The Waiting Time

Part - 1

Today, Purnima left school a little earlier. The headmaster, Mr. Anuj, had spoken to her last night, and they had agreed that she would leave after the tiffin break. Accordingly, she had made arrangements for the rest of her classes.

As she was leaving, Kotha stopped her and said, You shouldn't leave without eating since it's a long way.

She handed Purnima some bread, curry, and a sweet from her own tiffin.

Purnima asked, You're giving me everything, what will you eat?

I’ll get something. You eat. You have a lot of work today.

Okay, make sure you all leave on time, Purnima said as she hurried out.

The gate of the house was beautifully decorated today by the headmaster's son. He had adorned it with yellow marigolds and tuberoses. Among them, a message was written in roses: Purnima’s Moon.

Purnima couldn't take her eyes off it.

She didn’t know how long she had been standing there until Ani’s voice brought her back to her senses. Will you just stand here, or will you come up and see how we’ve decorated the terrace?

Yes, let’s go. But what have you written at the gate?

You don’t need to worry about that. I did what I thought was right. You’ll see the seating area, come on.

In these five years, she had developed a sibling-like relationship with him. He had always stood by her during all her struggles.

Purnima asked, Have Dada's parents arrived?

Yes, Akash Dada’s parents and your parents have arrived too. Everyone is eating now.

Father came too? Then Mother must have brought him forcefully.

After nearly ten years, she would see her father today. Since she had left home during her final year of college, she hadn't seen him. She couldn’t even attend her grandmother's funeral. Her grandmother didn’t get a drop of water from her only granddaughter. Mother had said that, a few days before her death, grandmother kept calling out for Punni, Punni. But under father's strict supervision, she couldn’t even make a phone call to her.

However, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen her father at all; they had met in court as opposing parties. Mother had met her twice though—once when she first came to work at this school and again when her father-in-law was ill.

Her maternal uncle's house is right next to the Burdwan station, and her school is another twenty kilometers inside from the station. Mother had come to meet her at the station and then returned home after meeting her uncle.

Since she couldn’t tell her father, they had to meet secretly. For the past ten years, her mother had never let communication with her be cut off. She couldn’t blame her father either.

What father could accept such suffering for his only beloved daughter? Back then, he didn’t know how big of a mistake he was making.

Purnima Banerjee, the sole heir of the zamindar Pratap Narayan Banerjee, was her father Prabal Narayan’s only daughter. He had never neglected her because she was a girl. Rather, he had prepared her as one would prepare a future zamindar.

He educated her at the only English medium school in the area. From dance and music to stick-fighting and karate, nothing was left out. Purnima excelled in everything and brought pride to her father. Sometimes her mother would say, You’re raising your daughter like a boy. What if she has trouble adjusting to her in-laws place?'

Father would reply, Don’t worry about anything. My daughter, like Goddess Annapurna, will handle everything.

Naib Sukharanjan Bhattacharya's only son Sushant was just two years older than her. Her grandfather had settled them in a modest house next to the Thakur Dalan. But Sushant was a bright boy, so Purnima’s father took the initiative to have him study in the same school. Everyone treated him as if he were a son of the family, so Sushant had unrestricted access to their house.

They would go to school together in the same car. They had private tutors in the same place, so Sushant's sense of entitlement grew day by day. Not that Purnima minded; she had placed Sushant in her brother's seat.

After finishing high school, Sushant went to Jadavpur University to study English Honors. He would come home on weekends and complete all his business in those two days. Purnima would eagerly wait for when her Sushant Dada would return.

In this way, Purnima also completed her high school. Now it was time for college. Purnima also got admitted to Jadavpur in English Honors. Her mother wanted her to go to Bethune, but her father made Sushant her guardian.

The Freshers’ Welcome was the following Saturday. The seniors had told them that everyone had to perform. They had also set a dress code: saree for girls and dhoti-panjabi for boys. Roommates Shiuli and Rekha were discussing this when Sushant called.

Listen, on Saturday, you’ll sing two Rabindra Sangeet songs. And wear the purple Jamdani saree that Kakima has. I’ll go and get it one of these days. I’ll WhatsApp you the two songs.

Sushant no longer went home every week. Father had told them to go together once a month. Mother wanted to give her the red Jamdani saree she had bought for her, but Sushant took the purple one, so Mother called to ask if she had asked for the purple saree. Hearing that both the saree and songs had been selected by Sushant, Mother was surprised to see how much attention he paid to everything. After that, Mother had told her that now she was grown up and should make her own decisions without relying on Sushant for everything. Purnima hadn’t realized that Father was planning to make Sushant a son-in-law, but perhaps Mother had some inkling.

Even though her legs trembled a bit when she stepped onto the stage, all her fears seemed to disappear when she saw who was accompanying her on the tabla. A dusky, well-built young man with unkempt hair that seemed to have never met a comb and the most striking pair of intelligent eyes behind thick black-rimmed glasses. Sushant introduced him as Chandrjeet Ghosh, his classmate.

As Purnima sang Ami Tomaro Sange Bndhechi Amar Pran, she kept glancing at Chandrjeet, noticing how his eyes, filled with admiration, hardly blinked. Maybe that day, the Almighty tied them together.

Mother also liked Chandrjeet very much when she saw his photo.

About a week later, she happened to meet him in the library. Purnima approached him herself and they talked for a long time. Although he seemed shy during the program, he wasn’t that shy, though he did speak less. Purnima had no problem with that, as she chattered away while Chandrjeet simply looked at her.

It didn’t take long for the news to reach Sushant. Though he didn’t say anything directly, he made it clear that Purnima wasn’t doing the right thing.

After that, Purnima and Chandrjeet spent almost every day together, either in the canteen or the library. Most of the time, Sushant would also be with them, watching over them.

This is how Purnima's first year was nearing its end. That day was Chandrjeet’s last class. His final exams were a month away. They didn’t know when they would see each other again. Although neither of them had formally declared their love, the Almighty had already tied them together. Sitting in the campus field, they were chatting.

Just as they were about to get up, Sushant arrived. They welcomed him warmly, but that day he crossed all bounds of civility.

They both looked at each other and quietly went their separate ways. As they walked away, they heard him say, If this continues, I’ll have to inform Father.

Exams, results—everything took about three months, during which they had little contact.

Afterward, Sushant went to pursue an MBA, and Chandrjeet came to Jadavpur for his Master’s.

Not being able to be present himself, Sushant had Rekha continue to keep an eye on Purnima, putting her love for her to good use.