Som read the letter, "ye to kafi normal letter hain, Bondita ko seminar attend karni thi wo chaligyi, ghar chor k thori na gyi hain" he said casually.

"Ha wahi to!" Added baba, "Bondita ne normally likha hain ki agle 30 din mein a jaygi to tum Da se aise kyu baat kar rahe ho?" Baba questioned me.

I know her more than anyone else in the world and this piece of the letter is fake. Maybe she has written it casually but something that I noticed but no one else did was marks of drop of tears on the paper. Agar itni hi casually likha hain usne then why would she cry.

"Anirudh" said Kaka, "humne wo bahu ko....".

" Boliye na kaka, kya manga tha apne jo Bondita ne likha hain ki Kaka sasurji apko apki mangi hui chiz mil jayga".

"Wo humne...wo...humne bahu ko tijhme aur uske sapne mein kisi ek ko chunne k liye kaha tha humne" he said with a guilt-ridden face.

"Kya?' I shouted

" tu takleef mein tha beta, hummey sab dikh raha tha".

"Arrey aplog keu nehi samajh te mujhe!" I yelled. I was frustrated, this is not what I wanted. I don't want her to give up on her dreams, no never.

"Apko pata hain na kaka, Bondita ko is mukaam tak pohochane k liye maine kya kuch nehi kiya to apko kaise laga ki ye karne se mujhe khushi hoga" I almost cried as my voice became heavy.

"Dada ap zyada hi react kar rahe ho, ek seminar attend kar nehi to gyi hain, laut ayegi" said Som. "Exactly!" Batuk agreed with him.

"Baat ye nehi ki laut ayegi, baat ye hain ki Bondita akele gyi hain itni dur, kiske sath hain, kya kar rahi hogi" said Baba.

"Apne ye sab kyu kaha kaka? Kyu?" I continued to question him.

"Maine to sab tere liye kiya par tu kyu aise bartav kar raha tha uske sath, agar bahu gusse mein gyi hain to tere wajase"

Reality check!

I shouldn't have behaved like this, I was at fault but how could he demand such a thing from her.

"Aur apne jo kiya wo..."

"Chup kijiye" shouted Batuk, "ekdusre ko his koste rahenge kya aplog, parwa nehi hain kya aplogo ko Bondita ki?"

I was unable to keep my calm in that kaka bhatija havoc.

"Ap dono hi zimmedar ho!" I confronted them, "ap sab log ehesaan faramosh ho".

" kya matlab?" Said Kaka.

"Dada ap dusre logo k baaton mein akei apni patni ka apman kiya aur kaka apne apni bahu se uski khushiya chin li, wo ladki jisne is purey parivar ko sambhalti hain choti si umr se, wo jo hum logo se itna pyar karti hain".

"Mein nehi chahata tha Bondita apne sapne ko chore kyuki wo sapna mera hain, mujhe garv hain uspe, itni si baat kyu nehi samajh raha ye samajh" said a frustrated Dada.

"Aplogo ki problems sambhalte sambhalte sambhalte wo bechari insomnia se suffer karne lagi".

Everyone gasped out of shock.

"Isho??? Kya?? Ye konsi bala hain?" Asked kaka.

"Ishomina kehte hain usey" Sampoorna maa said to kaka as if she knows what it is.

"Da mein apko bad mein batata hu" said Baba.

"Usne kabhi bataya nehi mujhe..." Said Dada in a shaky voice.

"Mujhe bhi nehi bataya par mujhe pata chala na? Ap to pati hain, apko to pata hona chahiye na" I said sarcastically. "Dada sach kahu to isme kaka ki nehi, apki galti zyada hain, kaka ne jo bhi kiya apke wajase kiya, apke bartav hi aise the. Kaka aisa nehi karte "

"Khare kyu ho tum abhi bhi" said an annoyed Baba, "bhagwan na kare us bacchi ko kuch ho gaya to...galdi jao".

"Aur ho sake to maafi mang lena" kaka glared at Dada. "Bihari Bambai wale train ka ticket nikalwa".

The seminar went awesome. While we were returning to hostel, a few boys started to whistle, " zara mur k bhi to dekhiye".

"Ye girls hostel k bahar ye sab ladke kyu?" I asked my friend Sonali.

"Ye saare awara ladke, yaha bahar khare hoke cher te hain ladkiyo ko aur inka leader, Kartik, ameer baap ka bigdail beta, aj tak jo bhi manga hain, sab kuch paya hain isiliye rejection sehen nehi hota issey, kuch na miley to zabardasti apna bana leta hain, sab daarte hain issey," said Sonali.

"Tum log complain nehi karte, eve teasing k mamle mein, mein nehi daarti issey" I questioned her.

"Kiya tha na par amerr hain, paise kya kuch nehi kar sakte".

I saw him harassing a girl. I immediately went and slapped him hard.

Everyone gasped.

" agli baar se tameez se pesh ana samjhe warna authority se complain kar dungi."

Bondita walked away. Kartik stood holding his cheeks, feeling embarrassed. "Bhai apne us ladki ko kuch kaha kyu nehi, itni himmat ki ap pe hath uthay" said one of his mate.

He rubbed his cheeks,"ye ladki alag hain aur gussail ladki mujhe pasand hain" he smirked.

We all called the institute to talk to her. She talked to kaka, Baba ,Som, Batuk everyone but not me.

Every time I held the phone, she hung up the call.

I tried to apologize but failed miserably.

Ek hafte baad train hain, in this whole week she didn't talk to me.

Itni bhi kya narazgi?? Humesha ye ladki aisi hi karti hain.

She should let me talk at least. Why is she showing so much attitude? Maana ki glati huya hain but everyone makes mistakes.

One day when we entered the canteen, it was decorated with red flowers. "Aj koi khas din hain kya?" I asked to my friend.

Suddenly I Saw Kartik approaching me with his friends. He kneeled down in front of me and forwarded me a rose, "I love you Bondita."

Hearing this, reached the peak of my anger. I was holding a bottle. I splashed water on his face, "tumhari himmat kaise hui" I yelled.

He stood up, "ladkiya mujh pe marti hain aur tum mujhe reject kar rahi ho? Tum jante ho mein kaun hu" he threatened me.

"Mujhe janna bhi nehi, mein shadi shuda hu samjhe" saying this, I pushed him aside and left the place.

I reached Bombay by the next train and went to the institute immediately. I went to the office of the institute to know whether she is here or not.

"Check kijiye ekbar please" I said panicking.

"Name?"

"Bondita Anirudh Roy Chowdhury" I replied.

"Sit we cannot give personal details unless you are a family member." Said the lady.

"I am," I said immediately.

"Who are you to her?"

"I am her..." I paused, "I..." I again paused. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, "I am her Husband, Anirudh Roy Chowdhury".

" yes sir, room 106 Wing C external student." Replied the lady.

"Abhi saare students kaha hain?" I enquired.

"Abhi to unke class chal rahe hain, around 4 pm the girls will be back," she said.

Oh no! 6 hours more. Till then where will I stay?.

But I was desperate to apologize to her.

I waited as much as I could. After every 1 hr I enquired the lady and roamed the whole campus by that time.

Bondita and her friends walked out of the classrooms. "Bondita tu jo apne pati babu ka ph nehi uthati, tujhe unki yaad nehi ata kya" asked Sonali.

"Ata hain par mein unse gussa hu, nehi karungi baat" she blew her cheeks.

"Jab yaad ata hain, to kya karti hain tu?" asked Sonali excitedly.

"Mein ankhei band karke unhe yaad karti hu fir jab ankhein kholti hu to lagta hain ki wo mere samne hain" saying this she closed her eyes then opened again, "bilkul aise" she said excitedly, seeing Anirudh in front of her.

"Aise hi khare hotey hain wo par aj kuch zyada hi real lag rahe hain" she said tapping her head.

"Aise hi, baal samne atey hain, aise hi muskurate hain par aj thora zyada hi..."

"Real lag raha hu" Anirudh completed the sentence.

Her eyes widened and she touched him slightly.

Her mouth opened in o ,"Ap!" She yelled.

"Meri baat suno..."

She pushed him hard, "ap yaha kyu aye ho!"

She pushed him away, turned back, flipping her long hair, trying to leave.

"Ruko!" Anirudh stopped her by holding her elbow.

"Choriye mujhe" she struggled to free herself but his grip became more firm on her shoulder. "Choriye" she made a vigorous movement of hands and feet and her head, mistakenly hitting him continuously but a stubborn Anirudh didn't leave her.

"Listen to me" he said calmly but she nodded her head, "choriye choriye choriye!"

"Sorry Bondita par tumne koi rasta nehi chora" he murmured.

"Sorry matla....aaaaaaah" before she could comprehend his words, he picked her up like a potato sack, above his shoulder.

"Mein nehi jaa rahi apke sath" she shouted, "niche utariye mujhe" but he carried her inside.

"Utariye mujhe!" She yelled.

"Pakka?' He asked her.

" ha!"

He almost threw her on the bed.

"Aaaa! Apne feka kyu mujhe?" She looked at him with rage.

"Tumne hi to kaha uthar do" he said innocently, "maine to bass tumhare agya ka palan kiya".

She threw a pillow on his face.

"Apne ye kya kiya?" She yelled and hit his chest, "mujhe is tarha se kyu le aye ap?" She hit her again, "mein aloo ki bori hu kya?"

"Sach kahu to ha, dekhne mein nehi lagti par bhari ho tum" he teased her.

Itihas gavah hain, girls cannot take jokes on age and weight.

"Apne kya kaha" she got more infuriated and started to continuously hit him with her tiny fist. Honestly it wasn't even hurting him but she went mad at him.

She tried to leave again.

"Meri baat suno" he said calmly.

"No!" Saying she tried to leave but he held her hand, locked it behind her back and pulled her closer.

She could feel his breath on her neck and her back making her get goosebumps.

He locked her by holding her hand firmly behind her back while she moved her hand to free it.

He said in her ears from behind in the same position, "Abh muh pe taala maro and listen to me, Bohot smart samajh ti ho apne apko? Bohot bari ho gyi ho tum? Saare faisle khud lene lagey tum."

"Choriye mujhe, mein chillaungi!" She tried to free herself.

"Ap zabardasti ladkiyo k hostel mein ghus nehi sakte, mein chilaaungi, choriye mujhe".

Ha locked her hand more firmly and covered her mouth, " baat suno meri".

"Nehi sunna" she struggled in his grip, "ap ne kyu mujhe jeetwaya, apko kya lagta hain mein....." She paused, "aaaaaa!" She groaned in pain.

Anirudh panicked by her sudden cry.

He looked at his hands and realized, due to holding her hand tightly behind her, her bangles had broken causing her wrist to bleed".

He left her immediately, "sorry sorry wo mein..."

"Apne ekbar firse mujhe chot pohochaya" she said, crying and ran towards the window, busting into tears, "ap jaiye yaha se, mujhe kuch nehi sunna, bohot burey ho ap".

" mujhe first aid karne do atlest" he insisted but she denied. Now there was only one way left.

"Thik hain to ye rosogulle jo me laya tha" saying he took out a rosogolla from the handi, "mein hi kha leta hu akele".

Her eyes widened and she turned back and tried hard to control herself.

" pakka tumhe nehi khana" he asked.

"Nehi!"

He gobbled the first Rosogolla in his mouth. He looked at this and smacked her lips.

Nobody was ready to surrender. Both were equally ziddi.

She turned aside but looked indirectly at me.

"Ye chashni kitni meethi hain aur ye rosogolla...wah aj to maaza hi agaya"

She held her stomach and closed her eyes tightly.

"Kya khushboo hain!" I said.

She pinched her nose tightly.

"Khatam ho rahe hain"

She immediately held my hand, stuffed the sweet in her mouth and started to cry.

She was saying something, maybe complaining. I couldn't understand since her words were unclear due to the food in her mouth also she was crying.

She was crying, talking and eating at the same time as a kid.

She looked so funny that I chuckled.

I clock struck 12 which made me remember what Batuk said, "Bondita is an insomniac" My smile faded away.

She was bearing these for all these years but never disclosed it but what could be the reason behind this, why is she so?

I stared at her while she kept eating.

"Us ladki ki itni himmat, mujhe reject kare, Kartik Sen ko" he punched the boxing bag, "us ladki ko uski aukaat dikha k rahunga" he punched again.

"Kya karoge tum Kartik" asked his friend.

"Pata lago wo kabh kidhar jati hain, kiske sath rehti hain. Kabh kis raste se ati hain every detail. Dekhna Kartik ko reject karne ka natija."