Dear readers,
A few things,
1. Read the first chapter of UT, What had happened... I have redone it.
2. I need 6 more followers, please....
3. Please vote.

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An anger is a passing menacing storm, so it comes not gradually and with signs, but like a sudden sweep of violent wind capable of destroying the harmony of nature.
Batuk was fuming with rage, in an instance, the tiny bit of compassion that had occupied his heart for the hapless crying lady sitting infront had changed into an all-encompassing emotion of hatred, a burning anger, and at that sudden miniscule of moment that anger was capable of burning down everything around him.
Mira had taken his brother's name, and had claimed him to be her, and Batuk couldn't stand the thought of it. He was on his knees when she had spoken, and he was about to wipe her tears, but the moment he heard the words escape her quivering lips, he had stood up at once, his angry strength had grabbed Mira's arm forcefully as he made her stand up with him as well.

"How dare you!" Batuk's words were a spiteful hiss, and Mira tried to free herself from him, shivering in the terror of the moment, her teary eyes had widened in disbelief and hurt.

"How dare you speak my brother's name from that filthy mouth of yours?" Batuk's voice was low and he had pinned her against the thin wooden partition of the small cubicle.

"I... I... I don't understand."
Mira was shaking in fear, and Batuk felt the tremor.

"What do you not understand Mira? You don't belong here... You'll never get my brother... And you need to leave!"
His words were cut into slices with the sharp knife of insult, and his fingers were pressing into her soft skin.
Mira was sobbing silently, and Batuk left her arm in disgust.

How could he had even felt any of that attraction, even the slightest form, for such a woman!

Batuk sighed loudly and Mira sank down on the floor, next to where the tea had spilt, next to where Batuk's white handkerchief lay discarded. Her knees were hurled up to her chest, and her face was buried in her knees, her entire body shaking convulsively, trying desparately to stop the overflow of tears.

"Get up... Woman." Batuk hissed again.
"This isn't your damn village."

Mira hadn't looked up, neither did she speak, but the person who spoke on her behalf was Bhargavi.

"What did you do to her?"
Bhargavi had rushed inside the cubicle, almost pushing Batuk aside as she threw her arms around the weeping woman and hugged her with utmost compassion.

"Didi... Didi... Stop, don't cry... You know why we are here, don't you?"

Mira had looked up, nodding her head slowly, as Bhargavi wiped her tear-strained cheeks with her knuckles.

"Have you no manners?" She had turned her head to address Batuk. He was about to leave, but her words had made him stop.

"That you should ask your sister." Batuk crossed his arms and looked straight at the young girl.
"And guess what... She'd never get him... Not while I'm alive."

Bhargavi's mouth fell open at his words, and Mira's tears started to flow with a renewed vigour.

"How could you even say such a disgusting thing? He is hers, only hers, and it's her right to be with him." Bhargavi sighed deeply.
"Do you have any idea whats it is to a mother to be away from her son? Her only son!"
Her arms were around Mira's shoulder, rubbing her back gently, as Mira too, clutched the girls saree with all her might, trying to channelize her sorrow in her strength.

"Son?" Batuk gasped, his eyes wide open, but before he could ask any further, he heard his brother speak, his voice was tender as always, his tone, soothing.

"Mira? What happened?"

Batuk could sense the effect of that voice on the weeping woman, she was shaking even more, her lips quivering, her hands trembling, and then she looked up at his brother. There was something in that look, some desparate seeking of warmth, some unwritten longing for hope, and Anirudh had smiled back in return, holding his arms open, and just one word uttered from his mouth.
"Come...!"

It was only a word, just a word, but it was enough for Mira to break free from all chained up emotions and inhibitions, she hadn't wiped her tears, nor did she cared much about those flowing emotions anyway, and she got up from the floor and ran...
She ran to him as if her life depended on it, as if that little distance between them was meant to be the bridge between life and death.
Her arms were open too, and an inexplicable emotion of complaint and comfort painted her face with its desperacy.

"Dadaa..." Her lips had just quivered once, in an almost inaudible whimper, as she jumped into Anirudh's chest, tying him tightly in her arms. Anirudh too, had hugged her back, patting her head lovingly, and Batuk frowned at her address.

"Mira." Anirudh continued patting her hair, giving her the much needed time to calm down, and Mira inturn gripped the back of his white kurta, rubbing her face on his chest, perhaps in desparate attempts of wiping the last strains of agony from her forehead.

Batuk turned around, and saw Bhargavi wiping her tears. Rishit Sinha too, was standing behind, smiling happily at this sudden reunion.

"Tell me what happened Mira." Anirudh had lifted her face up, as he ran his thumb on her cheeks, wiping her eyes with a tender affection.
And, Batuk saw with gaped expression as his brother lowered his face to touch his lips on the woman's head.
It's wasn't done, he thought, for his kisses and affections were only meant for them, him and Bondita.

"I... I want to see my son, please..." Mira was sobbing.
"I know you send her money, every month... And, I know if you write to her, she'd definitely come."

Anirudh nodded gently, trying to sooth her.
"Sit with me Mira, and tell me what happened, from the beginning."

The insides of the Jewish Bakery was almost empty, barring a few regular morning customers, and old Bottlewala had opened up the ground floor guest room, adjacent to the sitting area, so that the meeting can be conducted in peace. He wasn't aware of any reference, nor did he wish to know, as the very fact that his Barrister Babu needed a place to talk in seclusion was good enough reason for him to give away everything he had.

Anirudh was seated on a chair, and infront of him, on the small single cot, was Mira. Bhargavi was standing beside her, and next to her was Batuk.
Rishit was there too, sitting behind Anirudh, and beside him sat Raimoti, her head resting on the wooden table infront.
Bondita had just entered, as she latched the door and walked up to stand beside Raimoti.

"Madam, please sit."
Rishit Sinha had left his seat at once, offering it to Bondita as a gentle courtesy, and she inturn smiled at him, refusing his offer politely.

"I'm good Rishit Babu. You've travelled. You need rest."

The room was silent, barring the rhythmic sniffs, and all eyes were on Mira, waiting for her to tell her tale.

"It started eight months back, when Mira Didi wrote her first letter to Dr. Chatterjee's mother in Faridpur."
Bhargavi made the prelude and waited for Mira to continue.

"Before that I had spoken to her once every month, on telephone, and she would bring my Anirudh to the post office." Mira sighed and Batuk narrowed her eyes at the mention of his brother's name again.

"Anirudh is her son's name."
Bondita had prompted in a whisper, making Batuk gasp.

"Then, she stopped speaking... And I leant how to write, so I wrote letters." She paused.
"I wrote three letters and got a reply... The post master had written it on her behalf, that she's busy, and that they are happy, and hence couldn't reply to my letters."

Mira swallowed and looked up at him.
"But... But... Then Lenny Madam received another letter where it said I shouldn't try to contact or communicate with my son in... in anyway."
Her last words made her choke in tears once again, and Anirudh took her hands in his and squeezed a little in assurance.

"Then?"
He asked.

"Then Mira Didi wrote many letters in the last six months, but not a single reply came, and when Miss Lenny tried to contact MeenaRani Masi through the post office, she was told that they had left Faridpur... Where? nobody knows." Bhargavi sighed.
"It was getting difficult for Mira Didi to stay in Dehradun, even in the convent her ex in-laws would visit often to threaten her... And last month..."
Bhargavi gulped and looked down.

The room felt silent again, and Batuk felt a violent hammering in his heart, a blow of guilt, and he felt Bhargavi's fingers on the sleeve of his shirt, clutching the fabric tightly, her chest heaving with suppressed tears of empathy.

Batuk sighed and placed his hand on hers, but she had withdrawn her hand at at once, sparing a glaring glance at him.

She probably hates him...he thought, and, so does Mira!

"Last month, on the way to the medical camp where she regularly visits, she was molested by one of the men from that local village gang." Rishit had spoken up, sighing deeply.
"Had it not been for the old caretaker..."
He didn't finish his words as he saw Anirudh pull Mira close to him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"How dare they? Didn't anyone lodge a complaint?" Raimoti had suddenly spoken up, as everyone in the room turned towards her, barring the two souls busy in healing each other.
The first was Mira, in the comfort of her saviour's arms, and the second was Batuk... Trying to heal his anger with the heart-wrenching agony that the truth had just made him feel.

"It's not that easy in small towns from we hail. It's not Calcutta, Madam, and the new police superintendent is extremely pro British Raj."
Rishit had addressed Raimoti, but his eyes were lowered in a chivalrous courtesy.

"Mira..." Bondita had called her, as she too walked closer to her and kept a hand on her shoulder, and instinctively, Mira had turned around, hugging her waist, her sobs escalating in a renewed vigour.
"Don't worry Mira, we'll find your son, now stop crying."
Her words were like a gentle caressing in her wounded heart and Mira looked up at her with hopeful eyes.

"Shotti Didi? Promise me?"

"We promise Mira... Shotti!"
Bondita kissed her forehead.