Phool phool bhavare dole

Man mein gunji teri yaad

Bagh mein papiha bole

Pihu pihu pihu kaha?

jano na? Jano na?

"Agey ki kahani parho na Batuk, Rabindra Sangeet gaa kyu rahe ho?" She said impatiently.

"Kyuki ye sawal Dada k liye upyog hona chahiye..'pihu pihu pihu kaha? Jano na?"

Now he looked at the diary again and continued....

once we reached home, Bondita came running to me in the study and hugged me tightly, portraying her overexcitement and over enthusiasm.

"Kya huya"? I asked her only for formality because I know, puchta nehi fir bhi wo batati.

"Apne meri samasya chumantar kar diya, mein bohot bohot bohot khush hu aj" she spreaded her arms like wings and started rotating.

"To fir mujhe taufa nehi dogi?" I asked her just for fun.

She smacked her head, "buddhu Bondita iske baare mein to tuney socha hi nehi" she started looking here and there. "Kya du?" She asked me.

"Ek kaam karo jo is duniya mein tumhe sabse pyara ho wo do".

and suddenly ran outside.

After a while, she came back with a box and placed it on my palm, "ye raha meri sabse pyara amanat, abhi mein jaa rahi hu Gao k kuch aurto se milne" saying she left.

Bihari came in and started dusting the study. I sat on the crouch and opened the box.

I was in a state of confusion to see a normal wooden mirror in it, not the one I gifted her. I took it out and looked into it, "ajeeb ladki hain, usey kach pasand hain!" I frowned.

Bihari giggled like a silly person. "Has kyu rahe ho Bihari?" I glared at him.

"Chote Malik choti muh bari baat par ap pakar nehi paye malkin ki chaturai ko" he said crackling.

"Matlab?"

"Unhe ye ayena nehi, ayene mein basa chehera pyara hain" said Bihari.

"Konsa chehera?" Saying I looked at the mirror and my eyes widened. My face! Was she talking about me?

"Nehi tum galat soch rahe ho Bihari" I said uncomfortably and forcefully made myself believe too that it's not what it seems, just a normal mirror that's it.

Bondita was returning home by car but suddenly the car stopped, "chalak babu kya huya?"

"Gari kharab ho gyi lagta hain dekhna parega malkin" saying this he got down and checked the car, "Choti malkin, wakt lagega".

"Koi baat nehi mein chali jaungi, ap issey thik karke le ayiye" said Bondita.

"Nehi Malkin, andhera ho gaya hain, apko akele chora to bade Malik gussa karenge" said a feared Driver.

"Ap chinta maat kijiye, kaka sasurji ko mein samjha dungi" saying this she walked alone through the narrow lane.

The road was covered with dry leaves proving that this road remains untravelled by humans. The leaves made a sound as she walked.

But after a while, the leaves started making more sounds as if someone else is also walking. She stopped, the sound stopped. Sighing a relief she continued but again stopped, the sound stopped. She turned back but the road was empty so she continued to walk again.

After a while, she stopped but the sound didn't. As soon as she turned back few boys grabbed her forcefully and covered her mouth. She threw her hands and feet in all directions to save herself. She always carried pepper dust with her as taught by her pati babu. She took out some and sprinkled them in their eyes.

While they were rubbing their eyes, she got enough time to escape but alas!

He held her tightly while she was trying to run, and pinned her to the wall.

Late at night, dark lane and only dogs were barking. She was alone with 6 men, crying and shouting for help.

He brought his face closer to her. Those red eyes filled with anger and a wicked smile on his face. She started breathing heavily and turned her face aside, closing her eyes tightly but he held her chin and made her look into his eyes.

Kartik forwarded his hand and his friend passed him a glass bottle. Her eyes widened seeing it.

Is that what she is thinking??

Fear crept into her mind, her body petrified in horror.

Kartik slowly removed the cork and poured the fluid on her. The fluid dripped down from her head to her face.

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".

I went down for dinner but she was not there. "Accha dikhta hain kya ghar ki bahu raat bhar bahar wakt bitay" said Sampoorna.

I glared at her.

"Waise pehli baar tumne kuch sahi kaha" said kaka, in her support.

"Kaka" I added, "Bondita ladki hain iska matlab kya usey bahar jaane ka adhikar nehi?"

"Anirudh baat ladka ladki ki nehi, agar tu, som ya Batuk bhi bahar hota itni raat ko tabh bhi mein yahi kehta" he scolded me.

I remained quiet.

"Har wakt bass tark karna hain, dusro pe chilla na hain isko" he said furiously.

"Bihari mujhe abhi bhook nehi hain, mera aur Bondita ka khana rakh do, hum le lenge" I said.

I saw Bihari and Kaka looking at each other and giggling. In dono ka pata nehi kya hi chalta rehta hain.

Bondita always serves us food and after we finish, she eats. Now when she is not at home, can't I wait for her one day. She always does.

But kaka was right. Where is she?

Dada apse kuch baat karni hain" I sat opposite to him on the crouch".

"Bol" he said being engrossed in his book.

"Bondita k baare mein" when I uttered those words, he kept the book aside and looked at me, "kya kehna hain?"

"Hum galat to nehi kar rahe hain dada?" I asked with concern, "ek galat kadam aur sab kuch khatam".

"Meinne Bondita se pehele hi kaha tha ki wo jab bari ho jay to apna jeevan sathi khud chune par usne nehi kiya aisa" he said sternly.

"Usne apko chuna hain dada"

"Hum bohot alag hain Batuk" he was adamant to prove his point, "umra mein chote baare hain, sab khuch alag hain".

"Agar ap dono alag ho to ek kise kehte hain?" I argued.

"Tum mujhe sirf haa ya naa mein jawab doge" he looked at me, "Bondita ki parwah hain ya nehi".

"Haa..." I said softly, "par wo to apko bhi hain".

Just then we heard the sound of the door.

"Bondita a gyi lagra hain" he murmured and went away. It was evident that he ignored the situation intentionally.

Bondita entered and threw herself on the bed, weeping silently out of fear.

Anirudh heard her entering so he brought the dinner. It was strange as she had switched off the lights and laid on the bed.

She thought, "kal subah hotey hi sabse pehele pati babu ko sab kuch bata dungi".

"So gyi kya?" He whispered and switched on the lights.

She was awake, facing the other side, crying but pretending to be asleep to hide it from him.

"Tum so gyi kya?" He asked and placed the plate on the table.

No answer

She heard his footsteps and thought he might have left. She sat up but to her surprise, he stood there with a wide smile, "jhoot kyu bol rahi thi?"

"Bhook nehi hain" she said timidly.

He sat in front of her with the plate, "maine bhi kuch nehi khaya".

She looked at him for a while and suddenly hugged him. He sat there surprised as to why would she do this all of a sudden but she was going through a lot and that is why she did that. He couldn't reciprocate as he was holding the plate. He kept it aside, "kya huya achanak se tumhe?"

"Kuch nehi" she said embracing him more tightly, "bass man kiya".

"Bondita kya bachpana hain, choro aur khana khao pehele" he tried to break the hug but she embraced him more tightly, "please bas aur 5 minute, promise".

Bondita has never acted so strange before. Something is not right with her. She would never do this, ever.

I allowed her for 5 minutes. After a while I said, "Bondita abh mujhe choro aur bolo kya huya hain?"

No answer.

"Bondi...." I looked at her and realized that she had fallen asleep. I gently placed her head on the cushion and covered her with a blanket.

I looked at the plate of food. I was hungry but she slept without having food too right...I went to my room and slept without having food.

Batuk's words were still jittering up my mind. I looked at the mirror and looked at my own reflection, "sabse pyara amanat"....Kuch galat to nehi karne jaa raha hu mein.

Kartik threw her on the sofa with all his might. She tried to stand up but he caged her immediately. He held her face tightly, forcing her to look at his friend who slowly poured the acid in front of her eyes on the human-faced mask and it burned immediately. Horror was visible in her eyes.

All the five boys as well as 3 girls, 8 of them laughed and did high-five while Kartik tugged her hair behind her ears, "ye to bass demo tha".

8 against one girl. It is bullying, threatening, harassing all in one.

The strange part was Kartik's pishi knew everything that her nephew has forcibly brought a girl to his house, took her to his room with other friends to threaten her yet when Kartik's father asked she answered, "kittu k kuch dost aye hain, bacche upar maaze kar rahe hain". Maaze kar rahe the, yes they were having fun, laughing at a scared girl after threatening her.