It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

60

Bondita stood infront of the door of Sampoorna's bedroom in the morning after aarti holding a tray of breakfast. Her sasurji told she wasn't feeling too well. So Bondita volunteered to take up the food to her. She had an ulterior motive.

She peeked in to see Sampoorna sitting on her bed.

" Bondita...!" She seemed surprised and delighted. " Come in...!" She said removing the blanket a little to make space for her. There was still time for school. She sat there on the bed.

Bondita had spent some time with her Didi after a long time yesterday while waiting for her Pati Babu. They had talked about their day and other common things. That is when her Didi had been applying something on her wrist and neck that caught Bondita's attention.

" Itra...?" She knew what it was but was not very sure.

" Yes...! Want to try...?" Bondita did. She had never used it before.

Sampoorna had applied it to her neck.

" Where did you get this from Didi ? It smells great !"

" Your sasurji gifted it to me."

" It's an odd thing to gift."

" How so ?" Sampoorna had chukled.

" I mean..." Bondita took a look at the bottle. " It is so tiny. And what even is the point ? I mean. Clothes. Jewellery. You can atleast see them. This ? Who would even notice this ?"

Sampoorna tried really hard not to laugh.

" The one who should notice, does notice."

" Who exactly ?"

" Your sasurji." Sampoorna had said placing the bottle back, trying to hide the blush.

" Really ? How ?"

" Bondita...!" Sampoorna had looked at her wide eyed. Bondita could see the red of her cheeks.

" What ? Does he go around sniffing you ?"

Sampoorna felt her ears burn and still had an urge to laugh.

" Bon... Bondita...!!!"

" What ? Is it a thing ? Like...do all husbands do that ? "

Sampoorna had just covered her mouth with her hands, her own lips pressed thin trying to hold in the laughter.

" Stop Bondita ! Stop !"

Bondita had just frowned at her sister till she removed her hands.

" I will tell you ok ? Just...just don't go around blabbering about it like this ok ?"

" Ookk." The thing was about husbands. Could be something private. So she kept mum.

" Some men...most...most men... like it when their wives... smell good." Sampoorna had just confused her more.

" Like I asked, do they come and sniff their wives ? Like some... flower ?" It felt like objectifying.

" Like a flower... I had not thought of it that way..but yes..."

Why did her Didi look like she liked it ? Sitting there to be smelled...??!! That just seemed...absurd, degrading.

" Bondita... when... the husband...and wife get close...like that..." Sampoorna had waited for some sort of indication that Bondita knew something about it. Aniruddh had not touched her but he did believe in imparting knowledge. The realisation on Bondita's face told her he had told her somethings.

Bondita had understood. Her Didi had been talking of something that Bondita had experienced before...with her Pati Babu. The closeness. She understood. Just like her Pati Babu smelled...nice... always... She didn't go around trying to sniff him...just when he took her in his arms...she couldn't help but take in his musk perfume. Fusfus... She even noticed it when he occasionally changed it. She suddenly became concious of her own self.