It was before lunch when Batuk parked his motorcycle outside the Governor General's stone carved artistically made mansion. The guards didn't stop him, but they didn't salute either.
All because of Bondita! He thought.

The stone slabbed pavement, led him directly inside the hall, and his presence was at once welcomed by the British couple, a little too warmly, as Mrs. McKenzie threw her arms around his neck and tied him into a firm embrace.
General McKenzie was sitting on an armchair, smiling.

Taken aback by this sudden affection, Batuk stood stiff. Although he wasn't unaware of their ways, but, his Indian schooling didn't give him much exposure to the openness of the British culture.
Hugging a man in open was an accepted social conduct, but this sudden unwanted attention had left him with a slight hint of awkwardness.

"Good... Good afternoon Madam."
He murmured, his face visibly flushed at the situation.

Mrs. McKenzie looked up and smiled, and Batuk couldn't help but notice the dramatic change in her entire countenance.
She didn't look demented at all, rather her cheerful face had a happy glow in it. Her golden curls were tied up neatly and a pretty pearl necklace adorned her slender red neck.

"Batuk... I thought you'd come early!" His name from her mouth sounded a little funny, or so did Batuk thought.

"Sorry Mrs. McKenzie, I had to attend my lectures, and then had practicals."

The Governor laughed out at his words.
"Let the little boy study Marie, would you?" His words were directed to his wife, who seemed to pay absolutely no heed whatsoever.

"Batuk, I've cooked for you... Are you hungry?"

Batuk Roy Chowdhury was always hungry, before lunch, after lunch, in the middle of night, at dawn... Food was always a welcoming distraction for him, his first love... And he would proudly proclaim to his friends how his love for food had kept him sane for so long.

"Ofcourse, I'm hungry... I love to eat!" His face had a natural grin as Marietta held his hands and dragged him inside, towards the dinning room.

"Won't sir eat too?" He had turned his head once as the old governor waved his hand with a happy smile.

"I'm fed. You carry on."

The lavish arrangements at the dining table had made Batuk exhale sharply, a happy exhale. The table top looked like a battlefield to him, a decorated battlefield, with porcelain plates and delicious dishes, and he felt it to be his moral responsibility to devour them all.

"Mrs. McKenzie, what have you done... This is... This is a lot!"

Although his words had expressed the conventional table courtesy, he was already seated, and had began to defeat the food lying infront.

Marietta was smiling.
"I've prepared something special for you." She held a stem glass and kept it infront of his rice plate.
"Shrimp cocktail."

Batuk was chewing his food, he looked up and smiled at her warmly.
"Marietta Madam, I'm so sorry, but I'm allergic to shrimps, infact all sea food... But guess what, this one is my brother's favourite."

The colour from Marietta's face had gone at once, as her bandaged wrists supported her trembling body by holding the edge of the wooden dining table.

"He still... " Marietta paused, and swallowed.
"He must eat a lot of shrimp cocktail I believe." She forced a smile, as her shineless eyes stared at Batuk, vacantly.

"No... Not really... Bondita can't make these... She cooks amazing shrimps though, or so I've heard, but not this English dish... Nope!"
His eyes were on the food, as Marietta let out a sharp sigh.

"Would you mind taking some for him then?"

Batuk had narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, before his face brightened once again.
"Yeah sure. And guess what, Bondita has sent muffins for you... It's in the bag... I'll give you once...."

Marietta wasn't listening to him anymore.

Anirudh Roy Chowdhury's pretty little wife had sent muffins for her... For HER?

A drop of tear unknowingly had escaped from her pink eyes.
"Batuk, where are they?"

"What?"

"Muffins!"

"In my bag, I'll finish..."

Marietta had got up from the chair, as Batuk noticed the sudden change in her body language, it looked close to what he had seen the day before. He stopped eating and got up from the chair slowly.
"Madam?"

Marietta's eyes were flowing uncontrollably, as her lips quivered a little, first in a murmur, and then loudly, loud enough to make the old General rush inside from the hall.
"Bring me the muffins... NOW!!"
She cried.

..........................................................

Nanibala debi was seated inside the neatly arranged room alloted to her, she had held her praying beads in one hand, as her left hand was busy arranging the betel leaves inside the curved wooden box.

"Come Trilu... come inside", Nanibala spoke slowly, without looking up, as her younger brother entered the room and stood in silence.
"Close the door." She commanded.

Trilochan too, had lost his mother when he was eleven, and since then the only woman who had influenced his life for a very long time was Nanibala, his strict elder sister.

"Didi, won't you eat dinner tonight?" Trilochan was shifting his gaze uncomfortably, as he tried to lock his sister with light trivial conversations.

"Aren't you aware that I don't eat after the sunset?" Her eyes were at him, narrowed.

"Um... Yes... Well..."

"I thought I have taught you well, and that you'd teach these children well too, but instead... It's all lies and deceit."
Nanibala had closed her eyes, counting her prayers rapidly.

"What do you mean?"
Trilochan knew exactly what she had meant.

"Gautam Buddha had said, three things that can never be hidden... The sun, the moon and the truth."
Nanibala looked up again, making Trilochan swallow hard.
"Hidden truths are basically lies, and I can't let my children live with lies..." She had shifted her sides before getting down from the bed.

"Didi... I..."

"Stop Trilu... No more lies, now you'll only answer whatever I ask you... Tell me... Anirudh hasn't accepted Bahu yet, has he?"

"He loves her." Trilochan's voice was shaking.

"Love is when she would bear his son inside her stomach..." Nanibala sighed. "Tell me Trilu, do you think she could bear him a son now?"

Trilochan nodded his head slowly.
"I'm sure in due time..."

"In due time? Are you even listening to your own words!!" Nanibala let out a sigh of disgust and pulled out a small poultice from under her pillow.

"Time and tide waits for none!" She huffed at him.
"Consider this to be a warning Trilu, if Anirudh doesn't accept her tonight, I'll get him married again, by the end of this month... or else I'd make her life a living hell, your pretty little Bahu... And you know very well Trilu, there is no one in this family who could go against me!!"

Trilochan was standing with his head hung low. For a moment, he thought he would speak up, stand up for his nephew, but again the age old social decorum and his undying regard for this old woman standing infront had made him keep quiet.

"Anirudh would sleep with Bondita tonight, he has to, you'll make sure of that... and this poultice in my hand would ensure that he accepts her as his wife."

Trilochan had left, as unceremoniously as he had entered, and in his heart he held a heavy burden, a burden of wrongdoings that he knew would shatter his dear nephew's heart, perhaps forever.

"Tonight would be a test of your determination, my son, and I wish you with all my heart." Trilochan had murmured.
"Dugga Dugga."

............................................................

Black heavens above, black sun-warmed river at his soles, and the star-freckled night wrapped around his heart, Satyakirth was cleaning the fresh blood oozing from his side ribs, a little above the waist. His lips were bleeding too, but he had a constant smile plastered on them.
Tonight was good... fruitful...!

He got up slowly and moved a loose wooden plank from the deck of his small boat, a battery of rifles lay innocently inside, Satya smiled.
He had laid back on the deck, his head  rested against the hull. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, giving himself up to the vast darkness above. It had always made his soul feel free...
In the black, he could sense himself as a being of the river, someone whose soul was a beacon to those seeking safe harbour. He could sense that energy within as a noble force, as something brave and eternal. It was as if in all that black, when all distractions fell away, it was the real 'him' that emerged out, and that "him" was someone far deeper and more dreamy than he had ever imagined.
His hands had automatically pulled out the folded shawl, pressing it's softness to his chest. He lifted his head a little, touching his nose to it, inhaling deeply a faint fading fragnance.

"Princess...!!" His lips let out the words inaudibly as his eyes closed in a deep satisfaction...
And, in his dream that night, Satya saw her again, his mysterious enchantress, his Princess! His lips had lowered down to hers, the tiny rock on her nose felt brighter than ever, and he felt the softness of her bosoms pressed to his chest... his hands grabbing her slender waist as if never to let go...
Satya's eyes were closed, his lips parted...
And in his dream, for the first time in the last six months, he saw the face of the seductive siren he loved...
Raimoti...!!

Satyakirth had woken up with a shudder that night!

...............................................

This is my second update for the day.
I'd be caught up from next week, hence trying to write as much as possible now.

Please vote if you like this update. ❤️