"Dada" I broke the silence.

Dada, who was gazing at the diary, looked at me with teary eyes, "kitna pyar karte ho tum?"

The question surprised me, "what?"

"Kitna pyar karte ho tum?" He repeated her question.

"Bohot" I said softly.

"Saya ban payga?"

I looked at him with shock.

"Saya ban payga?" He asked it louder now. I only nodded my head up and down.

"Andhakar mein sath de payga?"

I nodded my head in yes again.

"Jaan de payga?"

"Ha"

"Jaan Le payga? "

"Ha"

Dada took a deep breath now.

"Uske dil aur dimag se mujhe bhula payga?"

I immediately nodded my head in no for the first time now.

"Agar nehi kar paya to uska dil kaise jitega?"

I stood up immediately, "dada ap jo koshish kar rahe ho wo maat karo".

I know very well that she can forget herself but not him. It is impossible to erase Anirudh Roy Chowdhury from her mind and heart.

"Tum pyar karte ho na ussey to nehi chahate pyar ko pana, bhul jao Bondita boudi hain, ajse wo tumhari Boudi nehi hain kyuki wo meri patni nehi hain" he said looking straight at my face.

"Bondita nehi manegi dada" I cried, "wo apse pyar karti hain, apke liye hasti hain, apke liye roti hain".

"Bondita bacchi hain, kaun uske liye sahi hain iski samajh nehi hain ussey" said Dada.

"Ap aisa maat karo dada" I requested him.

"Bondita tumhare sath khush rahegi, ye mujhe pata hain Batuk," said dada in a shaky voice.

"Agar khush nehi rehe payi?" I asked him.

"Jao tum abh" he ignored my question.

I looked at our picture and rubbed off my tears, "mein dukhi nehi hu Bondita balki khush hu bohot aj. Mein aj mere lakhshay k or ek kadam aur le raha hu".

I read the diary and what I felt is he genuinely likes her. When I bashed her, he supported her. Not only that, he respects her decisions and her dream. He supports her and wants her to become a barrister as I do.

I don't see fault in them. Bondita I was married at an age when she was young. If she was an adult would she ever choose a guy older than her? No!

She never got the chance to choose her husband. As a kid, she is attached to me but once she grows up, her choice and taste will be different.

If she was an adult she would have chosen a guy of her age who loves her like Batuk.

So now my goal is clear. I will make her Barrister babu and once she gets established in her career, I myself will make her marry Batuk, the right guy for her.

And I know once she grows up, she will fall for him too. As she is a kid now, she is just attracted by me and nothing else. I am sure one day she will come and tell me that I have taken the right decision for her.

But what about me? Will it be easy to bid her away from me forever? I am very deeply attached to her. I don't care about myself. I will be hurt but I will make sure she hates me too. When she will hate me, and Batuk will be there for her, she will start realizing her love for him, that is my plan.

I went to her room and knocked at the door. She was sitting in front of the mirror, combing her hain.

"Arrey aiye na" she said looking at the mirror.

I sat on the bed, "umm Bondita kal k liye taiyar ho jao"

"Kyu?" She turned towards me.

"Hum Devipur jayenge kal"

Hearing this, she glowed on her face. "Shotti!" She exclaimed in joy and clapped her hands.

I want to spend time with her for the last time. I want to see her happy before she starts hating me. I also want Sumati maa to meet her daughter before she leaves me.

I am on the edge and I cannot get emotional. Dil se nehi dimag se kaam lena hain mujhe. Tumhe khone k baad pata chala tha mujhe ki tum mere liye kya ho par abh mujhe firse khona hoga tumhe.

I was so so do happy. First Manali and now Devipur. I am going to spend so much time with my pati babu once again. Nowadays he is being very nice to me. He has changed a lot after that Vishal incident.

I was fearing to fall in love do much but he again compelled me to do so.

"Hey, Dugga maa" I joined my hands, "aise hi mere pati babu ko su buddhi dete rehna".

I was hesitating at first but Dada assured me I will get her.

Both of them are polar opposite and as dada always says, imperfect but...

What is the exact definition of perfection?

If one can love another, looking beyond all imperfection, it is actually a perfect relation. I don't know will I be able to take his place?

Dada says that I am perfect for her but Bondita says love is not finding the perfect person, love is seeing an imperfect person perfectly.

Did anyone notice both the boys are talking about getting her, losing her as if she is some kind of commodity that can be shared between two brothers not asking her what she wants?

Anirudh and Batuk decided her entire life without informing her. Both the brothers simply forgot that this is her life.

"Jaldi bahar ao Bondita," I honked the car, "pata nehi is ladki ko taiyar hone mein itna wakt kyu lagta hain."

Bihari placed all boxes of sweets in the car.

Just then Bondita came out, dressed beautifully in benarasi saree. "Chale abh".

I just couldn't get out of the fact that this is the last time we are going to go out together. You deserve a better guy and I found one.

She sat beside me in the car and we headed towards Devipur.

She was talking non-stop, her useless mouth shackle.

My heart ached every time I looked at her. I was controlling my tears at that moment. "Gari roko!" She shouted and I immediately stopped the car. "Buddhi k baal khani hain".

"Kya? Kiske baal? Waise to dimaag khati rehti ho baal ti chor deti" I giggled.

"Ofho, Vilayati babu ho ap, wo rahe buddhi k baal" she said pointing towards candy floss.

"Oo acccha candy floss"

I brought her one. She was smiling and giggling while having it. Suddenly she stuffed it in my mouth, "meetha khaiye aur meetha boliye".

"Itna meetha khana accha nehi hain" I scolded her to which she replied, "ye sab na ap ameero k chochle hain, mein sab kha sakti hu".

We again headed towards Devipur. While driving I suddenly asked her, "Bondita ek baat kahu, kabhi agar mujhpe bohot gussa aye to yaad rakhna mein jo karta hu, tumhare ujwal bhavishya k liye karta hu".

"Ha pati babu, mein kyu gussa hongi bhala? Mujhe pata hain, mere pati babu mere sath kuch galat kar hi nehi sakte" we smiled at each other.

We the car stopped at Devipur, Bondita, without waiting for me ran inside to her mother while her mama and mami did my arti.

Maaaa!" I ran inside. Maa was doing some puja at that time. I hugged her from behind. "Bondita meri bacchi" she cupped my face and kissed my forehead.

Just then pati babu entered and touched her feet While she blessed him.

Just because my mother is a widow, nobody comes to her but pati babu never felt shy to touch her feet instead the way he calls her maa makes me feel they are mother and son and I am a third person.

"Maa janti hain mujhe puruskar mila hain" Bondita said happily.

"Tu acchi hain na?" Maa asked her.

"Haa maa, maa janti hain tu isbar class mein bhi top kiya hain maine, pati babu ne jo parhaya hain par ha Batuk ne bhi bohot madat ki notes deke mujhe, mein absent thi na" she said.

My smile faded away hearing this. I knew it...she deserves him not me.

"Bondita! Arrey o Bondita!" Few girls called her from outside, "chal khelne chalte hain".

She looked at me for permission. I nodded my head in yes and she went with them.

We all friends were playing langri tang. After so long I was playing with my friends. Suddenly I saw Meenu sitting at a corner with a rose.

"Meenu kya kar rahi hain?" I asked her.

"Do din baad iski shadi hain" said Sushila.

"Dekh Bondita mein gulab ki pankhuriya nikal rahi hu aur har pankhuri k sath ye kahungi ki "mere hone wale pati pyar karenge ye nehi, akhri tak jo bacha wo sahi ho jayga".

My eyes widened hearing this, "aisa sacchi mein hota hain?"

"Haa sacchi mein hota hain ye" said my friends.

I went back. I got hurt my knees while playing.

"Bondita, jaa tu aur jamai babu pahadi wali mandir jaake puja karke a," said maa.

I looked at pati babu who was not willing to go to mandir but couldn't say no to maa. My poor pati babu...so helpless, I felt like laughing.

We reached the mandir together. "Jaante hain pati babu, ek kahavat hain, ye jo 108 siriya agar pati patni ko uthake charhe to unka rishta mazboot hota hain"

"Saare Andhvishwas" he rolled his eyes. I knew pati babu won't believe it so I climbed the steps but after a few I fell down. He came running to me, "kya huya?" Asked a panic-stricken pati babu.

"Wo khelte wakt paer pe chot ayi thi".

"To fir koi zaroorat nehi mandir jaane ki, chalo wapas" hr suggested.

"Nehi nehi" I cried, "mujhe jaana hain aj hi, mujhe Mahadev se kuch mangna hain".

"Zidd maat karo" he scolded me but I looked away in anger.

He took a deep breath, "accha thik hain" saying he picked me up which left me in a state of shock.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, not to fall.

As he climbed the stairs, I only gazed at him.

When I used to be a kid, baba used to pick me up and climb the stairs. He used to tease me by saying, "aj to mein kar raha hu par ekdin meri gudiya ko uski pati leke charhega ye siri".

Kehete hain ki ladkiya pati mein pita ki parchai dhundti hain and I have found it.

He kept on climbing the stairs. I saw him sweating and breathing heavily but he didn't stop.

Finally, he climbed 108 stairs, picking me up, just as the kahavat says. He did it unknowingly but he did it.

Putting me down he said, "jao puja karke ao".

I nodded my head and went inside. While pouring the milk on shiv Linga I prayed, "aise hi mere pati babu aur meri jodi ko banay rakhna, hummey alag maat karna bhagwan, unke har iccha ko puri karna. Ap jaante ho na unke liye mein maar bhi sakti hu, mit bhi sakti hu. Unke iccha ko, sapne ko puri karne k liye main kuch bhi kar sakti hu bass ye sath ap kabhi maat chutne dena".

"Beti, " said Pandit ji, "saalon baad koi pati ye 108 siri char paya hain jisse ye saabit hota hain ki tum dono pe swayam Mahadev ka ashirwad hain.

She is so happy today. How do I tell her what I have decided for her?

From there we went to the fair that was held on the occasion of Mahadev's puja.

She was laughing and giggling like a child. I brought her a bunch of balloons and she started jumping holding them. Aj jitna pyar tumhe mujhse hain utna hi nafrat karogi shayad.

I saw a stall where people were aiming balloons with a toy guns. I held his hand and pulled him to the stall, "mujhe bhi banduk chalani hain"

The man gave me the gun. The gun was so happy that I was unable to pick it up. It looks like a toy gun but it is very heavy.

Pati babu laughed at me, "bari ayi banduk chalane wali, pehele utha to lo".

I blew my cheeks in anger, "ittu si hu mein, itna bara banduk kaise uthau, dada rehne dijiye ap mujhe nehi chalani banduk".

"Ruko!" Pati babu stopped me. He stood behind me and held my hands which were holding the gun. He placed his chin on my shoulder. I felt an electrifying sensation. His perfume was intoxicating me. "Annkei aim pe" he whispered near my ear lobes and pulled the trigger and it hit the aim.

I didn't even realize how and when it happened. I am not used to this much closeness.

"Pati babu, ap mere sath hotey ho to har lakhsh tak pohoch sakti hu, ap rahoge na humesha mere sath?" I asked him.

His expressions changed immediately and he looked here and there.

"Rahoge na?" I repeated forwarding my hand.

"Hmmm" only a hmm he said and didn't even hold my hand in assurance.

"Together na?" I asked him again.

"We are not perfect together" he replied.

"We don't need to be perfect together, we need to be happy together".

Nehi kar sakta mein jhoota vaada, shayad itna hi tha hum dono ka safar. Mein bas tumhe khush dekhna chahati hu, haste huye dekhna chahata hu aur tumhari khushi kisme hain ye mein jaanta hu.

Nothing is perfect

The key to any relationship is not a perfect together but a happy together

Unfortunately, Anirudh was not understanding this point of hers.

the misunderstanding

"Pyar dosti hain aur Dosti pyar hain" she said immediately.

I looked at her with shock, "kisne kaha tumse ye sab?"

"Kisi ne abhi tak kaha to nehi par kabhi na kabhi to kahega" she giggled.

Dada and I looked at each other immediately with a ray of hope. That means Bondita loves me not Dada because I am her best friend.

Dada and I again looked at each other happily.