Rishte Ka Darja

The Roy Choudhary haveli was chaotic today. After all, Choti Malkin was sulking in a quiet corner of the house. The study to be specific.

It wasn't the first time this was happening... No. Not at all.

But it was the first time the Choti Malkin's Pati Babu wasn't around to mollify her. After trying for a couple of hours, everyone gave up in hopes that she would step out when she was ready.

Nothing changed even after the sun went down. But when Anirudh Roy Choudhary walked through the doors of the haveli, everybody was slightly relieved that soon the walls of the house would boom with the said Choti Malkin's chirp.

Anirudh had sensed her irritability this morning and was already prepared with 8 handis her favorite roshogullas. The reason was however not unknown to him unlike the rest.

Kaka's outrageous attempt to drug him into consummating their married life was already on his mind, but Anirudh had lost his cool on little Bondita when she had innocently questioned him about what "Patni ka Darja" meant.

He had instantly regretted it but he was not in the frame of mind to explain his out burst. Now, he had to fix things before anyone else could fill her mind with anymore fogey mores.

Everyone had dinner at the table but Anirudh did not miss the stink eye he received from Bondita. Can he say that he was actually having fun at his own expense?

Bondita eyed the handis set on the table in her room, "Har baar ek hi tarika kaam nahi karta, Pati Babu. Mai sachi ghussa hu aapse."

"Pata hai mujhe... Pehle hi keh diya tha tumne ki mai apne hi shabdo se peeche hat raha hu" Anirudh answered sheepishly, "Maaf kardo, Bondita. Mujhe tumhare sawalo pe chillana nahi chahiye tha..."

"Aap bohot dant ne lage ho mujhe, Pati Babu. Pehle aap aise nahi the... Aapne kaha tha ki mujh mei badlav ho rahe hai lekin badal toh aap gaye ho... Mujhe yeh dantne wale Rakshas Babu nahi pasand..." She frowned.

"I am sorry, Bondita. Mujhe pata hai maine bohot zyada bol diya... Lekin mai tumpe naraz nahi hu. Mujhe ghussa aya kyu ki mere paas tumahre sawalo ka jawab nahi tha."

"Aapke paas jawab na ho aisa ho sakta hai kya bhala?" Bondita giggled which instantly relieved her Pati Babu.

Anirudh smiled, "Bilkul ho sakta hai, Bondita. Ab mai Barristra Babu hu iska matlab yeh toh nahi na ki mujhe sab kuch pata hai... Mai bhi toh seekh hi raha hu na. Aur aaj mai tumhare sawalo ka jawab dhund kar laya hoon..."

"Shotti?" Her eyes gleamed in excitement.

"Haa, Bondita."

Anirudh took a deep breathe and guided Bondita to sit on the bed while pulling the chair for himself. This was the most crucial conversation of their relationship and he was hoping that his words would put Bondita's questions to rest.

Anirudh Roy Choudhary was nervous. Extremely nervous because this conversation was going to shape a young girl's idea about the dynamics of marital relationship.

"Bondita... Aise hi ek sawal ka jawab maine pehle bhi diya tha jab tumne mujhse pucha tha ki 'Baccho ki shaadi galat kyu hai?' Yaad hai tab maine kya kaha tha?"

"Aapki samjhai har baat yaha yaad rehti hai mujhe, Pati Babu" she tapped her temple, "Aapne kaha tha ki shaadi karne ki ek sahi aayu hoti hai kyuki bacche gilli mitti aur phoolo ki kali ki tarah naazuk hote hai. Agar samay se pehle kali tod denge toh woh khushboo nahi bikher payenge."

"Bilkul sahi,Bondita. Maine aisa iss liye kaha tha kyu ki vivaah sirf acche kapde pehen ne ka avsar nahi hota, ek rishta hota hai jiske judne ke baad pati aur patni ko zimmedariya mil jati hai. Pati aur patni ke ek dusre ki taraf kuch kartavya hote hai, inhe nibhana padta hai taki dono saath mei khush rahe. Jaise shaadi karne ki ek sahi umar hoti hai waise hi yeh zimmedariya uthane ke liye bhi toh ek sahi umar hoti hai. Jab tum badi ho jaogi toh khud samajh jaogi ki woh zimmedariyaan kya hoti hai..."

"Lekin Kaka Sasur Ji aur Sampoorna Maa ne toh kaha ki mai badi ho gayi hu. Unhone kaha ki ab mai ek stree ban gayi hoon toh mujhe patni ka darja milna chahiye aur aap keh rahe hai ki mai bacchi hu..." she huffed dramatically, "Kiski sune yeh choti si Bondita?"

"Bondita, tum abhi sirf sharik rup se stree bani ho. Lekin abhi tumne hi kaha na ki tum choti si Bondita ho? Mansik roop se tumhe aur bohot kuch seekhna aur samajhna hai. Aur yeh sab tumhe aage chal kar samajh ayega. Pati-patni ke rishte ki zimmedariya uthane ke liye tumhe un zimmedariyo ko samajhna hoga aur yeh bhi toh pata hona chahiye ki patni ki darja hota kya hai... Tum batao, kya tumhe pata hai patni ka darja kya hai?"

Bondita shook her head in a no.

"Toh Bondita, jab tum janti hi nahi ho ki patni ka darja kya hota hai, tum uss darje ka saath aane wale zimmedariyo ko kaise nibhaogi? Kaise pata chalega tumhe ki ek patni hone ke naate, jo faisle tum le rahi ho woh sahi hai ya galat?"

"Lekin patni ka darja kya hota hai, Pati Babu?"

"Patni ka darja matlab patni hone ke saare kartavya nibhana. Sirf Pati ke saath ek kamre mei rehna patni ka darja nahi hota, Bondita. Patni ke farz hota hai ki woh pati ka saath de, pati ke saath mil kar parivaar ka bhala soche aur jab sahi samay aaye tab dono saath mei apna parivaar banaye. 

Jaise prakruti ka niyyam hai ki ladka aur ladki mei sharirik aur mansik badlav ayenge, vaise hi yeh bhi prakruti ka niyyam hai ki pati aur patni ko apne khud ka vansh lana padta hai. Aur yehi sab ek pati ko bhi karna padta hai apni patni ke liye...

Lekin yeh sirf tab ho sakta hai jab pati aur patni dono chahe. Dono yeh samjhe ki apna aur apno ka bhala bura kya hai. Aaj samaaj ke riti-riwaz ke dabav mei, mai tumhe yeh darja de bhi doon, tabhi tum isse sambhal nahi paogi, Bondita. Yaa tum mansik roop se pareshan ho jaogi ya tumhare sharir aur swasth pe inka bura asar pad sakta hai.

Aur sab se badi baat toh yeh hai ki yeh sirf tabhi mumkin hai jab hum dono sehmat honge shaadi ke rishte se judi zimmedari nibhane ke liye. Aaj mujhe pata hai meri razamandi nahi hai aur tumhe bhi wakt lagega yeh sab samajh ne mei. Toh iss darje ko rehne hi dete hai, thik hai?"

"Toh Pati Babu, mujhe yeh darja kab milega?"

"Iss sawal ka jawab tum hi de paogi, Bondita. Jab tum samaaj ke riwazo se azad ho kar apne aap ko aur apne bhavnao ko samajh jaogi tab tumhe khud ehsaas hoga ki tum tayyar ho ya nahi. Jab tumhe lagega ki tum tayyar ho, hum bilkul aaj ki hi tarah, bilkul aise baith ke baat karenge aur soch lenge ki aage kya karna hai...

Aur vaise bhi... Kisne kaha ki tumhare paas meri patni hone ka darja nahi hai? Tum har mushkil mei mera saath deti ho, mere saath mil kar humare parivaar ka bhala-bura sochti ho aur sabse badi baat... Tum mera sapna pura karne wali ho!"

Anirudh clasped Bondita's small hands in his, "Tum mera woh sapna pura karne wali ho jo koi aur mere liye nahi karta... Kya yeh kaafi nahi hai? Aakir itna sab toh ek patni hi apne pati ke liye karti hai, hai na?"

"Haa Pati babu! Mai hi hoon aapki patni!" Exclaimed Bondita with a proud smile on her face.

----THE END----

A/N : This is a result of my own imagination. Please do not compare with the original show.