Bengal, Choudhury House

Saudamini couldn't believe she was standing in front of her mansion after ages! For a moment, she kept gaping the balconies jutting out from the chambers, and workers around busy with the decorations; of course for her grand wedding. The Chakravarty house was just a few miles away, a gift from her ancestors to the family who had been trustworthy accountants of them for years to come. 

She clutched the shawl wrapped around her figure tightly, with a lopsided smile on her lips.

"Come in, Mini.....fast! We need to get you ready for the ceremony!" Her mother was already inside, busy commanding the attendants; after her father had passed away, she was almost in charge of the house along with her elder brothers, Tapas and Prakash and her aged grandfather. The younger one was in Shimla, studying, leaving the older one with his own family. 

Saudamini gradually entered the threshold, the cheerfulness around was filling the atmosphere; just as it had been two years ago.

The only difference was, she herself was keenly looking out for every detailing in the decorations. Desiring for a perfect wedding, which would happen for once in a lifetime.

That was what she had thought, like every other girl.

"Satyakaam likes yellow," She smiled to herself, pointing out on the yellow marigolds, when she was asked to chose between the yellow and orange ones, "And you should make a garland in a crescent shape outside! It will look fabulous!" She pressed her palms excitedly, as the attendants smiled at their mistress's innocent demands. 

"Mini, come on, get ready my dear!" Her father came with a warm smile, patting her cheek, "Else it will be late!"

"Yes, Baba! Just....I just want to make sure that Satyakaam doesn't find a blemish in the decorations," Saudamini softly ushered, looking around. She wanted to it look the best, just like Satyakaam loves. She had herself made a colorful rangoli with yellow marigolds in front of the entrance, just for him. 

"Of course, he will love it!" 

"Are you sure, Baba?" She stared at him, hopefully.

"Of course yes my dear. Everything you do stands out so well!" Saying so, he gently kissed her forehead.

Memories flashed in front of her eyes, her vision began to blur as she inadvertently sauntered through the hall and walked up to her room in the first floor. Tracing her palm on the railing, she stepped up, eager to have a glimpse at her chamber once again. She slightly pushed open the mahogany door, it creaked open; giving her the vision of the soberly painted view of her room. 

The same old velvet maroon curtains, the same wooden cupboard, the bookshelf and the same books stacked inside! Everything kept at their place! 

She rushed up towards the bookshelf where all the Bengali novels were stacked carefully, she ran her fingers upon them; choosing her favorite Devdas, kept beside Tagore's collection of Short Stories. It was gifted by Tapas on her thirteenth birthday, and the excited girl had spent the entire night flipping through it's pages. Though not clearly understanding the story, she began rereading it, everytime discovering something new. Until she didn't remember how it turned into her favorite novel. 

A choke formulated in her throat as those sweet memories of childhood were reminisced.

And carefree childhood once elapsed, never returns again.

She slowly turned open the hardcover and flipped a random page, and then jumped to the middle of it; a subtle behavior she had developed when she was sixteen. The reason for it was there intact; four to five parchment sheets stacked neatly in between the pages. 

Saudamini's brows faltered, as her fingers brushed against the parchments, her heart start to pace faster as she gazed at them. They had turned a shade yellow due to being flattened in between the book. She tucked out a parchment, a funny uncomfortable feeling flipped in her stomach in the process. 

Her heart dipped as she opened the parchment, her eyeballs darting over the contents almost instantly.

Satyakaam, the day I saw you, it felt as if my life was getting painted by the colors of rainbow. Whenever I see you, I feel like floating and dancing on clouds..........Seeing you my heart beats faster than anything else, I forget every misery of mine when I chant your name on my lips....such magic you do to me, my love--

Saudamini gasped as her heart began twanging against her chest harder than it should as she instantly folded the parchment and gazed outside the window. Her eyes widened, tears accumulating her eyes as she began to inhale deep breaths to calm herself. 

The naive sixteen year old self of hers had penned them down, secretly. 

For her lover.

Unaware of the truth...

She was about to fold back the parchment and stack it back, when her eyes fell upon the black and white photograph which was neatly tucked in between too. Her gaze was fixed at the picture of the handsome young man, with hairs neatly gelled on one side and with a gentle smile on his lips. Light stubble adorned his jaw, indicating that he had just passed his teenage phase. 

And upon the picture, naively it was written with ink in Bengali, "Ami tomake bhalobashi (I love you)..."

Saudamini felt her tongue growing dry, as her fingers began to shiver slightly. Her breath quickened, as she licked her lips.

"Saudamini!" She gasped instantly as her mother called her, entering her chamber with a smile on her lips. Saudamini kept staring at her mother, instinctively closing the book, "Yes Maa?" She sucked in a breath to conceal her emotions.

"Dear, you will be late! Here....change into this saree quickly, alright?" The elderly woman grinned, while an attendant was laying down a bright maroon saree for her, a few bangles and a pair of earrings and anklets. Being a widow herself now, Mrs. Choudhury wasn't allowed to touch the items which belonged to her wedding.

"I am dying to see you in colored clothes once again dear," She walked over to her daughter and firmly kissed her forehead, making the latter smile softly and nod her head.

But will color be back in her life again? 

★★★★★★★★★

A/N

More sus 👀✅

Btw, I have actually changed the year from 1975 to 1930, because the setting I have shown is more pre-independence type.

After 1950 things weren't that harsh.

Signing for today!

Nushkie