Mira sat in stoic silence, a tempest swirling within her eyes, as Batakrishna, oblivious to the depth of her unknown anger, beseeched her to share the source of her upset. His earnest plea conveyed a willingness to go to any length to make amends.

"Mira, bolbe to, ki hoyeche? Ami tomake kichu bolar chesta korchi," implored Batakrishna with a sincerity etched in his voice. Since his return from the medical college he had been trying to make her speak. He'd been trying to speak to her for the last one week.

Mira, shrouded in contemplation, maintained a silence that seemed to stretch into the distance. Batakrishna, known for his quick temper, grappled with the mystery behind her distress. Frustration etched his face. Since their visit from the zoo, since Bhargavi left, Mira hadn't spoken properly with him, let alone letting him come close, and as always this time too he had no clue.

"Ami ki Kichu bhul korechi Mira?" he exclaimed, irritation seeping through his words. " Na bolle bhujbo kikore."

"Na" Mira looked away, infuriating him further.

"Ki Na? Sobe te Na...!" He breathed fire. "Bhalobaso amai, tateo Na bolbe."

Mira remained silent and her indifference because excruciating, met the escalation of his anger with unwavering composure.
"Kotha bolte bhalo lagche na." She murmured instead.

"Se bhalo lagbe keno Mira? Nicher Jethaimaa k giye Ektara diye aste khub bhalo legeche nischoi?"
His harsh words made her look up.

"Sidoor na pore berote baron korechilam, shononi amar kotha. Jano loke koto nongra kotha bole?"

He grinded his teeth and Mira looked away, lost in her own thoughts.
"Amar bhalo lage na apnar sathe thakte."

"Ki? Ki bolle?" Batakrishna roared.
"Ekta kono adibashir bari na Mira, je jokhon icche thakbe, jokhon icche chole jabe. Tumi amar bou, ami biye korechi tomai!"

"Ami toh adibashi." Mira murmured again, without looking up. Apni Behrammon, Bhargavi Behrammon, apnara thakun eksathe."

Batakrishna's jaw dropped for a second at Mira's cruel words.
"Bhargavi bhalobase apnake. Apnio bashun. Apnar bhala basa mane toh sudhu oi sob." Mira continued. "Or bhaloo lage eisob."

For a second Batakrishna couldn't fathom the meaning of what she was implying and what was his course of action, but when Mira opened her mouth again, Batakrishna landed a sharp thrash on her cheek.

"Chi... Chi Chi Mira.. Eto ta joghonno kotha tumi ki kore bolte parle? Chi!"

All his life he was conditioned to respect women, and all his life he had followed this to the T. But, standing there in front of Mira, at that moment, Batakrishna couldn't take it anymore. He smashed the Ektara held in his hand and stormed closer.
There was a impenetrable silence inside the room, and Batakrishna saw silent tears rolling down Mira's eyes. His jaws tightened further.

"Ami baron korechilam ei eitara gulo bechbe na, kau k debe na... Shunecho amar kotha?" His voice became darker. He reminded her of the prohibition against giving or selling the handmade pottery she crafted as these gathers unnecessary attention towards them, given that Mira had refused to wear sidoor or bare any signs of a married woman, yet living together with a man. But his words were only to be met with her assertion of his unreasonableness. Mira sniffed a tear and hissed,
"Besh korechi."

Batakrishna couldn't take it anymore. Fuelled by a loss of control, he advanced, unwillingly resorting to physical violence as he vehemently expressed his wrath, grabbing Mira by her neck, urging her forcefully to break the silence.

"Tumi kono din bhaloi baso ni amai Mira, tai na?" he exclaimed, prompting an unexpected response from Mira, who reluctantly whispered "haan"

"Bhalo apnake Bhargavi bashe. Or kache jan. Or gaye haat... "

Batakrishna's anger and frustation was soaring high, and he just couldn't let those filthy words come out of Mira's mouth. In a sudden surge of angry passion, he forcefully captured Mira's lips in a heated kiss. And though Mira initially resisted, the compelling strength of his embrace overwhelmed her defenses. Minutes passed, and Batakrishna almost forced the weight of his standing frame on Mira's fragility, pressing her against the wall of their modest room.

Mira was whimpering. And in the aftermath, he released her, grabbing her and tossing onto the cot like a ragged doll. The room bore witness to a charged atmosphere, saturated with unspoken emotions and the lingering traces of an erotic and sensual encounter that now hung provocatively in the air.

Batakrishna's eyes blazed with fury as he advanced towards Mira, ready to take matters into his own hands. His frustration boiled over at his inability to comprehend Mira's frequent mood swings. He struggled to reconcile the fact that she couldn't reciprocate his feelings, despite the history and deep connection they shared, despite the marriage that he so revered.

"Bhargavi keno, Menoka Urboshi eleo ami tomar gayei haat debo Mira, emon bhabe jeta tumi kolponao korte parbe na." His eyes grew darker and Mira gasped in fear at the sinister intensity of his words.

However, she chose to remain silent, partly because she didn't have any words to express her state of mind, and this infuriated him further. Her portrayed indifference was excruciatingly painful for him to bear.

"Kichutei kichu boli na ami tomai, biye kora bou, tao ei aath mashe ekta dino amra..." he grinded his teeth, reminding her how she has always refrained him from establishing marital relationship with her. How she had always coaxed to let him be content with superficial ministration rather than the actual act.
"Keno Mira? Ami nijeke tomar opor chapiye die na bole? Setai tomar pochondo, tai na?" Batakrishna's was spitting fire.
The clay vases, some decorated and some left bare fell under his wrath as frustration climaxed, manifesting in the violent shattering of one of all those delicate vases. The room reverberated with the echoes of destruction.

Mira was crying silently.

"Misti sundor prem tomar pochondo na, taina?" Batakrishna leaned on top of her on the cot, and then with a violent push made her fall on the cot on the back. Mira didn't resist this time.
Their internal turmoil was palpable, as they grappled with their emotions and desires. Batakrishna's sensuality and violence added an element of danger to their relationship, while Mira's futile resistance only served to fuel his desire this time.

As the night wore on, Batakrishna's vexed passion for Mira intensified, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation. He knew what he wanted from her, and he wasn't afraid to take it. With each passing moment, his desire grew stronger, fueled by unspoken longings and suppressed emotions.

Mira, on the other hand, struggled to express herself to Batakrishna. She knew she loved him, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. Her heart ached at the thought of hurting him, or getting hurt, yet she couldn't bring herself to reciprocate his actions of love.

Batakrishna's lips had once again brushed against hers, igniting a fire within himself. His touch was rough, yet insistent, as he rubbed every inch of her body with deft fingers. Mira felt like she was melting under his touch, half in pain, and half in an inexplicable desire that she knows only Batakrishna can ignite in her, and then she gave up, surrendering to the overwhelming sensation of his mouth on her skin.

But just when things were starting to heat up, Mira pulled away, breaking the kiss. "Amar chele chai na, chere din amai," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Batakrishna's frustration boiled over at this response, prompting him to take matters into his own hands. He reached down between their bodies, grabbing hold of Mira's legs and pulling them closer to him. His eyes blazed with desire as he lowered his head, ready to give her pleasure unlike any she had ever experienced before.

"Chele hobe kina janina, kintu tumi amar hobe aj," he growled, his breath hot on her neck. "Bhalo tomay baste hobei Mira!"

Mira remained silent, her face flushing with a strange sadness. But Batakrishna was undeterred, determined to show her how much she hurt him, and how much he needs her. With a soft groan, he leaned forward, planting a deep kiss on her neck, leaving blotches of purple marks, and as he did so, his tongue darted out, tracing the delicate skin there.

Mira was laying like an inert all this while, but now she gasped at the sudden intensity of the moment, her body responding in kind. She could feel his hardness pressing against her thighs, adding to the already intense sensations coursing through her veins that she was so desperately trying to deny.

Without warning, Batakrishna shifted his attention to her most sensitive spot, leaving her gasping in surprise. He manhandled the saree and pulled it to let it bunch up at her waist. Mira didn't resist this time. She knew it was futile, it was futile when her old husband did the same, and Bhairav, and... She forgot the names. She closed her eyes and let a tear roll down her eye, in anticipation, in fear, in trauma.
But, something was different this time. She didn't feel the sharp pain of a hard flesh tearing her core, instead she felt a brush of something soft, moist, caressing her inner thighs. Mira opened her eyes. The windows were closed, but through the scanty daylight that seeped in, she saw Batakrishna's lips moved slowly, deliberately, as he suckled her skin, her thighs, slowly inching up higher to her scarred femininity.
Embarrassment replaced fear, and the very thought of Batakrishna seeing right at her dark past, her torment made her resist.

"Doya kore chere din... Dekhben na!" She gathered all her strength to say it.

"Keno?" Batuk looked up, his eyes looked demented.

"Khub kharap... " She swallowed her half eaten words as without further intimation she felt her clit getting judged by Batakrishna's eyes. The blazed fury was replaced by a burning desire.

"Khub bhalo!" He whispered, and Mira felt his warm moist tongue pressing against her clit was utmost gentleness. She felt her body stiffened as her heart was melting under his touch. His tongue darted out, tracing the delicate skin around her core before moving deeper, down to where she needed him most. With practice ease, he slipped two fingers inside her, finding her already wet, her denied love mixed with his saliva, and ready for him.

Mira was gasping at the sudden intensity of the moment, her body responding in kind. She could feel his strong hands pressing against her thighs, pulling them apart, adding to the already intense sensations coursing through her veins.

Batakrishna was determined to make her feel every bit of his ministrations, at the most sensitive spot, leaving her gasping in surprise and for more. His lips moved slowly, deliberately, as he suckled her clit with expert technique. He knew exactly how much pressure to apply, when to go deeper, and when to stop. All the while, his other hand massaged her breasts, squeezing them tenderly.

As he worked his magic, Mira struggled to keep up with her breathing. Her entire body tensed up, waiting for the inevitable release that would come with such intense stimulation. But just when she thought she couldn't take any more, Batakrishna pulled away, leaving her frustrated and desperate.

But Mira remained silent, her face flushing with embarrassment. But Batakrishna was undeterred, determined to show her how much he cared for her.

"R keu amar jibone asbe na Mira, sudhu tumi."
With a soft groan, he leaned forward again, planting another deep kiss on her neck. As he did so, his tongue darted out once more, tracing the delicate skin there.

Mira felt a number of mixed emotions at his words and actions, and gasped at the sudden intensity of the moment, her body responding in kind. She could feel his hardness pressing against her thighs, adding to the already intense sensations coursing through her veins. And before she could say anything, she heard Batuk seeking permission.

"Chele, meye kicchu hobe na, Tomar dibbi." He whispered at her ears, and as Mira grabbed the back of his head in response, Batakrishna quickly got rid of the zip of his cotton college trousers, freeing his already entrapped manhood into open. He didn't undo anything else, he didn't let Mira get up as well, lest she changes her mind, and with an intense fevered passion he just started to rub his erection on her softness.
Mira rolled her head and eyes back, arching her spine under him, and then slowly Batakrishna pierced her, leaving her gasped and breathing hard.