Tark- His Penned Chronicles

Ch48: Speaking through eyes

Anirudh's pov
Koyli and other ladies were dressing her up. I stood at the threshold and watched her in red benarasi and her long dark hair flowing down, only that much of her dressup was done. On seeing me all the women left the room. Although we are not Husband and wife anymore but still they gave us privacy.

Bondita saw me in the reflection when I stood behind her. We looked at each other through that mirror before I picked up the comb and started to comb her hair. My hands shivered before touching her. I recalled the moment when I used to tie her hair up before she used to go to school. I never thought that I will be doing the same again. She stood like a statue while I combed her hair gently and tied them onto a braid.

She brought her braid in the front and looked at it while I pinned the flowers in them. I could hardly see her properly as my eyes were filled with tears and so was hers. After completing her hair I moved on to the jewellery. Slowly I opened her earring and made her wear the heavy one. We looked at each other with pain in our eyes, the pain of separation, the pain of losing.

She closed her eyes to let out her tears. I moved her hair on one side and my fingers touched her bare neck. I saw her in the mirror, closing her eyes on my touch as I made her wear the necklaces and all.

The most difficult part was when I had to make her wear her Shakha pola for the sake of her new husband. I held the shakha and looked at her through it. Unable to control myself, I turned around and rubbed off my tears. I was breaking into fragments every second but I had to be strong and do this. My hands were trembling, holding those shakha pola still I took her hand into mine and made her wear them.

Suddenly Bondita, with the end of her pallu rubbed off my tears and nodded her head, gesturing me not to shed tears. I held her hands while she wiped my tears.

Kneeling down in front of her, I placed her feet on my thigh and with love and the utmost care, I placed my hand on her feet to open the anklet she was already wearing and tie up a new one but she held my hands and resisted me. This was the same anklet I gifted her and she doesn't want to open them.

I made her stand and looked at her once again. She looked like the most prettiest bride I have ever seen. I wanted to hug her and cry my heart out but masked my feelings with a smile. She smiled back at me too. I could only place my hand on her head and rub gently while she closed her eyes and uncontrolled tears flowed down from those innocent eyes.

She gestured me towards her gach kouto( The red sindoor dani that Bengalis hold during the marriage. You all have seen that red thing where Bondita keeps the sindoor).

I picked it up from the table. Because of this, I meet her. If this wouldn't have rolled to my feet that day, I would have never met her, never seen her being married to that old man. That night when she came to my room and slept in the small bed, I picked up this thing and realized that she was in my room.

I stood holding it, recalling everything when She took it from my hand.

Few women entered, "chaliye, vivah k muhrat ho gaya hain". They took her with them but something stopped her and I felt as if someone is holding me. I turned back and found her pallu's string got attached to my watch. We looked at each other, speaking through her eyes while many things remained untold. Ocean of emotions was overpowered by a fake petty smile on her lips. She detached the watch and the pallu, detaching every little feeling of empathy, friendship or love we had, erasing every sweet memory of everthing.

If I stay here further, I will simply die out of this pain so while the rituals took place I left the haveli. I decided to return only when the marriage is over.

Bondita's pov
After I sat on the 'piri' and it was rotated seven times and when I finally removed the leaves, Batuk was standing in groom's attire but I could see only my pati babu in it. Yes, I was hallucinating, recalling my marriage day when I first saw him. He was lost in someone else's thoughts at that time which proves he was never mine.