11-02-2020, 12:21 PM
The evening came; I was very happy to find that Bodo Boudi was able to walk and would goto to the Durga Mandir. I was in her room when helping her to get dress up. I dressed her in a red cotton
saree. Her smiling face was trying to say something else which I was unable to understand. She asked me to take out a beautiful sky blue and white check Sambalpuri silk saree from the almirah. I
asked her as what was that. She told me that my brother brought that one for her but she wanted me to wear that on that day.
I wore that saree and came down to her room. Everyone was looking at me. I smiled to everyone. My mom came near me and kissed me on the forehead. Bodo Boudi was sitting on the bed with a
wooden box in her hand. She patted on the bed beside her and asked me to sit.
She rubbed her soothing palm all over my face and with hazy eyes looked at me.
I asked---“Why are you crying? You will be ok?” but I was not a child anymore and I also knew that the clock was ticking very fast. The winded spring of the clock has reached the optimum and it would
stop any moment.
She said---“I am just beholding how beautiful you are.” She handed me that wooden box and opened that. I saw, it was filled up with few gold bangles and three gold chains and few pairs of gold
earrings.
I was bewildered as what was she going to do?
She said nothing and picked up one gold necklace and put that around my neck. Then she put another one and then she made me wear a pair of big gold earring.
Large drops of tears were rolling down her cheeks as she was slowly pushing those gold bangles on my wrist.
After she finished, she took my face between her palms and asked me to call Sumanto Da.
I called Sumanto Da.
She looked at him and said---“See how beautiful your sister is looking. Just like a fairy from the heaven has descended on the earth.”
She gently caressed my cheeks. My chest already gurgled in some unknown fear.
I placed my palms over her to enjoy every bit of her soothing caresses on my soft cheeks.
All of a sudden she held her chest, her bust convulsed. As if small waves crushed on her repeatedly. I held her in my arms, tightly and screamed out for my mother. Sumanto Da asked her to lie down.
She shook her head---“No, let me lie down in her arms only.”
Her upper torso convulsed repeatedly. Blood oozed out of the bandaged chest.
Her lips were dry. Those lips shook a bit and she raised her right hand over my head.
I cried out till my last drop of strength was exhausted---“Ma, come quickly.”
All of them came running inside the room.
She raised her hand and put her palm on my head---“I am happy that you are here.”
I held her tightly across my chest---“YOU CAN”T LEAVE ME LIKE THAT. NO, NO, NO.”
The blood from her chest already soaked the upper part of my saree and my blouse.
My sight was hazy then, who cared what was happening around me.
She closed her teary eyes. Her head bent on my lap and her hand fell on her side after sometime like an old dried twig.
My eldest brother, Sumanto Da came near me and took my head in her arms. I was unable to breathe properly as my chest was convulsing. Boudi’s lifeless body in my arms and I was helpless.
Sumanto Da said to me---“Everything has finished. Nothing is left here for me.”
My Bodo Boudi was no more among us. On that day, when everyone was enjoying the Navami Puja, I had to immerse my Goddess Annapurna forever.
I knew that every year Devi Durga comes to make our life filled up with joy and happiness, but my Annapurna, Parvati Boudi won’t come back to me again.
______________________________
saree. Her smiling face was trying to say something else which I was unable to understand. She asked me to take out a beautiful sky blue and white check Sambalpuri silk saree from the almirah. I
asked her as what was that. She told me that my brother brought that one for her but she wanted me to wear that on that day.
I wore that saree and came down to her room. Everyone was looking at me. I smiled to everyone. My mom came near me and kissed me on the forehead. Bodo Boudi was sitting on the bed with a
wooden box in her hand. She patted on the bed beside her and asked me to sit.
She rubbed her soothing palm all over my face and with hazy eyes looked at me.
I asked---“Why are you crying? You will be ok?” but I was not a child anymore and I also knew that the clock was ticking very fast. The winded spring of the clock has reached the optimum and it would
stop any moment.
She said---“I am just beholding how beautiful you are.” She handed me that wooden box and opened that. I saw, it was filled up with few gold bangles and three gold chains and few pairs of gold
earrings.
I was bewildered as what was she going to do?
She said nothing and picked up one gold necklace and put that around my neck. Then she put another one and then she made me wear a pair of big gold earring.
Large drops of tears were rolling down her cheeks as she was slowly pushing those gold bangles on my wrist.
After she finished, she took my face between her palms and asked me to call Sumanto Da.
I called Sumanto Da.
She looked at him and said---“See how beautiful your sister is looking. Just like a fairy from the heaven has descended on the earth.”
She gently caressed my cheeks. My chest already gurgled in some unknown fear.
I placed my palms over her to enjoy every bit of her soothing caresses on my soft cheeks.
All of a sudden she held her chest, her bust convulsed. As if small waves crushed on her repeatedly. I held her in my arms, tightly and screamed out for my mother. Sumanto Da asked her to lie down.
She shook her head---“No, let me lie down in her arms only.”
Her upper torso convulsed repeatedly. Blood oozed out of the bandaged chest.
Her lips were dry. Those lips shook a bit and she raised her right hand over my head.
I cried out till my last drop of strength was exhausted---“Ma, come quickly.”
All of them came running inside the room.
She raised her hand and put her palm on my head---“I am happy that you are here.”
I held her tightly across my chest---“YOU CAN”T LEAVE ME LIKE THAT. NO, NO, NO.”
The blood from her chest already soaked the upper part of my saree and my blouse.
My sight was hazy then, who cared what was happening around me.
She closed her teary eyes. Her head bent on my lap and her hand fell on her side after sometime like an old dried twig.
My eldest brother, Sumanto Da came near me and took my head in her arms. I was unable to breathe properly as my chest was convulsing. Boudi’s lifeless body in my arms and I was helpless.
Sumanto Da said to me---“Everything has finished. Nothing is left here for me.”
My Bodo Boudi was no more among us. On that day, when everyone was enjoying the Navami Puja, I had to immerse my Goddess Annapurna forever.
I knew that every year Devi Durga comes to make our life filled up with joy and happiness, but my Annapurna, Parvati Boudi won’t come back to me again.
______________________________
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