Posting as promised. But do vote and comment in the previous chapter as well.
I'll post the next once both the chapters are at per with sufficient votes.
Keep reading. ❤️
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There's a reason love is invisible, undetectable with anything but our minds. Men perhaps aren't evolved enough to be trusted with it. They'd try to engineer it, alter it, use it, weaponize it. Aren't there always great reasons to do immoral acts? Or are they excuses to allow them to follow their more basic desire for dominance?
Power addiction, to start with, is always the wrong route to escape fear as the only way to understand love is to feel it, embody it, embrace it. The power of love will always be greater than any other, and the keys to reality will only ever be given to true students of the only master.
Batakrishna Roy Chowdhury, however, was a novice to this idea. To him love was all encompassing, it was exerting dominance on the beloved's heart, possessing her soul in every way possible. He wasn't the kind who would steer away with a brokenness, dwelling in separation, but instead, he'd fight for it... till the end!

They say if you love a person with all your heart, the kind of love that's true, then you shouldn't hold your beloved back, instead you should set them free, for true love always finds a way back.
But Batakrishna was hell-bent on opposing this idea. It perhaps wasn't the right approach, but to him it didn't feel wrong. He wanted Mira, he wanted to possess her heart, her soul, her body, and if there was any more of her, he'd want to have that too, and for that he was prepared to pay every price that there was!

Batakrishna had fasted that morning, bathed early, and was now standing infront of the mirror. He was preparing for the Ashirbaad ceremony that was to take place that day, but the preparation was more to dazzle the woman he loved.
He had brushed his hair neatly, backward, like his Dada, and wore a new white kurta, with cream khadi dhoti in semblance of a new groom.
He had sprayed an imported perfume too, generously, all over as the smile plastered to his lips broadened in satisfaction.
Batuk smiled at his reflection proudly, and sprayed another round of the perfume, clouding what was left of the room.

"Aa... Aacchoo!"
A soft sneeze made him turn around, and there she was, Bhargavi, rubbing her nose to beat this sudden overdose of essence inside his bedroom.

"Allergic huh?" Batuk asked her plainly, trying to ignore that fact that the mist he had spread inside would make many sane human dizzy. Bhargavi, however just shrugged, and it was then that Batuk noticed the pile of new sarees held in her arms.

"Tell me my dear Bhargavi, what can I do for you this morning!"
His overdramatic exaggeration of greeting made the girl smile, as she quickly walked inside the room and held his hand.

"Please don't marry this woman." She urged, and Batuk's forehead formed creases at once.

"But your Mira Didi has already rejected me."
Batuk looked away, folding the sleeves of his kurta upto his elbow.

"Then don't marry her too..." A prompt response escaped from Bhargavi's lips, and it made her lower her face in shame as well.
"I mean... Marry... But to someone who too would want to marry you."

"What do you mean?" Batuk frowned at her through the mirror and Bhargavi turned red under his gaze.

"Well, marry someone who loves you... Not the one you love." She murmured, and Batuk let out a chuckle.

"Isn't this too much for a girl who doesn't read romantic novels? He raised an eyebrow, and Bhargavi looked away.

"Well, if that's the case Bhargavi, then I'm afraid I'll stay a bachelor forever."
He had laughed out loud at his self inflicted humour and Bhargavi lowered her face further, keeping her gaze fixated at his feet.

"You aren't that bad that no one would ever love you." She murmured, and Batuk rolled his eyes in a tease.

"Would you Bhargavi? Marry me then?" He threw the words in a tease and the girl gasped at once, but before she could react more, Batuk smacked lightly on her head and pinched her nose playfully.
"But, then you've vowed never to get married... And, I don't blame you." He turned his back on her, looking a the mirror once again.
"It's indeed difficult to find someone who would match your profound love for mathematics."

Bhargavi stood quietly, and Batuk continued.
"But, yes... About what you said, it only looks good when printed in a book... In reality you need to fight for your love, and win it!
He smiled at his own reflection, finally satisfied with the way his appearance had turned out that morning.
"Everything is fair in love and war my dear Bhargavi... And, if you love someone, fight till the end, or else, just don't love."

Bhargavi stood still, contemplating his words, and Batuk swayed his hand infront of her eyes.

"Hey... Where are you lost?" He frowned, and she smiled politely, nodding her head in a gentle dismissal.

"Didi has sent these back... She said she won't come." She pointed at the pile of new sarees that Batuk had bought for her from Calcutta.

"Did she mention why?"
He asked sternly, and Bhargavi sighed.
Batuk's expression had undergone a sudden change, and it wasn't hidden from the girl either, and what's more that it made the girl's heart thud.

"She... She said she isn't well." Bhargavi murmured, and it suddenly made Batuk's jaws clench.

How can She be not alright?
Isn't all these preparations, everything, all these small details, the perfume... Isn't everything just for her?

Batakrishna fumed up in rage, and before Bhargavi could stop him, he stormed out of the room at once.

He meet his uncle at the end of the corridor, overlooking a few last minute flower decorations in the hallway, and Batuk stormed past him.

"Arey Batuk..." Trilochan called out, but was stopped in the bud.

"Not now!"
He had raised his hand to stop him already.

He stormed pass Mahamaya too, dressed in an ornamented red hemed off-white saree, adorned all over with elaborate gold jewelleries, prepared for the betrothal. She was standing near the study, but not once did Batuk turn to look at her.

"Umm... Batakrishna Babu..." She called him, and Batuk huffed the words in the same tone as before.

"Not now!"

The door of the guest room had barged open without any prior intimation. Batakrishna was breathing hard, beads of sweat on his forehead, and he held the large wooden frames of the split door open with both hands, his eyes darted at the woman lying hurled up on the bed.

"Why aren't you ready yet?"
He glared at her, startling her, as Mira slowly sat up on the bed, keeping a half finished ektara beside.
Batuk followed the movement of her hands and saw the pencil brush and two shades of colour with which she was painting the bottom of the instrument.

Batuk growled in anger.

"Ohh!! So you are absolutely fit to do these things but not attend my Ashirbaad!" He huffed the words and inched closer to the bed, making her gulp in fear.
"Why Mira? Why?"

Mira pressed her lips together, and breathed faster, and Batuk felt the rise of fearful anticipation building in her.

"I... I..."
She murmured, and swallowed hard.

"I what Mira? Tell me?"

"I'm not well."
Mira muttered the words and stared helplessly at his face.

"What happened? Head ache? Chest ache? Stomach? Legs? I have medicine for all... So get up at once, get ready and come to the puja room immediately."
He threw a soft pink saree that he had carried with him, tossing it on the bed, and it made her almost jump away from it.

"I... I can't."

Batuk was preparing to leave, but her refusal had made him turn back, a sharp frown on his face.

"Why?"

"Blee... Bleeding?" She murmured, and Batuk saw her face turning completely crimson with the words.
However, at that moment, his mind was too full to understand anything beyond her acceptance of his proposal.

"Bleeding from where? I don't see any blood!"
He had crossed his arms to his chest, standing defensively, as his eyes started to search the source of blood on her face and arms.
"I'll put some betadine on the wound, don't worry... Just come down."

His words had soften down considerably, and he turned to leave again with a soft sigh, but something made him turn around once again.

"Ohh.. and Mira... I got you these too."
He took out a small packet from his pocket and kept it on the bed, infront of her feet, as if an offering to lure his goddess's heart, and Mira saw with widened eyes the beautiful sparkling pink glass bangles peeking temptingly from the wrapper, matching the colour of the saree kept beside it.
She gasped at the brilliance of it's aura, and this subtle appreciation from her made Batuk smile.

"But..."
Mira however had looked away immediately, swallowing her words, and it made Batuk frown at her hesitance.
"I'm bleeding... I can't sit for the puja."

The words came out from her mouth as a final defence of bridging all gaps of shame infront of him, and Batuk gawked at her with a stupified expression for a moment.

Oh... So it's that kind of bleeding... The female kind!

He cleared his throat awkwardly, and looked away in embarassment.

But why the hell was he even embarrassed? Wasn't he studying to be a doctor? It's nothing that he hadn't known!

His mind bashed him, but his heart applied the ointment of lovesickness to his rational wound.

It's not embarassment... It's called a blush! And it's for Mira... As no rules or logics holds true when it comes to his feelings for her.

Mira was looking down, her cheeks bright crimson, the uneasiness evident in the way she fidgeted her fingers, and Batuk cleared his throat once again.

"Well... So... That's nice... I mean, that's fine... Umm... What I mean is it shouldn't be a problem in anyway... Just come down."
He murmured the words and it was time for Mira to frown at him vacantly.

"What?" Her mouth fell at once.
"How can I enter ThakurGhar like this?"
She murmured a soft protest and Batuk raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ohh!! So now this is all about you not being able to perform the puja for me, and not because you don't want to!"
He suddenly huffed the words in desparation, pacing back and forth across the room, and Mira looked at him fearfully.

"I didn't say that." Mira objected, and Batuk towered infront of her bed.

"So, it does matter, doesn't it? Then say it Mira." He groaned at her and Mira hid her face in her hands.

"You're getting married Batakrishna Babu... Please!"

"Then stop me Mira... Say it, just say it once, and I'll fight with the entire world to make you mine!" Batuk's voice had a helpless plea in it and it made jets of tears roll down from Mira's eyes.

"Please don't do this to me... Don't make me do this." She begged, and Batuk felt a knot in his throat.

"What's the inhibition Mira? Why can't you just accept the way things are? The way you feel for me?"

"Because I know how your family would respond to this! Because I know what your uncle had replied, because I don't want to embarrass the godlike man, who had saved my life!" Mira paused, sobbing the words, and Batuk stood quietly infront of her.
"Me not accepting how I feel is perhaps the only dam that's holding the terrible flood that you're so adamant to bring... And Batakrishna Babu, this flood would wash us all!"

"Do I look like I care?" Batuk huffed, and Mira sniffed a tear back.

"But I do... I care... I care for you, and I don't want to separate you from your family! I can't be the homewrecker... Please understand."

Mira had joined her hands in a plea, begging him to forget, to forgive, and it suddenly fumed a suppressed rage of helplessness in Batuk's entire body, making him tremble with anger.

"So, it's all false, isn't it? You bleeding and all? It's all a ruse as you don't want come down! You can't be with me, yet you can't see me with someone else, isn't it?"
Batuk narrowed his eyes, and Mira gulped nervously, unable to clearly fathom what exactly was he trying to get at, before her trembling lips parted a little to speak again.

"Noo... It's not that... I mean, I'm really bleeding, I'm impure." She cried out and Batuk fisted his hand on the wooden poster bed, opening up the wound on his knuckles.

"Impure? Really Mira!" He screamed in words, and Mira shook in terror.
"Liar! A big fat liar, and that's what you are Mira... First, you lied that you don't love me, then you lied that you don't feel anything for me, anything at all, and now you're lying again... "
He hissed the words making around round of fat tears roll down her cheeks helplessly.

"I... I didn't Batakrishna Babu... Please... Please don't do this to me." She held her face in her hands, nodding her head in a frenzy, and Batuk gritted his teeth in anger.

"I'm doing this to you? I am? What about you then? What about you playing with my emotions? What about you fooling with my heart?"

"I'd never..." Mira blurted out the words amidst her sobs and Batuk took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"You know what... get ready and come down, or just accept your feelings for me... I just can't let you fool yourself in the name of blind societal customs Mira, not anymore... And I've had enough of your widow chants!" He muttered the words and turned to leave, and Mira called out from behind.

"And if I don't come?"
The question was almost inaudible and it made Batuk sigh sharply, a nagging pain of vexed vulnerability graduating in his own heart slowly.

"Then, then I don't know Mira... What I'll do... May be I'll destroy myself... May be..."

Mira couldn't take it anymore, as she pressed her palms to her ears, nodding her head vigorously. She quickly got down from the bed and ran towards the door, towards him, as Batuk saw with moistened eyes how she threw herself at his feet, her long hair ruffled on the ground.

"Please... Please don't say this... Please..." She cried out loud, and Batuk felt a threat of tears in his eyes.

"I've given you my life Mira... My everything... And now I'll live only if you let me live!"
He murmured the words slowly.
"Wipe your tears... It's even worse than death... And I'm sorry... for forcing you." He breathed the words.
Mira looked up, their eyes met, and a soft tear rolled down from the corner of Batuk's eyes, causing a havoc in her heart. She wanted to throw her arms around him, she wanted to paint his face red with her lips, she wanted to scream her feeling for him. But before she could act on her thoughts, Batuk moved his feet away from her, slowly, as he turned back, walking into the lonely corridor with indecisive steps.

"It would be difficult Batakrishna Babu... Very difficult... But, for you... I'll do anything!" She wiped her tears and sobbed the words.

**********

"Areey Batuk... Sit... Sit beside her, on the red Aasan, yes... Yes right there..."

Trilochan was seated on a handwoven crochet mat himself, on the marble floor of their lavishly decorated ThakurGhar, and beside him was Abinash Lahiri.
Mahamaya too was seated, her eyes casted down, and she held dessicated flower petals in her hands.

Batuk sighed at his uncle's words, a forlorn expression tainting his demeanor, as he very reluctantly sat down beside the woman who had been trying to steal opportunities to converse with him since the last few days.

"Take some flowers from her hand and join your palms together."
Trilochan instructed him, but Batuk picked some petals of marygold instead, from the brass plate kept infront, a fresh white bandage tied around his knuckles.

The purohit had already started to chant the Chandipaath, but none of the words were registering to his senses any more.

He had hopes for that morning... An elaborate plan of how to dazzle Mira, how to make her jealous, how to lure her into accepting her heart's content. But, the events that morning had led things in the exact opposite direction.
Mira was saddened, far from being jealous or lured, and her sadness had migrated to his heart too.

Batuk had looked up once, stealing a helpless glance at Bhargavi, standing in a corner with a conch in hand, and the look on her face made him sadder.

Everyone just hates him...
Is he really that bad?

Batuk let out a sigh, and to his surprise he felt a soft hand squeezing on his arm.
It was Mahamaya! And the touch had startled him considerably.

"What?" He lowered his voice and asked.

"Don't think so much... This doesn't mean anything." She hushed back, and Batuk felt the piercing pain in his heart escalate to a different level.

Even this new girl wasn't interested in him!!
What rotten luck!

Batuk was lost in thoughts, feeling as isolated as it could be, as the entire haveli busied themselves with his betrothal ceremony.
Koeli started ulludhawani, and Foolur Maa joined in, both had worn printed color sarees, and it made Batuk exhale softly.

Atleast his efforts weren't entirely wasted!

He lowered his eyes and pressed them close, trying to concentrate on the sound of his own heartbeat in desparate attempts of barring the tears to burst out of his eyes, and it was then a soft fragnance hit his senses, ruffling his heart once again.
This fragnance was known to him!

Mira!!!
He opened his eyes and turned around, and there she was, standing below the staircase, with a brass puja thali in hand. She had worn the same light pink saree, but her wrists were devoid of those pink bangles.

"She came!" Batuk gasped inaudibly, and it made Mahamaya press her lips in humour.

"Thank god she did!" She mocked in return.

The rituals started as planned.
First Trilochan, and then Abinash Lahiri sat down infront of the new pair, blessing them with betel leaves. Trilochan had made Mahamaya wear a beautiful gold bracelet that once belonged to Batuk's mother.

"This belonged to your mother-in-law's. A pair of them. Bondita has one, and this one is yours." Trilochan touched her head and blessed her with grains of paddy, and Mahamaya nodded obediently.

Batuk however felt restless. The more the moment to face Mira neared, the more he started to question his intention of putting her in the situation.

Never once was his intention to hurt her feelings!

Mira had finally sat on the ground, infront of them, as with skillful expertise she arranged the betel leaves and the betal nuts and held them in both her hands. But when it was time to touch the couples forehead with those, her hands trembled.
Batuk felt that tremble too, and it wrenched his heart more.

"Does she has a nerve ailment?"
Mahamaya hushed, as Mira had finally touched her head, shaking convulsively, and Batuk flinched his face at once.

"No...she has a heart ailment, and I'm working on it." He muttered inturn.

Mira was breathing rapidly, gulping nervously and hearing her nervousness Mahamaya held her hand in the firmness of her own.

"Are you unwell?" Her eyes reflected compassion, and Mira suddenly felt the entire world fade into bleek oblivion, her heart in her throat, and her eyes sheathed in a veil of darkness.
And before anyone could say anything, she collapsed against Mahamaya's strong shoulders.

"Miraaaa!!" Batuk screamed out.

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Just because Batuk is being an absolute idiot in this chapter doesn't mean that you guys won't vote, does it?
Yet, I'm about to cry looking at the number of votes.
Will update next only when the votes for both the chapters rise up.

Also, what do you think might be the reason behind this behaviour of Batuk?
It's a very human think to do though.