Never before had Bondita noticed how time is so much like water; that it can pass slowly, a drop at a time, even freeze, or rush by in a blink. The clock said it was measured and constant, tick tock... tick tock... part of an orderly world; the clock lies. The past one hour had passed like thousands of camera frames per nano second shown one at a time. In that slow time-bubble the beating of her heart was louder, coldness was colder and colours were monochromatic. All the while her insides felt as if there was nothing there, nothing to have need of anything at all.
She had aggrieved Anirudh, her most entrusted confidant, she had caused him to be upset, and in that moment of engulfing solitude, all she wished for was to right the wrong. But, only if she had known how!
She stood there, in his office like a stone statue, exactly the way he had left her, defeated, confused...
And at that very moment of destitute, destiny had knocked in the form of a telephone call.

"Hello... "
She responded after a minute of indecisiveness.

"Hello, Anirudh Roy Chowdhury's office?"
An husky old voice spoke on the other end.

"He is... He is not available at the moment. May I take a message?"

"Who are you, if I may ask." The voice responded again.

"I'm his wife. But, if you can tell me your name and message I'll write..."

The voice on the other end didn't let her complete.
"Bondita? Bondita Maa, it's me, your Neelmoni jethamoshai."

"Oh... Jethamoshai... " Bondita tried to let out a dry smile of courtesy. "How are you? How is your health?"

"I'm well..." Neelmoni paused. "But I'm afraid my Rai Maa isn't keeping very well."

"Oh... What happened?" Bondita sounded concerned.

"Um... A bit under the weather... Batakrishna have promised to pay a visit this morning... Let's see what our young doctor has to say." He let out a soft chuckle.

"But, Jethamoshai... Why Batuk, he still isn't a qualified doctor... Don't she be seeing someone professional?"
She asked with a gentle genuine concern.

"Do you think I haven't tried that already? Rai Maa isn't ready to see a doctor... You know how daughters are, don't you." Neelmoni tried to reason.
"Anyway, please ask your husband to call back once he is available, I'm afraid I don't have very good news for him."
Neelmoni's voice turned husky and crackling once again.

"Why... What... What happened Jethamoshai... May I know... If that's..."
The familiar pangs of fear returned to her as she started to stutter a little.

"Ummm... " The old man thought a bit.
"I don't see a reason why not... After all you are his wife, see if you can make him see reason and change his mind." He paused as Bondita heard his sharp staggered breathing over the telephone.
"It's about the Swadeshi Custodial death case. Your husband is hell bent on reopening the case and challenging it. And, as I'm appointed to be one of the juries, he had asked for my assistance in backing him up."
He paused to breath.

"But, but Jethamoshai, if the case isn't reopened, then all those imprisoned Swadeshis would have to face Kalapani, wouldn't they?" Bondita enquired earnestly.

"Well, Bondita Maa... There are greater purposes and again there are happiness and content... " Neelmoni started. "I don't have any better way of putting this, but at times one needs to focus on their personal growth and happiness than the greater good. Anirudh is the talk of the town. Considering his achievements at such a young age, the Governor General is even considering to grace him with the prestigious RayBahadur title.  Reopening and fighting this case would put him in grey pictures, if not anything he would definately lose the British favouritism." Neelmoni paused again, trying to let Bondita sink in to his words. But, all he could hear from the other side of the telephone was a deep sigh.
"Bondita Maa... Once Batuk and Rai Maa gets married, all that I have would be your husband's... name... fame... Everything! Don't you want to live in a RayBahadur palace? Don't you want to be the wife of the most popular and powerful man of Calcutta? Think Maa... Think... And put some sense in your stubborn husband."

Bondita remained silent for a few moments as her eyes fell on the half typed document attached to the typewriter.

"I'll tell him." She replied plainly.

Neelmoni sensed a pain in her tone.
"Don't be sad Maa... Women have their ways to make their men understand... I'm sure you would succeed if..."

"When is the case due to be re-filed?" Bondita suddenly asked without letting Neelmoni complete his words.

"Umm..." The old man stumbled, probably trying to gauge the time.
"In another forty five minutes." He replied.
"Your husband had to pull difficult strings to get this short deadline of three hours.... He asked for my help... But trust me Maa, getting into this is mere foolishness... It's.... "

Whatever Neelmoni said next didn't reach Bondita's ears as she slowly sat down on Anirudh's chair and pulled the half written sheet out from machine.

"Jethamoshai... What is the penal code for Arson in Calcutta?" She asked abruptly, probably throwing Neelmoni off balance.

"Arson? Um well... It's not specific to a state, but the British penal code says..."

The conversation went on for another fifteen minutes as Bondita sat down quietly and heard every answer, every mention of laws that Neelmoni made until he stopped in the middle only to speak with a hint of elation in his voice.

"Bondita Maa... You have to excuse me... Batakrishna has arrived it seems... "

"No problem Jethamoshai." Bondita spoke gently.

"And good to know you have such great interest in legal matters... We shall sit one day and discuss law." Neelmoni let out a chuckle.

"Sure."

"And Maa, my apologies that I couldn't help your husband in his unnecessary demands... You understand right? Please try to explain..."

"Yes Jethamoshai. Good day. Take care."
Bondita kept the phone down hastily without letting the old man return the greetings.
She looked at her wrist watch and sighed.

"Barrister Babu... I won't let you do anything that's wrong." She pulled out half typed paper from the machine and clutched it to her chest as her eyes fell on the red file kept beside.
"Forgive me for this Barrister Babu..." her voice choked as she slowly opened the red file and flipped through the pages.
"I know this is wrong... But, I have to do this... For you... For us... For our daughter!"

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

Shrouded by abhorrence, revulsion and obscure emotions, Batuk parked his motorcycle clumsily outside the old forsaken house and hurried inside the grilled iron entrance. The tall ancient teakwood door creaked open as he made his way in.

"Batuk?"

Batuk looked up to find Satya standing infront of him.

"Satya Da... I know I'm late... But... I'm a little..."

"Girish is gone." Satya's voice was stone cold.

"What? What are you saying?" Batuk felt a sharp chill run down his spine. All his disgust, dilemma... All his detestation after the occurrences with Raimoti faded away in a moment, giving rise to a fearful nausea.
"How?" His voice broke. " How do you know!"

Satya didn't respond. Instead, he handed Batuk a small piece of paper.

Mission Shikhandi
Visiting the House of Law.
It's do or die now!
INQUILAB ZINDABAD

"What does this mean?" Batuk furrowed his brows. "Plan Shikhandi was cancelled Satya Da... And house of law? Where is he?"

"House of law is Alipore Judge Court. Plan Shikhandi was cancelled, but Ramakanto Sardar's custodial murder infuriated him to take up this drastic step. But, I'm wonder how did he..."

"Bondita is in Judge Court right now." Batuk suddenly spoke in a reflective tone  cutting Satya in between making him narrow his eyes in question.

"How did you know?"
He asked Batuk.

"I visited Neelmoni Mukherjee, when I reached he said he was on a call with Bondita as my brother wasn't present at his office. He had dialled the court." Batuk replied slowly as his eyes too widened in bewilderment at the sudden realisation of what might had happened.
"Satya Da... Did Girish Da enter with her... I mean he made Bondita his Shikhandi to enter the 'house of law'?"

Satya had pressed his temple with his fingers.
"Why would your brother not be present in his own office? Why would Bondita receive his work call and speak instead of asking the caller to wait... Why would she..." He jumped up at once.
"Unless... "

"Unless Dada knows about Girish Da and he..." Batuk couldn't complete his words as he sank down on the dusty cemented floor and buried his face in his hands.
"What if Dada is in trouble?" His tone had an apprehensive urgency to it.
"I'll go and check at once."

He was about to spring up, prepared to leave as Satya held his shoulders and stopped him.
"No, you stay here... Let me handle this. If Girish has done this out of implusiveness, he definitely did wrong. He jeopardized two innocent lives." He paused.
"But, also, I know your brother is a very intelligent man", he chuckled trying to pacify Batuk.
"And, I promise, I'll do my best to not let any harm befall on the family... I mean your family."

Satya turned towards the staircase leading to the basement as Batuk called him.
"Why are you going down?"

"I need 5 minutes to prepare Batuk, I possibly can't go like this." He pointed towards his shirt and dhoti and smiled meaningfully at him.
"Also, I'll need your motorbike for the day. Hope that's alright?"
He smiled and vanished into the darkness of the basement as Batuk stood there, alone, with a thumping heartbeat.

"It's my brother Satya Da... Ask for my life and I'll give it to you willingly... " He murmured as suddenly everything in the world including his favourite imported motorbike seemed insignificant and meaningless to him in comparison to the urgency of seeing his family smiling once again.

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

Dear readers,
Do let me know how the chapter was.
Also, I would like to know your opinion about the plot and the way it's unfolding.
Any suggestions are gladly welcome.