"Chor aya bahu ko" asked kaka when he entered the haveli but no answer came from his side.

"Anirudh, da kya puch rahe hain uttar do" said Baba but again he stamped his mouth and continued to walk towards the study without even looking around.

"Anirudh!" Kaka said loudly that is when he shivered and looked at him, "kuch keh rahe ho ap?"

He was not in his senses, as if neither could he hear nor could he see. He was lost in a different world. Kaka's call brought him back to his senses.

"Arrey kabh se puch rahe hain hum, bahu ko chor aya" asked an irritated Kaka.

He gulped and then nodded his head.

"Chalo sahi salamat pohoch jaye bahu bas, Dugga Dugga" Kaka murmured.

I entered into study quietly and locked the door behinde me. Leaning on the door, I stood quietly like a carved concrete structure.

I saw a vision, I saw myself in front of me, I saw her in front of me. Both of us were laughing and giggling.

I slowly sat down on the floor, leaning at the door and crossing my feet.

Putting my hand in the pocket I took out her picture from my wallet. Staring at it was what I could do.

Believe me, I was not thinking anything, my mind was completely blank. I was not crying unless my eyes stopped at a flower in the pot near the window, a white rose. She had planted it herself, I remembered how happy she was on seeing the first bud blooming.

"Pati babu pati babu jaldi ayiye" she called me from my study. I was in another room and hearing her yell I really got scared. Is she fine? I ran towards the study, "kya huya sab thik to hain?" I asked her breathlessly.

"Ye dekhiye pati babu peheli kali" she said looking at the two small buds that had grown from one single stem.

"Ha Bondita" I chuckled.

"Ye mein hu aur ye ap hain" she pointed to the buds, "in ka naam hain Anirudh aur Bondita, mein is poudhe ko roz paani dungi taaki taki Anirudh aur Bondita jaldi se phul ban jay".

It was dinner time, we all called him but didn't come. We all banged the door, "Dada bahai aiye na".

Is shaky voice from the other side of the door came, "bhook nehi hain."

"Arrey beta aise kaise chalega, chal bahar a" said kaka but he didn't came.

I started thinking, kya sachme Anirudh se Bondita ko aur Bondita se Anirudh ko alag karna sambhav hain?

Today the buds, Anirudh and Bondita have grown into flowers but unfortunately, she is not here to see it.

I poured a glass of water on it.

She named them after us and she was right. I am like these flowers. This flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and I cannot live without her.

If I had a single flower for every time I think about her, I could walk forever in my garden.

After she left, I understood how connected I was to her. Bondita chali gyi to jaise saari khushiya leke chali gyi. I went to a self Isolation and my life became monotonous.

Ek alag hi khamoshi chah gyi ghar mein aur mere zindagi mein. Apne chote chote alta pairo se pure ghar mein ghumti this aur uske payel ki chan chan awaz gunjti this. Now the house was silent.

"Pati babu pati babu" nobody called me. Only I know how much I craved for that call, "pati babu."

She soft-voiced and her laughter. Ek choti si chulbuli si gudiya kai kho gyi.

We used to write letters to each other but would only talk about her studies. I never went to meet her because I wanted her to forget me.

She was waiting for the day when her letter won't reach me proving she had forgotten me but my plan never worked.

Her letters never stopped to reach me and I never stopped to reach them.

Every time Som and Batuk went to meet her, they came back with one question, "Bondita puch rahi thi ki ap ussey milne kabh jaoge".

I was leaving yet not leaving. My only source of living was her picture.

(I have the best lines for the situation

"Tumhare tasveer k sahare, mausam kai guzare, mausami na samjho abh ishq ko humare.)

Kaise bhul mein gyi sath wo bhi tha mere, kaise maine le liya do dilo ka faisla? Par maine jo faisla liya sahi liya...

Letters after letters piled in my study.

One day

Kaka and Bihari entered. "Dekh Bihari ye ladka bhi na kamre ko saaf hi nehi karta, zaara saaf kar de".

"Malik itne saare kagazo ka kya?" Asked Bihari holding those letters.

"Itne saare purane kagaz, chal fek se".

When Anirudh returned in the evening, he suddenly shouted and yelled. All the family members came running to the hall.

"Chikh kyu raha hain?" Enquired kaka.

Dada's eyes were red and teary, hair was untidy, "mere kamre mein se Bondita ki saari chitthiya gayab hain."

"To isme aisa karne ki kya baat hain" Sampoorna maa murmured and rolled her eyes.

"Kisne hath lagaya mere kamre ke chizo ko" he bombarded on everyone.

"Wo Chote malik" said koyli timidly, "Bihari shayad un kagazo ko jala raha hain..."

Before Koyli didi could Complete her sentence, he ran outside and we followed him.

Bihari was burning those letters outside. He had just put them on fire.

Dada pushed him aside and put his hand in the fire without thinking twice to save those letters.

"Anirudh! Hath jal jayga pagal pan band karo" Baba yelled.

He pulled out the letters before they could burn but instead burned his own hands. Those papers were so hot that he started tossing them.

"Anirudh!" Kaka yelled at him and looked at his hands which were burned but he smiled with teary eyes and went inside the haveli without uttering any words.

We saw his madness and it again made me a question, is the decision that he has taken right for him and her?

The leaves of those two leaves turned orange, then fell off. The petals fell off too leaving the stem alone. Then again two new buds came on the stem, turned into two beautiful flowers just like her, the leaves again turned yellow and the petals fell off.

This process continued.

After 5 years...

She pedalled the bicycle as fast as she could. "Ruk! Dheere chala Bondita" jer friend yelled.

"Late ho gaya hain! Ma'am ko farewell dena hain" she yelled while riding at a full speed.

She rang the bell, "samne se hato!" and continued to pedal at full speed.

The girl wore a wollen cap and a coat over her shirt and skirt. The long straight hair curled at the ends.

"Hato hato!" She yelled as the cycle ran down the bridge at full speed. People started running aside.