Ignoring the crowd, ignoring the celebration, ignoring everyone I went to my room to take a bath in leuk warm water hoping it to drain out my stress.

But it didn't help.

I sat in the bathtub. Those harsh words were disturbing me, my mind causing pain. I held the brim of the bathtub tightly.

I won't let Bondita get affected by this. I won't let her know what people are thinking. I am proud of her and today I am the luckiest person. Itni khushi mujhe tabhi nehi hota agar mein jeet jata. Now I can clearly and proudly say Barrister Babu Bondita Anirudh Roy Chowdhury.

I walked out in a towel and found Bondita in my room. On seeing each other we turned away in embarrassment.

"M...mein..wo Abhi aya'' saying I rushed inside the washroom.

I immediately put on my shirt and came out.

" wo saar dard ho raha hain to tel ka dabba dhund rahi thi," she continued to check the drawers.

"Ruko lekar ata hu" I said, "tum baitho pehele".

I sat on the bed waiting for him to bring the hair oil. Suddenly I felt a gentle touch in my hair.

Pati babu started to massage my head.

" Arrrey ap kyu?...mein kar leti"

"Shhhh chup chap baithi raho". He massaged my head. It was such an amazing feeling, all my stress had vanished. I closed my eyes to feel the comfort.

After a long time, I finally asked him to stop and tied up my hair.

" Bondita ankhein band karo"

"Kyu?" I frowned.

"Jo kaha hain wo karo" he scolded me for no reason. I pretended to close my eyes. "Bondita no cheating" he again scolded me.

I finally closed my eyes. "Hath agey karo".

He placed some kind of box on my palm. I opened and found a wooden narrow box. "Tumhare jeet ne ka uphar" he smiled at me.

I became extremely happy and excited and opened the box.

But my excitement drained out when I found nothing in the box.

"Ye to khali hain" I frowned at him, "ye kaisa mazaak tha?"

"Ye khali hain kyuki uphar kal milega raat 8 baje chat pe"

"Par gift kya hain?" I asked him as I was too excited.

"Wo to kaal pata chalega".

"Shotti!" I pinched my throat.

"Shotti!" He reciprocated with me.

"Waise apko pehele se kaise pata tha ki mein jitunga jo apke gift liya mere liye?" I asked him placing my hands on my waist.

"Nehi pata nehi tha par yaakein tha mujhe meri Bondita pe" he smiled.

"Agar ap jeet jate to" I raised my eyebrows.

"To...mein ye kisi aur ladki ko de deta" he laughed.

Hearing this she glared at me and hit on my chest, "ap kyu kisi aur ko denge bhala? Ap mujhe denge gift samjhe!".

Next day

Baba had organized a party in her honour. He had invited his English friends after all he was so proud of her.

Our house was decorated beautifully.

Bondita had already pressed my suit and kept it ready on my bed. I wore it. "Ghari kaha gaya? Bondita see puchta hu"

I went to her room, "Bon....."

She was standing in front of the mirror wearing her necklace, in a red chiffon saree, the defined her beauty more.

I stood there gazing at her while my jaws dropped. How can someone look so pretty...

What am I saying??? No it's wrong to think like this.

She was about to tie her long hair when I suddenly spoke, "khule hi rehne do".

What did I just say? I don't know how it happened, my tongue slipped.

Hearing it I left my hair open. He came to me and I noticed his tie.

" mein bandh du?" I asked hesitantly.

He nodded his head.

Once in childhood, I did the same before he was going to a party but the only difference is that day I stood on a stool but today I was on my feet.

I tied the knot properly.

"Chale?" He asked me and forwards his hand. I wrapped my hand around his arms.

We walked down the stairs walking each other's hands. This party was thrown in her honour and I was so happy. We looked at each other and smiled.

Today I am so proud of her, people who wanted to kill her in the fire of sati, now wants to meet the first female barrister.

"Ma'am ek photo" said the camera man. She brought her hair in the front and posed along with me.

"Ma'am ye party apke liye hain to apka akele ka ek...."

Her smile faded away and she looked at me. It was an uncomfortable situation for me, I was in an awkward situation, an embarrassment prevailed. "Nehi mein apne pati babu k sath hi khichwaungi"

"Ma'am humme sirf apki tasveer chahiye after all jo bhi kiya apne akele kiya" he said.

"Nehi mein..." She stammered.

"Bondita, tum khichwao" I held her shoulder.

"Par..."

"Mein yahi hu, tum khichwao" I said and I left her hand and walked away from her.

Photographers and people surrounded her, congratulating her while I admired her from a distance.

"Ma'am congratulations, aj ap jo kuch bhi hain apne dum pe hain, apne akele is samajh se larke aj yaha hain, you are an inspiration".

"Akele!" I let out a painful chuckle.

People walked past me to talk to her

She was busy attending to the guest while I stood at a corner watching her, happily. Happily? Is it?

At the whole party, she didn't came to me once, she was so busy, we didn't have a single conversation. I was feeling like a guest, a left out in my own house. She forgot that I asked her to meet me at 8... Now it was 9... Of course she has her priority list.

"Aur Anirudh" someone placed his hand on my shoulder, I turned back, "tum log!"

My friends had come. We hugged each other. "Kaise ho tum log?" I greeted them happily. "Aur Anirudh miya biwi dono barrister?"

I chuckled hearing this. Ofcourse I always wanted to hear this.

"Abh wo din dur nehi jab patni pati ki

Boss hogi" they laughed. I didn't mind at it at all and laughed with them too unless Sampoorna came to the spot, "Ajeeb hain na, kaam kare koi aur din rat ek karke aur uska phal paye koi aur."

I looked at her but she wasn't looking at me. She was busy in her world.

"Barrister Babu" called a man. He was someone I knew. Once I helped his family when they had no money.

"Kaise ho tu shubho?" I asked him, "aj achanak milne aye?"

"Nehi wo mein Bondita ji se milne aya tha" saying he went to her.

I forced a smile on my face.

While I was passing, I heard some people gossiping.

"Arrey Anirudh Babu ne ajtak kita hi kya hain sivay humare reet aur parampara k virudh jaane k alawa" said one man.

"Ha sahi kaha, par choti malkin ko dekho, ek khooni ko pakarwa diya".

I couldn't take it anymore and go up to the terrace.

Keeping all my anger aside I waited for her with the gift, all alone.

Sampoorna thought in her mind, "kaal hi maa baba a rahe hain. Tere pati babu dhal the na tere. Abh dekh tu isi dhal ko hata k tere samne se teri kya haal karti hu, itna dard dungi tujhe ki tu andaza bhi nehi laga sakti aur abh to tere Rakhshak babu bhi mehi honge tere sath".

I had to attend all the guests of Sasurji and Kaka sasur ji after all I am the bahu of Roy Chowdhury. People surrounded me in a crowd to congratulate me, cameramen wanted to click my pictures.

They were asking me about my struggle journey and all.

I was not at all free. Every time I made some excuse to get out of the place and find Pati babu, someone or the other would stop me.

I made excuse and almost got out of it. I saw pati babu standing. I smiled and was about to go to him but another group of people came suddenly. I was compelled to attend them.

Mujhe fark nehi parta koi kuch bhi bole, mein is chiz ko Bondita tak pohoch ne nehi dunga. She won and we will celebrate it together. Her winning was the biggest gift to me.

I waited and waited, I kept waiting for her but she didn't come.

Sampoorna was right somewhere. She was so busy handling her fame that she had no time for this.

" pati babu I am sorry" I cried in front of him, "please ap mujhse baat kijiye".

He was about to leave but I held his hand, " meri is choti si galti ki itna bara sazaa denge ap?"

He jerked off my hand and again tried to leave.

"Mujhse baat kijiye na" I stopped him, blocking his way.

"Samne se hato Bondita," he said sternly.

"Nehi!" I rubbed off my tears.

"Hato same se!" He shouted at me and pushed me aside.

I fell on the ground but he had no idea about it since he had already left the spot. I remained in the position and cried my heart out.