Her Second Husband

11

Boudi !! Boudi!! Boudi !!!!!

Sumita listened to a soft yet distant call of a name from far away as she snuggled up comfortably pulling the soft fluffy pillow beside her. A call she was quite familiar with. A name she was so very comfortable to be called by.

A name (other than what her parents gave) that has made many a evenings roar with laughter of happiness and cheers of joy involving Saurabh, and his cousins. Or his friends. Or his colleagues.

More than often, people used to occupy the seating room of Ghosh Bari. The plush cushioned sofas were rarely seen empty. The centre table could vaguely be seen without a few cups of unfinished tea and some ceramic plates.

Ghosh Bari was a lovely place to settle for the evening. Acquaintances knew it quite well and took the opportunity whenever possible. However it halted after that fateful day.

Her eyes had lost their game with her brain. The images from that day flashed for a minute. And the soft pillow too couldn't offer any warmth to lean on to. However she held the pillow above head and buried her face on the mattress to suppress those images. She attempted to push those feelings from coming on the surface by doing so.

No..No ..No!!!

Blood.

His soft white cotton shirt was starched with blood of his own.

With every inhalation of oxygen, his blood was streaming out profusely. His respiration itself became risky to take. 

But which human being lived without respiring ?

It was 3:30 AM when Saurabh's bloodied body was laid down under the majestic grandfather clock.

The same clock which was subjected to so many  beautiful memories from Saurabh until then, witnessed the young master count his last breath with difficulty.

Dhuk dhuk dhuk ! His heartbeats synchronised with the seconds from the clock. All the eyes were glued to the bloodied mess of a once a young man of 28. 

And slowly his eyes dimmed with the life slowly leaving his body. 

The century old clock that day felt the brunt of being an object without an emotion as it  was forced to declare all the occupants of the hall in Ghosh Bari -that the young master's time was up.

Boudi !!... BOUDI!!!...Boudi ?!!

Flinging the pillow off , she sat on the mattress with perspiration after revisiting the same chilling moments of that dark night.

Sumita heard that same call repeatedly a couple of more times and she moved her gaze towards the sunlight from the large glass windows. The room was painted in lavender colour unlike the off white colour she was familiar with , back in the Ghosh Bari.

A crow cawed loudly from the large tree nearby . The windows consisted of frosted glass shutters. The pale sky blue curtains prevented the onlookers from invading the privacy of the occupants.

The unusual room made her a bit uneasy for a couple of minutes and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

The jingling of bangles, red and white along with the aalta printed palms and fingers cleared off the haze in her brain.

Married.

Her second marriage !!

The first day after marriage.

She is now a wife . Her heart churned in memory of their first day of wedding.

Her eyes slowly took in her surroundings. Her new room. Their new room .