There was a tangible beauty in the quietness of a country picnic, an elevation of simple subtle flavours into the consciousness. Anirudh Roy Chowdhury was bound by his words, and in attempt of giving his wife a beautiful picnic experience he had left no stones unturned.
Bondita had wished for a picnic in seclusion, just the two of them, but Anirudh insisted that it's real charm lies in sharing the day with other like-minded company, as in his heart he dreaded to face the magnetic sensuality that Bondita's closeness was recently stirring in him.

"But no Batuk this time." Bondita had pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, still struggling with her recovery from the life-threatening poison that his aunty had fed her with to boost her 'fertility'.

"That you tell him." Anirudh had replied plainly, as Bondita sank back on the bed, trying to figure out a way of getting rid of her nagging brother-in-law.

Batuk's recent obsession with Kamala Kaki and her newborn baby was giving Bondita a hard time, he would bunk school and would sit with the woman, hours long, listening her singing old folklores, and Bondita hadn't missed that strange glitter in his orbs when he looked at her.

"How many people?" She reluctantly asked her husband, referring to the picnic that he was planning so enthusiastically for her.

"Six, including us, if you can pursue Batuk to not join."

"Leave that to me." Bondita sighed, "And who are these four others?"

Anirudh had smiled happily, readily acquainting her with the group. He had invited two of his friends, with whom he studied in London, along with their wives.
There was Brojo, the outspoken, funny one, and his beautiful wife Bimala. And then there was Mukundo, the serious one and his young bride Sharmila.

"Sharmila? Didn't we attend her wedding last year?" Bondita narrowed her eyes, and Anirudh nodded.

"Oh... She is younger than me... And what about the other one, Bimala?"

Anirudh smiled.
"Bimala was in London, studying in a grade lower than us, very charming girl... You won't dislike her."

Bondita didn't reply. Instead, she sighed and leaned back again, closing her eyes, sensing an almost defeat of her purpose. She wanted this picnic to be only about them... Just the two of them... And she craved for some undivided attention from her husband.

"Here, take your medicines Shona." Anirudh had left his chair and was standing by her bedside, and as Bondita took the two small pills from his hand, their fingers brushed, making them tremble... and both had no way of ignoring the undeniable tension that was brewing in between them, a little more each day!

"Ahem... I'll... Um... Leave... " Anirudh half coughed and half hushed the words, and Bondita nodded awkwardly.

"Would you please ask Batuk to see me?"
Bondita murmured, looking away and fidgeting with her fingers, and Anirudh stopped by the door.

"Now?"

"Yes... Now!" Bondita gulped.

The 'now' came after three hours, as Batuk burst into Bondita's room, unannounced, humming a tune happily.

"Bondita... You called?"
He jumped into her bed and lay beside her, uninvited, trying to drag the sheet that had covered her.

"Three hours ago." Bondita rolled her eyes at him and kept the book away that she had been reading.
"And why are you smelling funny?"

"Funny?" Batuk sat up at once, pulling up his collar to sniff the 'funny' fragrance.
"This is ittar Bondita... Kamala give it to me." He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply.
"She's wonderful."

"Kamala Kaki, not Kamala."
Bondita sighed and looked away.
"Anyway, do you want me to tell your Dada that you've been missing school?"

The abrupt unnecessary nonchalant coldness in her voice suddenly took away the grin that was plastered on Batuk's face.
"Why... Would ... You do that?"
And he widened his eyes at her, trying to gauge her thoughts.

"Look Batuk, there is no other way of saying this... But, Barrister Babu and I are going on a picnic and I don't want you to come with us."

Batuk's face fell at once. Although he wasn't very keen on leaving Kamala's newborn baby and her songs to join them on a day night excursion, but this abrupt un-invitation filled him with a sense of rejection, making the trip appear irresistible all of a sudden.

"And why so?" He asked, annoyance had taken him over already.

"Because... " Bondita gulped, "because I want to kiss your brother, on the lips... And I won't be able to if you're there."

A strange awkward silence made them both look away and Batuk gulped at her bluntness, uneasily, as he immediately jumped down from the bed, and coughed out loud.

"Um... Well... Yeah sure", was all he could mutter, a fresh shade of scarlet had painted his bright face, and he rushed out of the door at once, his voice fading away in a distance, making Bondita blush too.
"Tell me how it was Boudi." He had screamed.

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

The day had finally arrived, and although the morning appeared to be a little more cheerful than usual, Bondita couldn't help but feel a knot inside her stomach.
What if he doesn't kiss her back... On the lips!
Or even worse... What if she angered him!

Since that night with him in the terrace, Bondita had been dreaming about nothing but his lips every night...
How his face had inched closer to hers... How she had seen the magic in his eyes, making her feel butterflies in her whole body. She had tried to recreate the moments over and over again in her mind, the moment when he had touched her neck over her hand, making her own fingers trail down her bosoms.
And everytime, she had felt that strange wetness in between her thighs, as if a fuming fire, ready to engulf and burn her whole body alive.

"Bondita.... Ready?" Anirudh's excited voice had brought her back to the reality.
"The coachman has arrived."

"Coachman?" She sighed, "Won't you be driving?"

"No Bondita... Phooleswar is a long way from here, by the Ganga, and we'll pick Mukundo on our way too."

Bondita didn't reply, as the little hope of seclusion that she was banking on during the road seemed to have shattered in her mind into a thousand pieces.

"Boudi... Make our ancestors proud!" Batuk was helping them with the picnic luggage, as he saluted at her dramatically stamping his right foot on the ground.

"What? Make whom proud?" Anirudh was loading the expensive foreign folding tent on top of the coach, as he frowned quizzically at his brother's words.

"Nothing... He's just..." Bondita was already rolling her eyes, making Batuk disappear inside their mansion.
"He's just blabbering...." She pursed.

It was a particularly pleasant Spring morning, the kind of morning that comes offering the colours of love, tempting to tinge the hearts in it's hue. The soft breeze outside, ruffling their hair was a repeated reminder of lightheartedness that the season of love showered. Bondita and Anirudh was seated inside the carriage, opposite to each other, and as Anirudh lectured her incessantly on the different types of foliage and their topographic habitat, Bondita sat silently, eyeing the man infront, his jaws widening artistically everytime he smiled, and the muscles of his shoulders flexing temptingly everytime he held the window open for her to look outside.

"Bondita..." Anirudh waved his hand in front of her eyes, smiling and in attempts of bringing her back to the reality.
"Where are you lost Shona?" he grinned at her, and then sighed, looking outside the window once again.
"I don't blame you... the nature is so colourful outside, and the morning is so fresh that it's bound to capture your heart" he inhaled a lung full of fresh air, "we should do this more often."

" Yes..." was all that Bondita could utter. She looked away immediately, trying to hide the uncomfortable arousal that his closeness was inciting in her, making it evident in the blush on her cheeks.
Anirudh had worn a light blue linen shirt, the suspenders on his shoulders fastening his dark grey trousers, and a pair of hunting shoes, and for sometime Bondita wondered how he would look underneath all these coverings, tempted to see him unsheathed.

"What happened? Are you not feeling well?"
Anirudh's excited voice was marred a little, as he caught his absent-minded wife staring blankly at his boots. She too was wearing running shoes on his insistence, hiding her feet under her hem of her saree.

"Is it the shoes? The Keds that you're wearing? Are you uncomfortable?"
His eyes had narrowed on her legs, and she continued to press her thighs together, as of trying to fight some discomfort.
"Bondita? What is it?"
A concerned Anirudh had now changed his seat, occupying the place beside her, as he gently place his hand on her joined knees in concern.

"Auhh...!"
His touch had made Bondita gasp loudly, and a clueless Anirudh quickly withdrew his hand, trying to figure out where to keep them...
A tensed anticipation prevailed inside the tight ambience inside the carriage, and although Anirudh hadn't moved back to his original seat, he made no attempts to talk or touch her any further.
Minutes passed, and they both sat silently, jumping and tossing on their seats everytime the carriage hit a rough road.
Bondita's long traces were fluttering in the breeze, caressing Anirudh's face unknowingly, time and again, and he made no attempts of ceasing their ministrations.

"Who wears white Keds shoes with saree!" Bondita finally had broken the uncomfortable silence, and Anirudh, who was sitting with his eyes closed, lost in the fragrance of her hair, suddenly was brought back to the earth.

"What?" He muttered.

"I said, it's odd to wear these shoes with a saree."
Bondita spoke softly.

"But, riversides can be a little slippery Bondita, these would help you run as much as you wish."
The gentle sweetness in his voice had returned once again.

"But why would I run?" Bondita flinched her face and asked with widened eyes.

"Um... Well... All children run in picnics... It's only natural." Anirudh shrugged, and it was enough to pour ample cold water on Bondita's fuming spirit.
She immediately changed her place and sat opposite to him, her face hard, and her arms folded to her chest.
"I'm not a child." She murmured, and placed her eyes outside the window, with no intentions to bring them back inside anymore.

An hour had passed in uncomfortable silence, and everytime the carriage hit a bumpy road, Anirudh would stretch his arms to hold Bondita, but she would instead hold the resting handles to support herself.

"Areyy... Bonditaaa...."
Sharmila's soft cheerful voice had filled the void inside the carriage as Mukundo got inside with his wife.
"Oh my god... You have grown so tall... And so pretty!!"

Sharmila, the young wife of Anirudh's friend had a gleeful childish disposition, and pulling the rich golden hem of her saree over her head, she sat beside Bondita happily, as the duo held each other's hands, exchanging pleasantries, reminiscing memories from their last visit during Sharmila's wedding.
She was eleven then, and Bondita was twelve, and now after long two years their hearts seemed to have acknowledged each other's friendship at once, and with ease.

Mukundo was seated beside Anirudh, and they spoke of their day's plan, and of the arrangements that Brojo and Bimala had so enthusiastically taken up.

The space inside the carriage was now cramped up, and barring the occasional brushing of their knees, there weren't much distraction that Bondita felt, as she immersed herself in the free-flowing happiness that Sharmila's company promised her with.

"Omaa... You're wearing shoes like boys." Sharmila's eyes had widened in a pleasant surprise as she bend down a little to touch Bondita's feet.

"Ahem.. ahem..!" Mukundo cleared his throat and Sharmila sat up at once, pulled her saree further on her forehead.

"Barrister Babu insisted that I wear these, lest I may fall while running." Bondita stretched her lips mocking a smile and Anirudh sat upright at once.

"Umm... Well... I just want you to enjoy freely... Without any fear." He blurted out promptly and Bondita turned her neck to look at him, her right eyebrow raised quizzically, and alluringly.

"Is that so? Freely and without fear?"

"But, married women aren't supposed to run around... Don't you know that Bondita!"
Sharmila with her widened eyes had pressed Bondita's arms and she smiled at her gently.

"That's not true... Being married shouldn't change your basic attributes of being a human being, Sharmila... " Bondita smiled, "and, running is one such human thing... It's different that some people just assume that others would love to run." She eyes her husband subtly and Mukundo pressed his lips together.

"Same as you... A radical you've turned her into." He hushed in Anirudh's ears, and Anirudh smiled proudly.

The rest of the journey was filled with fun and frolic, and although the women kept it mostly to themselves, their hearty laughter and sweet excitement had made the men smile with them.

"Mukundo, Anirudh...!"
A young man, fair and a little shorter than the rest two came running with open arms the moment the carriage stopped at the desired spot. He too was wearing western clothes like Anirudh, along with a Swede cap, contrasting the silk dhoti and punjabi that Mukundo wore.

"Brojo... Brother... " Anirudh had given in to his embrace and the trio patted each other in acknowledgment of their meeting after so many years.

Bondita's eyes were wondering around, widened with excitement. Two beautiful silver tents were erected at a distance, and there were arrangements to make fire, with two large aluminium cauldrons kept beside the dry logs. There were mattress too, neatly laid on the grass with bolsters on them. A Chessboard, and a barbecue griller was kept beside.
Sharmila too was gaping at the view, as both their eyes fell on the hammock tied between two trees, on it lay a dusky beauty, swaying with a book in hand.

"And that's my dear wife Bimala."
Brojo was done introducing his wife as the two young girl saw with gaped expression the lady approaching them slowly, with a sweet mysterious smile plastered on her thin lips.

"I'm Bondita."

"Sharmi."
One gasped, and the other gulped.

"Nice to meet you ladies... I'm Bimala."

The sun was almost overhead, and after the initial awkwardness of first meeting, the three women chatted as if they had known each other even before the men did.

"Women are funny... How easily they just start to giggle... And, most of the time, for no reason."
Mukundo laid out the cards infront on the mattress, as Anirudh and Brojo picked their hands.

"That's not true... Women are much more adaptive and accomodating, and hence it takes them less time than us to mingle."
Anirudh spoke gently, smiling, as he carefully arranged his hand.

"Careful." Brojo chuckled, and Mukundo made a 'tsk' sound, and Anirudh with his characteristic calm demeanor had won the first hand with ease.

"It's all love brothers... It's all love... Love makes them such epitome of perfection." Brojo sighed and smiled, pressing his hand held cards to his heart, as Anirudh caught him brushing eyes with Bimala.

"Love... Well, I'm not sure..." Anirudh chuckled. "But, knowledge is what sets them free... You need knowledge to achieve perfection Brojo, is it not?" He turned towards Mukundo for approval as the man shrugged his shoulders casually.

"Love... Knowledge... All big talks... Women are meant to be trained and kept under control." He threw another hand at the Brojo, only to be disappointed again.
"For instance, look at my wife... She won't even dare to place a foot without my approval... Look..." Mukundo pointed out infront as the two men looked promptly at the direction, Sharmila sitting below a mango tree, while Bimala was shaking a low branch, laughing, and on top of the tree was Anirudh's dear wife, standing proudly on a thick branch, plucking mangoes and throwing at the girl sitting below.

"Bondita...."
Anirudh shouted.

Bondita had jumped down from the tree, falling on the grass on all four, and as she saw Anirudh running towards her, she too started to run in the opposite direction.

"Bondita... Stop... Are you hurt?"
Anirudh yelled, and Bondita laughed out loud.

"Why don't you find out Barrister Babu... I won't stop."

"Stop I said... Bondita..."
Anirudh too chased her, leaving the rest of the gang behind, and upon reaching near the river, he saw Bondita stop a little afar and turn towards him.

"Stop Shona." Anirudh huffed, bending down and holding his knees, and Bondita smiled brightly at the sight.

"I won't stop Barrister Babu... Not anymore..." She laughed, "Catch me if you can!" She turned once again and started to ran.
"Thanks for the shoes though..."
She screamed in happiness.

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

I'm so looking forward to read your inline comments.
A lot is to happen, and my excitement knows no bounds.
❤️❤️