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People skip food to show their anger, but the irony is that hunger makes you more angry , and thus you ultimately become hangry.

Anirudh now realised that skipping food was not even that a good idea when his stomach was grumbling so loudly that he feared someone else would hear. He decided to sneak into the kitchen to have food. When he entered the kitchen, he heard some voice behind the cupboard. He went to the backside of the cupboard.

Bondita heard someone coming towards her and hid her plate under the cupboard.

"You!??"said Anirudh.

"You"

"What are you doing here?"

"I ...i...uh ..came to drink water ."

"Here? behind the cupboard?"

"How does that matter to you? I can drink water anywhere i want.
But what are you doing here?"

"I....i...i also came here to drink water."
Let her go , then I'll have food .

Let him go, then I'll continue eating my food.

Why is she not going?

Why is he not going?

Both of them looked everywhere but at each other waiting for the other one to leave but nobody budged. As if on cue, Anirudh's stomach grumbled and he sheepishly looked here and there becoming embarassed.

"Are you hungry? "

"N-no , I'm not hungry."

"Your stomach says otherwise."

"Uhmm, yeah , a bit."

"Haash! You could have said that earlier also na. Come."
Bondita took her plate out from under the cupboard and started eating. Anirudh was taken aback to see her munching her food. He started looking here and there for food but found the utensils empty.

"There is no more food."said bondita.

"What? You ate all the food! Wha--"

"If you want i can share my food."

"No thankyou i dont need it ."

"Okay , then I'm having it all."

Bondita was eating without any care of the world but looked at Anirudh eyeing her plate from peripheral view and snickered.

"Listen. Give some to me also."asked a sheepish Anirudh

Bondita laughed while Anirudh glared at him. Bondita put the plate between them and they both started eating quietly. Just then ,Bondita noticed a reddish -blue bruise on Anirudh's hand. She tried to control herself but couldn't help but ask, "Pati Babu, what happened to your hand? "

Anirudh jerked his hand back and ignored bondita.
"If you didn't tell, I'll tell maa." Threatened bondita.

Anirudh didn't want to indulge Shubhra in this matter.

Flashback

Bondita had taken leave to prepare the food, as it was the last day of her cooking classes. From tomorrow she could focus solely on the school.

Anirudh and his friends were having lunch together when they saw Sharman approaching them.

"Dada, why didn't Bondita come today? And where is batuk?" Asked Sharman.

"She has to cook food today ,so she took the leave. And batuk has gone to his master Ji's chamber. "

"That's the right thing for her to do, rather than coming to school and studying. Her one leg would be in kithen , other would be in school. Jack of all, master of none."said Gopal with an irritated face.

Anirudh also noticed that Bondita recently indulged herself in household work more and paid less attention to studies. This unknowingly was worrying him.
What if she fails?

"Have you seen the way she talks ? I have never seen a girl like her , all mighty and sharp like a dagger." Tapas mocked and laughed.

Anirudh frowned at Tapas' words and lost his appetite.
"How does it matter to anyone what she does and doesn't? I am her husband. I have no problem with her studying here. Then what is eating you both?"

Tapas smirked as he saw all calm and cool Anirudh riling up over a girl.
Anirudh Roy Chowdhury, even after being one year senior than you, for years you defeated me and won best student of school award , making me a continuous centre of humiliation in my own home. Now I've discovered your soft underbelly, your little munchkin, your child bride.

"Relax Anirudh, what is there to get so much worked up? Its not as if I touched her, not yet at least." His smug expression further infuriated Anirudh. "Well , now when i think about it, it is not that a bad idea right. After Sharda left me alone, i feel the need to--"

"Tapas! Dare you say one more word about my wife."
Anirudh didn't wait for him to complete his sentence and lunged over Tapas tackling him to the ground and straddled over his chest. He felt as if molten lava was coursing through his veins instead of the blood.
Tapas left the count of punches Anirudh threw at him , when his vision blurred and his mouth filled with blood.

Rest of the boys tried to pull Anirudh but he kept hitting Tapas like a mad man. Soon commotion attracted the attention of Principal passing from nearby and he saw Anirudh hitting Tapas vehemently. He came to the spot and pushed Anirudh from above the injured boy.
"Anirudh, what is this? I didn't expect this from you. This is not your village school where spoiled brats like you will come and ruin the decorum. This is a British school. Its reputation will not be put at stake for any student no matter whoever he is. Look at that boy, his face has become unrecognisable. From this instant , you are expelled from the school for your insolent act."

Flashback ends.

"What ? You got expelled? Now what will happen Pati babu? If baba comes to know, what will we do?"

"I don't know bondita. I don't know." Anirudh's eyes filled upto the brim and shed a few tears. Bondita felt her heart twisting at the sight of his tears. She took her pallu and rubbed his tears.

"Dont worry Pati babu. We will think about something. Right now you have food. You didn't eat properly in the morning too." Sje forwarded a morsel towards his mouth.

"Food is really good Bondita. But alurdom is a bit spicy , just like you." Anirudh teased.

"Haww! Pati babu!" Bondita scrunched her nose in mock anger.

Both laughed and had food together. Anirudh felt a bit relieved after sharing his pain for the first time in the day.

"Bondita , I didn't want to yell at you. I ..i just .. was ..just ...upset ..."

"It's okay Pati babu. But now we will have to think how to talk to principal sir."

"On monday, the expulsion letter will arrive at the haweli. Then kaka ,baba , maa everyone will know. They all will scold me. This expulsion will be like a black dot on my career. It will become difficult to get admission in other school too. My dream of becoming barrister , my future, everything is at stake. What will i do?"

"Don't worry Pati babu. We will think of something. We have tomorrow's day. We will go to talk to principal sir. Once his anger cools, he will surely listen to us. Let's pray dugga maa to help us." Bondita joined her hands and closed her eyes and prayed," Hey! Dugga maa, please help us . Pati babu beat that devil Tapas dada because he used bad words about me. What would a husband do if not beat the person who says such things about his wife? Shivji also cut raja daksh's head when he insulted mata sati. Kakasasurji told me about it. Now you will have to help my Pati babu. Please dugga maa , please, please. I will give you all my sweets. Please dugga maa."

Anirudh smiled. He found her prayer very heart touching and himself prayed dugga maa to help them.

Many of you predicted the reason for Anirudh's anger. Is the story becoming too predictable? Let me know .

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