Dhanyawaad ( An Anidita Story )

Ch.3 Anirudh is back

*Roy Chowdhary Haveli*

The whole haveli is adorned with flowers and decorations. The servants are going in and out.Somnath and Batuk are sitting on the couch.

"Batuk iss baar sab kuch ache se hona chahiye baba aur kaka ka jhagda nahi hona chahiye bilkul bhi."

"Jhagda to hoga hee."

A beautiful young lady enters in a pink saree. She is fanning herself with a hand fan. As she lowers her hand, her face is revealed. A pretty oval face, smiling eyes, thin lips , bindi adding to the beauty and long black hair, with smooth waves.

"Please aisa mat kaho Soudamini bodhi."

"Ishhh! Bodhi bani nahi hu abhi mein tumhari.", she says shyly.

"Bani nahi ho to ban jaogi, ye to atal hain."

"Aur kisi ko liye vo ghar vaapis aaye na aaye par Anirudh Soudamini ke liye ghar vaapis zarur aayega aur.......", Batuk stops as both the elders stare with mouths open at him. "Ai- Ai- aisa Mene ye suna tha baba ko kaka se kehte hue."

They both laugh at his words. Soudamini turns and looks at Anirudh's photo hanging on the wall.

"Mujhe bhi usi pal ki prateeksha hein. Na jaane kab wo mere saamne ayega. Na jaane kab meri tasveer uske dil se nikal ke aankho m ubhar aayegi-"

"Waah ye likh do dada ko. Abhi daude daude aa jayenge."

She again looks affectionately at the picture. "Ab aur kitna intezaar karaoge Anirudh. Kab tak aise hee deewar pe tange tange muskuraoge."

"Dada ka to pata nahi par aaj baba aur kaka ka jhagda nahi hoga. Dono judwa bhai khushi khushi apna birthday manayenge."

"Aur vo kaise?"

"Humne saara intezaam kiya hein." They come out of the study into the hall which has a mandir on one side. "Humare baba English Gentleman h. Isliye jaise unhe pasand hein unki party mein khaana, kapde, sharaab, sab kuch videshi rakha gaya hein. Kyu h na Bihari?"

"Ji Somnath babu."

"Lekin usse pehle humare reeti riwazo ke pakke, adarshwaadi, sanskaari Trilochan kaka k liye pooja bhi rakhwai h. Arti ki thaal ban gyi Bihari?"

"Ye dekhiye somnath babu. Tilak, Dhaaga, diya, prasad, sab rakh diya h thaali mein."

"Very good."

"Bihari babu, yajman ko bulaiye.", the pandit calls from the mandir.

"Dharm k kaam ke liye Trilochan Roy Chowdhary ko bulana nahi padta hein."

A man in his early 40s enters the hall. He is wearing a kurta and dhoti, spectacles on his nose with the string around his neck. He is carrying a cane with him and has a stern expression.

"Ye lijiye aa gye yamraj, hamara matlab hein yajman.", Bihari says to the Pandit. With this he runs to his master to remove the wooden slippers in his feet and put them away.

Trilochan approaches the kids. "Janamdin ki bohot bohot shubhkamnaye, Trilochan kaka.", the kids say in chorus as they bow to touch his feet to seek blessings.

"Heheh, jeete raho.", he says while smiling. "Acha laga, acha laga ye dekh ke ki iss ghar ke sanskar abhi bhi baaki hein varna tumhare pita ki paschimi asabhyata ne to- "

"Ab kya asabhyata ho gayi dada." He is cut by another man also in his early 40s but dressed quite opposite to him. He is wearing a western suit with a tie, spectacles on nose, without any string.

"Aur ye hein chote" "Yamraj?" " nahi yajman, panditji." Bihari informs the Pandit before running to remove the black leather shoes from the man's feet.