Sumati Arrived

Bondita got the outhouse ready for sumati to at least take a bit of a rest, before her arrival.

Sumati didn't believe in staying at her daughter's home overnight for it would not be good for Bondita's well-being. And Trilochon was supportive of that idea.

After all, making plans to better your nephew's marital relations was easier than accepting his widow mother-in-law into your home.

Bondita stood at the door waiting anxiously for her. In these moments of waiting, her anger and anguish at her mother disappeared.

The little Bondita in her relished in her mother's hug.

Anirudh had come to stand beside her and smiled a little after seeing the smile on her face. He could see the happiness radiating from her. But, he also hated his Kaka for imposing these rituals on Sumati.

His Kaka was happy to see Sumati in his home in the daytime but hated his in-law staying under the same roof at night.

Sumati was only happy to support his superstitions.

Bondita only smiled a little at him before remembering the past and their latest confrontation.

She did not know, what to do?

How to face him every day, until she could go from him far far away?

Anirudh looked at her and understood her apprehensions but he was helpless in this case. His conversation with his brother had helped him make peace with himself and his past.

The past sins couldn't be washed away. But they could be prevented from happening again. He could only hope that his constant support, love, and care for her would make her see his repentance and his Redemption. Many things had went wrong in their past.

His actions had started the cycle of her self-hatred.

Her actions had made him walk towards polygamy.

Both had done each other wrong, both had trusted outsiders over their minds. Their emotional hearts had made them vulnerable to every single attraction of the outside world.

He hated the tattoo, she had gotten of his name in a desperate attempt to make him accept her as his wife. The vermillion that was promised to be magical only made him repulsive back then.

Her constant preaching of wifely duties towards each other as husband and wife made him run away from her.

He took shelter in someone else in his desperation. He had faltered in his job of never letting her walk on the path of self-destruction, it was his mistake.

To run away far from her, he had let people, who he knew were only going to push her towards darkness take care of her. As he had indulged in great deeds.

He only had himself to blame for the way the truth of their marriage had came in front of her.

The way, he had reacted that day was influenced by outside forces, he was influenced by his heart's simple desire for something that he felt, he was being deprived of.

He knew the way everyone had tried to cover that event and never speak of it was wrong in every way possible. The man in him hated himself for making a mother and the daughter separate. He had noticed Bondita distancing herself from her mother.

She never became as close to her mother as she was then. She used to hug her mother and smile with her fully as if nothing shackled her to this earth but nowadays conversations with her mother were quite formal.

She didn't let her mother visit her as much as before citing the reason of her in-laws making her stay in the outhouse.

The musings of the past were put on hold as the screeching of the car became audible.

Both Bondita and Anirudh frowned deeply as Sumati stepped out of the car. She had never come to Tulsipur in a car. She always preferred to travel by bullock cart as it was the only thing transportation she could afford.

Trilochon and Binoy had come outside due to the sound of the loud car. Binoy's frown deepened as he saw the widow descending from the luxurious black car. He couldn't understand the reason for her sudden luxurious arrival.

"Shiv.......Shiv......shiv...Ghor kalyug....she is traveling with two men....chi...chi...chi...look Binoy...."-Trilochon's words were put on hold as the men became fully visible in front of them.

Anirudh glared at the younger man as he was the same person, who was staring at Bondita that day at the at their date.

The older man came in front of them smiling. Anirudh could finally recognize him as Mr. Basu of Kolkata. A lawyer, who specializes in property and inheritance law.

"Nomoshokar (Hello) zamindar babu. Ami (I am) Nilambar Basu and this is my son Arup."-Trilochon and Binoy quickly greeted him along with Anirudh and Bondita looked at Sumati silently asking her about the men.

"Kmn achis, Bondita (How are you, Bondita)?"-Bondita felt her eyes tear up against her will, for no matter what had happened in the past; Bondita Roy Chowdhury still felt deeply for the people around her.

"Valo achi, ma (I am fine, mother). Tumi ekhane enader sathe (You are here today with them)?"-she said gesturing towards the two men and Sumati answered her question with a question.

"Vitore jeye boli (let's go inside and discuss it)?"-Bondita frowned at her mother's evasive nature but she became silent and looked towards Anirudh.

In a rare eye contact, both of them shared a new understanding of being there for each other this day.

Trilochon was displeased at Sumati and the men's arrival but due to a sharp nudge from Binoy, he quickly invited the men inside.

Anirudh quickly gestured for Bihari to arrange for refreshments for he knew as a host, he should offer food and drinks. Setting aside his disgust for the younger man.

Anirudh and Bondita took a seat in front of the strangers. They sat side by side in a rare show of unity. Their posture was tense but their mask of perfection was on.

Trilochon couldn't utter a word after Binoy told him about Mr. Basu's occupation. He couldn't understand their connection with Sumati and his beloved bahu.

Sumati saw the reaction of everyone around and started the process herself.

"Trilochon babu, Bondita's father was a businessman. He was from a reputable family."-She couldn't finish her words as Binoy jumped into the middle of the conversation.

"You had never talked about bahu's father before."-his mind had started to make connections that were making him feel giddy for his eldest son.

As he felt that finally, Anirudh would get the proper amount of courtesy given to him as a son-in-law of a rich family.

Even though he liked Bondita for the last few years but the events after their wedding had made him bitter and repulsive towards her maternal family. As a father, he couldn't ignore the calamities that had befallen his son back then.

Anirudh shook his head at Baba's greed but Bondita was like a stone. She had gone rigid at the mention of her father. The memories were flashing in front of her eyes. Of her beautiful childhood, a time she was free from burdens placed on her.

"Let her continue, Binoy. Don't become like the 'Firangis' (Britishers). Always interrupting others."-Trilochon's booming words made the occupants of the room silent completely and Sumati continued her tale.

"He was like jamai Babu, standing up for others. Making sure that they were treated equally. He saved me, when his family used to taunt me for being a poor girl, who brought no dowry with her. My mother-in-law, who was his paternal aunt never got married for some reason and was very rigid in her ideals. They belonged to the das family, a family with excellent lineage. His family wanted a boy but they were instead given Bondita. Her father was incredibly happy with her birth. But Thaku ma wasn't satisfied. His business ideas, even his lifestyle, and the way he treated the people around him made her have fights with him often. The fights increased radically, when my Bondita was growing up. She was so free in her ways even as a child that everyone at that haveli hated it and to some extent hated our daughter. He was growing very upset with the ways Thaku ma wanted us to bring up Bondita. She was about 8 years of age, a year before she got married to you, Jamai Babu that her father had one final fight with his family. Thaku ma wanted Bondita's uncle to have half of her father's business. Shoumik was a vagabond, who had suffered a terrible loss in his own business. She always preferred him for some reason over Bondita's baba. He hadn't agreed to her idea. They also had some fights about the das haveli itself and who would be given the full ownership of it. Her father after that fight wanted to leave Krishna Nagar very fast. But a night before our departure, he died from a snake bite. He wanted us to move to a new home that he had brought somewhere. I exactly don't know, where that place is as after his death, I could care less about everything other than Bondita. We barely had a roof over our head, they had thrown us out due to her being a girl and not a male heir. His brother had become the owner of our every ancestral properties due to his gender. I honestly didn't know anything about her father's will but a few days back Mr. Basu met me in Devipur......."-Sumati took a breath after speaking for a long time.

The occupants were stunned at the revelations being made. Trilochon and Binoy were shocked that the girl they had thought of as only a poor fatherless child had so much family history.

The fact that, she came from old money didn't hurt Binoy's ego either.

Anirudh had heard it all from Bondita a few days back. So, his face gave away nothing. He simply got up and gave the glass of water to Sumati. That Bihari had brought out to the living room.

Sumati drank the water gratefully. The past wasn't very pleasant for her. Her story was similar to the rags to riches one.

Born in a poor family, her marriage was a big deal for her. She had gotten everything from her husband. Love, affection, and a beautiful daughter. But the events after his death was devastatingly painful for her.

She had seeked shelter in her brother as a widow. But the cruelties of her Sister-in-law were even worse that her in-laws. Her daughter even had to suffer in this home due to them.

Sensing the atmosphere of the room, Mr. Basu took over. He had to do the job, his client had entrusted him with.

"Mr das was an old client of mine. We used to meet often, whenever he used to come to Kolkata. I used to do a lot of his business transactions for him. I was aware of the fights that he was having with his family. He knew that girls couldn't get their father's property fully due to the laws that were implemented. But he wanted to leave you his everything. Everything that he had earned on his own, everything the Das family couldn't claim. He had brought a home and 1000 acres of land on the outskirts of Deenpur along with some buildings in Kolkata. We should call it a palace, a house doesn't do it justice. He wanted to settle there permanently with your mother and you. He had made preparations. He had already understood that his death was imminent. A month before his death, we had finalized the property papers, when he had a last-minute epiphany. He had suddenly asked me to change the will. He knew his aunt would contest his will somehow. So, he made a change in the will. If his death happens unnaturally in any way, we are to not reveal about the will at all. The property will be his daughter's, after the 16th birthday of Bondita. His daughter and only she would be the owner of it. Her husband, whoever he would be, will be responsible for managing it. If she doesn't have a husband then his lawyers at Kolkata would manage the property on behalf of his daughter and she would get the money every year from the property. His wife would also receive her share of the dividends of his buildings in Kolkata as long as she is alive. After her death, those buildings would also belong to Bondita."-Bondita stopped Mr. Basu this time.

There must have been some confusion.

"You are wrong. Baba was going to shift with us to Bombay. He was never going to stay at Bengal. I remember it clearly."-she held Anirudh's hand tightly all the while uttering the words.

But her mother broke her silence again.

"He had lied to everyone about going to Bombay. He just wanted to make a fool of everyone."-she let a little smile escape from her lips as she remembered that extremely tall but lanky man, whose salt and pepper hair, she would put on oil thoroughly, all the while complaining that his hair was becoming dry.And he would complain every time but enjoyed her pampering nevertheless.

"Bondita ji, we have already made the property transferred in your name. With your husband as the guardian a month back. Your father's family had gotten to know about it by now. if I am not wrong about their connections. These are the papers of the property. I need both you and your husband to be ready for a possible court session, if they contest the will."-Arup completed the reason for their coming here.

He wanted to finish the business as soon as possible. For he wasn't enjoying the way his opposite barrister was glaring at him. He couldn't find the reason for such repulsion.

He wasn't that bad looking, was he?

"My pati Babu is a lawyer. Leave the papers here. He will look at them. He will inform you, if any changes are needed in the will."-everyone was stunned by the way, she had talked back to the lawyer. Her words depicted the distrust, she had.

"Are you doubting us Bondita beti (Daughter)?"-she visibly stiffened at the way he addressed her.

"It's not that, I don't trust you but this will should have been revealed years ago. My mother and I at least would have a roof over our heads without suffering humiliation every day. You don't have any idea of the troubles and sufferings, we had gone through for a little room to sleep in every night."-Anirudh this time closed his eyes in agony as he imagined his little wife shivering in cold winters in that thatched hut of Devipur.

"Your father didn't want you to possess the properties without you coming of age. He wouldn't have made the changes, if it wasn't for the murderous intent of his family. I am sorry dear for everything you had to go through but we as the lawyers had our hands bound and we didn't know about your whereabouts. I got to know about your mother two months back, after my son had come here for some work. He had recognized your mother and from your mother, we got to know about your marital status. You having a husband has made the case easier for us to fight. In the eyes of the law, the respectability of your spouse will erase every single argument of the opposition."-Bondita clasped his hands tighter and Anirudh assuringly held her.

Trilochon and Binoy were the silent spectators of this conversation. Both were busy with their calculation.

Sumati had grown vengeful. His death and everyone's mistreatment had made her want to seek revenge.

They had taken her clothes, her jewelry, and every single possession. Not leaving anything that she could hold onto. Not even his picture.

"This is the papers, barrister Babu. Do check them out and let us know if you need any changes made. This envelope contains a picture of that property. The property had gotten a little rusty due to having no one to look after it. Das babu wanted to hire people on his own for the property but he left us, before he could do so. After looking at the will, give us a call. We need to go with Bondita herself along with you to understand the dynamics of the property. Possibly before the court case begins, if they contest the will. Here is our card. We are staying at Tulsipur for the next two weeks. Take your time."-the Basu men didn't stay for long after that. As they had to go for a wedding ceremony.

Binoy went with them to bid them farewell.

And Trilochon was sitting there stunned. His head couldn't grasp the events of the evening completely.

"Shiv....shiv...shiv... Bahu's (Daughter-in-law's) family is too scary. Too scary....at least her lineage is exceptional. Their kids will be from two excellent lineages"-he was silently muttering the words as went to his room to rest.

Bondita's mind couldn't process anything that was happening.

A part of her mind was happy that she now would have a place to take shelter, if Anirudh ever threw her out again.

She would never have to see the streets of Heera Mandi due to the devils who only lusted for money.

On other hand, her heart was saddened. She wanted to tear the papers apart and burn those papers. For these are the properties and the money that her father was killed for. Her paternal family's greed took her father and now, she was left holding these worldly possessions that only screamed about the loss of her father.

She quickly left the halls unable to be there any moment longer.

She couldn't breathe there. Her heart wanted to cry loudly about the injustices that she had faced for so long. About the miseries that, she had faced.

She wondered, if they had gotten the property back then, would she have suffered as much as she did?

Would her mother suffer every day for food, clothes and shelter the way she did?

Will they be happy with these properties now that those inhumane monsters were just lurking in the shadows to pounce on them again?

Anirudh saw her running away and quickly went behind her. Wanting to comfort her.

He told Sumati to take a rest. And she quickly left the premises as she understood the solitude her daughter needed.

At that moment their previous words were null and void. Their fights had taken a back seat for at this moment her comfort for him was more important than any of the poisonous words they had exchanged the day before.

Maybe it was the beauty of their relationship, standing up for each other at their weakest moments like a shield, stopping any attack from reaching the partner. Making the opponent shy away from approaching again.

He reached their room and found her crying bitterly. She was finally releasing the bitterness of her father's death from her heart.

In her moments of agony, she used to sometimes hate her father for he never left them a home. He never left them a small hut even.

A dark part of her mind used to whisper that, he probably hated his daughter. That's why, he never took the opportunity to leave something for them.

Today that dark part of her was silenced forever as her heart finally rejoiced and accepted that,

Yes, he cared enough to do so much for them.

A part of her was healed today.

Anirudh reached Bondita and as their eyes met each other, her tears dropped again.

She had leaped in his arms, catching him off guard. Crying like a little child hugging her protector.

After a long time, Bondita's Rakhshak (Protector) babu was coming to the rescue of Bondita. By giving her the chance to hide in his arms from her demons of the past.

After a long time, they set aside their past issues for the sake of their present.

Anirudh didn't say anything. He only held her and promised to stand beside her in this fight like her Rakhshak babu.

Promising to teach her everything she needed to know as her shikshak (Teacher) babu.

*************************
Woah, the Basu's certainly brought a storm with them.

Did you guys like the chapter???

Please let me know...

Vote and comment on this chapter and who knows I may give another update tomorrow.

I don't know a lot about the law regarding properties. So ignore the mistakes.