I looked around my house, yes my house, I looked at everyone with teary vision and a wide smile on my face. Pati babu stood right behind me.

"Arrey bahu, aj to khushi ka din hain tum ro kyu rahi ho" kaka Sasurji did our Arti. I touched everyone's feet and took blessing.

He held my chin, "Arrey wah kitni bari aur samajhdar ho gyi hain, shant sushil grihalaxmi humari".

Suddenly Pati babu started coughing on hearing this. I glared at him. "Pani pi le beta" said Kaka.

"Kaisi ho Bondita" said Batuk cheerfully and we embraced each other. "Bohot miss kiya maine tumko" he said.

Isn't it strange how everyone missed me except my own husband, khair jaane do, kismaat hi aisi hain.

"I missed you too Batuk" I replied to him back and noticed him and pati babu gesturing something.

"Bihari bahu ko kamre mein le ja"

Bihari kaka took my luggage to my room.

My room looked exactly the same, nothing changed, neat and clean, tidy room.

"Chote malik ne kisiko aane nehi diya is kamre mein apke jaane k baad, khud sajaya hain unhone is kamre ko" Bhari kaka said in a taunting way. This made me really happy.

Pati babu did this for me? For me?

Just then Pati babu knocked at the door and entered inside, "jao jake fresh ho jao".

"Pati babu ye kamra apne sajaya hain" I asked him and gestured Bhari kaka to zip his mouth.

"N...n..nehi to" he stammered a bit, "mujhe koi aur kaam nehi hain kya?"

She held her both hands behind and rotated around him, "o accha, waise bhi mujhe ye kamra accha nehi laga".

I saw him turning upset and disappointed.

"Mujhe bohot accha laga!" I shouted and laughed and then ran away.

Pagal ladki! Ekdum hi pagal.

I saw her luggage lying on the bed, I opened it and found all her certificates, her achievements. I know she represented Indian dance form in her college, she had won so many academic awards, she is good at tennis, She can sing as well as play piano. My Bondita turned out to be the person I wanted her to be. I chuckled looking at her pictures.

I went up to my balcony when I heard her laughter, giggle and sound of payel.

Chan...chan...

I saw her laughing and jumping, playing hopscotch. Bihari stood beside clapping and smiling so did Koyli. Batuk was also playing although he doesn't really like to play.

"Gir jaogi Bondita!" I called her.

She looked at me and yelled back, "kuch nehi hoga" but the very next time she tripped down. "Bondita!" Before I could reach her, Batuk went to her and helped her stand.

I stopped myself, don't really want to disturb them.

I looked at him. Why didn't he come to me when I fell down. I wanted him to come but he didn't.

"Thik ho tum!" Batuk supported me and I stood up. I again looked at our balcony. He had gone by now.

Aj mein unse baat hi nehi karungi. Accha sabak sikhaungi, fir ayenge manane apni Bondita ko.

I cooked food myself for everyone, remembering what they like and dislike. Sampoorna didi tried to disturb me but I paid no heed to her.

"Aj to maza hi a jayga, bahu k hath ka khana saalon baad khayenge warna ye be swad khana khate the" he said looking indirectly at Sampoorna maa who used to cook food.

"Par mujhe to accha hi lagta tha Da" said baba.

"Ha ha tum jo thaire joru ka gulam" kaka taunted Baba.

"Khana a agaya" Bondita entered carefully with Bihari placing the dishes on the table. "A gyi humari bahu, anyapurna" kaka said.

She served food to everyone...I can't explain how tasty the food was. It melted in our mouths. "Wah!" Exclaimed Som Dada.

She served food to everyone but me. Koyli served me the food. I looked at her but she looked away. I again gestured to her but she made silly faces at me.

What the...

What's wrong with her? Abhi to thik thi abh firse kya huya?

How immature she is, let me tell you. When she stood beside me and I whispered her asking what happened, she pinched me.

Yes, like a 4-year-old child fighting over something. She pinched me.

"Aaaah!" I groaned and all stared at me. "Kya huya dada?" Som asked me.

"Kuch nehi, bas chiti ne kata, ek bari si nakchadi chiti" I looked at her and she made faces again.

After finishing my dinner, I was heading to her room to talk to her.

"Bondita" I peeped inside but the room was empty.

I looked around and saw her sitting under the table.

Honestly, she had not grown so much in healing but the hysterical part was, she remembered putting table spot.

I went and sat beside her and she turned her face away, "Bondita ko baat nehi karni" saying she blew her cheek.

"Par mein jan sakta hu kyu?"

"Apko meri parwa nehi hain na?" She asked me.

"Hain na"

"To mein jab gir gayi ap aye kyu nehi?" She frowned at me.

I really had no answer to her questions. "Tum pehele bahar ao".

A very natural thing happened. While coming out she hit her head by the table. Abh ek 19 saal ki ladki 9 sal ki bacchi ko tarha Table k niche ghus jaygi to aisa hi hoga na.

I busted into laughter while she rubbed her forehead, "Bondita kal na mein Bihari se kehke ek bara aur ucha wala table lagwa dunga".

She frowned at me, "ap has rahe ho?" She blew her cheeks again.

I held my ears, "accha sorry".

She made a subtle, "ap kitne acche ho, ekbar mein sorry bol diya warna kuch log to. Jante ho London mein ek admi tha, itna khadoos aur badtamiz tha sorry bolna hi nehi ata".

"Khadoos tha?" I questioned her.

"Bohot"

"Badtameez bhi?"

"Ha aur nehi to kya"

"Aur pagol bangali bi"

"Haa...." She stopped suddenly and looked at me, "apko kaise pata?"

" ek ladki na bohot tez cycle chala rahi thi aur fir" I rotated around her and whispered in her ears, "takra gaye".

I saw her eyes widening and her face turning paler. She made a fake laugh, "accha what a coincidence" saying she tried to run away but I blocked her way, "pura to sunke jao, usne mujhpe sindoor gira diya."

She forced a smile and moved back sweating while I moved a step closer to her, "fir mujhse behes karne lagi".

She again moved back and I moved one step closer.

"Aur fir" she fell on the crouch. I leaned at her, "usne ankh mari".

"Ha...ha t...to....mein kya karu" she pretended as if she doesn't know anything.

"Nehi tumhe kuch nehi karna bas wo ladki dikh jay to bata dena" I said casually.

She tried to get up, I learned at her and she sat back again, "bechara uska pati, kis mussibat ko jhelna parta hain".

She gulped in nervousness, "Ha...ha...to ap ye sab...mu..muhjhe kyu bata rahe hain"

"Kyuki rang mere muh pe tha uske nehi, maine chehera dekha hain"

"Dekhiye!" She pushed me away, "jo ho gaya so ho gaya, waise bhi mein bohot acchi hu, wo to bas ustime pe thora bharak gyi thi"

She said and went away

Bondita couldn't sleep like every other night. Dreadful nightmares tortured her. Now it has become like a habit but little did she know Batuk saw her roaming around in the haveli at late night which worried him.

Why would she not sleep?

I was going out in the early morning for playing tennis. I heard Bondita singing a melodious song so I went to the temple and saw Kaka and his Bahu lost in their gods.

Ye accha mauka hain, chupke se nikal jata hu but her song stopped me. It was so sooting like a cuckoo's twilight hush.

"Chale Nawab angrezo k khel khelne" Kaka suddenly spoke out looking at me.

"Kaka apko to pata hai ki mein ye sab nehi manta, ap aur apki bahu kariye na jo karna hain" I argued with him.

"Pati babu, bhagwan k baare mein aisa nehi bolte" she scolded me, and gave me the arti, "bhagwan to astha hain logo ka."

Batuk entered the spot too.

She gave arti to him too. "Batuk aj Bondita ko Tulsipur ghuma la" I said.

"Kyu tere paer mein ghungroo bandha hain kya?" Kaka glared at me. "Mujhe kaam hain kaka" I said to him.

"Koi baat nehi mein aur Batuk chale jayenge" Bondita smiled at me.

After ages, Bondita and I had a lot of fun together. We really spend an amazing time, reliving our childhood again.

Wahi per se aan todna, ganne ka rass khana, buddhi k ball, kheto mein daurna, relived each and every golden moment.

Finally we reached home, all were already present at home.

Dada gestured me how was the day? I replied to him casually.

Honestly I still think we are doing wrong to her but Dada won't listen to anyone.

"Accha hain na Bondita saara din mein kaam karu aur tu ghum phir k aye" said Sampoorna maa.

"Ha tumhari tarha nehi hain na humari bahu ki pati ko vash mein karle waise bhi kar pati to accha hota, iske pati ko akkal ata"said kaka.

Wait did he insult Sampoorna maa aur Dada?

Bondita and Dada now left to study.

We walked into the study and I was explaining about a case but I noticed her playing with her hair.

"Bondita yaha dhyan do!" I scolded him.

"Pati babu, apto shikshak babu ho to guru dakshina nehi lete ap?" She said suddenly.

"Yaad hain Bondita bachpan mein tne kaha tha tum mujhe guru dakhshina dogi" he said to me.

"Haa!"

"Aur tumne ye bhi kaha tha ki mein jo mangunga wahi dogi" he smiled at me.

"Ye koi puchne wali baat hui bhala.. mang k to dekhiye, ap jaan mangenge to mein wo bhi dedungi par ha maangna maat".

He chuckled a bit, "chinta maat karo jaan nehi mangunga aur jo mang na hain wo abh nehi mangunga, abhi der hain bohot".

Kaka and Bihari were peeping inside the study, like Sherlock Holmes and Watson, Byomkesh Bakshi and Ajeet, like feluda and Topshe the only difference is they don't interfere in the marital life of their bhatija but thus pair does.

"Bihari humne to socha tha ki ye baap banega par ye to yaha maa bane firta hain".

Bondita held the pigeon in her hand and tied a small note in its feet.

"Sun Munni" she said making the pigeon land on her window sill, "peheli pyar ki peheli baatein peheli bar karne jaa rahi hu, sahi insaan tak pohocha dena ye" saying she took the pigeon to the balcony and freed it.

The pigeon flew but istead of going it to Anirudh, it landed on Batuk's shoulder.