Not beside you

The accusation

Next morning Bondita was taken to Panchayat. All the villagers including Das and Roy Choudhury family was present except Anirudh.

Sumati came and hugged Bondita. Bondita assured her that she is not guilty and nothing will happen to her.
The Panchayat members at first waited for Anirudh but he didn't come for a long time. So they thought to start the discussion.

Sarpanch - Bondita Das aap par yeh ilzaam hai ki aap Krishnanagar valo ki jasoos ho aur aapne Barrister babu ke kamre se Chandrachur ke khilaf court mein paish kiye jaane vale sabut mitaaye hai.

Bondita - Ye sach nahi hai Sar.......

Somnath - jhuth bol Rahi hai ye ladki Sarpanch ji. Maine khud dekha hai isse dada ke kamre mein. Aur dada ka kamra bhi bhikra hua tha.

Bondita - mein manti hu mein unke kamre mein aayi thi par mein aapke aane ke khuch der pehle hi aayi thi aur jaise hi maine lights on ki mujhe kamra bhikra hua dikha aur fir aap dono aa gaye.

Somnath - Vah ! Bondita baatein Banana koi tumse seekhe.

Bondita - mein baatein nahi bana rahi dada mein sach keh rahi hu.

Somnath - Accha toh tum uss kamre mein aayi hi kyu ? Jab dada ne tumse Milne se mana kar Diya toh tum vaha aayi hu kyu ?

Bondita - aana pada mujhe. Mein panchayat kisi bahut zaruri kaam se gayi thi par inhone mujhe sunne se inkar kar diya , inhone kaha ki apni samasya Barrister babu se kaho isliye mujhe aana pada

Somnath - toh aisi kya samasya aa padi aap par Bondita ji ki apko ussi din choro ki tarah dada ke kamre mein ghusna tha jiss din dada ke kamre se vo important file lapata hui ?

Bondita - vo mujhe............

Bondita's eyes suddenly fell on Chandrachur.

Bondita ( in mind) - Nahi ye baat mein abhi nahi keh sakti. Yaha koi meri baat ka vishvas nahi karega upar se mere sabut........ vo shayad Sakha Babu ke kamre mein hi reh Gaye kal. Mein apne aap ko saabit bhi nahi kar paungi aur Chandrachur ki nazro mein bhi aa jaungi.

Somnath - Batao Bondita chup kyu ho ?

Mein batata hu Som !

As Anirudh entered his voice echoed.

Anirudh - Ye ladki Krishnanagar valo ki jasoos hai. Isne pehle bhi hamare parivar ko nuksaan pahuchane ki koshish ki hai aur kal bhi isne yahi kiya. Iske Tulsipur mein rehne ka maksad yahi tha ki ye Chandrachur ke khilaf meine Jo bhi sabut itne saal ikhaate kiye hai vo sab mit jaaye.

Chandrachur - Barrister babu Aisa khuch nahi hai Bon........

He couldn't speak further as the Great Barrier of Tulsipur gave a death glare to him.

Bondita - Sakha Babu mein janti hu ki iss dushmani ke Karan aap mujhse naraz hai par isliye aap ye sab keh rahe hai. Aap bhi jante hai ki mene kabhi apke parivar ko nuksaan pauchane ki koshish nahi ki.

Anirudh - Accha. Toh mere baccho ki kulfi mein zeher kyu milaya ?

Bondita - Ye aap kya keh rahe hai ! Mene Aisa khuch nahi Kiya !

Anirudh - Tumhare chillane se ye sach badal nahi jayega Bondita Das.

Bondita - Kya sabut hai apke paas?

Anirudh - sabut nahi tha isliye tum par koi kadam nahi utha paya varna mere baccho par koi ungli uthaaye toh ye barrister uss par apni banduk utha deta hai.

Sarpanch - shant ho jaaiye Barrister babu. Bondita Das apke pass apni begunaahi saabit karne ke liye khuch hai ?

Bondita - nahi......nahi hai mere pass koi sabut.

Sarpanch - toh ye saabit hota hai ki Bondita Das ek jasoos hai. Aur ek jasoos ko saza milegi.

Everyone - Ha Ha milni chahiye iss jasoos ko saza.....saza do is jasoos ko.

Bondita - Nahi.....nahi......nahi mein jasoos nahi hu

Bondita screamed at the top of her lungs but unfortunately her every effort went in vain.

Sarpanch - Barrister babu Bondita ne aapke sath galat kiya hai isliye isse saza aap hi de.

Saza dijiye Barrister babu iss jasoos ko!

Everyone encouraged Sarpanch's decision. Kalindi tried to oppose and protect Bondita but all vain.

Anirudh - toh Bondita Das tumhari saza yeh hai ki jab Tak tum apne saare ghunah maankar unki maafi nahi maang leti tab tak tum Roy Choudhury Haveli mein ek gulaam ki tarah rahogi aur agar tumne vaha se bhagne ki koshish ki toh Krishnanagar valo ko maafi ki taur par hume 10000 rupee bharne honge.

Bondita stood silent there. She was tired of justifying herself. She had last hope with Anirudh but that also she lost.

Bondita was allowed to meet her family for the last time. Everyone was crying whereas Thakuma said

Thakuma - ye sab Teri zidd ke karan hua hai. Ab idhar se mein bhi tujhe nahi nikal sakti. Chup chap ab apni Puri zindagi Roy Choudhury ki seva kar. Aur bhagne ki koshish mat karna varna pura Krishnanagar karj mein doob jayega.

Bondita was taken to Roy Choudhury Haveli. She didn't spoke with anyone and directly went to servants quaters. Bihari's wife showed her room and then she went.

After she left she cried sitting on the floor. While crying her eyes fell on a small Durga Ma idol which was kept in that room. She goes near the idol and said while crying

Bondita - Ma mein jasoos nahi hu ! Aap toh ye baat janti hai na ! Mein janti hu ki yaha se nikalne ke liye mujhe inn sab ko sahi saabit karna hoga, ki mein jasoos hu par mein Aisa kabhi nahi hone dungi chahe uske badle mujhe puri zindagi Roy Choudhury Haveli mein naukar bankar rehna pade ! Kisi na kisi din sach sabke samne ayega hi !

In the evening

Bihari's wife asked Bondita to help her in some kitchen chores. Bondita agreed and said that she'll come in 5 minutes.

After mustering courage in these 5 minutes she went towards the kitchen only to be collided by Somnath.

Bondita - Maaf karna dada

At this Somnath pushed Bondita and she fell on the floor. Somnath came near her and said.

Somnath - jyada apna banane ki koshish mat karo. Naukar ho aur naukar ki jagah maalik ke pairon mein hoti hai, mujhe dada nahi Malik bolo aur mujhe hi nahi sab ko.

Bondita ( sobbingly) - ji da......Malik

Somnath - Aur ek aur baat Roy Choudhury ki bahu nahi naukar ho toh itne mehange kapde pehnkar ye mat samjho ki tum alag ho. Kal se baaki naukro ke jaise kapde phenogi tum. Samjhi ?

Bondita - Ji

Saying that he left. She felt that her courage is loosing.

Suddenly she remembers that her file might be somewhere in Anirudh's room. She thought to go and check for once.

She was at the door of Anirudh's room. Her body started shivering when the moments of Yesterday flashback in her eyes.

Bondita ( in mind ) - Come on Bondita you can do this. Agar vo file abhi bhi yahi Hui toh tu bhi begunah saabit ho jayegi aur Chandrachur ka sach bhi bahar aa jayega.

She went inside the room.

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Hi Everyone. Thank you so much to all my readers who responded to my yesterday's note. I finally gained the confidence to update only because of your love towards my story. I am very glad to have you all.

And I will be updating more frequently ( not promising because of my hectic schedule but atleast I will try )

Precap -  Bondita is treated brutally in Roy Choudhury Haveli