Bondita had just caressed her baby girl to sleep, as she placed her in the curved wooden cot and stepped out of the bedroom. The main road was visible from the first floor Verandah, and on such lazy cloudy afternoons, Bondita loved to stand by the iron grills and admire the cityscape.
The verandah, too, was a sight!
Small bonsai trees and Persian roses had adorned the outline as Dalias and Jinias bloomed in the middle. It was a plethora of colours, and Bondita would always love to stand with her husband on such afternoons, holding his hand, as they both would admire this little beauty of nature, their hearts filled with gratitude and love.
The entire morning was spent glued infront of the radio, as the IBC Calcutta broadcast gave updates about the biggest news of the day, the Swadeshi Custodial Death Case. The newsreader was showering praises on the Barristry skills of the famous law personnel, Anirudh Roy Chowdhury, and sitting at home, Bondita and Batuk couldn't help but feel utterly proud of the man they both loved so dearly.

"So far so good." Batuk stretched his back and sat up on the couch as the radio announced a three hour break before broadcasting the news regarding the second half of the case. Anirudh had done considerably well, impressing both the British juries and the Indian politicians alike. But, what surprised the audience was his acquisition on RayBahadur Neelmoni Mukherjee's history of smuggling British arms to the French dealers and his aid in the death of the Krantikari inside the prison. He also claimed that the man who died was a witness to Neelmoni's illegal dealings and hence was removed from the face of the earth. It was not only a treachery to the country but also a treason to the British Government.

"Neelmoni Mukherjee!!" Batuk breathed.
"I just can't believe he is such a..."

"Neither can I... Behind his sugarcoated words..." Bondita paused and sighed.
"I just feel bad for Raimoti... Poor girl."

"Serves her right." Batuk murmured.

"What?" Bondita rolled her eyes at him.
"Don't you have college today Batuk?" She asked him instead.

"I do... But, there isn't a radio in the classroom, only dead bodies." He winked at his sister-in-law and got up from the couch with a jump.
"I'll go and quickly take a bath Boudi... We still have three hours, I'd probably reach college by then so that I can listen the rest from the hostel."

Bondita nodded her head in agreement.

"Are you sure you'd be alright? Call the hostel number if you need anything."
He picked up the towel he lay with and placed it around his shoulders.

"The telephone Batuk... It still isn't working." She let out a sigh and walked to the iron grill once again, overlooking the part of the road that had narrowed down towards the left making way to the entrance of their house.

"Hmm... I'll go tomorrow again." He breathed, walking down the staircase towards his room, his mind filled with all sorts of theories and explanations about the case his elder brother was fighting.
His Dada was his hero, and Batuk knew in his heart that his would never lose, he just wouldn't!

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

The afternoon sunlight was pleasant, the sweet aroma of the flowers were pleasant too, and at that moment, standing at the Verandah, Bondita thought lazily about all the things that they would do post her husband's win.
The road wasn't crowded, her eyes loitered around aimlessly, as suddenly she saw an old man sitting on his hunches infront of the dug up telephone line at the narrowed corner of their house, at a blind spot from where the two guards stood.

"Manikaki... Manikaki..." She called out immediately.

Manimala came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands in her saree, and Bondita beckoned her to stand beside in the Verandah.

"Kaki, did you see that man before?" She asked her and Manimala nodded her head.
"Since yesterday. The old fellow didn't leave his place even once it seems."

"Oh... Must be from the telephone office."
Bondita remarked thoughtfully as her eyes scrutinized the seated man from an arial view. His clothes looked worn out, his long grey kurta seemed to have a few patches. He was wearing a checked lungi and a white skull cap on his head.

"Hm... Must be a line worker."
She turned towards the middle-aged woman standing infront with her habitual drawn face.
"Kaki... Would you do me a favour..."
Her eyes had suddenly sparkled with a possibility.

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

Koreem Mia hadn't eaten since two days, except for the cheap tobacco that his colleague had given him on their way to the RayBahadur Palace. He had hated the ruthless old landlord, but what he hated more was the thought that his daughter wouldn't be wedded off due to unavailability of the promised dowry.
He would have to buy a cow, the minimal gold jewellery for the bride and a small feast for the groom's family. His daughter had turned 19, already too old to be married, and if he couldn't get her married by this season, the head of their village had threatened to cast both of them out of their small ancestral land, both him and his daughter... Budur.

Dark thoughts loomed in Koreem's mind about his beloved Budur's future as he stayed guard at the rigged telephone line infront of the Roy Chowdhury residence.
This was immoral, and he knew it, but at that moment, he was helpless, his judgement way past the boundaries of immorality. He used to be a Krantikari in his youth with a sense of morality weighing over his head, he had been jailed as well, but then his wife made him promise a straight life on her death bed, life of a simple man, who would live to tend their daughter.
Koreem had loved his country, but that felt like another life to him now!
Budur was a small girl then, and looking at the innocent face of his motherless child, Koreem had given up his passion to fight for his country and live a life of honestly and simplicity.
Untill now...
The pressing need for money had brought him to Neelmoni Mukherjee's door and he had hired Koreem for what he did the best...
No Saheb, as I had said. Barring me, only the Almighty can find the fault where I rigged it.
And he knew the truth about those words he had spoken.

The afternoon sun was burning his skin, but what burnt him more was his hunger. He sat quietly near the heap of clay unearthed by the engineers from the telephone office in futile attempts of finding the fault in the wire.
Koreem's thoughts were ruffled, his eyes sharp, as he suddenly saw a pretty young woman about his Budur's age coming towards him. His muscles had stiffened at once, alerting his senses all in a moment.
Who was this now?
Why was she coming towards him?
Did she...

Koreem couldn't think anymore as the pristine smile from the young woman brightened the clouded gloominess of the surrounding.

"Who are you?" He asked as a strange awe grasped him.

"Bondita." The woman smiled and sat down infront of him, on the side of the road, just the way he was seated. She was clothed simply, a pink cotton saree and her hair tied into a loose bun, hanging at her neck. She was devoid of any prominent jewellery and the bright red sindoor on her hairline glowed proudly radiating a positive aura around her.
She looked divine!

Who could she be!

Koreem gulped, as he saw her put down a covered tray infront of him. She slowly removed the cloth from the top and smiled tenderly at him.

"Chaccha, I brought you food."

Koreem was dumbfounded for a moment, but he quickly recovered and frowned at her.

"Won't your Maalkin scold you if she knows you are here?" He asked her.

Bondita looked up at him and smiled again, as she placed the glass of water down from the tray that she had carried.
"This is my house Chaccha."

"Yours?" Koreem gulped again.
"Your house? So, the man who left in the morning..."

"Yes... He is my husband." She smiled again, without letting him complete.
"You know he is a Barrister... A really good one." She paused to gauge his expression.
"Chaccha a 'Moktar'... The one who fights cases in a court."

Kareem widened his eyes as the word registered to his understanding.
Bondita gestured him to eat as she started to speak happily.
"So, my husband is fighting a case today, to save twenty Krantikari brothers from Kalapani... It's a big day for us..." She paused.
"And, I want to tell you that I'm sorry."

"Wh...why?" Koreem suddenly couldn't find words.

"Because, we needed the telephone urgently. And, hence my brother-in-law made a complaint at the office. Isn't it why you are here?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Ye..yes."

"Hm... I got to know that you are here since yesterday. I should have come here earlier Chaccha." She breathed the words and raised the glass to him gesturing him to wash his hands.

"I wanted to ask you to come up... But, I know you wouldn't... A man who didn't leave his post in two days won't do it now as well.... So I decided to come down."

Koreem couldn't speak. He just washed his hand in the water that she poured, in robotic movements, as if someone else was dictating his actions, but his mind was his own. And it was his mind that didn't give him the courage to look at her in the eye.

"Chaccha... Please eat."
Bondita had urged gently as with trembling hands Koreem tore the warm luchi and put it in his mouth.
The soft taste of the food and the warmth made his eyes watery instantly.

"Is it not good?" Bondita asked politely.

"No... No beta... It's... It's very good." Her ways had touched his soul.
"It tastes exactly the way Budur makes." He murmured softly, stuffing another grub in his mouth.

"Budur?"

"Yes, my daughter. Budur-un-neshar."

Bondita smiled at his words.
"The brightest of the moon."
She repeated along with the old man, together, as they both smiled together at the simultaneity of their words.

"What is your name, beta?" Koreem asked her, his heart wreching at the misdeed that he was doing to her family.

"Bondita..."
She smiled.

"The worshipped one!" He repeated along with her, once again, together, but this time his eyes teared up at their concurrent words.

"Where is she? Your daughter?" Bondita had suddenly asked, startling the old man for a moment.

"My village, Murshidabad." He replied, finishing the pile of luchis on his plate.
"She is to be wedded... Next month." He added.

Bondita smiled joyously at his words.
"That's great news Chaccha... That's really a great news." Her eyes shone in genuine happiness that was hard to miss even for the old man.

Koreem felt a heavy stone crushing his heart. How would he bear the sight of this happy girl, who fed him with such tenderness, and live with the knowledge of her destruction for the rest of his life!
He sighed deeply.

"Don't be sad Chaccha... I know it's sad to see daughters getting married, but trust me your happiness would know no bounds when you will see her happy face." She paused, arranging the small steel bowls, as she pushed the bowl of Rosogulla towards him.
"I too have a daughter... We just can't imagine, she'll leave us too one day."

Koreem saw her eyes glistened for a moment as she shrugged off the sadness of the conversation and poured water from the jug she brought to wash her hands.
Koreem, too, had finished his food, and had washed up, as he lowered his head to wipe his face in the worn out gamcha that was tied to his waist.

"Here, Chaccha, take this."

Her words had made him frown.
More food? He thought as he lifted his head up, but only to find a pair of white sparkling round jewels on her palm, held towards him.

"These?" He gasped.

"A small gift for my sister Budur." She smiled.

"But..."
Tears had already started to build up in his core, fighting to burst out from his deep set eyes.

"No 'but', Chaccha. You called me Beta... I don't have a sister... So settled... Budur is my sister, and these small studs are her wedding gifts."

Koreem took the round jewels in his trembling hands.
"These are dia... diamonds?" He murmured.

"Hm... Diamonds for a diamond." She paused as Koreem noticed her bare earlobes from where she had just pulled her studs off.
"I wish her all the happiness in the world... May she..."

Bondita couldn't complete her words as she saw the old man collapse down at her feet, murmuring incomprehensible words in sobs.

"Chaccha... Chaccha... Please..." She had quickly joined her hands in a plea, urging him to get up.

"You... You have no idea...what you have...the Almighty...", the old man was sobbing.

"Chaccha... bless my husband." Bondita had suddenly muttered the words.
"Bless him with health and happiness and I'll pray from your daughter." Her face had suddenly became serious as she picked up the tray and arranged the plates quickly before standing up to leave.

Koreem was still in tears, seated like a stone statue, unable to fully fathom the emotional turmoil that his heart and soul was experiencing.
He faintly raised his hand up to his forehead and folded them into a thanking prayer infront of her.

"I don't remember my father well." Bondita too, couldn't resist her tears this time, as she quickly turned around one last time before leaving.
"Budur is a lucky girl... with such a hard-working father such as you... I'm sure she is proud of you, Chaccha... Take care."

Her quick steps had taken her back inside the mansion, leaving a full-stomached, empty-hearted Koreem seated beside the road.
He opened his palm and stared at the glittering diamond studs once again.

These would probably worth more than anything he had ever possessed... enough to buy everything needed for his dear Budur's marriage.
His mind told him.
And his heart made his slowly crawl towards a certain fringe of the telephone line, as he pulled out a small tool and an adhesive from his lungi.

May Allah bless you Beta... May he bless your husband!
He closed his tear strained eyes and murmured.

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

Dear Readers,
This is the second update for the day. Do let me know how it was.