Chapter 13 Falling in love

"Dear Barrister Babu,

Loneliness is a state of mind.

Greetings of the season to you. I have returned back to school. My visit to Tulsipur was extremely fruitful. I could speak to at least 100 women and most of them were willing to attend evening classes. The plan is to first educate them about basic hygiene and sanitation, followed by self care and Home Science. Our women desperately need to be educated! Also, I've received immense support from your old friends, Sharmila and Mukundo Da... Sharmi has grown up a lot since that picnic of ours! Remember that picnic Barrister babu? (Read my embarrassed sighs here) Anyway, they have promised to extend their hands and are willing to collaborate in terms of funding. However, all I need now is moral support. I have had my share of setbacks as well. But Batuk was there, guarding and shadowing me as if someone had bribed him to do so! To my surprise, he has turned out to be a decent photographer. I'm sending you two of those clicked by him on Maha Astami.

And ofcourse, Durga Puja was fun. I wore sindoor, not for you but for myself. Hope you won't be disappointed. I'm turning 18 in three months. Right on the day of my graduation to be precise.

I'll extend my stay back in Dehradun one more month before going to Tulsipur one last time. Hope to see you there.

PS: Kshitija, unfortunately, is engaged. Her fiance is mentoring her already. However, she has a twin brother who seems to be single and probably in need of a mentor. Any suggestions?

Take my sincere regards,

Bondita"

Awnirudh read the letter in one's breath. Such a tease Vandita had become!

But wait... he read the last part again. 'Tulsipur one last time!' Had Vandita already decided her future then?.. Their future. And why would she not. She seemed a mature independent individual now!

Awnirudh took a deep breath as he told himself.

"If Bondita rejects me, which is pretty evident from her letter, I'm going to devote my life entirely to the causes of social welfare. I'll never marry and would embrace celibacy."

He sighed deeply before putting the letter inside the envelope carefully, and took out the two Polaroids sent by her.

He looked at the photograph... And looked again...

A woman in a of white Benarasi Saree, with red borders neatly pleated on the shoulder, her slender neck adorned with a thick gold necklace, and another long chain hung loose, the end of which was entwined in her artistic fingers. It was irrelevant if he found her beautiful, as the dark doe eyes staring back from the Polaroid threatened to steal his soul, bewitching him in every way possible. Vandita looked like an enchantress, ready to kill him in love... and he was prepared to die!

Awnirudh gasped.

His heart skipped a beat and he felt himself drawn towards the photo more and more.

"Vandita....!! My Goodness." He uttered in absolute astonishment.

"What are you! Goddess of my heart."

He pulled out the second photograph and swallowed hard.

The same eyes we're looking down, bashfully, and her red puffed lips were parted a little. The red Vermilion on her forehead seemed to added an additional glow, not that she needed it, but it made her look divine.

Awnirudh forgot to breathe!

After staring at the photos for a good one hour, Awnirudh finally got up and said to himself, "You win Vandita. Either I'll live with you or I won't live at all."

Pressing the photographs firmly to his chest, Awnirudh called the bearer.

"Thomas, please book me a ticket to India as soon as possible. My wife is graduating school."

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

It was early spring. Wild colourful flowers had bloomed in abundance in the green valley of Dehradun. The aesthetic bliss of the scenic beauty was good enough to make anyone fall in love with life. But what about the ones already in love? Or the ones blind to the prospect of it?

It was a big day for Vandita. First her graduation ceremony followed by her 18th birthday celebrations. The Roychowdhury's had already reached Dehradun a day before. They were lodging at their ancestral Banglow in the middle of the beautiful valley. Vandita had gone to greet them along with her friend Kshitija. She was extremely elated to see Kaka ,Batuk and Koeli didi. In the evening, Vandita had taken them out for a local sightseeing. The scenic beauty was breathtaking! Amidst all the fun and frolic, Batuk had pulled Vandita aside and asked, " Boudi, any news from Dada?"

Vandita had sighed deeply and nodded her head in denial.

"So what did you decide?" Batuk was restless.

"What's there to decide Batuk? He doesn't want me. He just wants me to be independent, and here I am." Vandita paused. "I'm his obligation Batuk."

"No you are not... Boudi, please. Please don't desert us. I have never had a mother or a sister. You are the next best thing that had ever happened to me." Batuk's voice had choked with emotion.

Vandita too, couldn't hide her tears anymore. Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath before speaking.

"Let's go inside Batuk. Time only will give us the correct answers."

Leaving the Roychowdhurys inside, a thoughtful Vandita returned back to her convent dorm. Kshitija, too, sensed her melancholy. She tried to cheer her up the entire way back.

Kshitija's family hailed from Delhi. They have a modern outlook towards life. She, too, lost her mother at a tender age and was left with a Ranger father and a twin brother, Rishit. Throughout these four years Kshitija had been a constant companion to Bondita. Her father loved Bondita dearly and her brother... well, Rishit Sinha, an aspiring engineer, had always been enamoured and bedazzled by Vandita's intelligence and beauty.

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

The day had finally arrived!

Vandita had a lot to prepare. The ceremony was due in the next 3 hours. The guests would start pouring in soon. She was fiddling with her graduation speech, thanking everyone starting with her family and Ms. Lenny for supporting her. But the more she read it, the more it sounded vague.. something was missing, something that she could neither figure out nor fathom.

Brushing away her thoughts, she opened her wardrobe to take out the saree she had planned to wear for the day. It was a simple old saree that Awnirudh had presented her 5 years ago. It was not any fancy silk but a regular Indian made cotton saree, off-white in colour with bright blue and red border. This saree was a result of the Swadeshi movement that Awnirudh was supporting at that time... A lot of sentimental values!

She brought the cloth close to her nose and sniffed it. It smelled familiar, it smelled like...

Her chain of thoughts were broken by Kshitija who busted inside her room.

"My sweet darling girl... Come. Let me show you something." She pulled Vandita's hand in great excitement and took her by the window.

"Look! What a car... Vandita... I want a ride in it." Kshitija faked a cry.

"Really a lovely car. Imported I'm sure. Whose is this by the way?" Vandita enquired.

"Ms. Lenny's special friend's." She whispered with a wink. "All the way from London." She swayed her hand in the air.

"And a handsome hunk so I hear." Kshitija concluded.

"Wow. Ms. Lenny's Special British friend is undoubtedly rich." Vandita remarked casually.

She turned her eyes away from the window and went back to her side of the room. She picked up the saree from the bed and clasped it to her breast.

"But I'm richer." She murmured with a smile, sniffing the old homely aroma of the saree once again.