How far would you go to find your love?

They say pain to be love's constant companion. They say it's pain that glorifies love, it's pain that cuts deep into one's heart to sow the seed of longing, and yet the only way to heal this pain is to be loved. Of all kinds of pain that there is, the one that purifies love is perhaps separation...Yet when the love is true, the separation builds lovers both stronger as individuals and as a couple, as partners in all they do. For in these moments of pain is the truth of what they are to one another. And, if nothing, such separation has proven to be the golden ticket to realising who your soulmate is, the forever person of one another.

Satyakirth too was undergoing this realisation, in the past few days, amidst all the anxiety and anticipation, it was Raimoti's face that had flashed in his mind's eye, like a relay, a collage of memories, her fluttering eyelashes and that smirk on her lips... And everytime, the realisation was stronger, prominent, leaving him in tatters.
Raimoti was the one for whom his heart beats! And, it would always be her...
And yet, Satya knew little too well that his journey ahead was full of bullets and blood, and that she cannot be with him when he reaches his desired destination. She cannot be, rather he wouldn't let her be, yet the thought of being alone at the end had given him sleepless nights.
Satyakirth's eloquency was restricted when it's about the heart, and it had always been thus, but battling with his mind and heart every night for the past one week, Satya had finally decided on one thing.
He would set Rai free. How? He was yet to figure, but he can't let her be a part of his bloodied journey. He had lost many, but he was determined to not lose her, never!

He had never proclaimed his feelings openly, like Anirudh, nor had he ever expressed his pinning like Bondita, but every night, after Bondita would fall asleep, Satya would quietly walk out of the door, staring at the stars, and with the first ray of the new sun, he would set out...

"Satya... I'll be counting on you today."
Bondita had reminded him, as he had prepared to leave, at dawn, and Satya had nodded slowly.

"I'll." He paused and sighed.
"Bondita, the entire village would be here tonight, to attend the wedding of the headman's daughter... And, by tonight, if we don't find Anirudh Da and Raimoti, we'll be heading to Raipur, absolutely no arguments, and once we reach, my men would arrange for you to get back to your home, and I'll be off to my mission again."

A faint string of heartbreak was imminent in his voice, and Bondita felt a blow from its broken chords.
"Why not Rangpur?"
Her words were just a defenseless query and Satya sighed again.

"Rangpur would be too predictable. We've told everyone on our way that we'd be heading to Rangpur, and if the British police tries to follow our trail, that's the first place they'd look for."

Bondita nodded her head and looked away.
"Do you miss her?"
Her words felt distant, and Satya prepared to leave, turning his head towards her one last time.

"More than my life."

"Then have faith. We'll find them."

Satya had left, leaving Bondita at the door, his heart twitching mindlessly at the verbal acceptance of him missing her, and the feeling was overwhelming. Suddenly it was only Raimoti in his mind, occupying the highest pedestal of his being, and the first place this all-encompassing emotions led him to was by the lonely broken river bank, his small boat was there, tied to a tree.
Rafik majhi had brought it there, the night before, as he himself had rowed towards the east of the river, where his destination was to meet Girish and others in hiding.

Satya jumped into his boat and sat down.
The post office had yet two more hours to open, and Satya, finding some solace under the fresh chilly breeze of the early dawn, lay down on the deck, his head rested on the plank, and on his chest was Raimoti's blue shawl, soft and fragnant, just like her!

"I miss you Princess... I so miss you..." He murmured.

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

"Telegram from Batakrishna Roy Chowdhury."

It was late morning at the Mymensing Post office. Being the only one in the three neighboring villages, its long rectangular red-bricked office was crowded with an ocean of men and women trying to communicate, transcending the borders of geography.
It was easy for Satyakirth to mix with the waves of that jostling ocean, his face and arms were painted in black tar once again, and he wore a pair of round spectacles, it's glasses rather hazy, sheathing his emerald orbs from the prying eyes around.
The morning hadn't been entirely unsatisfactory. Although he wasn't successful in communicating with Batuk, but he did receive Girish's telegram, and he wrote back stating how the mission was in process with meticulous perfection. The telegram also mentioned about Batuk, and how he had communicated with Girish, informing him about the execution of his share of tasks, and that he should wait for Batuk's telegram too.

It was exactly what Satyakirth was doing, waiting for his telegram, hunching at a distant corner of the long corridor of the thatched post office, his head sank down, as if a tired daily wage earner, expectantly waiting for a word from his employer.

"Babu, any news from my maalik?" He had folded his hand at the station master, and the latter frowned at him in displeasure.

"Uff... You again..."
He looked away and Satya fell on his knees.

"Babu, I'm waiting for a telegram from Zamindar Babu... my wife and children are hungry Babu... please... see once... has it come."

The station master looked visibly annoyed. He let out a loud exhale and huffed at him.
"Alright... Alright... Tell me his name again."

"Batakrishna Roy Chowdhury, from Calcutta."

"Calcutta? Your Babu is a big man it seems."
The station master chuckled, scribbling a few words, as he handed a small chit to Satya and showed him out.

"Sit and wait... I'll call once I receive."

Satya nodded humbly and prepared to leave.

"Err... What's your name again?"

"Raidash, Babu..."

"Raidash what?"

"Mukherjee Babu... Raidash Mukherjee."

Satya had blurted out, only to realise the blunder that he had just commited out of carelessness, and the station master's eyes had immediately narrowed down at his face.

Raimoti!! Your thoughts would be the death of me someday... !

"Mukherjee Brahmin? And a mason? Which village again?"

Damn Satyakirth! Damn you and your slipping tongue!

Satyakirth bit his lips and replied meekly.

"My baap, I live here and there, everywhere... My forefathers lost our land in pasha khela... And, now I work as a daily wage earner... I have two little children Babu..."
Tears had visibly filled Satya's eyes, his voice croaky, as if choking in emotions, and the station master raised his hand to stop him at once.

"Fine, fine... Wait outside, I'll call you."
He had remarked, but even while going out, Satya's expert eyes didn't miss the hint of suspicion laced in that final glance of the station master.

Satya had sat outside, on the ground, alert, vigilant, and at around 2, when the crowd had started to thin, a thin bearer came out of the office room and shouted out loud.

"Telegram from Batakrishna Roy Chowdhury...!!"

Satya had gotten up with a readied promptness, a smile of satisfaction had finally painted his dry tinted lips. But before he could walk ahead and claim the letter, a familiar agitated voice tore the remaining veil of the receding crown, causing everyone to turn behind.

"Batakrishna Roy Chowdhury? What about him? What telegram?"

Satya's eyes had shone bright for a moment at this sudden interruption, but only for a moment, before his eyes fell on the uniformed British Officer of a higher post following the man inside.

Anirudh Da!! Finally!!
But why was there a British police with him?

Satyakirth's heart had sank in a moment, but shedding off his apprehensions, he decided to give it one last try.
Was his Raimoti there with him too?
Satya gulped, and touched his abdomen gently, for her shawl was tucked in his dhoti, making it look like a small pot belly to the eyes outside.

Where are you Princess!!
His heart suddenly felt empty even at that moment of acute danger.

"Who are you?" The station master had enquired without looking up, but officer Davidson slammed his khaki thermocol hat on the table, making the man almost jumped up from his seat.

"My baap... My baap... What can I do for you?"
The station master was startled, and bowed down at once, as Davidson gestured him authoritatively at the man standing beside him, commanding him to comply to his questions.

"I want to know what telegram have you received from Batakrishna Roy Chowdhury?"

"And you are sire?" The station master's voice had quakes.

"Barrister Anirudh Roy Chowdhury... His brother!"

"Sure... Sure Barrister Babu... I'll retrieve the telegram for you right away."
The station master grinned.

*****

"You sure that's what the man's name was?"

The post office was locked down for the day with the four constables chasing the men and women out, and with them, like a swarm of bees, came out Satyakirth too...
The content of the telegram still a mystery to him.

The station master was now seated inside the tiny office room, and Davidson sat up on the table, continuing his enquiry on the petrified man.

"Raidash Sire... He said his name was Raidash, a mason."
The man blurted out and Davidson gestured one of his men to note down the information.

"And he is from?"

"Nowhere sire... He said his forefathers lost their lands in a game of dice, like the Pandavas sire... in Mahabharat."

Raidash!!
Anirudh's forehead however had a subtle crease of worry.

"Any surname?" He asked the man politely, and the frightened station master swallowed hard and nodded his head.

"Yes, Yes sire... Mukherjee... He said Mukherjee... I had a doubt right there and..."
The man continued, but Anirudh was stuck at the beginning, the rest of it fading away.

Mukherjee? Raidash? Oh good heavens... Batuk was trying to contact Satyakirth, and how foolish of him to come in his way!

Anirudh had sank down on a chair, running his fingers through his hair thoughtfully, and Davidson frowned at him quizzically.

"It's everything alright mate?"

"Yes... It's good... I think I know this mason, he's a harmless little fellow, probably expecting some money from Batuk."
Anirudh tried to smile, as he quickly got up and almost snatched the sealed telegram from Davidson's hand.

"I'll give it to Raidash when I see him." He turned to the station master.
"Would you ask him to see me at the headman's daughter's wedding if he comes back? Tell him he can take his money from me."

The man nodded his head in confusion, and Davidson jumped down from the table with a proactive readiness.

"We're looking for a notorious criminal here, a Krantikari... Dark complexioned, with curls... Anyone you see with this description, inform us at once, I'm posting an armed guard here."

The station master looked thoughtful, his hands joined, and perhaps he was about to open his mouth to speak, but Anirudh had interjected with precision.

"Dark and curly! That's not a very approachable description, is it?... Well, there are so many who would match it..."

"Then we'd hunt and kill them all Anirudh! That bloody Krantikari is my ticket to home !"
Davidson had a dark humour in his tone, laced with an helplessness somewhere, and for the first time Anirudh felt him to be not the sweet boy whom he had shared his childhood with.

Anirudh hadn't replied, instead he had sighed, turning around to leave. .
"I'm thankful that we met at the market ground Paul, but trust me, I'm not lost... You carry on friend, and I'll return to my wife!"

Davidson had a frown on his face.
"And where exactly is she?"

"At the wedding... Didn't I mention."
Anirudh let out a dry chuckle, trying to dissuade Davidson with his fake assurance, and Davidson exhaled sharply.

"Fine... But, it's not safe around Anirudh... You carry on, and two of my guards would be with you, safely taking you and Bondita back to Calcutta before the case trial."

"That's... That's not necessary.."

"Oh believe me, it is... " Davidson hadn't let Anirudh complete, as he quickly commanded two of the habildar's to accompany him, and Anirudh looked down, realising the gravity of his blunder that he had committed by causing an intervention in Satyakirth's work, not to mention, now the British police would be on his tail, which in turn would make it even difficult for them to communicate.

How would he rectify this mistake now?
How would he find Satya?
And, how would he reach to his Bondita!!

Anirudh got up into the police van and closed his eyes.
Bondita... Find me... I know you can!
He sighed silently.

*****

I'll post the next part ( climax) as soon as this one reaches 100 votes, or my followers touch 60. 😃
Hurry up guys.