Dhanyawaad ( An Anidita Story )

Side Story - 2

For a clear context, please read Side Story 1. Enjoy

Bondita ran to her room and closed the door. She went to the cupboard and closed herself in it. Her baba came after her and saw the closed door. He banged on it and it flung open. He looked inside and saw the empty room. As he was about to leave he saw Bondita's skirt hanging out of the cupboard.

He smiled and said loudly, "Hey Durga Ma! Meri misti doi mujhse naraaz ho gayi h. Ab aap hi bataiye m kya karu. Na jaane kaha chali gayi h. M to usse dhundh bhi nahi paa rha hu. Ab mein kya karu." He said while slowly approaching the cupboard.

He opened the cupboard and Bondita got startled seeing him. She looked at him angrily and puffed her cheeks and turned away.

"Hey dugga ma! Ye to meri misti doi nahi h. Ye to rosogulla h. Ekdum gol."

"Haww baba! Aap mujhe gol matol keh rhe h." She immediately said and then bit her tongue. She forgot that she had to stay angry.

"Arrey ye to meri misti doi hi h."

"Baba! Apse naraaz hu m. Baat nahi karungi."

"Bondita, aisi saja degi apne baba ko." He fake cried.

"Baba, aap ro rhe h? Mujhe maaf kar dijiye. Mein to bas...." She whispered softly upon seeing her father and got closer to him to hug him. But her father attacked her.

"Hahahahahah.......hahahhaahha...bas bab...baba.......pet dukh raha h. Hahah.....bas bas" Her father started tickling her as she got close to him. He stopped after hearing his daughter's requests.

"Kya meri misti doi abhi bhi naraaz h."

Bondita shook her head. "Par baba, aap hi bataiye na un kaki ka bhi to nanha shishu aane wala hoga na. Aur vo bahar behosh hoke gir bhi gayi thi. Kya maine unki madad krke galat kiya?"

Her father was in a trance. "Nahi beta, lekin tum unhe haath nahi laga sakti. Vo log choti jaat k hote h."

"Kyu baba, ye jaat badi or choti ho, aise kisne kaha h? Sab kehte h ki sab kuch bhagwan ki marzi se hota h. To kya jaat bhi bhagwan ne banai h? " She asked him innocently. 

Her father could not fight the tarks of that innocent little girl. So he used the ultimatum.

"Bondita, tu apne baba se pyaar krti h na?"

"Haa baba, sabse zyaada aapse hi to karti hu."

"To aage se choti jaat valo ko hath mat lagaana, dur se baat karne ki bhi jarurat nahi h."

"Par baba...."

"Pyar nahi karti tu apne baba se." He trapped her emotionally.

"Thik h baba." She spoke in a low tone.

"Chalo ab puja m chalte h. "

They went downstairs and completed the puja. After the puja, the priest told them that the rest of the week , the puja will be done in the durga temple on the outskirts of Tulsipur. Their house was free of all bad norms and the puja was to be continued at the temple.

After the priest left and everybody had dinner, Shankar Das told this to other members of the house.

"Bilkul bhi nahi." Thakuma shouted. "Bangal m mandiro ki kami h kya. Mein Tulsipur bilkul nahi jaaungi."

"Thakuma, samajhne ki koshish kijiye. Ye puja bhi to aap hi ne rakhwai thi. Aap bataiye kya iss tarah puja bich m chhodna sahi hoga."

"Ha Shonkor, tumi thika. Puja bich m todna sahi nahi h. Magar m keh deti hu, mein vaha kadam nahi rakhungi. Mein yahi krishna nagar m rukungi."

"Par thakuma, aap ke bina kaise-"

"Maine keh dia na. Bas aage koi charcha nahi hogi. Kisi ko kal bhijwa ke humari haweli ki safai krwa dena aur rashan paani rakhwa dena. Tum log wahi to rukoge."

"Ji thakuma."

"Hmm. Shubh ratri."

"Shubh ratri."

The family went to sleep. The next day, they went to Tulsipur for the puja. Shankar, Sumati, Bondita, Tupur, Tapur and Bondita's kaki reached their haveli. The servants had cleaned the haveli and were decorating it for the puja. The children ran inside as it was their first time in that house.

The elders shifted their luggage in the rooms and took a small rest before watching over the preparations while the children were full of energy and continued to play.

"Ma hum khelne bahar jaa rhe h." Bondita told her mother.

"Thik hein jaao, lekin aas paas hi rehna jyaada dur mat nikal jana." Sumati told them. The kids were running around the house and it was a bit distubance in the preparations. 

Bondita and Tupur ran from there. They went outside chasing after one another. In the trance, the kids did not realise when they came so far from the haveli. They were about to go back when Tupur saw a kulfiwala dragging his cart.

"Bondita Didi, Chalo na kulfi khate h."

"Nahi Tupur, ham haveli se bohot dur aa gye h. Baad m kha lenge."

"Nahi didi, fir kaise khayenge. Ghar m to sab puja ki taiyari kr rhe h. Chalo na. Chalo na didi." Tupur said with glistening eyes. Bondita also wished to have some kulfi. She was a kid of 6 years after all.

Both the sisters started running after the kulfiwala. Tupur was ahead of Bondita when Bondita's leg tripped and she fell down. It hurt a lot and she sat there looking at her wound. But after some time she realised her sister was not there with her, so she got up bearing the pain and searched around for her. Searching around, Bondita came across a bunch of bushes. She crossed the bushes and saw a small lake. Some kids were laughing and playing there.

She saw that Tupur was not there so she turned around to go back when she heard someone's cries. She turned around and saw a boy drowning in the lake water. Apparently, the kids on the bank were laughing at the little guy, instead of helping him. Bondita stood there, frozen in her place. She didn't know how to help him.

She looked around and saw a stick.  She picked it up and went back to the bushes. Moments later, she came near the laughing kids with a big worm wrapped around the stick. She showed them the stick and kids started shouting in fear. The little girl was scaring them with the stick in one hand, her hand folded tightly into a fist behind her back.

The scared kids ran away from there and she threw away the stick. She saw the boy drowning, his face almost under the water. Mustering up her courage, she went into the lake. She had gone to bath at the river a multiple times with her mother. Maybe she could do this. She walked a few steps, then took a large breath and lurched forward. She felt herself sinking and started splashing the water around her. That is when she saw a fish. The fish's fins and tail moved in a rhythm as it swimmed. She moved her hands and legs in a similar manner and started floating instead of sinking.

With great difficulty, she moved forward towards the guy and held his hand, pulling him towards her. Then she carried him away to the bank.

The guy lay down on the bank coughing up water.

"Tum thik to ho na?"