With the night of Nobomi passing, at the dawn of morning comes the day of Doshomi. The day of mixed feelings and emotions, the day of tears and smiles. The day where Ma Durga goes back to her husband's home, leaving us awaiting her arrival an entire year later.

The scene at the Sen house looked divine. Red and white everywhere. All married women were taking part in the ritual of Sindur Khela, they smear vermillion on each other and pray for the long life of their significant other. They also applied sindur on the Goddesses feet and forehead, offering her sweets and betel leaves before her farewell. 

Subho took a bit of the sindur and smeared it on the cheeks of Oindrila. She in return took some and did a small tilak on his head.

"You look sad.", he said.

"How can a daughter be happy seeing her mother go away?", she asked him.

"Everything has to come to an end one day or the other. If it doesn't we start to take it for granted.", he assured her.

She gave a little smile. His intellectual words always had a way with her thoughts. They were more similar than you'd think. And if you ever focused on your physics class, you would know that like poles tend to repel.

"Mishti", he called her in a serious tone. 

She signaled him to continue while preparing things for bishorjon (the act of immersing the Goddess in the holy river Ganga) 

"You said yes because you wanted to right? I hope it is not out of some kind of pressure or anything.", he was careful with his words.

She laughed at his nervousness, messed up his hair and joked,

"It was the only way to get you to stop hitting on me wasn't it".

He gave a sigh of relief and grinned back. What he didn't notice was her immediate change of expression as she turned her back on him. 

Mishti suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder and she looked about to see Abhik standing.......with a ginormous suitcase. She sharply took a breath in, the image in front of her not quite sinking in.

"Vacation e jachchis?", her chotoma asked him.

(Going for a vacation.)

He quickly touched her feet and replied,

"Vacation e noe aunty, kaj korte."

(Not a vacation aunty, for a job.)

"Mane?", her mother asked.

(What do you mean?)

"Yesterday at the cafe I was performing in, there was an English music producer. He offered me a job if I was willing to go to London with him as he was returning back today. I did not find anything holding me back so I agreed.", he said the last sentence looking straight at Oindrila. 

"Very good, son. I am proud of you", her father patted his back happily. 

"That is great news!", Medha exclaimed, feeding him a sweetmeat. 

Subho gave him a friendly side hug, despite their differences and asked him,

"Surely you will come back for your best friend's wedding?"

"I am not sure. It will just be the beginning of my career, I don't know if I can afford a leave.", Abhik answered.

"Leave it, Subho. He's just running away from his responsibilities as the bride's best mate. After all he is great at running away.", Mishti mocked him. Taking it as a joke, everyone around them shared a good laugh. 

"Well then, I should take my leave. Or else I will miss my flight.", he was about to leave when Mishti shouted,

"Dhara"

(Wait) 

She walked up to him, each step jingling the payel on her ankles. From the box of vermillion on the plate in her hand, she made a tilak for him too. 

Taking some of it off his forehead, he smeared it on hers. The unsaid goodbye did not hurt so much, for the verbal farewell yesterday had spoken enough. 

And this time, she let him go. It may have been the first Doshomi witnessed by Subha, Deb, Rumi and Abhi which did not just bring about the immersing of their beloved Goddess but also the painful farewell of an innocent girl from her first love, her only fault being that she had loved someone the society did not claim as "good enough".

No sooner did he leave, than Oindrila excused herself and went to the nearest washroom. Opening the tap to its full speed, she looked at herself in the mirror. The sindur on her forehead almost touched the beginning of her hair partition. Almost....

Splashing cold water on her face, she tried to stop herself from breaking down. 

"Di, are you okay?", Megh's voice came from the other side of the door.

"Ye-yeah, totally...fine.", her broken voice betrayed her words.

There was no reply. She looked at herself once again...it was gone.....but bit of vermillion on her cheek stayed. It was as if her existence had accepted destiny but somehow her heart was stuck on the last page. She also could not tear that page, afraid it might fly away with her heart.

Wiping her face, she came out with that everlasting smile of hers. Medha embraced her cousin, saying,

"Biding adieu to close friends is harder than break ups, I know. But look at the brighter side, at least he is not dead. You can talk to him whenever you want.", she gave a bad attempt at cheering her up.

He is no less than dead to me....Oindrila thought.

"For now we have someone else to bid adieu.", saying so Mishti went back to the celebrations, hoping it would divert her from the negative thoughts.

"Subho is calling you to the terrace.", Shubha informed Mishti.

With a frown on her face she looked at her, only to get a shrug back.

The evening was chilly so Oindrila tightly wrapped a shawl around her and went up to the terrace. 

She entered through the old wooden door, yellow fairy lights adoring the terrace surprising her. She saw a small, table for two, nicely set with flowers, cutleries and a bottle of wine. 

"Subho?", she called out to the shadow she could make out. 

From the dark stepped out a smartly dressed Subho, with a cute smile on his face. The obvious question was visible in her eyes, as he pulled one of the chair and made her sit down on it.

"Considering we never really went on a proper date and I will be leaving for my parent's house tomorrow, I prepared this candle light dinner just for the two of us.", he cleared her doubts.

"You are leaving tomorrow? And you didn't bother to tell me before?", she asked.

Running a hand through his hair, he said,

"You were so busy with everything, I didn't know when to say it. Please don't misunderstand me, I really was just looking for the perfect time."

Tired of his rambling, Oindrila kept her finger on his lips.

"Calm down, Subho. I got it, I am not blaming you. Since when did you start being so serious about everything.", she quietened him.

"Since not making a fool of myself became a priority.", he removed her finger.

Drinking some wine from the glass, she replied,

"I like you as you are. And you are definitely a fool. Keep making people laugh, it is a gift."

A sad chuckle followed her statement.

"Aye aye captain!", he saluted. She couldn't stop herself from giggling.

Maybe she will never be able to forget Abhik. Maybe her heart will forever be stuck on the same last page. But she was willing to give a chance to a new story, this time with the heart Subho was willing to offer her. 

Laying on the stone floor, they both looked up at the sky, admiring the stars while the speaker sang,

"Ache dukkho, ache mrityu, birohodohono lage; tobuo shanti tobu anondo tobu ononto jage."

(At the end of the day, there is sadness and there is death which leave a burn in the heart. But there is also limitless peace, there is also happiness to balance this universe.)