The glass hurricane lamps were rolling aimlessly, yet in a rhythm, on the tarpaulin covered ground. The chains of floral decoration were beside them, trodden, smashed!
The un-holy flame of the wedding pyre wasn't burning anymore, and beside the square yajna pit on the high alter, sat Anirudh Roy Chowdhury, cradling his semi-conscious wife in his arms.

"Anirudh Da... Here..."
Kush was standing behind him, offering him a jug of water, and Anirudh took it at once. Cupping his palm, he splashed some on Bondita's face, and she opened her eyes, smiling at him innocently.

"I'm alright, Barrister Babu, just my head is heavy." Bondita tried to sit up, looking around her, "where is she?"

Anirudh too looked around, searching for Raimoti, and Kush interjected.
"SatyaGauri Di? Umm... I saw her running out." He paused, hesitating for a minute.
"She picked up a log from here, and ran out."

"Alone?"
Anirudh narrowed his eyes.

"Yes... At the sound of the gunfire..."

Bondita sat up with Anirudh's support, and their anticipating worried gaze met at once.

"Do you think she might have..."
Bondita murmured the words, gasping at her own thoughts, and Anirudh's jaw clenched at once.

"We'll have to look for her, Barrister Babu, now."
Bondita pulled the remaining of the white thermocol crest from her head and  grabbed Anirudh's arm for support.

"Anirudh Da..." Kush hesitated.
"Dada, I had no clue that my Jetha was getting married to a minor... I... I was told otherwise."
Kush swallowed in embarrassment, as Anirudh nodded his head, his eyes trailing a little afar where the half drunk Bharat Chattujjee was hunching on the ground, and infront of him was Ram Chattujjee, his wife compressing a cold poultice on his forehead, crying.

"This was wrong in so many ways Kush... I'm glad you atleast understand it's gravity." 
Kush was nodding his head silently, and Anirudh stood up, helping Bondita to rise on her feet along with him.

"Anirudh Da... SatyaGauri Di gave... "
Kush was murmuring, but his words were vehemently interjected by a gruff male voice.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea what blunder you have just commited? Do you have any damn idea!"
Headman Jogen Mullick had been frantically apologising to the panicking guests with his hands folded in a plea when his eyes fell on the woman seated at the alter in another man's arms, dressed as the bride... and the woman was definitely not his daughter!

"I do mister... A very fair idea of what menace was getting executed here!"
Anirudh had stood infront of Bondita, forming a barrier between her and the charging man.

"Who are you again?" Jogen Mullick was furious, and his hand had formed a fist, raising it at Anirudh, but his advances were promptly restricted by Kush.

"He is Barrister Anirudh Roy Chowdhury, very famous... He is the one who made laws against child marriage."
Kush muttered the words in a breath, binding Jogen Mullick's hands behind him, grabbing him in the strong hold of his youthful agile arms.

"O!! The culprit himself!!" Jogen Mullick barked out the words, trying to free himself and Kush tightened his grip around him further.

"Don't speak to him like that!" The boy hissed, raising his voice, as he turned towards his own parents.
"I'm so... so ashamed today Baba... What were you going to do? Marry Jethu with a eleven year old? Are you out of your mind!" He paused, and exhaled sharply, realising a much calmer Jogen Mullick from his grip.
"And, Maa... Look what have you done... To Barrister babu's wife..." He huffed the words as his mother started to sob with a renewed vigour.
"This is how you planned to quieten that little girl? Opium?" He nodded his head sideways vehemently and blurted out again.
"Today, I've to say this... I'm ashamed to be your son! I'm ashamed to be born in this family!"

"Kush, Baba...!"
Ram Chattujjee's wife broke down into tears, and Kush turned towards Anirudh in a helpless anger.

"Not like this Kush... You have to make them understand the implications of their deeds... Rationally." Anirudh kept his hand on the boy's shoulder, and spoke with a firm gentleness.

"Child marriage is a social evil, and unless we all understand it's gravity, Bengal can never be completely free from its danger!"
Anirudh looked around, his voice drawing attention of the men, women and children scattered mindlessly.
"What happens when you pluck an unripened fruit?" His eyes were on the faces of the villagers staring at him with their widened fearful eyes.
"It doesn't grow anymore, nor can you eat it," he paused again,
"It's the same with child marriage. When a young girl gets married at an early age, her body and mind, yet not prepared for marital responsibilities, for bearing children... It just results in one outcome... Death!" Anirudh paused again, gauging the expectant eyes on him, as he started to speak again.
"Is that what want for your daughters? Death? Do you want your daughters to be slaughtered to this age-old evil custom? How is it even fair?"

"But, if we don't get our daughters married early, we are cornered in the village... No one would give up water even!"
A helpless voice of a woman cried out from the crowd, and Anirudh turned towards her, but before he could speak, he saw Bondita walking forward.

"That's where we have to fight together Didi... It's not one man's fight... It's our fight, and we can't win this unless we are all together." She looked around, and then at Anirudh. He was smiling at her proudly.
"If everyone in this village believes in this social evil, if every household abstains from practising child marriage, then who would corner whom?"
Bondita looked at Ram Chattujjee's wife and sighed.
"And if a woman doesn't understand the pain of another woman, then who would? Then how can we even expect the men to understand us?" She walked down from the altar slowly as Anirudh held her waist, helping her to walk.

"I too have faced it... I was married at nine." Ram Chattujjee's wife sobbed out the words, hiding her mouth with the loose end of her saree, and Bondita walked closer and touched her shoulder.

"Mashi, I understand... You were subjected to this inhumane custom... You are a victim to this child marriage, but does that mean you would take your revenge on other small girls by supporting this evil? How it is any fair?"
Her calm words made the woman look down.
"Mashi, whatever happened to you, it can't be changed, but you have the power to change other lives... You have the power to let other girls live..."

"Madam, you are kind... but, my mother has lost it completely... I can't imagine she tried to intox..."
Kush huffed the words but Bondita raised her hand to stop him.

"Kush, she is your mother... She is wrong... But is it not your responsibility to show her the right path? Did she not do the same to you when you were a child?"

Bondita smiled and Kush lowered his head at once, only to look up at his mother's tear strained face.

"Maa... Jethu is barely in senses... He probably couldn't even fathom what's going on right now, but please Maa... Open your eyes, see the world around..."
Kush turned to look at his father.
"And Baba... You are the headman right? If you don't show the right path to others, then who would?"
He breathed the words and Ram Chattujjee looked away at once.

"We're just doing a favour to Jogen Mullick by getting his daughter married off... He begged us."
Ram Chattujjee murmured, and Anirudh interjected.

"Ram Babu... I've been your guest, you aren't an unreasonable person... So why did you even agree to this?"

Anirudh's words made him turn and look towards his wife, and Kush sighed deeply.

"And you... Jogen Mullick, aren't you a father? How could you do this to your own blood?"
Anirudh remarked, and the middle aged man sank down on the ground, patting his head in laments.

"I have two daughters Babu... Two!!
Their dowry would cost me a fortune... And, and Chattujjee Babu had agreed to..." The man couldn't speak anymore, and the violent fit of rage in him turned into loud wails.

"I'm done for Babu... My wife left, my daughters left... And, this broken marriage... You save society, but your deeds destroyed me completely... I'm done for!"
Jogen Mullick banged his forehead with his fist and cried out loud.
"Do you think my daughters would ever be married? Never! Even when they are of age... Who would ever marry a girl left at the wedding altar!" The man was banging his head on the ground, like a lost soul, and Anirudh inched closer to him and kept his hand on his shoulder.

"Is it all you are concerned about? Marriage? Don't you want your daughters to study and be someone in the society? Would you not be proud then?"
Anirudh tried to calm him down, but Jogen Mullick rolled on the ground.

"No one would marry my Jhinuk... No one... Ever... And what your wife did today, it destroyed my family?"

"It saved your family Jogen Babu!"
Kush had forwarded, standing beside Anirudh now.
"And, when time comes, I will marry your daughter."

A round of gasps and hushed words floated in the air, as Anirudh smiled tenderly at the young boy.

"I've learnt a lot from reading about you Anirudh Da... You are my hero... And I'd do anything to protect the cause you are fighting for." Kush had joined his hands infront of Anirudh as the latter pulled him close to his chest.

"I'm proud of you Kush... I really am... But, marriage can't be the only solution to every social problem... You can marry Jhinuk when you both are of age, provided she agrees, but that shouldn't be the driving force for everyone to believe in the evils of child marriage...
Let Jhinuk study, grow up, be someone with her own voice, and then... Do as it deems fit Kush... I have complete faith in you."

Bondita had neared them, a smile was painted on her frail face, and Anirudh turned around at once, holding his wife in his arms.
"I'm proud of my wife today, that she, at the cost of her own life, saved a girl... It's not because I taught her so, or because she herself had faced this evil once, but... She did this because she believes in the cause... And education has enlightened her thus."

"But we don't have money to send our daughters to eschool!"
A man spoke up from the crowd.

"I understand money is a major constrain when it comes to educating girl children, but I promise it won't be so anymore."
He exchanged a glance at his wife, as she nodded at him slowly.

"My wife runs a school for women in Tulsipur... I'll guide Kush, and he would guide you if you want to educate your daughters... The school is free of cost, and we'll take care of your daughter's future, we promise!" He held Bondita's hand and the duo raised their joined arms up in the air, together, vowing to enlighten women!

Several men and women had responded after that, within a matter of minutes, and Kush had patiently noted their queries, promising their daughters a golden dream of a fearless life.
Anirudh and Bondita too had gotten down from the wedding altar, walking out of the gate, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Barrister Babu... I'm proud of you."
Bondita had tears in her eyes, and Anirudh smiled at her lovingly.

"I missed you Shona... I'd have died if you wouldn't have found me tonight." Anirudh murmured the words, cupping her face, amd Kush looked away at once, smiling.

"Red and golden, remember... I never break a promise...!" Bondita rested her head slowly on his chest, and he planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"You better not Shona... never ever...You are my life!"

"Same."
Bondita closed her eyes, inhaling the familiar musk of his body, calming her senses into a tender comfort.

"Shall we go look for Raimoti now?"
She murmured, inhaling again, and Anirudh sighed at her words.

"That we have to! And, I just hope she's alright!"

"They both should!" Bondita added.

...................................

Asking Mira to not smile, to not be happy that night was like trying to tell a fire not to burn. Her eyes were alight, her every muscle needed to move, to dance, to jump. Her tiptoeing down the staircase, her giggles and bashfulness. Everything tickled her with happiness, making her shy away from the mundanity around. Even the queued up ektaras on the shelf of the guest room winked at her with mischievous naughtiness.
Mira shut the door behind her and panted, hiding her flushed face in the cup of her palms, breathing rapidly.

"Didi?"

Bhargavi's soft voice had started her, as Mira jumped up, unsheathing her eyes to look at her from the gaps between her fingers.

"Are you alright?"
Bhargavi had a frown on her face, and Mira nodded, looking away bashfully.

"You... You aren't in the study?"
Mira murmured the question, walking slowly towards the bed where the girl was seated, a book opened on her lap.

"No... There are guests downstairs... So I thought..." Bhargavi narrowed her eyes at Mira thoughtfully, as very slowly she pulled down the sarees from her shoulder, revealing the strains of yellow Abeer on her white skin.

"How did these...."
She murmured the question, as Mira covered her face in her hands once again, nodding her head slowly at the girl.

"I'm happy!" Mira smiled.
"I'm happy Bhaggu... I now know what happiness feels like."

Bhargavi saw tears in Mira's eyes, as very gently she wiped the droplets from her cheeks with the back of her palm.

"I'm happy that you're happy Didi." Bhargavi tried to smile, but her eyebrows however had a frown of concern.

"Who were you with?" She murmured the question, and Mira turned around, instead of replying she had carelessly loosened the portion of saree that had covered her back, letting it fall freely on the bed.
Bhargavi gasped at once.

"Didi... "

"Who are these guests Bhaggu? Relatives?"
Mira hadn't turned around, and to avert Bhargavi's repeated queries she murmured the words softy, hoping to distract her with her question.

"Marriage... Downstairs..." Bhargavi gulped nervously, her eyes fixated on Mira's bare back.

"Whose?"
Mira smiled, turning around to face her now, but something in Bhargavi's expression made her furrow her eyes at once.

"Whose marriage Bhaggu?" She asked again, and Bhargavi swallowed hard and parted her lips, letting just a few audible words come out of it.

"Batakrishna's Mira..."
She gulped again, making the smile on Mira's face fade.
"Your back Didi... That's what is written."
She murmured.

...........................................

Let's see how many if your are awake to respond.
Hope you enjoy this chapter too.