"Bahu Arti karlo tum" Kaka forwarded the thal to Bondita when Dada suddenly spoke out, "ha Charu karlo arti".

Kaka looked at him furiously and hissed, "humne apni bahu se kaha".

"Nayi ya purani?" I thought of adding some more spice to it. Bondita's face was gloomy. Som dada suddenly took the thal and gave it to Charu didi with a wide smile, "lo karlo arti" Bondita lowered her head but Kaka glared at three of us, "humne to kabhi tum teeno ko aj se pehele subha k arti mein atey huye nehi dekha aur atey bhi ho to puja k liye itna utsuk hotey huye nehi dekha".

"Aur tu" kaka looked furiously at Anirudh Dada, "tu to yaha tabh ata hain jab tujhe zaroorat hota hain, akein karpur hath pe leke shuru ho jata hain, bina wajah k bhi mandir aya kijiye Anirudh ji, bhagwan ko bhi accha lagega".

"Mein Arti shuru karu kya?' Charu didi interrupted Kaka but he snatched away the thal, "Bondita abhi bhi is ghar ki bahu hain, wo hi karegi".

"Par Charu didi bhi to Boudi banegi na" Som dada said innocently and I looked at Bondita who was feeling uncomfortable by all this. She stood there silently.

"Ha ap hi kijiye Charu didi" Bondita spoke softly and ran out of the temple.

"Rula diya tum teeno ne" kaka groaned at us.

Kaka aur Bondita ka ajeeb hain, khud hi zabardasti shadi karwate hain aur khud hi aise bartav karte hain. Charu didi did the arti and as soon as she started, Dada walked away. He was not really interested in Arti, the thing that he wanted to do, he did it successfully.

We all sat at the table and only Sampoorna and baba were missing. I think they need to sort things out with each other. Anyways ad usual, kaka sat on the small royal stool, I and Som Dada sat opposite Dada, Charu didi sat beside dada and her parents sat beside her. And Bondita, like always, stood beside Dada and served us the food. She gave kaka's morning tea, Som Dada and I prefered English tea and was pouring Dada's coffee in his cup. "Trilochan babu, vivah ka shubh muhurat dekhna parhega".

Kaka grumpily nodded his head to this.

"Apki kapi" as soon as Bondita said this to Charu didi giggled weirdly, "itni pari likhi hokey to kapi bolte ho coffee ko?" Bondita looked at Dada, expecting him to say something but Dada grinned at her which made her more upset. Without giving much explanation, she continued to do her work but her sadness, her pain did not remain unnoticed by her kaka sasurji.

Dada stood up after a while, "Charu study mein ao, mujhe tumse akele mein baat karni hain".

"Par..." Bondita was about to speak when I snapped in, "wah wah pati patni eksath".

Tears brimmed her innocent eyes after experiencing all these since morning. Bondita ran towards her room and locked herself up. She threw herself on the bed and clenched the bed sheet as hard as she could. She had realized what grave mistake she has done and it is becoming difficult for her to bear her husband's inclination towards someone else.

Alas! She can't help it because she was the one who initiated all these. She recalled how her pati babu pleaded that they could be happy with each other without a token of love, i.e a child, they both are enough for each other but she was way too adamant at that time. She took this decision without thinking of the consequences because this society washed away her logical thinking ability. They told her the benefits of a second marriage, he will get the happiness, she will get a child but...are these really the benefits?

The bedsheet became wet due to her tears yet those tears were unlimited.

On the other hand, her pain was noticed by her kaka Sasurji.

"Kya huya Malik? Gehri soch mein lagte hain ap?" Asked Bihari who noticed him lost in his own thoughts.

"Humne aj tak sirf apne baccho k liye socha hain par kai humse koi galti ho nehi huya?" He said while his eyes remained fixed outside the window.

"Matlab?"

"Hum bahu k sath anyai kar rahe hain kya? Humbe socha sab khush honge is faisle se, bahu ne kaha bhi tha ki wo khush hain par hum zubaan ki baaton pe yakein karke dil ki baat nehi sun paye".

"Isme apki kya galti, ap kaise samajhte" said Bihari.

"Arrey hum nehi to kaun samjhega" kaka raised his voice, "choti si thi tabhse jaante hain hum ussey, bachpan bita hain uska is ghar mein aur hum hi samajh nehi paye par abh to der ho gyi hain bohot".

On the other hand, Charu followed Anirudh to his study. She was too happy to express it because Anirudh wanted to have a talk with her personally. After their marriage was fixed, he ignored her as much as he could but now finally he wants to talk.

"Rudh meri maa keh rahi thi ki do patniyo mein din baat lena chahiye" she said with a wide grin on her face. Hearing this he clenched his fist and closed his eyes but allowed her to talk.

"Rudh, 4 din mere aur 3 din uskey mein pehele hi bata rahi hu, aur haa meri maa keh rahi thi ki kamra ek hi patni ko milta hain to wo kamra meri..."

"Charu please" he said in a husky voice, "Mitali kaki ne jo ye sab tumse kaha waisa kuch nehi hoga kyuki mein tumse vivah nehi karunga".

Charu's face went paler and her smile faded away yet he continued to speak, "Bondita ki jagah mein kisiko nehi de sakta, mein pyar karta hu ussey".

"Mein tumhe khush nehi rakh paunga Charu baat ko samjho" he said to her in a shaky voice, "mere dil aur dimag mein bas ek hi insaan hain. Wo mere dil ka sukoon hain meri jeene ki wajah, jeene ki wajah hi na ho to mein jee kar kya karunga?"

Charu stood there silently and watched him with teary eyes, "par mein to bilkul waisi hu jaisa tumhe pasand hain Rudh"

"Wahi to baat hain" he turned towards her, "tum waisi ho aur Bondita bilkul alag oar alag hokar bhi ek the hum, geeli mitti thi wo aur maine apne haato se usey aisa banaya hain" his eyes went moist, "isiliye to dil se jude hain hum dono aur mein apni Bondita ko khas Bondita se aam Bondita bante huye nehi dekh sakta".

She placed her hand on his shoulder who was on a verge of crying.

Charu controlled her own tears and feigned a smile, "jante ho itne saalon se maine vivah kyu nehi ki".

Anirudh nodded his head innocently.

"Humesha se ek aisa pati chahati thi jo insaaniyat k taur pe tum jaisa ho, Manav waisa hi tha...7th june vivah tha, mein Dulhan ban k sajh dhaj k baithi thi fir wo away, arthi pe" her voice shook when she said that, "log to ladki ko hi dosh dete hain par fir jab tumse vivah ki baat hui, mein khush ho gyi thi ki finally mujhe bhi khushiya milegi par tum to kisi aur se pyar karte ho...ye vivah ho bhi gaya to mein khush kaise rahungi".

Anirudh took a deep breath and comforted her. She was not crying but still, her emotional state was not stable neither was his.

"To tumne kya socha?" Asked Anirudh.

"Tum agar mujhse pyar nehi kar sakte to vivah karna paap hoga...mujhe to pyar chahiye tha, sach kahu to bachpan se hi feelings the mere tumhare liye par wo shayad bachpan ka bass ek attraction tha..."

It was evening when Bondita opened her eyes gradually. She had fallen asleep and once she woke up, she winced in pain. Her head was aching so much that she held her head and sat quietly for some time. "Nehi nehi mein aj hi pati babu se kehdungi ki mein galat thi" she murmured under her breath, "galti sudhar ne ka koi sahi wakt nehi hota aisa unhone hi sikhaya hain...haa mein keh dungi unhe".

She rubbed off her tears and held her Dugga Maa's idol, "maa mein pati babu ko keh dungi, wo bhi kitne khush ho jayenge aur mein bhi" Bondita giggled innocently like a child. She stood up, raised her saree a bit from the ground and ran downstairs. Her face shone brightly after a long time when she finally understood having a child is boon but not having a child is not a curse.

Two people, if they love each other truly, don't need a third person to be happy. They can find happiness and solace in each other. When Anirudh started to act like that, which he will be doing after marriage, she realised that the happiness she wants, she will never get. Instead, she will lose what she is already having. She ran downstairs merrily but her foot stopped all of a sudden when she reached the hall. Everyone was gathered there facing the door. She went closer and closer...

There stood Anirudh with Charu...Charu was dressed as a bride and both were holding garlands. In no time her worst nightmare started to come in front of her eyes when years ago she witnessed this same day. The whole family was numb and turned towards her when they heard the sound of her payel. She walked towards him like a keyed puppet.

"Ap ne vivah kar liya kya?" Bondita held my collar and shouted at me, "ap ne vivah kar liya?"

I stood silently and watched her going mad at me. I never saw her so restless in my life, "ap aisa kaise kar sakte ho!". She pushed me so hard that I moved a inch away.

I placed my hand around Charu's shoulder, "Bondita, Charu meri patni hain, swagat karoge nehi".

"HATH HATAIYE!" she jerked off my hand from her shoulder and wrapped her hands around my arm, "Mein hu Bondita Anirudh Roy Chowdhury, Samjhe ap!" Tear rolled down her large round eyes.

"Par Bondita yahi to tum chahati thi, tumhe to baccha chahiye tha, Anirudh nehi" Charu addressed her and I saw her heart getting shattered. Mitali kaki approached with the arti's thal, "ghar mein dulha dulhan aya hain" but rage caught her all of a sudden and she flipped the thal, "ye mera ghar hain"

Bondita started to hit my chest with her small fist, "Ap mere pati babu ho aur mein apki Bondita" she cried out loud and continued to hit me, "mujhe bass mere pati babu chahiye".

"It's too late Bondita, abh Charu meri patni hain" I whispered in her ears and her hands froze immediately, "rona band karo aur rasam puri karo".

She pressed her forehead to my chest, cried, she was literally sobbing and shivering, making my shirt wet and nodded her head in no and I again whispered in her ears and made sure nobody hears it, "Paro mein ye bari bari ankhein dekh sakta hu par in ankho mein ansu nehi".

She looked at me with confusion and uttered, "Paro?"..."Paro kaun? CHI BARRISTER ANIRUDH ROY CHOWDHURY" she said aloud, "Apne Paro naam ki ladki se bhi....chi...aur kitna girenge ap?"

Mitali kaki held her hand and moved her aside. Scolding her, she eyed her, "dulha dulhan ki arti lene k wajay ya kya kar rahi ho tum?"

Kaka had nothing to say. I saw guilt in his eyes...How would he even say? It was his decision but he was not really happy with all this.

"Nehi " Bondita cried out and hugged me all of sudden, "ap keh do ki ye jhoot hai " but I pushed her away, "ye sach hain Bondita aur ye hi to tum chahati thi, tum aisi to zindagi chahati thi, Court tum nehi jaogi, barristey tum nehi karogi, apne pati pati ki shadi karwaogi isiliye aj se tum court bhi nehi jaogi."

Bondita widened her teary eyes and took a step back, away from me.

"Tu pagal ho gaya kya!" Kaka shouted at me, "bahu corat nehi jaygi kya?"

"Court jaygi to humare bacche ki dekh bhal kaun karega" Charu interrupted, "Bondita to yahi chahati thi na?"

Charu and I walked past her and she kept on shouting, "pati babu ap jhoot keh rahe hain na". She sat on the floor itself and broke into tears, "ye jhoot hain". No matter how much I wanted to console her but I couldn't.

I kept on taking slow steps towards my room with Charu but her sobs were breaking my heart. "Pati babu ap maat jaiye" she held my hand and tried to stop me but I jerked her hands off.

I turned away and was about to leave when I heard Bihari shouting "Bahu rani ji!"

Bondita kept on calling his name and crying but Dada paid no heed to her this time. While Dada was leaving for her room, I noticed her getting imbalanced, her eyes rolled up and she collapsed on the floor. We all rushed towards her and Dada immediately placed her head on his lap and patted her cheeks, "Bondita ankei kholo"

"Par gaya kaleje ko thandak?" Kaka glared at Dada furiously but this time even dada argued back, "par gaya apke kaleje ko thandak?"

"Ap log chup kijiye!" I yelled at both of them, "Som Dada Doctor to bulaiye".

Dada picked her up but Mitali kaki, the most irritating person had to say something that this crucial time, "beta Anirudh usey apne kamre mein le ja rahe ho kya? Nehi aj to suhagraat hain na aur Bondita ko bhi wakt nehi mila behosh hone ki".

"AP CHUP RAHENGE?" I yelled at her, "AP APNE KAM SE KAM RAKHIYE KAKI ".

"haa maa please" even Charu didi supported me, "kya keh rahi ho ap yaha"

Pati babu placed his finger on my lips, "shhh".

All of a sudden he pulled me closer, hugged me and broke into tears leaving me in shock. After all these, I am supposed to cry instead he was crying profusely as if he wanted to do this for a long time. As if he wanted someone to hug him and hear him cry. He broke down in front of my eyes and I have never seen him like this.

I realised the tremendous pressure he was going through and when he needed me the most, I wasn't there. I couldn't control my tears as well.