"Aur fir apne maa k adesh ko palan karne k liye pandavo ne Draupadi ko 5 bhaiyo mein baat liye" as soon as kaka ended, Bondita started Protesting, "ye to galat hain kaka sasurji, ek ladki kya chahati hain wo jaane bagair ussey baat liya? Wo khilona thori na hain? Agar mere sath aisa hota to mein sabko chor deti, koi nehi chahiye mujhe".

"Kutark bandh karo pehele bahu" said Kaka , "aur puri kahani suno".

We are doing it so wrong.

I was passing from Bondita's room when I heard her calling, "Koyli didi kaha ho ap?" I knocked at the door and peeped inside to find her side facing the mirror and struggling to tie up her dori. Her eyes were closed maybe she had applied some kajal kind of thing in her eyes, god knows.

"Wo.." I was about to speak but she again said, "ap a gye Koyli didi? Abh jaldi se ye dori bandh dijiye na, bohot der se aise khari hu".

Sampoorna and Koyli were not at home and the rest are all men in this house. She will have to wait for them to reach home. I was about to leave but she again said, "Koyli didi? Jaldi karo, saare ladke hain is ghar mein, koi a gaya to, jaldi se bandh do na".

She is right, she cannot stay like this, all are men here. Wo to shukar hain ki mein aya tha, what if kaka, Batuk, Som, Baba or Bihari would have come.

I walked up to her and very uncomfortably held the dori. My fingers touched her back and she immediately opened her eyes and turned towards me.

I felt the touch on my skin but it wasn't Koyli didi. Those cold fingers, that touch, I know that touch. A shiver ran down my eyes and I immediately opened them and turned back.

It was pati babu.

"Wo...wo...K..Koyli aur s..s... sampoorna ghar pe nehi hain" he said nervously.

I gazed at the floor for a moment then finally spoke in a low voice, "k..k..kabh ayenge dono".

He looked here and there out the f awkwardness.

I realized my dori was still open which was loosening my outfit so I immediately pinned my back to the wall.

She suddenly pinned herself to the wall leaving me confused. I saw jer sweating and then I realized her discomfort due to the open dori.

"Bahu jaldi niche ao" kaka called her from downstairs and her eyes widened.

"Bahu rani ji!" Bihari called her again and we heard his footsteps approaching the room. I looked at her to gulp and clutched her fist in nervousness.

I immediately ran to the door and closed it first. Then seeing no option left I finally said awkwardly, "m..mein help kar...kar deta hu".

She nodded her head timidly while still gazing at the floor and turned towards the mirror. I moved her hair in the front and started to tie it. Once I looked at the mirror and realized she had closed her eyes and was breathing heavily. My hands were trembling but somehow I managed to tie it up.

"Thank you" she said softly and immediately ran out of the room, ignoring my gaze.

I suddenly bumped into Bondita who was running carelessly.

"Bhag kyu rahi ho?" I questioned her.

"Wo bas aise hi"

"Waise kal raat jag kyu rahi thi, I saw you" I questioned her to which her face became pale.

"Wk to bas aise hi nind nehi a rahi thi" she replied back.

"Aur koi baat to nehi hain na?" I questioned her again.

"Aur koi baat kyu hona hain bhaka?"

I felt something fishy, was she lying?

Bondita held the pigeon in her hand and tied a small note in its feet.

"Sun Munni" she said making the pigeon land on her window sill, "peheli pyar ki peheli baatein peheli bar karne jaa rahi hu, sahi insaan tak pohocha dena ye" saying she took the pigeon to the balcony and freed it.

The pigeon flew but instead of going it to Anirudh, it landed on Batuk's shoulder.

Batuk held the pigeon and untied the letter and looked here and there, "is sadi mein kaun aise kabootar k zariye chitthi bhej raha hain". He was about to open it but Anirudh came to him, "wo Batuk....arrey ye kya hain?"

"Dekho na dada kisine mere liye letter likha hain".

Just then Som called Batuk and unknowingly Batuk left the letter to Anirudh.

As soon as I opened the letter, I immediately understood Bondita has written this. It was her handwriting.

But why would she write a letter to Batuk.

I read it

Agar wo mere dost nehi ho sakte to mein unse pyar nehi kar sakti aur hum to dost hain na isiliye ek dost k naate keh rahi hu...

Ha mujhe pyar huya hain apne sanse acche dost se.

Tears brimmed my eyes...but why...

I should be happy

She confessed her feelings to Batuk, Finally, she realized what is good for her par mein khush kyu nehi ho pa raha hu? Kyu?

I laughed at my achievement and success but suddenly burst into tears.

An emotional torment.

But I should be happy.

They why am I crying.

"Dada wo chitthi" Batuk came back, I immediately hid the letter, "mujhe nehi pata kaha hain".

I am too scared to confess my feelings so I decided to write pati babu a letter. Whenever I wrote a letter, it always reached him somehow.

I don't want to go in front of him so I sent it via pigeon.

But when I meet Pati babu, he had no such reaction to it. He talked to me like he do.

This made me realize that Munni had lost the letter, it has not reached him.

Just then Bhari kaka entered...

I acted naturally in front of her at least I tried to be one.

I noticed Batuk and Bondita whispering and giggling.

Suddenly Bihari entered hastily, "Malik Pandit Triloknath aye hain humare Tulsipur mein, ek hafta rahenge yaha".

Kaka's eyes shone with joy, "wahi na jinke pass shiv ji ka damru hain aur Devi Sati ki manushya avatar bhi unke sath hain"

"Haa haa!" Said Bihari.

"Suna hain pandit Trilok k sapne mein swayam shiv ji aake vaardan de k gye hain, unka damru" said Bihari dramatically.

"Kiya Bihari subah subah Ganja fook k aye ho kya" Som made fun of him.

"Arrey nehi, swayam Devi Sati bhi aye the unke pass manushya avatar mein par unhone apne mantra se usey kaid kar liya, abh devi sabko darshan denge".

"Kuch bhi bolte ho Bihari kaka" even Batuk made fun of him.

"Ae tum tino, jo Bihari keh raha hain, sach hain" scolded kaka.

"Ye sab faltu baatein hain dhong hain" I objected to him immediately.

"Nehi pati babu ye sach hain "inturrupted Bondita, "mein to jaungi pandit ji k darshaan k liye, bhagwan pe vishwas hain mujhe."

"Tum kahi nehi jaogi!" I shouted at her, "tumhe brijwasi yaada hain na".

She lowered her head and nodded.

"Ha dada sahi keh raha hain" Batuk supported me, "ye sun k hi lagta hain ki koi dhong hain".

"Par mujhe milna hain unse, leni hain ashirwaad" she insisted "please, mujhe bas 15 min k liye jaane dijiye na, darshak kar ayu mein?"

"Bahu mein ijazat de raha hu tum jao, in tino ko rehne do apne nastik soch vichar leke, Anirudh khud to aisa tha abh apne bhai o ko bhi bigar raha hain" said Kaka with a smile. She jumped in joy, "thank you!" And before I could warn her she went away.

Bondita is naive and has not seen the real side of this dark world yet.

"Bahu" kaka called her, "tum Roy Chowdhury o ki bahu ho, kal ja hi rahe ho darshan k liye to hum Zamindaro k taraf se bhet leke jana unke liye, wo bhi to dekhe hum Roy Chowdhury o ki khatir dari fir ashirwad denge tumhe".

"Ji!" She nodded her head.

"Kaka kya nata narak hain abh ye!" I said.

"Pati babu bhagwan k baare mein aisa nehi bolte, mujhe vishwas hain bhagwan pe" said Bondita.

"Humari honhar bahu" Kaka praised her.

"Ha ha jaldi darshan kar leye hain, agle hafte tak nikal jayenge wo Haridwar k liye" said Bihari.

These two , Kaka and his partner in crime Bihari were now pulling Bondita to their group of andhbhakti.

This was so irritating that I left the place.

At night

I was entering my study and saw Bondita, Bihari and Koyli already present there. Bondita was dusting my books and keeping them in their place. "Kita dhul jam gaya hain, mein kya chali gyi ap dono study saaf karna bhul gye kya" Bondita scolded them and stood on a stool to reach the topmost shelf. "Aur pati babu bhi na, khud saaf nehi kar sakte kya".

Koyli and Bihari were also cleaning the room, "Bahu rani ji, apko to pata hain study mein kisiko na ane ki ijazat hain na kitabo ko hath lagane ki sivay apke" said Koyli.

"Ha wo par...." Suddenly she stopped speaking and made out a cry, "aaaaaaah!"

She shouted so loudly that we had to cover our ears and I rushed inside immediately, "kya huya Bondita?"

She jumped from the stool and stood on the couch, "mushak babu!" She said pointing at the ground.

"Kaun babu?"

"Arrey chuha hain" she now started to jump, "bhagao koi".

Bihari started to search the room.

I burst out laughing, "tum itni bari ladki ek chote se chuhe se dar rahi ho".

She almost cried now, "chuhaaaa!" Jumped down and hugged me tightly.

Unexpected

I stopped laughing and my eyes widened. Bihar and Koyli giggled secretly.

"Chuha hain waha" she said crying, clutching my shirt more tightly, "bhagao koi" .

"Jo bare malik itne saal se kar nehi paye wo chuha ne ek din mein kar diya" Bihari whispered and both left us alone.

"Arrey bhagaiye na, khare kyu hain" she cried.

"Tum mujhe chorogi tabhi to mein kuch kar paunga" I teased her.

She left me immediately, "jaiye bhagaiye chuhe ko'.

I looked around then comforted her, "tumhari chikh sun k bhag gaya tumhara Mushak babu".

She frowned at me, "ura lijiye mazak" and left the study in anger.

I sat on my Crouch laughing.

................................

Batuk looked at her "Darjeeling wali incident ne Bondita k kacche dil aur dimag pe aisa asar kiya tha ki wo ho gyi thi insomniac par galti dada ki bhi hain, jab unhe ussey sambhal na chahiye tha, he sent her away to London all alone aur kyuki uske daar ko dada kabhi dur kar nehi paye, this happened".

"Abh thik hain na wo?" She asked in a concerned tone.

"Wo to aagey pata chalega" said Batuk.

"Anirudh Maafi mang!" Kaka ordered me, "paer chu k maafi mang".

"Nehi kaka" I said boldly, "is dhoongi admi k paer mein nehi parunga aur maafi bhi nehi mangunga".

"Murkh manushya!" Panditji shouted, "Maafi mang le vaarna bhagwan ka prakop tu seh nehi payega".

I rolled my eyes in irritation and looked away.

I pointed my fingers at him, "mein maafi nehi mangunga, apka ye natak kahi aur jaake kariye."

"Pati babu kyu zidd kar rahe hain" Bondita cried.

"Nadan manushya, abh tu dekhna swayam bhagwan tujhe kaisi saza deta hain, ye shrap hain mera!"