Posted:
Nice update👍🏼
Som is journalist wow😳
Cutie Bondu was jealous and Ani happy about it😆
Now Bondita will come to know about their marriage truth.I wanna see her reaction.
Was waiting for your update😃
Please update soon😳
Nice update👍🏼
Som is journalist wow😳
Cutie Bondu was jealous and Ani happy about it😆
Now Bondita will come to know about their marriage truth.I wanna see her reaction.
Was waiting for your update😃
Please update soon😳
Awesome update..Super duper...Now waiting for next ...How bondita will knew their marriage truth..Plz update next part soon
Hi. Put up chapter 6. Hopefully everyone enjoys it! Please do comment. Criticisms are more than welcomed. Chapter 7 probably will take longer to be updates with deepavali coming up.
Chapter 6: Reckless Saviour
‘Bondita! Wait!’
Anirudh’s voice was muffled by the leaves crunched beneath the steady pounds of her feet. She could feel her heart throbbing frantically inside her chest along the wild clinking of her bangles. He breath was short and painful as her lung gasped for air. She run through the trees and bushes down to the riverbanks.
Bondita came to an abrupt halt in front of the girl and the older women dragging her. Her sudden appearance startled the women, loosened their grip on the girl. Seizing the opportunity, Bondita grabbed the girl’s arm and with all her might pulled her away. She positioned herself between the group of bewildered people and the girl. She made sure her back faced the direction of the Anirudh’s car in case they had to dash to safety.
In the silence that followed, she could hear the gentle gurgling of the river. The rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds burned her skin. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her blood pounded in her ears. Bondita tilted her head toward the girl behind her. Her voice, harsh from her dried throat,
‘Are you fine? Why are these people dragging you?’
Bondita could feel the girl’s body trembling against hers. The girl’s fingers gripped on the edges of Bondita’s saree tightly. Only soft sobs came out. She heard some rustling behind her but kept her eyes ahead.
‘Who are you? Leave her and go!’ a woman in bright orange saree yelled at Bondita. She was plump and had an oddly shaped dark eyebrows that gave her face a menacing look.
‘Where are you bringing her?’ Bondita turned her questions to the group of people in front of her.
‘That is none of your business. Now move from here!’ a scrawny woman decked in heavy gold jewelleries snarled at her.
The men behind the women were clearly discontented by Bondita’s sudden intrusion. The elderly couple that she saw pleading earlier rushed to her side.
‘Baba!Ma!’ the girl whimpered and hugged them.
‘Can’t you see? She is a widow. She is going to Vrindavan’ one of the men shouted.
Bondita stiffen. Vrindavan? Her own memories on her wedding night crossed her mind.
She caught a glimpse of the girl clad in white saree, tear stained her face, her long straight hair messed and tangled. She was leaning in support from her father, engulfed in her mother’s embrace. The girl was about Bondita’s age. Hearing the word Vrindavan, she had shrunk further into her mother’s arms.
‘No! Please, I beg you. Why now? It has been a year since your son passed. Let her live a new life. She is too young’ the father bawled. He brought his palms together and bowed to the group.
'And bring shame to my family! My son died because of her bad luck. You want my whole family to be destroyed now’ the scrawny woman spitted on the ground. She took a step closer.
‘It is the land, and the gold aren’t it? Keep it with you. Just leave my daughter be!’
The woman hesitated for a few seconds after the mother’s words.
‘Uff! Your daughter? She no more than her stranger to you! We will do what will save the family’s honour.’
‘It is not honour! It is your greed!’ the mother accused further.
‘Please be quiet, Kalpana. Think of Aashi. Quite now’ the man still had his palm together tried to calm his wife.
‘She will fulfil her duty and remain in Vrindavan till her end comes. That is the dharm! Her dharm towards her pati.’
Bondita knuckles where white from clenching her fist too hard, and she gritted teeth in effort to remain calm. Every word had stung her, building rage inside her.
‘Dharm? This is your Dharm? Expecting her to live a life of a hermit for no fault of hers? If this was your son who had lived, will you send him away in the name your Dharm?!’
‘You want us to let her re-marry and disgrace the Dutta’s family name? She is our daughter in law. We will decide how she will live her life!’
‘The choice is her's! You have no right over how she will live. ‘ Bondita shot back.
‘Move now. There is no way a little girl like you will stop us.’ one of the men spoke in a terrifyingly calm voice.
A cruel sneer formed on his wrinkled face. He stepped forward, his eyes bearing straight into Bondita.
Fear formed a tight knot in her chest and churned her stomach into tense cramps. Tension grew in her face and limbs. Bondita’s hands trembled as her eyes frantically searched for anything, she could use to protect themselves. She spotted a fallen branch next to her. In a swift movement, she bends and grabbed the branch.
‘Arggh!’ she gruntled as the branch was heavier that she expected. She swung at the man’s head, hitting him squarely on his face. He fell down writhing on the ground.
‘Not a step further!’ she yelled with both her hand waving the branch at them.
‘You stupid girl!’
Another man rushed at her with his hand raised. Bondita felt her muscle tensed expecting a blow. She forced her eyes stay focused on the man’s knee. She swung the branch again when her view was blocked by someone.
Anirudh had dashed in front of his wife and stopped the man midway. He grabbed the man’s raised arm and twisted it to his back.
‘Don’t you dare touch her. Not even her shadow!’ Anirudh strained deep voice threatening. The man quivered as the pain shot up his twisted arm.
Anirudh jaw was clenched and eyes was red with anger. He had a quick look at Bondita. The branch was still in her hands. She gave him an assuring nod. Anirudh took a step forward and pushed the man to the ground. He stared at each of the faces in front of him in disgust. He took a deep breath to calm his mind clouded with rage seconds ago.
Another man from the group recognized Anirudh, the heir to the Roy Chowdry’s zamindar, the barrister from Calcutta, rushed towards him. Meekly addressed Anirudh with his head bowed.
‘Anirudh babu, please let us do our dharm.. We only …'
Anirudh sniggered at his words. A million times he had heard these words. Even after 12 years, there has not been much change.
‘Dragging a helpless girl against her will. Subjecting her to a life of living hell is your dharm?’ Anirudh intense eyes bore into the man. The man’s head lowered further as if to hide the shame.
‘From what I have heard, this girl has been a widow for more than a year, living under her father’s patronage. Why now you have come to fulfil your dharm?’ he waited for an answer. The family were agitated and squirmed under his stare.
‘I thought so. Now, they are under my protection. A single word from them, I will have the whole lot of you reported and thrown into the jail.’
‘But Anirudh babu, we...the land...Bhowmik babu will be...’ the man murmured under his breath.
‘Sssshussh!’ the plump woman pulled the man’s arm. She avoided Anirudh amused look upon hearing the man’s words. He understood earlier on, this was not about dharm but greed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Please have a drink.’ Kalpana, the girl’s mother offered.
Anirudh and Bondita were sited on the wooden chairs in the Biswa’s family hall. Koushik Biswa was a retired railway station master who settled in Tulsipur few months back. He encouraged them to have the coffee served by his wife. Aashi, the girl they saved earlier sat across them on the floor. Her eyes were still puffed and red. She stared blankly ahead.
Bondita glanced uncomfortably at Anirudh as she passed the cup. She was steeped in guilt. She bitterly regretted having acted so recklessly earlier putting their lives in danger. Anirudh face was stern and he avoided her eyes. Instead, he had his attention to Koushik.
‘Koushik babu, could you explain why they want Aashi to be sent to Vrindavan? Why now?’
‘It is the land under Aashi’s name. And the gold she was given before the wedding. They came threatening to send her to the hell if I refuse to give them the documents.’ the older man shook his head. His eyes held on to the tears as he looked at his daughter.
‘And they didn’t agree to Aashi’s re-marriage. Our daughter is suffering now for our mistake’ Kalpana’s voice breaking .
Kalpana explained as she gave her husband a reproachful look. Koushik had gotten their daughter married in rush once he caught winds of her budding relationship with another student. The fear of stigmatized by the society blinded his eyes to the truth of the man and the family their daughter was marrying into. They both suffered watching Aashi abused and humiliated by her in laws and husband. The bruises on her face and body scourged their heart but their hands were tied. They thanked the gods when she came back as widow, after her husband died in a freak accident. A little while ago, the boy that courted Aashi in college came for her hand in marriage. Initially reluctant, they agreed after some persuasion from his family who was afraid, he would remain unmarried. The marriage was set in a few months with the small engagement ceremony arranged next week.
Bondita sighed and glanced at Aashi who continued to stared ahead blankly. She could feel the deep sorrow emanating from the girl.
‘The land and the gold are her Stridan. They also cannot stop her from re-marrying. They have no rights by the law on either.’ Bondita assured.
Anirudh's lips twitched as he stopped himself from smiling. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her determined face. Bondita words had made him proud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were back in the haveli from Biswa’s residence. Bondita had been avoiding Anirudh. She turned away Bihari and Koehli with excuses each time they were sent by Anirudh for her.
During dinner, in pretence of preparing Somnath’s favourite dishes who was back from the village, she busied herself in the kitchen. It was unusual for her not to be present at the dinner table but Anirudh was a ticking time bomb that could explode anytime. She had to be extra cautious.
Somnath being aware of the events from afternoon, came to bid her good night in the kitchen with his gift.
‘Boudi, how long are you going hide here?’ he passed her a box wrapped in brown paper.
Bondita gave him a strained smile and shrugged her shoulder.
‘Until pati babu goes to sleep? I do not know. Is he still in the dining hall?’ She craned her neck to check from the kitchen doorway.
Somnath raised an eyebrow in disbelief and checked his watch.
‘Don’t stay up too late. You know you can not escape’
Bondita waited a little longer after cleaning the kitchen before walking out. As a child she was never afraid of Anirudh. But as an adult, her stomach always felt queasy whenever his around. He made her anxious.
The kitchen entrance was hidden from the study, but she stopped at the pathway that led to the stairs. It was partially visible from the study. Bondita decided to sneak her way to the stairs and sprint as fast as she could up to room. She lowered and hunched her body forward, with her finger on her lips slowly tiptoed to the stairs. She was glad she was not wearing her glass bangles.
’Bondita!’ Anirudh voice echoed through the haveli.
She flinched upon hearing her name.
So much for planning. Bondita thought as she trudged towards Anirudh’s study. Her fingers were fidgeting with brown box absently. She thought about her actions and words from earlier, finding them to be inadequate for a valid argument. The guilt made her mind ineffective.
Amazing chapter! I'm excited to see Ani scold his reckless Biwi 😆
In the HM track, Ani was reckless as well. Came to save the Bon, decided to save the other girls without a backup plan. I guess in my head, since Ani is her mentor, Bon will end up with some of his traits 
Originally posted by: tharsh1011
In the HM track, Ani was reckless as well. Came to save the Bon, decided to save the other girls without a backup plan. I guess in my head, since Ani is her mentor, Bon will end up with some of his traits
I think so too... They have already hinted about that subtly and I think it is going to get there eventually coz when Bon will grow up, she is expected to do a lot of mahanata and chamatkaars 😆
Awesome update , loved it💙💙💙
Hi All. Do comment. appreciate the feedbacks.
Chapter 7: Fires and Shadows
Bondita paused for a moment at the door, shivering inertly recalling the fear and rage in Anirudh’s eyes in the morning. The study door creaked as she pushed it slowly.
Anirudh sat on the large brown chair behind the over-pilling mahogany table. A cup of coffee left untouched next to him. He leaned forward in his chair with concentration on a file in his hand. Sleeves folded and his usually neatly combed hair was a mess. He was wearing glasses. A round silver frame sitting balanced on the bridge of his nose. The study was partially lit. The shadows around him made him paler and circles under his eyes darker.
Her heart sunk a little as she stared at Anirudh. The years had not been kind to him. The late nights and his relentless pursuit of truth had taken a toll.
‘Close the door behind you’ Anirudh deep crisp voice startled her.
Closing the green door behind her, Bondita took in a deep breath. She was anxious but kept her gait calm walking towards him.
A heavy silence settled over the room as Bondita stood tapping her foot for some time. She glanced unceremoniously around and tried to avoid catching Anirudh’s glance. The memories from her early teenage years flooded her head. Anirudh, in the study of their Calcutta home, quietly waiting for her confessions. He rarely would say a word. His silence was sufficient.
‘Erm..erm...’ Bondita cleared her throat.
Anirudh’s eyes were still on the file in his hand.
‘Pati ba….ermm..Anirudh?’ Bondita winced biting her tongue.
Anirudh head shot up from the files. He watched Bondita clear her throat. She was adamant on not addressing him as pati babu when there was no one around them. There was a time he wanted her to say his name aloud. But these days, he missed hearing her endearment for him.
‘Sooo…I will be going to Biswa’s home in couple of days. Before that I need to prepare the case notes. Could you write down your recollection of the incident from morning?’
Anirudh straighten up on his chair. His attention was squarely on his wife. He pushed a notepad and pencil towards Bondita.
‘Ermm..Yes...but when are we going to Aashi’s house?’ Bondita took the notepad and sat on the sofa to write.
Anirudh raised his eyebrows quizzically. He stood up from the chair slowly. He leaned against the table front with his arm crossed.
‘We?’
Bondita frowned as she tried to understand Anirudh question. The partially lit study was making it difficult for her to make out Anirudh’s expression. With lamp behind him, it created a halo of light around him.
‘Bondita, how are you going to work on the Biswa’s case if you are to accept any of the offer letters? One should see the work one shoulders till the end. I prefer if you do not get yourself involved if you cannot complete the responsibility you are taking up.’
Bondita’s fingers curled tightly around the pencil. Annoyance flashed in her eyes. She swallowed back her retort. Drawing in a deep breath, she finally said
‘I wouldn’t leave without helping Aashi and her family. I know how to fulfil my responsibilities!’
‘Then, you would be declining the offers in your hand, I assume. Now that you need to practice here as my junior…’ Anirudh stressed his last word.
Bondita rolled her eyes and puffed her cheeks in exasperation. She nodded slightly.
Anirudh moved away from the table front and sat next to Bondita. No longer in the shadows, his glittering deep brown eyes, settled on Bondita for a moment; and he laughed, in a soft, chuckling, horridly mischievous way. Bondita gasped realizing Anirudh had found out her plans to leave Tulsipur in two weeks. Coupled with his intelligence and his connections, it would not have been too difficult for him to figure it. Looking at the notepad, she sighed softly and smiled to herself. Jasosi babu! He turned into number one jasosi babu in Tulsipur.
Anirudh leaned over to listen Bondita’s mumbling. He chuckled lightly.
‘Now, tell me. How are you doing?’
Bondita could feel his warm breath on her face. His pants rustled against her saree.
Anirudh question caught her off guard.
‘Why did you run with such madness to save the girl’
He could feel the tension building in her.
Bondita glanced at Anirudh. His eyes showed a kind gentle concern. He laid his hand lightly on Bondita’s hand that was holding the pencil and instead of flinching away, she was soothed by his touch. Anirudh took her palm into his own. His thumb rubbed it softly in circulars and he spoke with a soft voice. The words calmed her more by the way they were spoken than the words themselves.
Bondita kept quiet for few more moments. How could I not consider my actions now, now that I could see how profoundly they affected him.
‘It was near the bank where....’
Anirudh frowned. He could hardly hear her words. He brought her hand closer to him and gave an assuring squeeze.
Bondita took a deep breath and stammered.
‘I thou..thought they were bringing her for sa..sa...Sati’
Silence again descended between them. Bondita heart was beating fast, like it wants to pop out of her chest. He palms were sweaty, and her mind blank. Suddenly, she felt unable to move neither breathe. Her whole body started shaking all over followed by uncontrollable sobs.
Anirudh was completely taken back by the sudden change. Sati? He felt a slight terror in his heart.
‘Bondita!..Bondita!...why would you think that?’
His memories raced back to Bondita standing alone in the Hereford’s hallway, her eyes with stains of tears, looking dejected, confused, and silently watching as Anirudh bid his farewell. He had left her in London under his friend Robert’s tutelage, the Viscount Hereford’s heir, he was unsure how Bondita will adapt to the English lifestyle, but it assured him of her safety. Everything was done in haste that he never had the chance to explain to her the reason behind his decision.
*************************************************************************************
’Anirudh … She will be fine. Her wounds will heal.’
Anirudh could only nod weakly. His eyes were puffed and red. His forehead bandaged and his arm in a sling. He was sitting next to the hospital bed. His eyes were unfazed as he continued to stare Bondita’s chest rise each time she took labored breaths.
‘Sending her to London might cause more complication in future.’
Anirudh looked up at his friend, Dr. Archibald Davies.
‘What do you have me do Archie? Keeping her here with me is no longer a possibility...’ Anirudh voice strained. It seared his heart to think he had failed yet again to protect her.
Dr. Archibald scratched his head in frustration. He came closer and kept his hand on Anirudh shoulder.
‘Anirudh, with the situation in hand...She had already gone through the trauma watching her dad die. Now, we don’t know how badly Bondita is affected by this.’
Instinctively, Anirudh brushed his bandaged arm in the sling. He winced in pain.
The bottle thrown at him broke when he stopped it with his arm and the shards had cut through his skin. In the chaos that followed moments later, a distorted Anirudh had panicked realizing he had lost Bondita. He frantically looked around for her when he heard a scream from a hut not far away from him. The hut was on fire. He could see her small hands reaching out for help through the window. Bondita’s scream came from a place or terror, her mind lost in absolute fear. Just as he was running towards her, a crushing pain drove through the back of his head. Anirudh stamped his feet forward for few more second towards Bondita before he was on the ground clutching his head, rolling first one way, and then the other, in agony. Mentally, anger swiped through his pain, the anger that he could not protect Bondita with his life when everything went black.
‘She needs you Anirudh, to be with her.’ Archie tried to pursue Anirudh to change his mind.
‘No Archie, I would not be able to forgive myself if I let any more harm come her way.’
*************************************************************************************
Bondita had her hand over her mouth, the other rigidly clutched on Anirudh's hand, her eyelids shut so tightly they began to shudder from the sheer force. The notepad and the pencil abandoned on the floor next to them. Anirudh grabbed her by her shoulders pulling her closer. Softly, he cupped her cheeks.
‘Bondita?...Mishti...please open your eyes.’ Anirudh voice choked when Bondita eyes remained closed.
‘I... I have nightmares. It is always dark. Footsteps, heavy thumps of angry men shouting. They want me to do Sati. But why? Ma’s arms around me. Crying...There was fire. Hot. Scalding. It burns Pati Babu....’
Bondita words confused Anirudh. The night of their wedding flashed in his mind.
Bondita hands moved around his waist, warm and soft. She kept her eyes closed and buried her head into his chest as her shuddering body molded into his own. Anirudh wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Her dupatta on her head had slide off. He gently caressed her hair.
‘Your voice...Pati Babu…you...you...shadow just stays in light; I will support her even in darkness...she is my wife!’ Another sob rattled Bondita’s body.
Anirudh startled turned down to look at Bondita, a frown wrinkling his forehead. Bondita in state of shock and despair had reminiscence pieces of their wedding night. How could it be possible?
He tipped her chin up and coaxed her.
‘Mishti...what else do you remember?’
Bondita opened her eyes and glanced around, a little disoriented. Her eyes were distant and dull gazing into his. She sunk deeper into the warmth of his big, strong arms protectively wrapped around her frail body. The world around her melted away.
‘The fire grew. It was hotter, bright red and angry. I could not escape the awful fire. I lost you...lost you...’
Anirudh sensed Bondita descending back to the deep and horrible nightmare again. His heart ached wanting to take away the power of the painful memories.
‘Shhh..shhh...enough’
'"Will you…" She was not sure what she had intended to ask but she wanted the comfort and protection only he was able to give her a little longer.
He rested his chin atop her head, knowing there were no words to comfort Bondita’s hurt and regretful that he was also responsible for the pain she is enduring. Anirudh clenched her tighter.
Had he listened to Archie, could he have spared Bondita this pain?
Thrash (if I could call you by this name),
You are an amazing writer, dear. 👏I was wondering how could I miss this fic😲 then realised I had put my account on hibernation in last week of August till October.
But now after your latest update, I found this beautiful piece. 👍🏼 I have read 4 chapters in one go. Beautifully written and amazing depiction of emotions.
Take a bow dear.
Will post my detailed review soon.😳
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