"Bondita huya kya?" Dada shouted and called her from downstairs on top of his voice.

"Haa bass do minute" she shouted back from her room.

"Do minute mein nehi ayi tum to chor k chala jaunga mein" Dada warned her who had already spent an hour approximately by saying two minutes.

"Bahu bhi na ajkal kya hi karti rehti hain" kaka was getting irritated, "Batuk jaake bula kar lao ussey".

"Do minute bol k do ghante se taiyar ro rahi hain" kaka murmured under his breath and then shouted, "apne maa ke ghar jaa rahi ho tum, apne pati k shadi mein nehi jaa rahi ho, jaldi niche ao".

Dada indirectly looked at kaka in a strange way.

"Ghur kyu raha hain? Baap bete pe mujhe bilkul bhi vishwas nehi hain. Beta dost k shadi mein jaata hain fir khud shadi karke akei kehta kaka maine shadi karli aur baap factory k kaam se jaata hain aur akei kehta hain Da maine shadi karli"

Then he glared at Sampoorna maa, "bass fark itna hain tu laxmi laya gharpe aur Binoy Alaxmi".

I ran upstairs to call her but found her searching for something in the drawers. "Bondita sab bula rahe hain".

"O tum, dekho na sindoor ki jhapi nehi mil rahi" saying she started to search again, "kaha rakh di maine".

"Choro na bad mein laga lena" I said impatiently.

"Nehi, ye suhagan ki nishani hain" she drolled the words and continued to what she was doing before.

"Ek baat puchu?'' I asked her, "tum aur Dada dono hi bal vivah k khilaf ho na? To fir ye sab..."

I didn't expect her to smile at my question but she did, "ha mein bal vivah nehi manti kyuki wo galat hain aur wo isiliye galat hain kyuki bacche prem ko nehi samajhte, vivah ko nehi samajhte nahi jeevan sathi ko, unhe mauka nehi milta ussey chunne ka jiske sath wo apni jeevan bita na chahati hain" she said and finally found the jhapi.

She took out a pinch of sindoor and looked at the mirror, moving her hand to her hairline, "aj mein bari ho gyi hu, mein prem ko samajhti hu, vivah samajhti hu, jeevan sathi bhi samajhti hu aur mujhe agar mauka miley ussey chunne ka jiske sath mein jeevan bitana chahati hu..." saying this she filled her hairline with sindoor and turned towards me, "to wo wahi insaan hain jiske sath mera bal vivah huya tha".

She said and walked out of the room making me question Dada's decision once again. Hope we don't end up destroying 3 lives in order to mend one.

Finally madam came down. We took kaka's blessing and headed towards the car.

I opened the back door of the car for her and I myself sat in the driver's seat.

I turned and looked at Bondita, who was still standing, glaring at me with anger and innocence at the same time, pouting her lips like a baby.

"Firse kya hogaya is ladki ko?

"Baitho Bondita" I said casually.

"Ha bass apki patni a jay fir" she said.

"Kya kaun?" I was utterly confused by her statement.

"Ha to apne samne ki seat kis k liye khali chora hain kyuki mujhe to ap piche bitha rahe hain" she said in a sarcastic tone.

I sighed, "to seedha nehi bol sakti, har baat ko ghumani ati hain tumhe? Bacche samne nehi baith te" I scolded her.

She stamped on the ground and came to my window, "mein bacchi nein hu, 19 ek bara wala 19, u-ni-sa; unnis".

"Accha thik hain baith jao" I frowned at her. She clapped merrily and sat beside me, closing the door with all her force.

"Dheere Bondita!"

"Waise Bondita dekho tum meri..." She stopped me, "ha ha janti hu, sishya hu, zimmedari hu bas patni nehi. Rat gaya hain mujhe" she laughed.

Thank god with growing age, she finally understood this.

If I was not a Barrister, I could have joined the theatres. I am so good at acting. They acted flawlessly in front of him. His not considering me as what I stab my heart, causes it to bleed but see what a good actor I am.

The car started and she stood up, spreading her arms.

"Bondita baitho" I scolded her but she ignored me on my face, "chal pari po po gari!"

"Tum aj bhi car ko po po gari bulati ho?" I asked her, chuckling a bit.

"Ap bhi to aj bhi mujhe bacchi kehte ho"

Sach mein, Bondita se tark mein koi nehi jeet sakta.

After driving for a while she shouts, "Gari rokiye"

I stopped the car abruptly, "abh kya hain Bondita?"

"Mere dimag mein ek idea aya, gari mein chalau, ap sikhaoge?"

I was impressed hearing this. She, again breaking all stereotypes.

But suddenly her smile faded, "par kaka sasurji ko maat batana, kisiko bhi nehi..."

We exchanged our seats.

"To Bondita ye samne hain ayena..." And before I could speak further she started combing her hair with her fingers, looking at the mirror.

"Bondita" I shouted at her, "sajh ne k liye nehi hain ye, piche dekhne k liye hain".

Jo ladki aj bhi gari ko po po gari bulati ho ussey mein issey zyada expect bhi nehi karta.

"Abh niche dekho, right to left, acceleration, break, clutch, yaad rakh ne k liye ABC" I said.

"Right to left kaun bolta hain, boliye na CBA...simple" she said.

"Mein suvidha k liye bol raha tha" I tried to stay calm at her stupid questions.

"Urdu likh rahe ho kya ap" she smacked my head.

"Chup!" I scolded her again, "ye gear hain".

"Wo apki taraf hain to ap sambhalilye" she argued.

I joined my hands, "Bondita ji apse jitna kaha jaa raha hain utna kijiye varna aj choriye, agle 7 janam tak bhi hum Devipur nehi pohoch payenge."

She slowly drove the car to a certain distance and then we switched our seats again.

Once we reached Devipur, overexcited Bondita jumped out of the car and banged the door. "Dheere Bondita".

She ran inside, "Maa maa" and hugged Sumati maa. I touched her feet.

"Maa teri bohot yaad ayi mujhe".

She cupped her face, "shant shant, jaa andar jake hath muh dhole".

After Bondita went away maa came to me, "jamai babu wo..."

"Ha maa, maine to apko sab bataya hi hain, abh ap hi kuch kar sakte hain".

Mami was serving Pati babu food, mama was sitting beside him, maa was standing, you know all those special treatments that the jamai gets.

I was staring at him.

I suddenly saw Mami serving him all kind of pithas be it patishapta or bhapa doi. I love these sweets but the ingredients needed for this was really costly so Maa never made it. But today she made them herself for pati babu. I wanted to taste the sweets of her hand. Pata nehi kitne saal nehi khaye maa k hath ka khana.

I jumped excitedly, "maa tuney mere liye pithe banaye hain!"

Her smile faded away, "chakhana zara kitne saal nehi khaye tere hath ka khana".

Pati babu looked at me smiling but Maa mama and mami; unka to chehera hi utar gaya.

She seemed embarrassed suddenly.

"Bondita" maa whispered in my ears, "tujhe pata hain na kitne mehenga ye ye samagri, mein sirf jamai babu k liye hi bana payi".

Now I was embarrassed too because these all happened in front of him and stood there silently. Mami just had to add fuel to it. She said loudly, "kitne janm ki bhookhi hain tu?"

I stood there lowering my head.

"Bondita" pati babu called me softly, walked towards me. "Anar shabd kis akshar se shuru hota hain?"

I was confused. What kind of baseless question us this but still I opened my mouth to answed "आ" he stuffed the sweet in my mouth.

"Ye to apke liye tha na?''

"Yaha tum khaogi aur pet mera bhar jayga" he laughed.

I recalled a moment. Jab mein choti thi to ghar pe jab bhi zyada chawal nehi banta tha to maa apne hisse ki mujhe khila deti thi.

"Par jamai babu" said maa.

"Koi baat nehi maa, waise bhi mujhe meetha khane ka utna shok nehi hain" he said.

It was a late night, Bondita was sleeping inside with Sumati maa probably. Maa came outside, "maa Bondita soyi kya".

"Nehi jamai babu, maine bohot koshish ki par nehi soyi"

Next day same happened. Maa tried hard but failed to make her fall asleep.

I had almost lost all hope. How do I cure this now? I felt like crying after facing repeated failure but more than the fact the Bondita is not well was pissing me off.

One night I was reading a book. "Pati babu" she walked to me with a mosquito coil, "yaha macchar isiliye maa ne kaha ki ye laga du".

She peeped into my book, "ki-ya par ra-he ho" she said like a puppet intentionally.

"Kahani aur kya"

"Mein bhi parhu, mein bhi parhu" she said excitedly and sat beside me. We had to share the same book so were sat too close to each other.

As the night passed by, we started to feel cold. She out of nowhere inserted her hands in my pockets. "Ye kya kar rahi ho?"

"Thand lag rahi hain mujhe" saying she continued to read the book. We reached the most interesting part of the nook now. As it became colder, she came closer to me unknowingly and then almost entered in my coat.

Sumati maa came outside to call both of them but what she saw amazed her. Bondita had felt asleep...yes she was sleeping but with whom?

Her head was resting on his shoulder and his hand was placed behind her head. The book that both were reading remained open in front of them. She closed the book and kissed Bondita's forehead, "bohot bari ho gyi hain tu? Abh apne maa se bhi zyada koi pyara ho gaya hain?" She chuckled and prayed to Durga maa, "inki jori aise hi salamat rahe".

The next Morning Anirudh woke up and walked to the chaupal, rubbing his eyes. "Ap uth gaye jamai babu?" Said Sumati.

"Haa maa" he said yawning.

Sumati maa smiled recalling last night and intentionally asked him, "Bondita kaha hain".

"Wo to abhi bhi so...." He stopped and his eyes widened, "Bondita so rahi hain" he said happily, "Maa Bondita so rahi hain'.

"Haa jamai babu, jo mein na kar payi wo apne kiya" said Sumati.

"Matlab?" He was perplexed.

"Usey nind mere pass nehi apke pass aya, abh usey mujhe zyada apki zarurat hain, mujhse zyada apse lagav hain"

Hearing this he made a serious face and got lost in some thought. He walked to Bondita who was still sleeping. Lost in his thoughts, he looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

Sumati maa on the other hand murmured, "bass kisi ki nazar na lagey is khatte meethe rishte ko."

I went to Mandir with my friends this evening.

Pati babu and maa was not letting me go alone but I insisted.

They all went to their respective houses and I was returning alone when I heard footsteps following me.

I walked uncomfortably suddenly someone held me from behind.

I turned back and found Kartik. He was alone. I was shocked to see him there.

"Tum yaha kyu aye ho?" I yelled at him, "rasta choro!" I said furiously.

"Phool si khoobsurat ladki k liye ek phool" he took out a rose which angered me so much that I snatched it from his hand and threw it away.

Anger caught him and he held my hand tightly, "itna akkar thik nehi hain, iska natika sahi nehi hoga".

I had learned from pati babu how to protect myself. I kicked him in his knee joint and he fell down immediately.

"Mein Bondita hu, darne walo mein se nehi hu tum jaise baap k paiso pe palne wale ghatiya awara ladko se" saying I ran away from there.

I didn't tell to pati babu coz I felt that after how I insulted him, he won't disturb me again.

She let out a horrible scream, holding his face, covering it with palm. Her scream had the intensity of fear and pain.

She suddenly halted and removed her hand in surprise.

She touched her face and then her hand in shock.

Kartik and his friends laughed, "tumne kya socha that?? Paani hain ye" saying they all turned back to leave.

Bondita sighed a relief put he pinned her again, "is baar pani the par agli baar tehzaab hoga".