" Aye bondita!! How much time will you take ? Come your gaay houlud rasm is about to start." Yelled Bondita's agitated maternal aunt .
" Just two minutes mami! " Bondita yelled from inside quickly hiding her sandalwood doll and her neatly covered books in a cloth sac covering it with a yellow saree.

The village ladies put turmeric paste on Bondita's cheeks , arms and shoulders, while she waited for this long torturous ritual to get over so that she could sneak out to meet her friend Bholi to bid her last goodbye.

" Bholiiiii! Ay Bholi!! I've mapped the half village and you are sitting here . " Huffed bondita panting and bending with hands on her knees .
" Bondita! Why are you here ? You shouldn't see me after your gaay houlud , its inauspicious. " Gasped bholi clutching her white saree on her face trying to hide her face from Bondita in vain.
" Who said its inauspicious ? You are my sakhi . You are the only person i can talk to after baba became a star. " Bondita yanked away the pallu from her face only to see her sakhi' s eyes filled with tears.
" Bondu ! I'll miss you. Whom will i talk to and who will bring me jalebis hiding it from everyone? Who will teach me varnmala ? Who will scold me when i give 2 aana extra to the baniya without calculating the actual cost? "Wailed bholi while clutching bondita to her chest and her tears dripping down her pale cheeks .
" I will miss you too bholi." Bondita tried to sniff back a tear which threatened to leave her eyes filled to the brim.

Soon the day of wedding came and Bondita was claded in red banarasi saree and heavy gold jewellery seated on a pidhi held in air by four men ready for shubho drishti. Her alta painted hands held betelnut leaves hiding her face while she made seven circles on pidhi around the groom . Bondita clenched her eyes as she feared that she might fall down and become a laughing stock , but nothing happened as such to her relief.
Her mami held her hands to lower the leaves and her eyes fell for the first time on the groom she was betrothed to.

Anirudh saw his child bride for the first time and felt a little intimidated under the scrutinizing gaze of this small girl but held himself and tried to make a stern face and furrowed his brows as if to show his superiority over her.

That brand new bicycle will soon be yours Anirudh as baba has promised . Dont be afraid. She is just a small girl. Dida said she is coming to serve you . You are her master .

With this self pep talk , Anirudh braced himself through all the rituals.