That morning did not bring light but, spread a deep darkness in RC Mansion. The house which was once full of happiness and joy, had a shadow of gloominess looming over it now. The night before, turned out be a devastating one for Bondita. The night had taken her soul from her and left behind a rag of doll in it's steps behind.

All the RC men were in the living room , each fighting to control their emotions and stay strong. For themselves and their family. They can't afford to waver at a moment as such. A knock on the door brought them out of their thoughts and offered a distraction.

"Batuk dekh toh kon aya hai" kaka said in a low voice. Batuk walked towards the door. The sight which greeted him after opening the door left him stunned to the core.

"Aap log yaha kyu aaye hai? Humne toh aapko nahi bulaya hai. Phir..." Batuk asked in an annoyed tone.

"Maine inhe yaha bulaya hai Batuk" a feminine voice called out from behind. Everyone turned their heads towards the direction from where the voice came. Bondita was descending the stairs. She was decked up in a white saree without any jewellery. Her long hair flowing down her back and her face devoid of any emotions.

"Boudi aapne kyu-" Batuk hesitated a bit.

"Meine inhe isliye bulaya hai taaki ye aage ki rasme puri kar sake" Bondita replied as her feet touched the ground.

She turned her head towards the widows standing at the threshold and said "Aap sab andar aaiye....mein rasmo ke liye taiyaar hoon"

"Bahu ye sab kya hai? Tum esha kyu kar rahi ho? Dekho ye sab choro beta..." Kaka tried reasoning with her.

"Kaka sasurji aap he toh kehte hai naa....ki pati ke jaane ke baad ladki ka jeevan berang ho jata hai. Usse koi haaq nahi saaj sringhar karne ka, baalon ko sajane ka....bas mein apki baate maan rahi hoon. Kuch galat kar rahi hoon kya mein?" Bondita asked looking at kaka with lifeless eyes to which kaka was at a loss of words.

She was not wrong. She was right. He did say all those things. And he still thinks that is what should be followed, but he didn't want his Bondita to go through all that. She is an innocent soul and oblivious to all the societal cultures. He didn't want her to follow it.

"Haan boudi galat kar rahi hai aap......meri boudi kabhi galat paramparaon ka saath nahi deti hai.....wo toh humesha unke khilaaf awaz uthati hai.....phir aaj kyu aap ye sab karna chahti hai?" Batuk said with utmost pain in his voice and tears trickling down his cheeks.

Bondita started laughing after his comment. Her laughter having no clue of humour in it. "Kya haina Batuk kal raat tumhare dada apne saath tumhari boudi ko bhi leke chale gaye.......tumhari boudi bhi kal raat he mar gayi batuk. Ab jo tumhare saamne haina wo sirf ek zinda laash hai." She replied.

These words of Bondita was like a dagger entering their hearts. Everyone knew their Anirudh wasn't here to support their Bondita anymore. But still, hearing it from Bondita herself made their emotions heightened just as it did the first moment they came to knew he wasn't anymore.

"Aap sab andar aake taiyaari kijiye.....mein taiyaar hoon" Bondita requested the widows by folding her hands.

"Koi andar nahi aayega" Binoy yelled at the windows when they were about to enter. "Bondita esha mat karo beta.......tum ye sab...." Binoy started when kaka interrupted -"Rehne de Binoy.....usse jo man kare karne de, Kyuki ek pati ko khone ka dard sirf wo patni samajh sakti hai."

"Kaka ye aap kya kar rhe hai. Dada hume chodke gaye abb Boudi esha kar rahi hai.......aur aap unhe rokne ke bajai unhe protsahit kar rahe hai" Som raised his voice being irritated by kaka's words.

"Dekh Som, hum wahi kar rahe hai jo bahu chahti hai." Saying this , kaka walked out of the hall not being able to witness the scene anymore.

"Hum jaante hai bahu tumhare andar ek toofan chal raha hai....lekin aaj tumhe iss toofan se ladna he hoga...or jeetna bhi hoga......meri bahu jeevan ki koi ladai nahi haari hai. Ye bhi nahi haregi.....Dugga maa meri bahu ko shakti de." Kaka muttered under his breath.

A few moments later, the widows were ready for the Vidhwa Rasam. Bondita was asked to sit on a stool. Som and Batuk tried their best to convince her against it. Binoy was not able to digest all the happenings , thus went to his room.

"Boudi esha mat kariye.....please.....aap esha karengi toh kaise chalega" Som pleaded with her but she paid no heed to the request. She was oblivious to the feelings of the people surrounding her.

"Ha boudi. Dada thik keh rahe hai.... Aap aaj tak jeevan ki koi pareshani se nai haari hai. ...phir aaj bina lade he kyu haar maan gayi?" cried Batuk as he sat near Bondita's legs.

Bondita gave a weak smile at that. "Mujhe toh tumhare dada hara ke chale gaye hai Batuk......ek haare hue insaan se jeet ki umeed kaise rakh sakte hai?"

'Meri Bondita toh haar nahi maanti" a male voice reached Bondita's ears. She slowly shifted her gaze towards the door only to find her life, her Patibabu walking in her direction. "Aap...." She slowly stood up and went towards him. She was afraid she was dreaming. Was it her imagination playing with her?
She blinked her eyes and held his collars saying, "Kyu chale gaye aap mujhe chor ke... Haan? Boliye. Kyu chale gaye?" Her voice started wavering at the end and a few tears started to flow.

'Shhh....shh Bondita rou mat' Anirudh engulfed her in a hug.
'Aap bahot bure hain , ek baar bhi nahi socha ki aapki Bondita kaise jiyegi" she started complaining and weeping profusely now.
Anirudh broke the hug and cupped her face. 'Jana toh ek din sabko hota hai Bondita. Mera samay ho gaya tha , isliye mujhe jana pada.'

'Toh mujhe kyu chor diya yaha marne ke liye.....mujhe bhi le chalte apne saath' Bondita shouted and pulled on shirt causing it to tear.

'Nahi Bondita....tum abhi mar nahi sakti....tumhara safar abhi khatam nahi hua hai.....tumhari ladai abhi baaki hai' Anirudh's held her shoulders.

'Konsi ladai patibabu? Konsi ladai? Aapne soch bhi kaise liya ki main aapke bina koi ladai jeet sakti hoon? Boliye.' Bondita asked in rage.

'Bondita ye tumhare jeevan ki sabse kathin ladai hai aur sabse mehetwapurna bhi. Tumne aaj tak har ladki ko prerna di hain , kuch karne ki , aage badhne ki. Paramparaon ko todne ki aur aaj tum khud apne aap ko inn paramparaon mein baandh rahi ho. Kyu Bondita?'

'Kyuki mai nahi ladd sakti aur...thakk gayi hoon mein.' She took back her hands off his shoulder.

'Nahi Bondita , tum ladd sakti ho. Aur tum ladogi' Anirudh said.

'Kaise ladu mai? Ek adhura insaan kaise akele ladd sakta hai? Meri madat karne wala , mere saath khada rehne wala bhi mera saath chor ke chala gaya. Kaise ladu?' Tears of helplessness and grief were finally starting to consume our Bondita. It was now that she was coming to realise her loss. It was now that she understood that happy moments don't always last a long time. She cried helplessly covering her face with her plams.

She was all alone. No one was here to support her and be her rock on which she can lean on anymore.
The one she wanted to depend upon had long left her to fend for herself. How can the world manage to ask her to fight for herself? Fight against the society? How can she do it all alone?

Anirudh too knelt down and removed her palms from her face and wiped the never ending stream of tears from her face. 'Toh apne aap ko jodo Bondita. Aur phir uth khadi ho. Tum jaanti ho tumhara ye ek galat kadam kitni ladkiyo ki himmat tod dega?'

'Aaj jo tum ye kar rahi ho , isse tum iss samaaj ki soch ko sahi thehra rahi ho....wo soch jo kehta hai EK NARI PURUSH KE BINA NAHI LADD SAKTI. Ye samaj jo stree ko neecha samajhta hai, isse ek aur stree ke tut jaane se koi fark nahi padne wala. Lekin agar vahi ek stree haarne ke bajaye datt ke uska saamana kare, toh is samaj ko disha dikha sakti hai.' Anirudh said looking into her glossy eyes.

'Mere jaane ke baad agar tum apni himmat har gayi....agar tumne inn rudhiwadi paramparon ko maan liya toh yaad rahe Bondita , tum sirf apne app ko nahi, mujhe bhi hara dogi. Utho Bondita aur dikha do iss samaaj ko ki ek stree akele bina kisi purush ke sahare bhi apni ladai ladd sakti hai.' Anirudh encouraged her and stood up. He started taking backwards steps , Bondita's eyes clearing up and following his every motion.

'Utho Bondita.....Lado'

'Mujhe vishwaas hai ki tum ye kar sakti ho.'

'Tumhe uthna hi hoga Bondita.'

'Meri Bondita haar nahi sakti......utho Bondita.' His voice kept on repeating the same until it faded away with his silhouette completely.

Tears dribbled down from Bondita's eyes. Anirudh's words kept resounding in her ears. A widow started approaching her with an "Ustara" (a sharp metallic blade which is used to shave the head). She was about to shave Bondita's head when she held her hand.

Bondita lifted her eyelids to look at the widow. "Mein koi rasam nahi karungi." A smile crept on everyone's face while the widows scowled.

"Arey magar kyu? Tumhara pati mar gaya hai na. Kyu nahi karwaogi?" Asked one widow.

"Kisne kaha mere patibabu marr gaye hain? Wo toh mere rom-rom mein baste hain. Jabtak mein hoon , tabtak wo kaise marr sakte hai? Ha unka shareer bhale he mar gaya ho lekin unki soch ...... Unke aadarsh aajbhi mere aadhar zinda hain." Bondita said confidently.

"Ye hui na meri boudi wali baat." Batuk beamed.

"Toh phir bulaya kyu humein? Apmaan karne ke liye?" Spat out another widow.

"Kuch der ke liye mai bhatak gayi thi. Magar abb apne raaste pe laut aayi hoon. Isliye aapsab se nivedan hai yaha se chale jayein." Bondita said joining her hands.

Before anyone could say anything, kaka further spoke, "suna nahi humari bahu ne kya kaha? Jaao abb yaha se...yaha koi rasam nahi hogi."

The widows were dismissed. Kaka hugged Bondita while shedding tears and said, "hum jaante the humari bahu zaroor uth khadi hogi aur dekho wahi hua."

"Humari fitoori boudi laut aayi." Som and Batuk said in unison. They went on to share a family hug.

'Mere is dobara uth khade hone ka shrey bhi aapko jaata hai Patibabu. Shukriya. Ekbar phir mera marg-darshan karne ke liye. Mai aapse vaada karti hu ki mai aakhir tak ladungi' Bondita thought in her mind with a weak sigh.

There's definitely a moment in everyone's life when he/she completely loses courage.
Bondita was devastated by the onslaught that fate made her go through. She was so immersed in her grief that she had an illusion of her Patibabu encouraging her. She was on the verge of self destruction, when her inner conscience in the form of illusion of her Patibabu showed her the correct path.

The strongest is not one who never breaks down. Rather the strongest us one who rebuilds himself/herself even after being broken down.

That was the day old Bondita burnt into ashes and from the ashes, emerged a new Bondita with new courage and never faltering confidence just like a phoenix.

She never smiled genuinely after that day. But, she even didn't let the fake smile fall from her face.

( NOTE : Phoenix is a bird of Greek mythology who obtains a new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor)

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