Anidita: A sweet journey towards a new dawn

Chapter 20: Anirudh gets his " mother "

Bondita went to her room. She opened the copy and looked at the school homework she collected from Batuk. She sat down and started with maths homework. But suddenly she noticed her hand is not moving as fast as it used to do earlier. She tried to be fast but her handwriting became unclean and her fingures started aching and trembling. The pencil fell from her hand. She started sobbing from inside. She started trembling. But she took a deep breathe and picked up the pencil. She forced herself to write with the same speed as before. Time went on. She finished the maths homework and went on to the English homework. She couldn't be that fast but she tried her best. Time went on .... Bihari came to call Bondita for dinner..
"Bare malkin khana khane chaliye..."
"Jati hu bhari babu... bass thora sa bacha hain.."

One hour past... now Batuk came
"Boudi khana nehi khayenge aap.. chaliye.. khane ke baad kar lena homework.."
"Thoda sa hi bacha hain Batuk ati hu... tum kha lo.. meri intezar na karo.."

Again one hour past.. now kaka came up
"Bondita bahu... keya hain ha... khana khane keu nehiay rahi ho?" Scolded kaka..
"Kakasasurji thoda sa hi...."
"Kuch nehi sunna humain.. niche ayo.."
"Thoda sa hi baki hain... aap kha lijiye na.."
"Tum keya sochti ho bahu hum humari baat kar rahe hai?" Socolded Kaka.. Bondita looked down "hum tumhare loye hi keh rahe hain... tabiyat abhi thick nehi hua hain tumhara... are Anirudh tumhari zimedari humain de geya hain... itna to janti hu na tum ki tumhe firse kuch ho geya to tumhara patibabu humain dosi tharayenge... "
Bondita looked down...
"Jaldi niche ayo.." kaka left
Bondita looked at her copy... she can't finish the homework on time. She started sobbing. She longed for her patibabu.

Elsewhere, Anirudh was discussing case related matters with Barrister Banerjee. Nibaron came to call them for dinner.

They went for dinner.
"Joy kaha hain?" Asked Banerjee
"Pata nehi apko kitabo ke under ghusa hua hain.." answered Mrs. Banerjee "yeh aap baap bete dono ek jaise hain"
Banerjee slightly looked at her. Anirudh was smiling. Banerjee gabe a glance at him. Anirudh tried to gulp his smile.
"Nibaron... utha ke le ayo apne chote babu ko.." shouted Banerjee "aab nehi aya to main jayunga..."
The words reached Sanjoy's ears. He quickly closed his books and ran to the dinning.

Mrs. Banerjee  served the dinner. Anirudh looked at the fish in the bowl. It's pona mach (mach = fish).
He took the fish and struggled to unbone in. Mrs. Banerjee noticed it..
"Anirudh machli nehi khate tum?" Asked Mrs. Banerjee in a caring tone.
"Ji ha... woh... matlab..main woh.. vetki mach jada khata hu.. woh.." hesitated Anirudh
"Kata alag karne main paresani hoti hain??"
Anirudh looked down at the plate and nodded his head in a yes.
Sanjoy tried hard to stop his laughter at his baby expressions.
"Woh asalmain kakima" answered Anirudh "bohat dino se vilayat main rehta tha na... toh yaha ka kuch aise ata nehi mujhe.."
Mrs. Banerjee looked at him ..... "kab geye the vilayat?"
"Woh bachpan main... jab main 10 saal ka tha.. ma gujar geyi to baba ne vilayat bhej diya padhne... dono chote bhai hain na mere.. to main...." Anirudh looked at the rice on the plate with teary eyes.
The other three sitted at the table feel bad for him
"Aise kuch muskil baat nehi hain Anirudh dada.." Sanjoy tried to cheer him up.. "woh machli ko aise fer aise.." Sanjoy tried to teach Anirudh the techniques but himself eneded up in a mess "woh... aise..."
Anirudh frowned his eyebrows and looked at him.
"Choro itne bare ho geye abhi tak thick se nehi sikh paye" teased Mrs. Banerjee
"Ha abhi tak bete ko khila denge to kaise sikhega" Mr. Banerjee teased his ginni.
Mrs. Banerjee gave a angry look at him.
"In logo ki batain choro Anirudh main dikhati hu.." Mrs. Banerjee instructed Anirudh and he followed them. To his utter happiness he successfully unboned the fish. He started dancing in his mind.

Anirudh just could see his mother inside her. Mrs. Banerjee also treated him like one of his son's. When she heard he lost his mother at a young age she became more sympathetic and thus more attached to him.

Anirudh looked at the sky outside the window of his room and wondered if Bondita needs him. The clock striked 11. He slowly got up and went towards the telephone.

The telephone ringed at Roy Choudhury Mansion.
"R a Binoy ke yeh Engrezi officers raat ko pareshan karte hain" Kaka felt disgusted in his sleep. He took another pillow and covered his ears.
Bondita was hugging her copy and sobbing. The pillow went wet with tears. She can't write fluently. She just didn't bother the phone ring.
Binoy was busy doing experiment mixing different wines. He got up "abhi sayed Mr. Jones ka phone hain..."...
Binoy went and picked up the phone "Helloo"
Anirudh on the other side as soon as he heard his father's voice he cut the phone.
His heart went heavy. It seemed that a big bulk is obstructing his throat. Anirudh ran to his room.  He closed the door and started crying pushing his head into the pillow. He recalled Bondita. She's ill. She needs him. But all he's doing is gor her only.
Bondita in parallel also pushed her face into the pillow and cried hard silenty. Her heart shouting and calling out "patibabu...."