It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

10

Bondita got up way too early this morning. She was too excited to sleep in the first place. They would be leaving for Krishnanagar today.

She made her way towards the mandir to get started with the preparation of the pooja. She noticed Binoy accompanying a man out of the haveli, it was the village doctor she recognised. Was he ok ? Was everyone ok ?

" Binoy ?" She heard kaka sasurji approaching her sasurji. They exchanged few words, inaudible to her and then Binoy bent and took Trilochan's blessings.

What was going on ? What had them in this good a mood so early in the morning ?
She got back to her work.

Everybody was up now and in the mandir. Pooja was completed and just before every could disperse kaka held them back.

" I have an announcement or say a good news." He looked at Binoy and Sampoorna standing, looking down at the floor. " We would soon be welcoming a little, tiny guest amongst us."

Aniruddh was not accepting such news, no one was. Bondita looked from her sasurji to her sister, on loop.

Binoy was happy since he learnt of the news but had been nervous ever since it dawned on him that he would have to be sharing this news with his three sons. Sons old enough to have their own children and yes that included Batuk. Though Som and Batuk were not married yet, taking shelter of their eldest brother, they were of age. And what made him most nervous was Aniruddh. He was married and old enough to be a father according to the standards he himself had set. And at an age where he should be playing with his grand children, his Aniruddh's child, he was on about fathering yet another child...! At this age too...!

Had it been someone else, Binoy would not have been nervous, it was quite common after all but the views and ideas for society and family of his eldest had somewhere garnered a level of respect in the father's heart. And he right now was not sure he would be standing up to the standards and values set by his own overly principled, visionary son. He felt less of a father and more of a son in front of Aniruddh today.

And the fact that Sampoorna was liked by no one in the haveli was not a help.
He happily, nervously and yet hopefully looked at all his children still trying to maintain the persona of a Roy Chowdhury that he was.

Aniruddh was tongue tied. How to congratulate your father on being a father in the present scenario ? He could read his father's nervousness clearly, he wanted Aniruddh's approval, for the first time ever. A father should never feel as if he needed his children's approval specially not a man like his own father, however uptight he was.

Not at such a happy occasion at that...!
They should just share the joy.

The younger brothers were waiting for a lead from Aniruddh.
And Aniruddh hurriedly wrapped his father in a big, warm hug.

" Baba...!!! I am so happy."

Binoy felt he could start breathing again. He clasped Aniruddh in his hug back and they were soon joined by the younger zamindars.

" This calls for a celebration...!" Aniruddh really was happy. He hugged his kaka. " Congratulations kaka...! Your wish is coming true...!"

" Only half of my wish is coming true." He said in Aniruddh's ear. " You know I wanted a child but from you and bahu. But this news too is no less than a blessing." He patted back.

Bahu...this made Aniruddh look towards Bondita. She just stood their, not knowing what to do. How do you congratulate your sasurji for such news ?

And then she looked towards Sampoorna. The woman who was responsible for half of the wrong doings in her life. Her sister. Was going to enter the most fortunate part of her life.

And Bondita could not be happier.
She was not only going to be a boudi to a third Roy Chowdhury but an aunt for the first time...!
And where everyone had congratulated Binoy, they were yet to extend good wishes to Sampoorna.

Bondita looked at Aniruddh, as if asking for permission to forgive Sampoorna for all ill she had wished upon them to which Aniruddh smiled.

It should be a new beginning.

And so Bondita ran to her sister and hugged her.

Sampoorna had not had a sudden change of heart due to her pregnancy but she sure could see the positive effects of it on the whole family. Even Bondita had nothing but good wishes for her.
She returned the hug.

Her mother was right. Getting pregnant did help her to break the ice. They all knew that she was still Sampoorna but...it was a jolly day...!

" I am going to take good care of you and the baby didi. Who else if not me ? Right Kaka sasurji ?" She was all smiles.

And everyone was in awe with the chhoti Bahu of the haveli being genuinely happy for a woman who had considered her a direct competition, had tried to eliminate her. Had tried to kill her mother and yet here she was wishing the very woman on becoming a mother.

Everybody in the haveli knew that there would be more bahus coming in near future but Bondita was one true grahlaxmi of Roy Chowdhury haveli.

Aniruddh could feel how deeply each and every member of the family appreciated Bondita.

Trilochan knew that somehow Bondita had become not just the chhoti malikin but the malikin of the haveli just like her husband, who was the pillar, life source and the true malik of the hearts of the family members and the haveli.
Not only because he was the eldest but because of who he was.
And he had thankfully gotten himself a girl worthy of being his wife and the Roy Chowdhury bahu.

Sampoorna could sense just how quickly Trilochan's and everyone else's attention turned from her to the couple. And they were not even trying !!! She was to be a mother now and it somehow still was not enough...!

He didn't consider Bondita to be his wife...!
She didn't want the day to come when Aniruddh would go back on his words.
He should never consider Bondita his wife.
And Bondita should never be able to give the good news she herself was sharing today.

"We should not go pati babu...!" Bondita broke her chain of thoughts. " We would have to arrange a pooja for thanking dugga maa, and sweet distribution in the whole village and and and now didi can't work, she has to be on bed all the time...! Right pati babu...! We can't go...!" She finally stopped for some air.

" Shant... Bondita...shant...!" Aniruddh interrupted before she could start again. " She doesn't need 24*7 bed rest. " He half laughed out.

" Why ? She has a baby in her...!"
Aniruddh could feel his cheeks getting pink. She really had no filter. " Yes" he bent down to her eye level. " But she doesn't need rest all the time in the starting, no need to panick. Yes she will need extra care but you alone don't have to fret over her. We are all there for her"  he smilingly explained.

" And Binoy will be taking that extra care of her now. At a time like this husband should spend as much time as he can with his wife." Kaka tried to throw in the pros of getting pregnant in front of Bondita. He always did that. Trying to subtly point out to Bondita different aspects of a married relationship. And though sometimes it bounced off of Bondita's skull, Aniruddh never missed it.

" We will be going Bondita." Aniruddh announced. He didn't want her here right now. His kaka was way too hyped up by the news. Durga ma knew what all he would fill in his Bondita's little head with.

" I was just saying..." Trilochan started but Aniruddh immediately covered Bondita's ears. Quite over protectively one might notice.

" No. We are going."

" I never stopped you." His kaka replied faking confusion, he was amused. He knew what situation was Aniruddh in and it took everything in him to not show how pleased was he at his son's dilemma.

Aniruddh today understood " एक तरफ कुआं, एक तरफ खाई"
He already didn't want to take Bondita to krishnanagar because of the same reason. They always tried to fill her head with marriage and duties and non sense and here it was more or less the same now.
But he had decided they were going, Bondita should meet her mother on her birthday.

" We will be leaving after breakfast Bondita..."