The most expensive emotion in the entire world is probably trust, as it takes years to earn it and just a matter of seconds to lose.
Anirudh had leaned back on the chair, with his head hung back, as he tried to contemplate his next course of action.

"So, back there, you said you would free my friends legally." Girish suddenly broke the silence of the room, his voice overpowering the continuous noise of mechanical whining of the ceiling fan.

"I'll fight the case." Anirudh replied calmly in a soft low voice, without opening his eyes to look at him.

"But, the case is already closed. How would you..."

"I'll reopen it." Anirudh replied in the same soft lagged tone without letting Girish complete the question.

"Anirudh Da... I... I'm sorry for what I did earlier... For involving Bondita in this." Girish paused to look away.
"I didn't really think I'll survive my actions to bear the consequences of it." His voice was low and apologetic.

"All actions have consequences Girish... Some are faced by you, some aren't." Anirudh let out a soft sigh and finger brushed his hair to rearrange his thoughts.
He needed to talk to Neelmoni... May be request him a bit hard, may be offer him something in return, strike a deal perhaps...
The telephone rang noisily, tearing the fabric of his disarrayed thoughts.

"Hello... Barrister Anirudh Roy Chowdhury speaking." His voice was low and grave.

"You bloody scoundrels... You and your brother, both! And here I dreamt of having relationships with your family... You bloody..."
The sudden sharp aggressive abuse startled Anirudh momentarily as he quickly gathered his thoughts and spoke.

"Neelmoni Babu, what are you saying? What happened?" His voice reflected poise.

"What happened? Why don't you ask that scoundrel? That worthless brother of yours?"
Neelmoni shouted at the top of his voice on the other side of the telephone.

"Sir, I request you not to cross the limit of decency and tell me what happened." Anirudh's voice was still calm yet powerful.

"Your brother insulted me and my daughter... He tried to talk advantage of her, and when she refused, he insulted her by refusing marriage. How dare he do that! How dare..."

Anirudh took a deep breath to calm himself down. This was the same man he was planning to seek help from as a last resort only a few minutes before, and now... Everything seemed to have fallen apart infront of him!

"Neelmoni Babu, are you sure that's what has happened?" He asked the old man calmly.

"What do you mean?" Neelmoni barked louder.

"If my brother would have wanted to take advantage of your daughter, he could have easily done so when she had visited our mansion unannounced, insisting to see his bedroom." Anirudh paused.
"Also, my brother is wise enough to understand that marrying your daughter would mean your fame along with the so called 'advantage' from your daughter... So, if 'taking advantage' would have been his motive, then he would have wanted to expedite the wedding rather than cancelling it.

"How dare you?" Neelmoni roared again.
"I will destroy you Anirudh Roy Chowdhury... I'll destroy your family."

"You can try Neelmoni Babu. But my family is strong enough to be destroyed by such petite wind such as yourself."

"Petite wind, am I?" Neelmoni roared again.
"And, this petite wind has successfully convinced your so called intelligent righteous wife to tear the case reopening appeal... All I had to do was show her the brighter picture, money... Fame... Name... Where is the document Anirudh? Did the check the dustbin or did your wife flush it down the toilet?" Neelmoni let out an evillish chuckle.
"You talk too big, Anirudh... First fix your own family and they try to fix the world."

Anirudh felt a sharp rush of blood in his veins, closing through his body upwards making his temples throb. He gripped the telephone receiver tighter and spoke slowly.
"I'd suggest you worry about your own. I absolutely know how to take care of mine." He felt his jaw clenching automatically.
"And as per the case, I promise I'll reopen it... And I'll win it... And that's a challenge Neelmoni Mukherjee."
He hung the telephone up without letting Neelmoni respond to his words. His hands were shaking as he dropped down on the chair like a rag.

"Neelmoni Mukherjee? The judge? And, you just challenged him?" Girish got up from the chair and bend forward on the table as he saw Anirudh closing his eyes once again.
"Anirudh Da... Would you tell me what's going on?"

"Later... Please Girish... Let me think." He breathed the words.
"Open the door to your right, it leads to my personal resting room. Go and rest if you like, or read, or whatever... Just stay inside. I need some time alone."

He buried his face in his palms again as Girish quietly picked up his jute bag and started walking towards the small blue wooden door to the right.
I hope you do this right, Aniridh Roy Chowdhury, I hope you do this right!
He thought, as his sharp sigh rocked the calm atmosphere of the office for one last time.

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"O Boudidimoni, Dadababu isn't home yet, it's already so late... How long do you want me to stay?"
Monimala finally spoke up, her voice restless, drawing Bondita's attention.
"I had already told you last week that I can't stay tonight... I'll have to leave for baba borokeshi temple early in the morning, before the sun rises." She touched her forehead with her hands, folded in a prayer.
"You are a modern woman, why would you believe... But, I tell you, pray to baba... He would grant you anything you ask for, ask for a son Boudidimoni... I'm telling you once you bore him a son, he would be home soon and you..."

"Moni kaki, please go if you have to... I'm having a very bad headache." Bondita got up from the couch and picked Rudhi up from the cradle.
"Please latch the door behind you."

Monimala stood up happily and thanked a prayer to her god for he had finally granted her the prayer of leaving home soon.
"What about the dinner?" She asked reluctantly.

"I'll warm it. Don't worry."
Bondita walked inside cradling the baby in her arms as Monimala left happily for the night.

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

'Why would you not trust me Barrister Babu? I'm telling you the truth!'
A teary eyed Bondita sat on a chair in Anirudh's study with her torn cotton saree lifted above her bruised right knee.

'In the practicality of truth, evidence holds more value than words, and all evidences here is testifying against you Bondita.'
Anirudh had pointed towards the tiny broken tooth kept on the table.

Bondita's lips were bleeding, so were her gums and knees, but what had pained her the most was that her Barrister Babu chose to distrust her.

'Evidences doesn't always tells the truth. You weren't there... How can you say for sure that I'm lying?' Fat tears rolled down from her eyes as she somehow sobbed the words.

'So, you are telling me that you didn't climb up the mango tree? Then how did this happen? How did you manage to break a tooth?'
Anirudh's voice was grave and angry.
The anger was not because she did something that he had forbidden her to do, but it was because she was hurt, and bleeding... Something that was effective enough to break every wall of patience and tolerance in him.

Bondita was sobbing continuously.
"I told you...I was standing below. Batuk had climbed up. But, when he jumped down, he accidentally fell on me, and I fell on my face... So I broke my tooth."

Anirudh was cleaning the wound on her knee. He stopped abruptly and let out a loud yell.
"Batukkkk... Come here at once... I won't call you twice."

The melancholic gloomy study room echoed Bondita's rhythmic sobs as Anirudh continued to tend her wound silently like an attentive guardian.

"Yes Dada."
It was after a good few minutes that Batuk had finally appeared infront of the door, slowing, limping.

"Who had climbed the mango tree." Anirudh's voice was fearsome.

"I did." Batuk murmured.
"Boudi was standing below, she even asked me not to... But... I'm sorry Dada..." He turned towards a weeping Bondita.
"Boudi, I'm very sorry... I'll do your Sanskrit homework, I promise... Please don't cry."
Sanskrit was something that Bondita used to dread and at that moment, Batuk thought the highest form of apology and self repentance would be to take the burden of doing both their Sanskrit tasks all by himself.

'Im sorry for not trusting you.' Anirudh had apologised after his younger brother had left.
Bondita continued to sob.
'But Why didn't you trust me in the first place? Have I ever lied to you? Have I ever done anything that you have asked me not to do?'
She staggered the words in between her muffled cried.

'No.' Anirudh looked down.
'I'm sorry Shona. What should I do to make it up to you.'
He words were patient.

'Kiss me...' Bondita suddenly cried out loud startling Anirudh.

'What?' Anirudh almost jumped.

'My mother would always kiss me whenever I would get hurt, and bleed... ' she sobbed. 'and then the blood would stop.'

Anirudh nodded his head silently as he sat down on the floor with his knees folded.
He took her small leg in his lap and slowly bend down, touching her right knee with his lips, careful enough not to hurt her further.

'Did the pain go?' Anirudh lifted his face and asked lovingly.

'More kisses.' She demanded, wiping her eyes with her tiny hands and her barrister Babu complied immediately.

It's was almost ironical how the nine year old had made the mighty foreign return Barrister sit up and down at the slightest beckon of her index.
'Lucky little devil', the maids would hush to themselves.

'Lucky Barrister Babu...' Bondita had finally smiled, revealing her bloody gum.
'I'm letting you go this time... But, next time... I won't.'

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