Dhanyawaad ( An Anidita Story )

Ch.16 Binoy's sinister plans

*Tulsipur*

*Roy Chowdhary Haveli, Binoy's room*

Binoy is drinking alcohol in his room, sitting on his chair. Somnath enters his room.

"Ji baba,apne bulaya tha mujhe?" , he asked his father.

"Anirudh kaha h?"

"Dada, shaayad apne kamre mein honge."

"Usse yaha bhej do."

Somnath nodded his head and left from there. He went to Anirudh's room, just to see his brother crying.

"Dada",he called in a soft tone. Anirudh instantly turned his attention towards him.

"Baba, apko apne kamre mein bula rhe h."

"Hmm."

Anirudh went to his father's room and Somnath also headed to his room. Upon entering his room he saw kaka sitting there.

"Kaka , aap iss samay yaha?"

"To ab hume apne ghar me ek kamre se dusre kamre m jaane ke liye bhi aagya leni hogi? Yaha sab apni marzi ke maalik ban ke baithe h aur hum, iss ghar ke maalik apne ghar m ghoom bhi nahi sakte?"

"Nahi kaka, kaisi baat kr rhe h. Mera vo matlab nahi tha. Vo to aap iss samay tak soo jate h isliye main-"

"Jab ghar ke bete ne khandaan ki izzat ka samaaj m falooda bana diya ho tab hume neend kaise aa skti h. Ye aaj jo kuch bhi hua h ye sahi nahi tha. Arrey hamara nahi to kamse kam Anirudh ko uss bechari bacchi Saudamini ke baare m to sochna chahiye tha. Isse yaad aya, ki vo kahi abhi tak Anirudh ke intezaar m na baithi ho. Jao Somnath, isse pehle Bhaumik ji aur unke parivar ko kahi bahar se pata lage unhe jaa ke bata do, kya mahaanta ka kaam karke aaye h tumhare dada."

"Par kaka. Agar ye baat dada khud-"

"Ohh to ab tumhare liye bhi humari kahi baat ka koi mahatv nhi h. Ha jab bade bete ko hi bado ki baat ka maan na rakhna aata ho, to chhoto ko kya kahe."

"Nahi kaka aisa kuch nahi h. M abhi Bhaumik kaka ke ghar jaata hu."

On the other hand, Anirudh was in Binoy's room, where his father was manipulating him- to leave this craze of freedom, to leave this foolishness he just exhibited by marrying that poor teenager girl, with an unknown caste and family background, to go back to London after marrying Soudamini and settle there for good as a lawyer.

"Dekho Anirudh beta, idhar aao, main tumhara baap hoon. Main jaanta hu ki iss samay tumhara dil kitna bhara hua h. Tumhare mann pe kitna bhara bojh hai." He said slyly, while taking out a bottle of liquor from his rack and pouring it into a glass. "Ye lo." He offered the glass of alcohol to his son.

"Nahi baba, mein sharaab nahi pita." Anirudh politely said, while sliding the glass back towards his father.

"Beta, m tumhe sharaab nahi de raha hu. Ye dawa h." Anirudh looked at him, a bit surprised. "Jiska dil dard mein ho, mann mein na sukoon ho, na kisi se kehne ki kuch himmat ho, uske liye ye dawa hi hai. Jiska koi sath na de, ye usse uska apna sathi bana deti h. Lo, isse pilo, jab aankhe khuli hoke bhi insaan hosh kho baithta h, tab madhosh hoke sab kuch saaf saaf samjhme aane lagta h." Binoy did what he was the best at- manipulating and sugarcoating- called convincing in business terms. These skills of his were a big part of their success as zamindars. 

Anirudh who was already engulfed by shock, anger, pain, and loneliness, lost all chastity. He picked the glass and engulfed the liquid in a sip, burning his throat because of the harshness.

"Baba, thank you! Mujhe samajhne ke liye." He said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Mein niche kab se sab ko batane ki koshish kar rha hu ki maine aakhir uss ladki se kyu vivah kiya, aisa kya hua tha ki mujhe ye sab karna pada, lekin koi meri baat sunna hi nahi chahta."