"Bondita!" Dada came running downstairs with a parchment.

"Kya huya chilla kyu raha hain subha subh?" Asked Kaka taking a sip from the cup.

"Kaka khush khabri hain!" Dada said happily.

"Kya!!! Mubarak beta" kaka stood up immediately. "Humare kapi(coffee) ka asar hain" Bihari giggled.

"Ha kaka! Khushkhabri, Bondita ko puruskar milega, Manali mein"

Hearing this kaka's smile vanished, "hain? Ye hain khush khabr?"

"Haaa, apko kya laga?"

Bada coughed a little and kaka glared at baba, "ja bahu piche angan mein kuch gaon walo k sath hain, bata de ussey".

Dada ran to the backyard and I followed him. We were shocked to see Bondita along with village women and she was spreading awareness about mental health. Dada and I waited for her session to end. I saw dada smiling and feeling proud of her.

After that, she also taught about reproduction. The women were not ready for the class but Bondita explained to them that there is nothing wrong with it. She taught them like a little teacher.

"Bondita" Dada interrupted, "idhar ao".

She came to us, "kya hain pati babu?"

I handed her the parchment. On reading it her face shone brightly and she looked at us.

"Tujhe award milega" I exclaimed happily. She in happiness hugged me and we started rotating holding our hands in joy, "mujhe award milega!"

"Bondita hum do din mein Manali k liye niklenge, jao packing kar lo" said Dada smiling.

"Haa pati babu....Batuk chalo na meri madat kar do packing mein" and we ran upstairs.

"Bhago maat, gir jaoge dono!" Dada yelled.

Bondita started packing her bags happily, putting all saree inside. "Arrey buddhu tum waha saree pehenogi sirf, bohot thand hota hain waha" I tapped her head. "Winter coat lo".

"Par mere pass to nehi hain" she frowned, "pati babu k winter coats bohot bare hain".

"Ok wait" I ran my room and brought my winter coats for her. Our height is almost the same so it might work.

"Thank you Batuk!" She exclaimed happily, "tumhare liye kuch lau kya wahase?"

"Nehi bass tumhe award mil raha hain wahi mera gift hain" I smiled at her.

The day finally arrived. We were supposed to leave for Manali. "Bahu apna aur apne pati babu ka dhyan rakhna aur aise hi Roy Chowdhury o ka naam roshan karna" kaka patted her head.

"Bondita we are really proud of you," said Baba.

After bidding a warm farewell we reached to the station and boarded our train. She rushed inside our cabin and I was putting the luggage.

(Personalized cabins were only in first-class and first-class coach was only for Britisher but wealthy people could go by first class but they had to pay a huge sum of money)

She peeped through the window, "wahhhhh" sab piche jaa rahe hain."

"Bondita hath bahar maat nikalo" I scolded her.

"Kash maa bhi dekh pati aur char pati train, jante ho pati babu mere baba aksar train mein safar karte the aur mujhe aur Sampoorna didi ko kahaniya sunate the jhik jhik gari ki, mein to peheli baar char rahi hu, aur apne kiya ye, Thank you".

"Jhik jhik gari?" I questioned her.

"Arrey train!" She said

"Jab mein zidd karti thi unke sath train pe charne ki to wo mujhe chirate the ki apne hone wale pati se kehna...jante ho pati babu, baba ne waada kiya tha ki mujhe train charwayenge".

She again looked outside the window, "wo dekho waha kitne saare bachure hain" she pointed out, "aur wo nadi bhi!"

Later I started reading a novel while she looked outside.

"Pati babu...." She said timidly.

I looked at her, "ha bolo Bondita.

"Wo...wo...mujhe" she hesitated.

"Kya huya hain?" I asked her.

"Wooo wooo yaha toilets nehi hain?"

I chuckled immediately, "isme sharmane wali konsi baat hain, chalo mere sath".

She held my hand so that she doesn't get lost on the train.

I took her to the ladies washroom and she entered. Suddenly she opened the door and peeped from inside, "ap yahi khare rehna, kahi jaana maat" and closed the door again.

People stared at me for standing in front of the ladies toilet but I cannot disobey Bondita Devi ki command.

After a while, she came out and we went to our cabin.

At night she slept inside, peacefully. I wrapped a blanket around her and went outside and sat near the door the whole night.

I again woke up due to the same nightmare. I looked around but couldn't find pati babu. I started trembling and shivering in fear. That punishment room and everything was too dread full.

I started weeping in fear. I couldn't see pati babu in the cabin. I cried the whole night as I was scared to sleep. What if I see the same nightmare.

Early morning I entered into the cabin and saw her combing her hair and staring outside the window.

"Bondita mein bohot khush hu. Tum ekmatra ladki hogi waha jisey puraskar mil rahi hain. Bohot bare bare log honge waha, Tulsipur ki peheli vidyalaya jane wali ladki hone k naate sammanit kiya jayga".

She looked at me, "hum a gaye kya?"

"Abhi nehi"

After 5 mins she again asked the same question. Again after sometime, she did the same.

Finally, I got irritated and scolded her, "chup chap baitho, agaya to bataunga na, bar bar pareshan kyu kar rahi ho".

She lowered her face, "sahi kaha, mein to sirf pareshan karti hu."

We finally reached our destination. Bondita wrapped a shawl around her and merrily jumped out of the train. "Kitni sundar jagah hain!" She exclaimed in joy. "Bilkul pariyo ki duniya jaisi, hariyali, phul, sab hain" she started clapping and jumping.

We went to our hotel and I was talking to the receptionist.

Pati babu was at the reception.

"Two rooms"

"Your name sir?" Asked the receptionist.

"Anirudh Roy Chowdhury and Bondita Roy Chowdhury." He said.

"Husband and wife?" Asked the receptionist.

"Actually...n...no, teacher and student," he said immediately. The receptionist gave him the keys.

"Chalo Bondita"

"Ap jaiye mein abhi ayi" I said and went to the reception.

"How can I help you?" She asked.

"Make it Bondita Anirudh Roy Chowdhury and yes he is my husband," I said and ran to my room.

"Pati babu" I knocked at his room and he opened the door, "ghumne chale?"

"Hum yaha pe kaam k liye aye hain, ghumne nehi" he scolded me.

"Award function to kal hain, aj mein kya karu baithe baithe....please please please" I started making puppy faces. He can never say no to them.

"Accha thik hain"

She came out wearing Batuk's coat on her saree.

"Pati babu maine suna hain yaha mahadev ki mandir hain, chale kya" she said.

"Mandir hi kyu jaana hain tumhe" I said irritatedly.

"Chaliye na!" She insisted so I took her to the mandir.

I waited for her outside while she went inside.

There was a river behind the temple. We went there and a local man approached us, "is nadi se kuch bhi mango to pura hota hain, yaha paise dalo aur iccha mango".

"Oo accha abh nadiya bhi payment lene lage" I made fun but she glared at me, "ofho, paise daliye na please."

Yaha pe koi mannat mange to wo puri hoti hain" saying this we threw a coin at the river.

The coin flipped in air and dropped into the water.

She closed her eyes and I stared at her, "mein chahata hu ki Bondita uske layak ek jeevan sathi mile jo ussey sab khushiya de sake,meri tarha nehi jo sirf dukh deta ho".

I closed my eyes and asked, "pati babu ne jo bhi manga, unki mano kamna puri ho yahi mein chahati hu".

He has never asked anything for himself. He never got anything, neither his mother nor a perfect childhood with his family nor his love that is why I want his wish to come true although I don't know what he might have asked for.

They kept on looking at each other while the coin started sinking deep into the water, more their feelings were immersed into each other, the more the coin was, the deeper they looked into each other's eyes, deeper was the coin going.

That moment was perfect but aise pal aksar kissa ban jata hain, paraya hokar bhi koi apna baan jata hain, kabhi kabhi kahani aduri rehjaati hain kyuki galat mannat aksar puri ho jati hain.

So think before you pray for something.

Suddenly we heard music and went to the source of the sound. The natives were dancing in a circle in their native outfits. People were dressed as dragons. Little monks were also enjoying. There was a large crowd around.

Two native women of Manali asked Bondita to come. Without taking permission she went with them.

I was tapping my feet with the music unless I saw her dressed like these women. She wore a long midi. Her head was tied with a dupatta behind decorated with silver jewellery and laces just like the native costumes.

She started dancing with those ladies, laughing, moving and grooving. She danced in the round. She forgot everything and was dancing happily, clapping and laughing.

It was a delight to my eyes to watch her so happy.

Finally, it was evening and we were sitting on the stairs of the temple. She danced so much that now her legs were aching.

"Itna nachne ko kisne kaha tha" I scolded her.

"To abh nach bhi nehi sakti?" She frowned and looked away.

Suddenly it started snowing.

"Oh god!" I covered my head and rushed inside the temple, "Andar ao" I called her.

Bondita being Bondita ignored me completely and went out jumping and prancing.

A few minutes back her feet were aching and look at her now.

I saw a wide smile crept on her face as she stood in the middle of the open yard. Her hair got filled with snow.

"Andar ao! Thand lag jaygi" I shouted but she ignored me.

She spread her arms in the air, faced the sky and started rotating slowly in the snow. Her long hair moved in the air and snowflakes in it sprinkled everywhere around. She was covered in snow and there is a saying, snow beautifies everything it covers.

I went to her, "chalo andar"

She looked at me with a calm smile and said in a very mature way, "zindagi k haar pal ko jeena sikhiye pati babu pata nehi fir kabhi laut k aye ya nehi. Kaam to zindagi ka ek aang hain par kaam karte karte jab thak jayenge to inhi paalo ko yaad karke hasenge...isiliye palo ko jeena sikhiye unhe bana na sikhiye".

We sat on the stairs, getting drenched in snow, quietly looking at the sky. There was a strange silence between us.

A boy was selling hot milk.

"Bondita, piyogi?" I looked at her.

She nodded her head in no while looking at the sky silently. "Jaante hain pati babu" she said being lost in her own thoughts, "pyar na barf ki tarha hoti hain...everyone wants it but it comes only when it has to come"

I looked at her in amazement.

I brought one cup for me. I took a sip from it and forwarded the cup to her, without looking at her, gazing at the sky.

She took a sip from the same cup and passed it to me. I again took another sip and passed it to her and this continued.

Not even for a minute, we looked at each other.

There was a signboard near a stall. The board was initially covered with snow but the snow fell off and the writings appeared,

"

The wishing river froze. With the river frozen all the wishes asked to it today, wishes that may not come true ever.

I was eager to write this chapter as it has a link to my upcoming track