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At Tulsipur,

Anirudh couldn't think of any other way to know on what percentage it was true as Saurabh had claimed it to be. He knew Saurabh won't be lying. But he knew about many women who were literate. There were Women Barristers like Cornelia, Aanadi ben as Doctor, Sarojini Naidu, Vijayalakshmi, Savitri Bai who was first female teacher of India, many were there he knew about also Assam had started it's first female school few years back, wasn't Bondita a literate woman too, even Saudamini did homeschooling. But it's true that he doesn't remember any female classmate as he was in only boys' school.

Maybe Somnath would have female classmates. Wasn't he studying in school now, yeah, he can just pay a visit then maybe he would get a clear view about what it truly was. It could be that the village where Sampoorna Boudi's maiden home was located wouldn't have supported women education. It could be the reason right.

So, not wasting a moment he immediately went to inform Somnath his younger brother that today he would drop him to his school. But Somnath who believed himself as young adult didn't like his elder brother's interference thinking he would give advice to him and his friends would mock him just like some of them did after the party ruckus his elder brother created. It's true that he felt pride in introducing his elder brother as a London returned Barrister, but not as this revolutionary, fittori person he became now. Yet what can he do, they never were together in true sense, Somnath doesn't even remember what he was like before he went there to london, and after that those once-a-year letters wrote by him and those rare telephone calls were just asking about their well-being or any important updates as the bills were too costly even for Zamindaars. 

So, they never shared most about their interests and what they thought about the societal things, that's where they had different perspective, Somnath who lived her his whole life accepted its reality while Anirudh who lived in his dream world of equality and freedom didn't knew how to tolerate this injustice. Even though it would have been significant at some point of time it isn't according to the situation now. The change is constant, and now these constants of society needed to change.

"Anirudh Dada, why do you want to come to my school. I'm not that little Som; you think of me. I'm 16 years old Somnath it my last year of School. I don't need you to drop me." Somnath stated unable to make any sense of Anirudh's sudden interest for dropping him off.

"I know, but I just want to see the first British school of our village Tulsipur from insides. When I was here there wasn't any. I used to do homeschooling for English." Anirudh justified the reason, even though it wasn't true fully.

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Anirudh was in court along with Saurabh as he was working on some case for a property which government was taking under its rule against the few farmers, this case was given to him by Mr. Bhattacharya his senior.

In the lunch time Saurabh arranged the lunch for both of them as Anirudh had brought the tiffin today, he didn't have to go anywhere, and Saurabh as always brought his made by his wife Sampoorna. They both sat and started having their lunch.

"Saurabh, you remember two days ago what you said to me." Anirudh asked after finishing his lunch.

"What are you asking about Anirudh Babu. There were many things," Saurabh replied confused as he washed his hands.

"When I told you about the letter, you said Bondita's Baba taught her reading and writing but Sampoorna Boudi don't even know how to write own name. And not only she there are many women like her, who hadn't learnt even our mother tongue Bangla." Anirudh reminded Saurabh.

"Ha, I remember. It's true Anirudh Babu. Even though it sometimes feels like the problem as when one time I wanted Sampoorna to write a letter to me when I went out of town, she wasn't able to write without help of any male involved. Thus, she couldn't. Also, many times some shopkeepers also take advantage of their lack of calculations. Not only women there are many men out there who don't understand the interest rates and have to pay more than the actual amount they took for loan. But what can we do, the number is too much one can handle." Saurabh sighed at the situation.

"No Saurabh, what you are feeling is really true. Today I went to Somnath's school. And I didn't find any girl there in the premises. You know in London there were many girls studying to be Barristers also many with different branches of degree like literature and others. I think we can talk about this to our Bramo Samaj members team working in Kolkatta." Anirudh said as he thought about the people who really thought about injustice to women. Who wanted to give them equal rights.

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At HeeraMandi,

" Munmun, why are you calling me Munmun. I said my name is Bondita. You can call me that Kaki." Bondita tried to clarify the older women thinking maybe she mistook her name as something else.

"I know little girl, and don't call me Kaki. Call me Baaji. You know this is my mahal, Noormahal. Heeramandi's most famous brothel. And every new girl who comes here to stay is given a new name. As you are new here your new name will be 'MUNMUN'. Understand." Said the owner lady of noormahal.

"You mean to say like we do with newborn babies, as we perform naming ceremonies. And What is a Brothel Baaji. Also, what is the problem with Bondita. I like my name. I don't want to change it." Bondit questioned and lastly denied having a new name for herself.

"Hhahaha, How much you talk girl? Don't you get tired? See as I can see you must be widow right, looking at your white attire. You know people outside have already outcasted you and for them you aren't Bondita anymore. For them you will be just a bad omen, a widow." The older lady said as she put few tresses of Bondita's hair behind her ear.

Bondita wanted to deny but couldn't as she remembered what her Mami said, the taunts she received even though she acted as they don't matter to her, but it just made her feel like she did when those words were said for her mother, how society never let them live with their choices. How she couldn't eat Roshogulla in these two months, even her mother asked her not to eat those spicy and sweet delicacies' she used to love before that worst decision she agreed due to her mother.

"So, you know that I'm right, haina. Now you are here, under my rule. You don't have to wear this colourless clothes anymore, Do you know why? Because in Noormahal there isn't any husband an brother or any male, we just have customers. And other than that, women can do anything they want. They can eat, dance, sing, wear the clothes they like. They don't have to cover their head with veils" With this she threw off Bondita's veil.

"But for that you have to change your name, Munmun" She gave her a choice.

"Really, this place doesn't have those stupid rules.  You know Baaji, I always said to my Maa and Didi there would be definitely someone who would agree with me, now I can say that someone is you. Maybe with time you would understand that to do all those things I didn't need to change my name. But for time being if you want you can call me Munmun just like my Baba used call me Shona dearly. I will consider as a nick name so we both won't have a problem. Right." Bondita said smiling as she remembered few memories of her with her father in Dhaka.

"Excellent, now go to your room. And don't come out until I call you. Hey Ramaiyya, take Munmun to her room in the back side and make sure she doesn't come out." The older lady dissmissed Bondita's presence as it was time for their works of the evening the 'Mehfil' will start soon.

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At Devipur,

Dada Bondita  would have reached by now, right. She would be safe there. I don't think that I would be cured, that's why I agreed to send her. Dada, please promise me you would take care of her. If I don't survive." Sumati said as she cried holding her brother's hand.

"Sumati, don't cry. I don't know if you be alive or not. But Bondita is also like a daughter to us. Isn't that why we got her married to Ghose family, they are rich we thought that Bondita would live there luxuriously but at the end what can we do if her fate is this. But don't worry I would go and check on her the very next month. Actually, I would have gone there this week only but as I don't have enough money to travel now, you know I would go and tell her that her mother misses her so much. And you know, Kolkata sells her favorite sweet. Don't worry. Now I have to go." with this being said Arvind left Sumati's hut.

"He Dugga Maa, please take care of my Bondita, I know my brother isn't a good person and on top of it My Boudi won't let him even to check on her. But please be there for her, help her in her problems." Sumati cried to the idol placed on the small shelf.

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