His morning had started ethereal, him locked in her solace and locking her in his safety, they lied on the silky linen sheathed bed diagonally.

He had never 'slept' with a woman before , but this was not people meant by 'sleeping' with women. Men talked of pleasure, of desire , of passion , of zeal , of fire when they talked of such occasions.
They talked of fierce nights, and awkward mornings. The amnesia of what they did last night inebriated, was their relief. What we don't remember doesn't bother us, right.

But he wanted to remember each and every thing of this night and this morning. How she fitted perfectly in between her arms as if they were her final destination. How her warm breaths tickled his chest, oblivious to the torture they were imposing on him. The little sounds she made in her sleep, were incoherent. She looked restless even in sleep but as soon he rubbed her back pacifying her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, she drifted back to her quiet peaceful sleep. Her face didn't look stressful as before , but seraphic. He had planned to make her sleep, and go back to his own room. But the way she clutched his kurta in tight grip even in sleep, didn't allow him to leave. He tried to stay awake , in case she wakes up again and gets scared, he will be able to explain her.

But her soft snoring and the intoxicating heat of her body lulled him to the land of Nod ( a state of sleep).

His heart made a leap when he saw her in front of his eyes, first thing in morning, her eyes closed and lips parted and a look of bliss on her face. He had never seen anything so sensual, yet so angelic. The sunrays brightened her features. Her smudged red bindi shone brightly on her golden skin . So it was not the pillow? Ufff!!! Je mentally facepalmed.

He had thought to ask her whether she slept well? Did she still had nightmares? Bondita's voice broke his trance, and he was about to tell her , to not disturb him, atleast today. But as he opened his mouth, her angel had toppled him over claiming her supremacy.

The events after that were not so peaceful , rather hurtful and shameful. He had never felt so humiliated, so looked down upon. But her words , her accusations slashed his heart like a sharp dagger.

Finally after all the futile attempts to talk to her, when he got a message from one of his companions to reach a warehouse, he left the house. They had to procure some new technology weapons from the smuggled goods. They had almost succeeded without creating a suspicion, but one of the guards whom they had sedated might not have been affected so much, had caught him off guard throwing a fist on his lip bursting it. Batakrishna stumbled with the heavy crate in his hands , and fell face straight on the floor, hitting his forehead on wooden staircase.

As soon as he handled himself, he lifted himself with agility and kicked the guard straight on his neck, his imported hard boot hitting his temple , making him bleed from ear and finally he slumped down on the floor limp.

The crates were too heavy and more in number than they had expected. The limited manpower they had , had to exhaust themselves to finish the work before dawn and before the other guards woke up from their sleep, whichever is earlier.

Now , when he is sitting in front of her smiling face, a plate of food in her hand, all the weariness has left his body. She indeed was magical.

"Ohhooo, you didn't even wash your hands and face. Wait!" She ran into the bathroom and came back with a brass mug in her hand. She kept it on the nearby bed table and dipped her pallu in it, and wiped his face gently, taking care not to touch the injured portion of skin. That will have to be taken care of , but after food. The cold touch of her pallu on his tired face made him close his eyes in bliss.

"I know , you have the habit of thoroughly washing hands with lots of soap and water . I think this is some doctor's thing. But if I tell you to go and wash your hands , I fear you will sleep there only. " She laughed. "And you can't even eat with dirty hands...." He had the lost the hold of conversation as soon as she had laughed showing her pearly white teeth.

" Daktar babu!" Shetukala forwarded a piece of luchi dipped in curry to his mouth, prompting him to open it, but he sat there like a statue gazing at her , lost somewhere, God only knows.
"Come on, eat it."

Batakrishna snapped out of his daze and opened his mouth. His eyes filled upto the brim, and he could chew with difficulty.

"What happened? Is the food not good? Or is it too spicy? I ....I had fried your curry separately with kadi patta and without garlic just as you like. The luchi was fried till it becomes golden brown just as you like. You must surely like this payesh, you----" Shetukala was rambling until he put his hand on her shoulder surprising her.

"Shetu! Thankyou." He said with wet eyes.

"What for ?"

"I... " His voice broke . "When earlier I used to come home late night, sometimes I was so tired , that I slept without having food. Boudi did take care initially , but she also has enough on her plate, so I told her not to stay awake for me. Today I....I....feel , I have actually returned home, my sweet home."
A drop of tear fell from his left eye on his cheek.

He continued," And the food is very tasty. You....you are my annpurna." He smiled with moistened eyes.

Shetukala's heart overwhelmed with his heartfelt words, " okay, okay now. Don't make me cry. You have to eat the whole food." She put another morsel in his mouth.

"Did you eat?"

"I did." She smiled.

They talked and laughed , while she fed him sweet morsels . Batakrishna felt contented with his stomach and heart both brimful.

"This one, last shotti."

"You said this three morsels back." He whined.

"No, no this is really last."

Shetukala went to keep the plate in kitchen, and Batakrishna went to the washroom to change.

"What are you doing with my medical box?" He came out in his room and saw Shetukala sitting near the headboard on a clean bedsheet , with his medical box.

"I am looking for an antiseptic." She said still submerged in the box , rummaging the contents of his box.

Batakrishna rushed to her and took the box in his hands.
"What did you do? You disrupted the sequence. Do you know how much effort it takes to assemble them alphabetically?"

Shetukala's face became small. "I.....I was just looking for an antiseptic." She said feebly.

"Why do you need it?"

"For your wounds. If you don't treat it , it will become infectious." She said looking down.

His expressions became soft at her words. "Ohhh! Acha!..
.. I didn't know." He teased.

She looked up to see his smiling face and stood up grinning herself sheepishly at her stupidity.
" Now you will do as I say, sit here." She made him sit on his bed.

She sat cross legged on the bed near the headboard. Batakrishna was sitting with his legs touching the floor, at distance of one arm from her.

"It is not that a big wound."

"No more arguments." She tried to make a straight face but Batakrishna found her bossy behaviour very cute.

Batakrishna wanted to know how much she could persist her. He tried to stand up. But Shetukala pulled him by his shoulders stunning him, his head landed in her lap and she locked her arms around his neck trapping him, her hands clasped at his chest.

"I told you na, you will have to get it treated. You yourself are a doctor , but behaving like a stubborn child. Am I giving you injection? It's just a salve. I won't hurt much. Shotti."

Batakrishna kept laid in her lap ,his eyes fixed on her lips which were moving continuously, but none of her talks was registering to his ears. He pulled his legs on bed lying down straight.

"Which one?" She
asked. " Daktar babu! Which one? Where do you get lost? I think you hit hard on your forehead." She shook her head.

"The white tube with blue cap." He smiled.

"This one." She showed him an ointment and he nodded.
"How do I apply it? By hand?"

"No, take a gaugepiece. It's kept in the last column near cotton."

"This one?"She showed hima folded white gaugepiece.

"Yes!"

She took the gaugepiece and put the brownish-yellow tincture of iodine on it and put it lightly on his wound on forehead.
"Ishhhhh! Bahot dukh rha hoga na! ( Isssh! It must be paining a lot. right?)"
She blew on his forehead , making his hair and heart both flutter.

He closed his eyes dreamily. "Not now."
His breath hitched when she blew air on his lip corner. The cool air on his lip felt like a soft caress of snowflake on rose petals , meddling his senses. His heart started pounding. He didn't have in him to open his eyes. If it was dream, he didn't want to wake up.

She lifted her head a bit , but Batuk sensing the distance held her head by holding the nape of her neck.
Their eyes locked.

"Stay like this for a moment." His voice turned husky.
Her own voice box got jammed listening to him.

A few moments passed, but his gaze didn't falter.

"Daktar Babu!"

"Hmm!"

"My....my neck has started paining. It will snap."

"Oh......oooohhh....oh....yes. Sorry sorry."

He removed his hands from her neck. Shetukala sat straight , breathlessly and stretched her neck on both sides rubbing it.

"Th-thank you." Said Batakrishna awkwardly.

"Hmm"

Both were in the same position. He didn't want to lift his head from her lap.
He didn't do it deliberately ,right? She made him lie on her lap herself. If she has a problem , she will tell.
Batakrishna smiled smugly.

They both remaind in silence.

"Shetu! "

"Hmm"

"What do you think of freedom?"

"Freedom? Aazadi?" She chuckled.

"Yes!"

"What do you think freedom is?"

"Uhmmm... Freedom will be attained when Britishers will leave the country and our hindustan will be independent. It will have it's own government , it's own authority, it's own rules and laws."

"Hmm....that is a part of freedom."

"Part? Is there more?"

"Yes."

"How?"

" Our country will be free in true sense, when we will be free from here," she touched his forehead with her index finger. "And here." She put her palm on his heart.

She continued,

"When we will be able to speak our minds, without fear.

When we will be able to chase our dreams freely, without shackling the chaser in the name of gender, caste , religion or social status.

When girls will be safe in and outside the house.
When they won't have to worry about their smiles slipping from their face, or their dupatta sliding down the shoulder.

When the tree of our society will be free of the poisonous vine of evil customs , that has engraved its roots and thorns in the banyan tree since centuries poisoning it slowly, slowly, hollowing it.

When all inhibitors will be removed from our soul, that day we will be completely free Daktar babu."

"Wow! Shetu . You really are far sighted."
He looked above at her face. She was looking forward in distant horizon and her left hand was roaming aimlessly in his hair, lulling him to sleep.

She chuckled dryly, after a long pause.
" We learn some good things via difficult way Daktar Babu. Sometimes to shine with wisdom, we have to burn in the fire of experience. Some fires are not easily extinguished Daktar Babu , they keep on burning, and burning until we become ash. Black, powdered ash , with no identity, no significance."

The silence in the room made her look at him. He had slept. Shetukala gazed at his face, and caressed her cheek lovingly. She removed her hand from his hair, but he held there instantly with his hand in sleep.
"Don't go! Please." He mumbled.
She smiled and bent to place a soft kiss on his forehead. His lips curved upwards fondly, and let out a small pleasing sound.

"Even I don't want to leave you, Daktar Babu!
But you deserve someone better, pure , untainted like your heart. Not me. I'm fsr from what you are worth of. " She whispered. A drop of tear fell on his forehead. His eyebrows furrowed as if he knew she was crying .She wiped it immediately, and continued caressing his head.
" I dont want to leave you ever." She mumbled laying her head on the headboard and drifted to sleep.

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