" Chhote malik! Chhote malik! Bade malik is calling you and batuk baba in the main hall." Said bihari to anirudh who was pacing in the room wringing his hands in worry.

" Oh ! Ok I'm coming." Replied anirudh.

Batuk and anirudh were standing with bowed heads and hands clasped at their back while trilochan was sitting on the huge wooden chair gripping his wooden cane tightly.

" Just truth. I want just truth. Not a single lie."
Said trilochan.

" Kaka ! She ..she played a prank on me. So i just wanted to teach that girl a lesson. But i... I had no idea she is so scaredy cat..." Trilochan glared at Anirudh." I ..i mean that she will be scared so much. It was a small trick. We didn't ... didn't mean to hurt her like this."

" Small trick?? You call this small trick! She fainted . Fainted!!she was so scared ,she got a fever out of fear." Bellowed trilochan." She has come from a 'paraya ghar' . We have to make sure nothing happens to her. Otherwise what will people say zamindar of Tulsipur couldn't take care of a small girl."

"Sorry kaka . We will not repeat this." Said the two brothers in unison.

" For one week , no pocket money and no cycle ride. Batuk you will help in the arrangement of upcoming durga pooja and anirudh you will help in the account work of your baba for next one week. Am i clear to both of you?" Scolded trilochan.

"Yes kaka" the brothers said with a disappointed sigh.

Batuk tiptoed in Bondita's room only to find her sleeping. He looked towards the door where anirudh gestured him to move ahead.

" Bo-boudi! Boudi! Wake up." Said batuk in a soft voice.

Bondita slightly opened her eyes and frowned on seeing batuk and faced other side showing her anger." What do you want? I know you have come to laugh over me because i fainted seeing a fake ghost."

"No no boudi. I...i...uh ..i".

" What? Just speak or go from here . I dont want to talk to you or your dada."

Batuk's words failed to express him so he just forwarded a small earthen pot towards bondita with pleading eyes. Bondita looked at the pot suspiciously and looked at him quizzically.

" What is this! Is this a new trick of yours. If that is so , I'm not interested and I'll tell maa that you tried to trick me again."said bondita in a threatening manner.

"No no . Its no trick. They they are just rasogollas. Dada said ... No no... I mean you like them right. So i brought it for you!"

" Why?" Bondita asked wondering about this sudden change of events.

" Uh ... We scared you, so you became sick. So that's why?"

" Is it your way of apologizing?" Bondita's suspicion suddenly transformed into a teasing smirk.

"What ? No!!! We are zamindars. We dont apologize.We--"Batuk stopped abruptly when he saw stern look on Bondita's face.

Dada was right . She really looks like as if she's gonna eat us alive. I wonder how she got scared with a fake ghost. Batuk ! You have to do this for dada .okay! Otherwise he will fret over this thing for i dont know how many days.

" Uh yeah . Its my way of saying sorry." Batuk whispered it so softly that if bondita would not have seen his lips moving , she would have missed it. She readily stretched her hands to take the pot and opened it with delight and took the rosogolla in her mouth whole at once . Her eyes closed and her face bathed in blissful feeling and her throat making noise of satisfaction from the sweet taste of sugar syrup, falling on her chin.

Batuk's mouth watered seeing the rosogolla.He licked his lips unconsciously. When bondita saw him eyeing her rosogolla , she offered him but snatched it back when batuk lifted his hand. Bondita laughed when batuk's face morphed into distress on this sudden denial. Bondita then took the rosogolla again towards him and said" Go ahead. I forgive you." She grinned and didnt miss the black head peeking in her room from behind the door.

So much for an apology. Dugga! Dugga!!

Batuk took the rosogulla and put it in his mouth in one go and its delicious taste melted all the bitterness he had towards his new boudi.

Anirudh was watching them and a weird feeling crept in his heart at this unexpected exchange of sweets between his brother and his so called wife, but he was glad as the weight of guilt lifted from his chest as he saw bondita gulping those soft sweet white balls one by one in delight.

One week passed , Anirudh has completed his share of punishment and felt light enough to embark on his rights as husband as he had learned from his dida.

" Take this. After ten days new session will start. Before that you will have to complete all these tasks. Remember no mistake should be done." Said anirudh feigning high authority over his little wife , handling her a parchment .

" Wht is this? " Asked bondita looking at the parchment.

Arranging my school bag every day before going to school.
Covering my books and copies with covers and writing my name on all of them.
Washing my brand new bicycle everyday before school with care.
Writing my homework after i come from school.
Clean my room and put all my toys in my wooden crate after I've played with them.

" This is a list of tasks you should do as my wife."

" Why would i do all this for you? This is your work."

" You .. you... You have to do it. You don't have a say in it. Dida says--"

"Why does your dida talk this much? "

"Hey! Dont talk like that. Do this work or...or .. "

" Or what you'll complain to your dida. What are you ? A small baby? I won't do all this. "
Bondita left the parchment on the floor and walked out of the room.

Aniruddha just gaped at the list with dumbfounded expression not expecting his wife to not follow his orders, nor her sudden outburst.

Bondita on the other hand felt her heart aching as she remembered the days when her baba used to teach her letters and numbers. It has been two years , she left her school. Her eyes pooled when she took out her neatly covered copies from the cloth sac and droplets of sadness dripped down on the fresh pages of notebook kept in her lap. She clutched the notebook to her chest and sniffled." I miss you baba."

Shubhra was drying sour mango pickle on the roof when she heard bondita's anklet voice coming towards her. She raised her eyes to find a red eyed bondita with quivering lips." Maa ! I want to go to school."
Shubhra's hands stopped on the unripe mango piece when she heard this and colour drained from her face at this unforeseen demand from her new bahu.

Will bondita be allowed to go to school?
How will anirudh react on this ?
Wait for next update to know.

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