun ye jo bhagwan ne tujhe roop diya hain uska sahi prayog kar samjhi".

"Nehi samjhi" I said.

"Matlab apne pati babu ko vash mein kar tu".

I bursted out laughing, "mein jadoogar thori na hu".

"Bondita!" She shouted at me, "tujhe kya lagta hain, hum tere sath yaha mazak karne aye hain."

"Didi mujhe kuch samajh nehi araha" I cried.

"Accha sun! Pyar karti hain na apne pati babu se"

"Haa"

"To bacche na pyar ki nishani hotey hain" she said.

I was so happy hearing this, Does that mean if I love him then pari will drop a baby from heaven and then he will love me too. I clapped in joy.

Bondita is naive. She was unable to understand these pyar ki nishani and all and Sampoorna was taking the advantage.

On the other hand rumour spreaded like forest fire that, "Roy Chowdhury k bahu ko samasya hain".

Bondita became the first female prefect of the school from blue house.

I was so happy for her.

Principal sir pinned the Shinning batch imprinted, "Bondita . A . Roy Chowdhury". She took the oath during assembly and her name got imprinted in the prefects board and coincidentally just beside Dada's name.

She showed the batch to everyone, the teachers, staffs, watchman uncle, driver kaka every one. She even stopped random people on road and showed it to them.

I was so so so happy. I am walking on my pati babu's foot step.

In market I went to a group of women, "kaki dekhiye mein prefect ban gyi" but surprisingly they turned their face away which saddened me. I looked around and found everyone starring at me.

"Ap sab mujhe ghoor kyu rahe ho?" I asked them.

"In sab parai varai ka ladkiyo ko kya kaam jab wo apne hi pati ko pita hone ka sukh nehi de sakti".

"Par kaki" I was about to touch her but she moved away, "chuna maat vaarna ye bimari hum sab ko lag jaygi, banjh kahiki!".

Batuk returned without Bondita. He informed the whole house that she has become a prefect and she will be here shortly. I was so happy for her so I asked Bihari to bring 8 handis of rosogolla and keep it ready for her in study. That would be a great way to congratulate her.

I was too happy. Suddenly I heard her payel tingling. Bondita came inside but surprisingly she ran towards me, hugged me and started crying which shocked me. She should be happy so what happened?

"Bondita aj to khushi ka din hain, tum ro kyu rahi ho?" I patted her head and creased her hair gently.

"Pati babu" she said while sobbing, "ye baanjh kya hota hain?"

This question left me shocked.

I immediately asked her, "kaha se suna tumne ye shabd?"

"Saare gaon wale mujhe banjh bula rahe hain".