All the preparations were done in the Haveli for Pishi maa. Kaka was actually afraid, what if anything offends her but seeing Bondita's enthusiasm in work calmed him down. Bihari was too scared to pishi maa because in her presence he cannot do kam chori.

They heard the sound of the car. All the members came out except Anirudh who was out for some work.

Everyone was talking so much about her that I was too excited to meet her. Listening to her struggle story inspired me. All I could conclude after hearing all these was she is a strong bold woman.

We all stood near the door when her driver opened the door of the car and opened an umbrella. She stepped out like a queen. She wore a heavy embroidered benarasi saree, ornamented in gold and a large red bindi on her forehead. Her dark eyes bordered with thick kohl and long hair tied into a bun. She stood in front of kaka sasurji while he took her blessing, "kaisi ho didi?"

"Jaise the waise hi hain, tu kaisa hain lochan aur bacche bhi baare ho gye hain" she looked at Som dada and Batuk. They took blessings of her too.

Sampoorna didi and I took her blessing. "Ye Sampoorna Binoy ki patni" said Kaka with a disgusted face. "Khush raho" she blessed her. "Aur ye humari pyari Bondita bahu" he now introduced me with a smile. "Badi acchi ladki...."

"Lochan!" She gestured him to stop and glared at him, "hum zammindar hain, macchi k kaante ko dekh kar samajh jate hain konsi macchi kaisi hain, tujhse sikhna nehi parega mujhe" Kaka lowered his head like an obedient child.

Till now her personality was scaring me to some extent. Someone who can make kaka go quiet is really scary.

She walked inside and sat on the crouch, one leg on the above. "Lochan apne bahu o ko sikhaya nehi ki jiske Saar se pallu khishke to mardo ka nazar paare uspe".

She walked to me and held my chin, "bohot suna hain tere baare mein Binoy aur Lochan se. Kehena parega pyari hain tu" saying this she placed a kaka tika behind my ears and said, "Zammindaro ki bari bahu".

"Wo mein hu is ghar ki malkin" Sampoorna didi spoke up abruptly to which Batuk face palmed making it evident she made a wrong move. She eyed her and walked up to her, "toota nayo paal bin aur bina waris ki malkin koi kaam ki nehi". Sampoorna didi's smile faded away and she looked down in humiliation, clutching her fist she said, "waris to Bondita ne hin nehi di".

Kaka was about to shout at her but she signalled him to be quiet, "Bondita bacchi hain, akkal ki kacchi hain samjhi...ar bolbo na". Sampoorna didi nodded her head timidly.

"Tum dono", she addressed to both of us, "pallu daal lo". I gave her a questioning look. "Tum dono pallu tan lo" kaka ordered us hesitantly. He has never asked us to cover our face with a veil but he was forced to say so due to his didi. We did as he said, pulled down the long pallu.

"Apka vyapar kaisa chal raha hain?" Asked Som dada. They all sat to talk while I stood beside them. "Accha chal raha hain, jab tak angrezo ka ho humare masalo pe lalach tabh tak vyapar ko kuch nehi hoga".

"Didi" said Kaka sasurji, "ap akeli itne jagao pe jaati hain, apne sath lathel rakhna chahiye". She chuckled a bit, "hatiyaar wo rakhte hain jinko jaan ka khatra ho, humari jaan se dusro ko khatra hain".

I have never seen such a confident woman in my life what as much as I have heard, she was married off at age 8 to a 40 year old man and till age 16 she was already a mother of 4 sons and 1 daughter. When she was my age, her husband died. People asked her to shave her head and leave for Vrindavan, leaving her children in an orphanage because the was no one to earn, who will take care of the business as the man has left and the woman cannot but she did. Now every one of the village respects her.

I served her the tea and crossed my fingers. I was praying to Durga maa ki chai unhe pasand a jay but she made no comments.

Just then Baba and Pati babu entered who were elated to see her. "Kaisa hain kopal?"

Kaka has always said me that pati babu is everyone's favourite son because he is the first child. Binoy took her blessings so did Pati babu. She kissed him on his forehead.

"Apko dekh kar hum bohot khush huye pishi" he said and hugged her, "mein bhi tum sabse se itne saalon baad milke bohot khush hu par beta hum dukhi huye jab hummey pata chala tere nirnay k baare mein". We all knew what she was indicating. Of course my marriage with Batuk and our divorce. She placed her hand on his shoulder, "do chizo pe kabhi bhi anadhikar hath nehi lagate, ek parivaar ka suroor aur ek aurat ka guroor".

I was shocked!

Yes I was...someone made Kaka go quiet the Pati babu too. Anirudh Roy Chowdhury jinke gusse se sab darte hain, jo kisike baat nehi mante aj dekho to unhe. I was feeling very happy seeing him. I pulled my veil up and secretly made silly faces at him and teased him too while he glared at me. He then gestured to me and asked me why I had pulled a veil on my face but I tried to ignore his question or else he will again start shouting and once he gets angry along with pishi, the volcano will erupt our full house.

"Didi ap Sampoorna se mili?" Asked Baba.

Kaka looked at Bhari kaka, "sampoorna se mili" and mimicked baba secretly.

"Ha mili" she said with a wide smile to which baba smiled back, "jisne tere bete ko hi ghar se nekal di thi" hearing this his smile fadded away. "Baccho" she addressed to pati babu, Som dada and Batuk, "tin chizo pe jabhi yakein nehi karna, sharabi mard, zeher ugalne wala sanp aur buddhi brasht huya baap...ar bolbo na".

Pati babu walked to his room without talking much. I tried to pull up my pallu to have a proper look at everyone but she caught me, "pallu niche!" Seeing me getting scolded Didi giggled.

Pishi glared at Sampoorna didi when she giggled, "aurat ko hasna tabhi chahiye jab wo kisi mard ko rajha rahi ho varna nehi" she made her go quiet. She now looked at me, "namm?"

"Bondita" I was confused because she already knows me. "Vivah se pehele kya tha?" She asked sternly. "Bondita hi to tha".

She glared at kaka sasurji, "lochan ye sab kya hain? Vivah k baad Bahu ka naam nehi badla tum logo ne".

"Wo" kaka stammered but she asked him to stop, "ek aurat ka na apni pehechan hoti hain na hi astithya". I looked at the floor. "Kal naam badal ka rasam hoga aur tujhe naya naam diya jayga".

Tears filled her eyes. This was the only thing hee father could give her, his last gift was this name, Bondita. She again pleaded to join her hands, "pishi maa aisa maat kijiye meri apse vinti hain".

"Naam ka badal na reet hain, naya naam jo pati dega wahi pehechan hain, aisa naam jisey sunte hi lage zamindaro ki bahu ho, koi Rani ho" she said sternly.

"To mera bhi naam badla jayga?" Asked Sampoorna excitedly who actually wanted to change her name, "mera naam hoga Rajeshwari ya fir RajNandini, jissey sunke hi lagey malkin hain koi".

"Chuhiya ka naam sherni rakhne se wo sherni nehi ban jati" pishi said sarcastically, "tu na hi bari bahu hain nahi malkin, bare bete ki patni ka hi adhikar hota hain". Sampoorna fumed in anger while pishi maa walked to her room.

"Kaka sasur ji" Bondita cried, "ap samjhaiye na unhe". "Bahu mere hath mein kuch nehi hain, didi bari ziddi hain. Aur ye sach hain ki ye reet manni parti hain har suhagan ko".

Without wasting time Bondita rubbed off her tears and ran to pishi's room to give a last try. Pishi maa was sitting on her rocking chair with closed eyes when she entered and sat near her feet, "pishi maa kyu ek ladki ko apni pehechan badal ni parti hain, ladke ko keu nehi ap hi bataiye?'

She spoke calmly with closed eyes, "ar bolbo na."

"Par pishi..."

Suddenly pishi clutched her hair and she winced in pain, "aurat ki zubaan jab hadh se zyada chalne lagey to us zubaan pe taala lagana ata hain mujhe". "Mujhe dard ho raha hain!" She cried while tears rolled down her eyes. "Dard sehena hain aurat ka gehena" she held it more tightly, "kaal rasam k anusar tujhe naya naam diya jayga jo Anirudh dega" she finally left her hair. Bondita held back of her hair immediately.

There is a reason why I left the spot. I respect pishi but not her thinking. I cannot take her orthodox thinking hence left the place immediately. Seeing Bondita behind the veil angered me but I masked with a smile at that time. Why was she even listening to her? Tomorrow I will ask pishi to not let Bondita follow such stupid rules.

I was doing my work when I felt her presence in the room, "kya huya aj itni chup kyu ho?" I asked her without looking at her.

"Apko kaise pata chala mein yaha hu?"

I turned towards her and disappointment was visible on her face. I made her sit on the bed, "wo kya hain na jab Bondita khush hoti hain to wo jaise uchal ti hain ek choti si pari ki tarha par jab wo mayus hoti hain to paer se koi ahat hi nehi ati" I pulled her cheeks, "bolo kya huya?"

She remained quiet for some time and then hugged me tightly. I patted her head, "kya huya hain Bondita?"

She separated herself from me and looked at me with hope in her eyes, "pishi ne kaha kal mera naam badla jayega aur wo naam ap rakhege...pati babu mujhe naam nehi badal ni, ye mere baba ne diye hain".

I expected him to say something but he remained quiet and moved away his hands from me. "Kya huya? Kya ap bhi...pati babu?"

He looked away and said on s serious note, "so jao Bondita" and without any word he lied on the bed and pulled the duvet on himself.

I was shocked. This is not what I expected from him. My soul shrunk in pain, "pati babu" I whispered softly in my shivering voice but he gave no response.

I lied beside him, turning to the other side I wept silently. I don't want to change this name, please. I thought my pati babu will be beside me but he made no comments. He is not like this then why is he acting like this all of a sudden.

Next morning I went downstairs unwillingly where all were present. Pishi maa walked in with a thal of rice grains, "rasam shuru karte hain, Anirudh is thal pe apni patni ka naya naam likhna"

I stood there with a blank face. In a second my existence will change. This is a painful thing that all women face. This made ne feel like I am not a human at all but a parcel or a burden being passed from father to husband. I left my family, my mother, my surname...I left my games, my childhood after marriage and the only thing I was allowed to keep was my name but not anymore.

Actually I was more hurt by his silence.

"Likh diya" he said suddenly after scribbling something on the plste. I was not bothered to look at it. "Zor se oar abh" said Kaka.

"Bondita!" He announced my new nane.

I looked at him with happiness, shock and respect at the same time.

"Arrey naya naam kya hain?" Asked Pishi maa

"Yahi naam mujhe pasad hain aur maine rakh diya, kabhi na bandhne wali Bondita" he said proudly, "wo naam jo puri duniya jaane gi, wo naam jo baki aurton ko prerna degi, wo naam jo mere naam k agey liya jayga humesha, pishi ek aurat ka apna pehechan hain aur Bondita ne apni pehechan khud banayi hain, hum koi nehi ussey wo pehechan chinne wale. Har aurat ki astithya aur pehechan hoti hain, aurat aur mard mein koi fark nehi, agar hum naam nehi badalte to unhe bhi nehi badalni chahiye.".

I couldn't control my tears more and broke down there itself. Pati babu again silently walked to his study.

"Ye kaisa natak tha Lochan? " pishi maa hissed. "Natak nehi didi, yahi hain in dono ka anokha rishta".

"Anirudh aj bhi nehi badla, wahi pagal pan, wahi fitoor to tha hi wo abh apne patni ko bhi waisa hi bana raha hain apne jaisa par aurat ka paar banega samaj ka daar isiliye us paar ko kaat na parega, zid aur junoon ko maror na parega tabh jakey banegi ye asli sulakhshana bahu" she said to herself.

Last night I know she was hurt by my silence. I heard her crying at night. I saw her upset face.

Suddenly I felt her head resting on my

back. She placed her hand on my chest from behind, "ap bohot acche ho" she said softly. I smiled at bit and remained in the same position, "jo maine nehi diya tumhe ussey chin ne ka adhikar mujhe nehi hain Bondita".

I turned towards her and embraced her in a hug after kissing her forehead, "tum to meri Bondita ho, Anirudh k sath koi aur naam sunne mein accha lagta hain kya?"

Pati babu shouted at me so badly that I shivered in fear. I tried to explain to her my problem but he kept on scolding me. My both hands were numb in pain due to the hard work pishi maa made me do today. I was unable to hold the pen so couldn't write anything but he was not ready to hear any excuse.

He yelled at me so much that I lowered my head silently and weeped. My hands were burning now, they were read and had marks on them.

"Itni careless aur irresponsible tum kaise ho sakti ho?" He questioned me rudely, "it's an important case Bondita" he banged his palm on the table .

"Ap meri baat..."

"Tum ek incompetent ladki ho aur kuch nehi".