Okay so, firstly sorry for a very very very late update. I was just out of inspiration and the way show portrayed Aniruddh had killed my spirits.
Secondly, this is not the last chapter. I wanted to complete this story asap in this chapter but then, when I started writing, it just flowed and ended up as a chapter worth 3.5k words and, I couldn't write anymore into it. If I tried to finish it here by writing further, it would have looked forced and worried.
Thirdly, I have tried to incorporate romance into this chapter. and as you all know I SUCK at writing romance. Please forgive me.
This update is dedicated to one of my closest sisters Briti ! (Briti_Asfiya) Thank You for all the generous comments on my works. Hugs to you!❤️
So yeah, you can throw tomatoes and chappals at me!
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Chapter 11
A run which seemed like an eternity ended when Bondita’s hand was provided with the rails of the balcony. She struggled to balance herself as inertia pulled her forward but she stopped, taking a sharp breathe and everything she had gobbled in came out. She looked down to see a very busy street, especially because of the function going on in their neighbourhood. Everything looked like a huge chaos, but not huger than the chaos inside her mind.
Where her life has come into? She has no idea. At this point, she felt her existence was pointless, she felt like a kid lost in a mela. A lost kid, surrounded by disturbance and chaos. Why everything had to change? It was better when she had no expectations from her husband. It was when she started expecting, it was when she was keen to inch closer to him, everything changed – for worse. Chaos was an understatement. At a moment, everything felt like heaven to her, and the next moment, it falls apart like a castle built on air. But the chaos always existed right? It was just, her conveniently ignoring it. The arms of her husband engulfing her, as if she was his last hope while in sleep, made her selfish, selfish of that warmth, selfish for that feeling of everything being alright but just like dreams we see, all of it fell apart as they woke up. She had heard once; ‘we all are a villain in someone’s story.’ But here, for her, she ended up as the villain for the one she loved the most. Aniruddh.
She wiped her tears, with a firm decision, her eyes fixed at the house in front of her and the crowd surrounding it. It was when her sight was blocked with a haandi. She battled her eyelids to see a haandi full of roshogulla in front of her. Bondita turned to see both her brother in laws standing in front of her, each with a haandi of roshogulla. She looked at them in a questioning way.
“Kya soch rahi ho Boudi?” Batuk asked. “Yeh sab aap hi ke liye laaye hai hum!”
Bondita questioned; “Par kyun?” She looked at Somnath as she couldn’t believe he was standing in front him, with a haandi of roshogulla for her. He hated her at first, and lately also has been cold to her.
“Woh kya hai na, jab tum udaas rehti hai, tab aur buri dikhti ho.” Somnath said, conveying his care in the best possible way he could. Bondita frowned at that rude expression of care while Batuk chimed in.
“Jhoot bol rahe hai Dada! Unhone hi kaha mujhse ki aapke liye roshogulla lekar aaye hum.” Batuk revealed and Bondita couldn’t help but tear up at this late mending of relationships, when the roots of all these bonds were at stake.
Somnath looked at his sides awkwardly before confessing; “Ab, meri Bo-Boudi udaas baithegi toh accha lagega kya mujhe?” Bondita looked at him in shock, not being able to believe what just happened. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as this came as a breaking point for her vulnerable state. Somnath engulfed her in a side hug, patting her head gently, and caressing it.
“Ro kyun rahi ho Bondita? Mat ro. Kaun rulaya meri chotti si Boudi ko?” Somnath asked, and Bondita couldn’t help but inch closer to him. She was finally getting the love of a brother she yearned all these years. Yet, she couldn’t let out a sound other than a meek, cracked; “Somu Dada...” from her mouth. But yet, he caught everything she wanted to say, every bit of it.
Because at times, some bonds transcends the power of words.
They stood in that hug for a moment before they broke it. Somnath made Bondita sit on the swing and sat beside her while Batuk sat on his knee in front of her, keeping the haandi on the floor before gently wiping her tears off. Bondita looked at her brother in laws with happiness lined with hurt. How is she going to live without them?
Somnath slowly fed her a roshogulla, while she ate it like a five year old. Somnath looked at her while she ate it, realizing how much he had lost while holding onto his ego all these years while this girl kept on supporting him, helping him and loving him as his little sister whenever possible. He wiped his tears of, hiding it from both of them.
“Tum log bade bure ho, dono Boudi-Devar aapas mein pyaar baat lo! Me hun hi kaun?” Batuk said with an adorable pout while Bondita broke down into laughters.
Somnath taunted; “Oonth jaise bade ho gaye ho, apna bachpana chhodne ka socha hai kabhi?”
“Tum se hi toh sab se zyada pyaar karti hu!” Bondita said before feeding him a roshogulla, and then to Somnath.
Batuk praised; “Dekha dada? Meri Boudi sabse acchi hai!”
“Haan banke raho tum Boudi ka chamcha!” Somnath said, frowning. Then he looked at Bondita, “Bas tum humesha aise hi khush rehna.”
Bondita passed a genuine smile at both and nodded. That was when they were called by Binoy, apparently to scold them for not attending Saudamini’s gaye holud. The Roy Chowdhary brothers scooted the place while Bondita sat on the swing, with the haandi on her lap, lost in thoughts. She had got something she never thought she will that day, but something she had was at the verge of losing. She got her elder brother, but was she going to lose her husband now? Well, she was no one to complain when was just not meant for her. Bondita took a sharp breath and looked at the terrace entrance to see Aniruddh standing at the door step, looking at her in a clueless manner, his orbs shifting between her face, the haandi and the swing.
Bondita looked at him for a moment, saying a lot without saying anything before she got conscious seeing Aniruddh switching his eyes. She looked around to realize where she was sitting – The Swing. Well history was repeating. Just a difference that this time it wasn’t decorated, nor someone else was expected there. But Bondita, her heart pained to know what she had done unknowingly ten years ago. She almost jumped out from the swing before storming to the terrace door, to almost dash onto Aniruddh, but she stopped herself.
Aniruddh couldn’t help but question her, her eyes, her forehead with a frown and her cheeks which held tear stains. Aniruddh looked at her in reverie, while Bondita looked at him, trying to make some sense out of the chaos happening – inside and outside. Amidst all this, both of them didn’t forget to admire what their eyes as deep as oceans held for each other. While Aniruddh chose to acknowledge it, Bondita acted blind enough to not notice it, or maybe she was too scared – to expect something, and get heart broken, again.
“Bo-”
“I am sorry Aniruddh Babu.” Bondita interrupted. “Mujhe maaf kar dijiye. Mera koi iraada nahi tha ki me uss, jhoole pe baithu ya, uss jhoole ki sacche haqdaar ka sthaan lu. Woh, galti se ho gaya. Maaf kar dijiye.” Bondita said before storming off. Aniruddh had to take a minute to process what she just said.
And that was when he hit him. He had always thought he had overreacted that night of their wedding. Little did eight year Bondita knew about him and Saudamini. But the impulsive emotional fool that he was, he traumatised the poor kid who was just wonder eyed about the beautiful swing and now, now when she is in nothing but doubts about their marriage, it hit her back. Aniruddh slapped himself before looking intently at that swing. He had one more day to go before he declares the verdict of the future of their marriage to Bondita.
***
“Maa ke paas?” asked Trilochan, quite taken aback with this sudden request of Bondita.
Bondita nodded. “Haan mujhe lagta hai mujhe maa ke paas jaana chahiye.” Trilochan looked at her, with a bit of shock before she continued; “Mera matlab hai, thode din ke liye, waha... jau...toh..” She trailed off.
“Par abhi toh durga pooja shuru hone wala hai, aise mein...” Trilochan thought of the possibilities to solve this problem, he didn’t want to deny his daughter in law. “Maa ko yahi bula lo na Bahu! Yeh toh aur bhi shresht rahega. Tyohaar ke samay, poora parivaar saath hoga iss se acchi baat aur kya hi ho sakti hai?” Trilochan suggested, his eyes filled with joy. Bondita looked at him in awe, seeing how much he has changed over these years. But no, she couldn’t agree to it, not at any cost.
Bondita said; “Nahi Kaka Sasur Ji, me durga pooja ke baad chali jaati hu maa se milne aur phir wahan kuch din ruk kar aati hu, woh... gaanv ki yaad aa rahi thi mujhe.” She completed without meeting his eyes.
“Better, Me toh kehta hu Kaka ki me bhi jaa raha hun Bondita ke saath!”
Bondita turned to see Aniruddh descending down the stairs, declaring his suggestion. She looked at him confused. She had never seen him so keen about going to village. Their interactions were always about studies and their fight for society, not about anything else. Everything seemed to be drastically changing.
“Yeh toh aur bhi accha hua! Theek hai bahu, durga pooja ke ek din baad tum aur Aniruddh chale jana gaanv.” Trilochan said before shouting at Bihari, leaving the living room. Bondita looked at Aniruddh, pretty pissed off at him using her love confession to torture her till he declares his choice. Bondita ran up the stairs unaware of Aniruddh followed her. She was going to her room while suddenly she felt someone pin to the wall at the hallway.
Bondita got a mini heart attack when she saw Aniruddh with a cute pout in front of her, his right hand pinning her left on the wall while his left hand rested on the wall on her right side. Bondita looked at him, in a hazy way her eyes threatening to shift itself to his lips. She swallowed, trying to look away.
“Mere bina jaogi tum gaanv?” Aniruddh asked, in a slow, clear pace.
Bondita gritted her teeth, looking away; “Kyun? Kyun nahi jaa sakti me aapke bina?” Aniruddh frowned at her answer, before leaning towards her right ear, causing Bondita to stiffen at the proximity. He slowly removed the strand of hair at her earlobes and tucked in behind her ears as he whispered.
“Me reh paunga kya, tumhare bina?”
Bondita moved her head away from his and looked at his eyes in a questioning way. What is he? Why is he so complicated?
“Mera matlab hai...” Aniruddh clarified; “Reh paogi kya tum mere bina? Apne... pati ke bina?”
Bondita was fed up now. It was true that she confessed she loves him, but what he was doing at the moment was just pissing her off. He was just using her confession to torture her, in a way playing with her feelings and Bondita could never compromise with that kind of actions. Reminding her, how she cannot live without him was brutality. She flinched away from him and walked off to her room.
“Bondita!”
She stopped at her tracks as she reached her room, hearing Aniruddh call her. She stood near her bed, without turning, waiting for him to speak up. A minute passed, with utter silence and she was about to turn while she felt current on her body due to a familiar pair of arms snaking through her waist, pulling her towards it. She didn’t need to see who it was; it was her, not-so husbandly husband. She hit his chest and his hold on her saree clad waist tightened. She shrunk under his touch, melting into a mush.
Aniruddh sneaked his head on her right side resting it on her nape, before turning his head onto her ears, pressing his cheeks on hers before whispering in his husky voice; “waise, mujhe bhi nahi lagta, me tumhare bina reh paunga.” Aniruddh said and looked at her, with his head intact on where it was. She had her eyes closed, breaths uneven and lips parted. Aniruddh couldn’t help but lose himself in that heavenly sight. It was a moment before she opened her eyes to tilt her head and look at her reflection, standing behind her engulfing her in his arms. Yes, he was quite literally her reflection, or better to say, a part of her. Otherwise why does she feel incomplete without him?
Aniruddh was like any other man, who couldn’t help but shift his gaze off from her orbs to those lips in between. He just couldn’t believe this girl managed to pull him towards her so much that, a moment without her feels vague for him and that too, doing nothing intentionally to make him feel so. He had always loved her, but now what he has grown to feel for her is beyond love, it maybe his madness, his passion, but whatever it was, it just belonged to her, he belonged to her and as every moment that passed where he lost himself in her eyes, he fell for her more.
It was a thunder which broke Bondita out of her trance, while it failed in front of Aniruddh’s fathomless emotions for his wife. Bondita looked outside, it had started drizzling. She tried to get out of his hold, but more she tried, more he tightened it , to an extend that she pushed him away to get out of his hold. Aniruddh being pushed away, finally came back from his dreamland and looked at Bondita, not being able to believe the ultimate power this woman holds to control him and his emotions without even realizing it. He mentally thanked her for pushing him away, otherwise he knew he wouldn’t have controlled himself, and things would have changed for worse. He looked up to see Bondita grabbing her clothes and disappearing into the bathroom, not even sparing a glance at him.
***
It was almost midnight and the Roy Chowdhary family had retired to their bedrooms. Heavy rain was attacking the strong roofs of the mansion but not more than the hurricane inside Bondita’s mind attacking her. She had her law books held absent mindedly in her hands while she looked at the rain outside as she stood by the window. Even at dining table today Aniruddh had acted like a typical husband much to Trilochan Kaka’s joy and her surprise. In fact he had acted as if he was newlywed and tried to hold her hands beneath the dining table which eventually everyone at the table caught and ended up making her blush crimson red. The only relief was all of this was only going to last a day more and she’d know the verdict by this time the next day.
Bondita stared at the rain lost in her thoughts while she flinched at sudden but familiar touch. It was Aniruddh whose arms snaked through her waist while he leaned forward, trying to lose himself in her aromatic midnight black tresses. Bondita took a sharp breathe as she looked outside with a questioning gaze as of why he is doing it. A part of her knew, he was fulfilling his statement of ‘testing if she can resist him’ but she did feel it wasn’t just that.
Aniruddh kissed her tresses while the rain intensified outside. As the cool wind hit their senses, Bondita shivered while Aniruddh secured his hold on her waist, engulfing her in his warm arms. Bondita closed her eyes, trying to feel his touch. Because after all, these memories are all that’s going to be with her till the end – or at least she thought so even though now she is a bit hopeful. But as a thunder struck, she opened her eyes to face him, to ask him why he did what he did at the dining table, and more.
Bondita in a swift movement turned to him, the fast movement made Aniruddh move even forward; to an extent that Bondita now rested her waist on the wooden part of the open window. Before she could say anything, her eyes met his and it just took her breath away.
Aniruddh’s eyes were fixated on her lips, where there were water droplets. The huge thinking session near the open window had made Bondita’s face privileged to be generously showered with water droplets which hit the window doors to end up on her face. Aniruddh felt a havoc rising in his mind as he looked at her face. First in her eyes which held boundless love for him, love deeper than the ocean which made him doubt what he’d done to be so lucky to have this woman be in so madly love with him. Then her cheeks which had water droplets resting, with the natural crimson colour adoring it, again it was him who gave her that, he was the only one capable of making her blush like that and he felt like he was the most lucky man in the world. He caressed her cheeks slowly, tucking away the wet hair strands on her cheeks and wiping the water drops. As his eyes fell on her lips, along with Bondita’s, his breath was also taken away. Her lips trembled and invited him, while all he wanted was to capture it with his, claiming they belong to each other. Aniruddh’s fingers slowly shifted to her cheeks to her lips.
Bondita’s eyes followed his hand movements. As his fingers touched her lips, she closed her eyes, feeling the touch. Aniruddh with his thumbs wiped away the water droplet on her lips while he couldn’t take his eyes off, his desires firing up. Bondita was breathing heavily at this proximity so was Aniruddh. If someone saw him now, they would have surely called him a possessed man looking at his hypnotised, desire filled eyes. Well he was one possessed man, possessed by his wife, Bondita.
Aniruddh tightened his hold on her waist to pull her towards himself while the other hand touched her lips. He slowly leaned near her face. Bondita partially opened her eyes to see Aniruddh leaning closer to her. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening. For all the years she’d known the meaning of love, she’d waited for a day when the scenes of the epic romantic novels she’d read would be recreated in front of her, in her life, with her prince charming in front of her and now that was happening?
Aniruddh leaned in, but just when an inch was left for him to claim her as his, he tilted his head to place a tight kiss on her right cheek. Bondita however, couldn’t help but close her eyes to feel his touch. Then he moved towards her ears before he said; “I think we should sleep...” Aniruddh placed a kiss on her earlobe before he continued; “my wifey...” Bondita opened her eyes in shock hearing it, she moved back to face him while still on his hold. Aniruddh still had his gaze darkened for her which made her breathe uneven. He passed her a evil smile, his eyes full of dirty desires along with endless love which somehow she is failing to read.
Aniruddh walked back to the bed, Bondita’s bed as Bondita had allowed him to share it with her considering his bed was on the verge of ‘breaking’ while Bondita stood there for a few moments trying to regain her senses back. When she walked to the table to keep her book back, she saw a frown on her face.
She was disappointed. She was expecting something else. Was she, disappointed because he didn’t kiss her? Bondita slapped herself at her fantasies and walked to her bed. But the thought kept nagging her if Aniruddh didn’t find her desirable enough to kiss her.
“Bondita, do you know what I love the most?” Bondita turned to see Aniruddh lying on the left side of the bed, asking her this question with closed eyes.
Bondita dimmed the lights and settled on the bed before answering; “Bringing in a revolution?” She said, as she laid on the bed facing him. She saw Aniruddh shaking his head.
“Reading...books?” asked Bondita, to get the same reaction from him.
Bondita thought for a while before answering with excitement; “Fighting cases at the court!” But Aniruddh shook his head declaring it as a wrong answer. Bondita frowned, thinking what possibly he loves the most than these.
Aniruddh shifted on his bed to lean towards her side to face her.
“Bondita, What I love the most is....” He took a break, taking a breath. “My Gold medal.” He said, smiling. Bondita passed a subtle smile to him before nodding and turning to the other side, leaving him to face her back as she pulled up the blankets. She closed her eyes, with a frown on her face at this strange question and answer while Aniruddh smiled, before drifting off to sleep.
All she had to do was observe, Aniruddh was trying to teach her something.
Chapter 11 Ends.
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This was unedited, forgive typos and grammatical errors.
Next chapter will be for sure the final one and yeah, it will be the most romantic one trust me. But I can write it only if I get inspiration from you guys!
So Do Like and please please please COMMENT your views in detail about the update, as I always say, that's the only thing which inspires me to write, nothing else!
Thanks for all the nice comments.
Love,
Sujz!
Shiv Shakti
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