There is so much to learn from the night sky. The stars twinkling in the darkness are the nemesis of hope, and their faint glow is the reason to believe in all the good that there is!
Even in the darkness of that February night, the four souls, deserted, wondering without a shelter were hopeful, and it was perhaps this hope that had made the hardships of the night easier for them.

The tent was prepared, nothing fancy, but a large polythene sheet, well covered, hung on two bamboo poles, their sides stretched forming a triangle with the support of heavy stones. The flooring was simple too, a straw mat placed neatly on the green dewy grass. Its wasn't much, but it was comfortable.

"You take rest, I'll take the first watch," Anirudh had remarked, "let the ladies rest inside."

Satya nodded, readily agreeing to this proposition, and as Bondita and Raimoti retired inside the tent, Anirudh and Satya sat by the fire, their eyes casted lazily at the burning flame, they minds thoughtful.

"So where next Satya?"
Anirudh asked, without looking up, and Satya let out a loud sigh.

"Rangpur palace is probably the place that can keep us safe for this week... Do you think going to Tulsipur would be safer?"

Anirudh nodded in negation.
"No Satya... Kaka and my daughter is there, me in Tulsipur at this moment would only jeopardize their safety."
He stretched his arms and flexed his muscles to relax, resting his back against a bolder, his eyes looking up at the starry night.

"So it's all till the final hearing... And our paths would be diverged... But, know this Satya, whenever in life, if you think I can be of any help... Never hesitate... Not even for a second."

His words were genuine and it warmed Satya's heart.
"It's good to have someone to fall back to..." He smiled, pausing a little, as he looked straight at him, an earnest expression in his voice.
"Anirudh Da... Do you think we can breath in a free country? In this life?"

"Ofcourse!" Anirudh smiled back. "Have faith brother... There will be a time when our mother won't be in shackles anymore, but then she'd want her sons to support her to stand up, be free again, in the true sense."

Satya sighed, inhaling the depth of Anirudh's words in his lungs, as he looked up at him again.

"Can I ask you something Anirudh Da?"

"Sure."

Satya hesitated for a moment.
"I've... I've been on my own my entire life. But I want to know... how is it like to have someone to share your life with?"

Anirudh closed his eyes and exhaled at his question, and his hesitation made him smile.
"It's a privilege... A privilege that all men aren't destined to have... And if you do... You shouldn't ever let it go."

"And what if that involves risks?"

"Living life alone is risk Satya... And, it's not just about you, it's about the will and want of the other person as well... You can't just shut yourself fearing the risks!" His words were calm, his eyes sky-bound.
"I might sound selfish, but in life it's alright to be selfish in love... And if you ask me Satya, I don't want to die everyday being away from her, fearing the risks... pinning for her every moment. Rather, whatever time I've I'd wish to spent in her arms."

Satya nodded silently, his eyes had depth, as if brooding over some deep philosophies of life.

"Tell me about Tulsipur Anirudh Da..." He finally spoke, "You have a lovely family."

"That I do." Anirudh smiled gently.

"And your Kaka? How is he like?"
Satya felt a hitch in his voice, sounding a bit unfamiliar to his own ears.

Anirudh frowned.
"Kaka?" He exhaled again.
"Kaka is the reason I'm sane today... After I lost my mother, he's the one to take care of me, and he practically brought Batuk up, single-handedly."

"He never married?"

"No." Anirudh sighed.
"He had always been so occupied with us that probably he didn't get the time to think about himself... And now, when I look back, I feel bad for him."

"Did he travel much?"
Satya blurted out, and Anirudh frowned again at his abrupt enquiry.

"To London a few times, but no... Nothing that I'm aware of... He's more of a home person... Doesn't socialise much."

"And he had never been to Raipur?"

Anirudh now had sat upright.
"Why suddenly Raipur?" His eyes were narrowed at him, in a question, and Satya looked away at once.

"No... Nothing much... It's just that... Well Raipur has nice places to visit, of tourist interests you see...." He got up at once, and picked up the medicine bag from beside.
"I'd better go and check on Miss Mukherjee, lest she falls asleep."

Anirudh nodded, a little baffled, a little amused at this sudden awkwardness of the boy. He thought it probably to be the realisation of his unnecessary curiosity which has made him shy off like that.

The quest for freedom has striped the boy of social courtesy, he mused.

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

A dimmed kerosene lamp was lit at a corner in the tent, and the two women sat inside, like ancient river nymphs, beautiful, composed, evading the darkness around with the radiance of their serenity... Not just the face, but the soul!

"I think I'm dying." Raimoti groaned,
leaning on the ground slowly, lying on her stomach.

"Lie down... Let me see." Bondita had torn a portion of her cotton saree and soaked it in lukewarm water.
"Lay still, I'm removing this..."
She removed the shawl and the saree covering her bare bandaged shoulder, and her face turned pale at once.

The bandage had turned deep scarlet, blood soaking through the wound, turning the skin around to a blueish hue.

Bondita gasped, her hands trembled as she gently ran the soaked cloth on her skin, cleaning the periphery of the wound with utmost care.

"Let me call Satya..." Bondita murmured, but as she was about to get up, Rai caught hold of her wrist.

"No... He's busy... I don't want him to be bothered."
Her voice was strained, yet calm, and Bondita let out another sigh.

"I'm a doctor, and this is what I'm trained to do Miss Mukherjee... I'm not bothered!"
Satya was standing at the threshold of the small tent already, and as his eyes met Bondita's, she nodded in permission, asking him to duck his head to enter inside.

"I'll go... " Bondita tried to get up, but Rai had held her hand firmly in hers, urging her silently to sit once again.

"Does it pain here?"
Satya had sat down too, as he touched a little right of her wound, towards the spine.

"No... Nothing unusual."
Raimoti sighed.

"Does this tickle?" He had now folded his fingers and ran his knuckles on her spine, feather-touching her skin, making her wiggle.

"Ofcourse it does!" Raimoti whimpered and clasped Bondita's hand tighter.

"Good... It means your spine is in place... It's just the peripheral wound that has opened up due to this exertion."

Bondita let out a sharp sigh of relief, as Satya pressed her shoulder with one hand, and gently pulled the bandage open with the other, making Raimoti let out a suppressed growl.

"Such a heartless person you are..."
She clenched her teeth, and pressed her eyes.
"Stop ripping my skin off...!"

"Sorry."
Satya apologized, and the next moment he removed his hands from her shoulder.
"It's done."

The pain was sharp, and Satya knew it would be, but without the means to drug to sleep, he was left with no other choice but to treat her the harsher way, making his own heart bleed.

"Done as in? So fast? You just started!!"
Raimoti gasped softly, without looking up, and Satya prepared to leave.

"I'm sorry to have caused you pain, Miss Mukherjee... if I've in anyway... But know this that it wasn't intentional."
His eyes were casted down and his lips let out another exhale, as if it wasn't the wound but some deeper metaphorical hurt they were speaking about, and some agonising seconds when Raimoti didn't reply, he turned around and prepared to leave.

"Stay!"
Rai muttered slowly, and let go of Bondita's hand, as the latter got up slowly and left the tent.

"Where will you be?"
Satya asked, his eyes at the door.

"Outside, with my husband." Bondita smiled.
"Rest here Satya... And I'll call you to take the second watch before morning."

"It's cold outside."
Raimoti murmured.

"Don't worry... I've a husband, who apparently is 'huge', so I'll be provided for."
She winked refering to their previous conversation near the riverbank, and Raimoti pressed a smile in her lips.

"That he is!" She murmured.

Bondita left, and Satya sat down beside her, covering her bare shoulders with the saree once again.

"Have I offended you in anyway? You clearly are unhappy!"
He asked her, and Raimoti chose silence.
"Is it because of the oranges in the morning?" He asked again, and Raimoti closed her eyes and exhaled.

"What am I? Six years old?"

"Then?"

"Nothing!"

Satya sat quietly for a few minutes, watching the shadowed yellow flame dancing on her white skin.

"I had warned you that it would be uncomfortable..." He murmured, "But, even now if you want to go, I'll arrange for the same... Is there any place you can be... Or you can go to?"

"No."

Satya looked away, and murmured softly.
"Then Rangpur may be... You'll be safe there... And I'll see that you're well taken care of."

"Wow...!"
Raimoti sighed, the sarcasm in her tone was evident.

"Then tell me Rai... What do you want?"

"Does it really matter? Since the time I've been on road with you, you haven't spoken to me properly even once... Since morning, I've been trying to speak to you Satya..."

Satyakirth frowned.
"Really? But... But I thought you don't wish to be disturbed... Hence I didn't..."

"That's alright." Raimoti murmured again. "You don't have to speak to me if you don't wish to... We're just fellow warriors in a mission... And let's keep it that way... More taking would mean..."
She paused, without completing the sentence.

"Would mean?"

"Nothing."

Raimoti turned her head, and faced the opposite direction, her eyes fixated on the glowing flame of the lamp, and Satya sat there, silently, contemplating his next course of action.

"I'm glad that you choose to share this journey with me Rai." He finally spoke, and Raimoti stirred.
"I don't know what the future awaits, but I'm grateful for this moments that I'm spending with you."

"Then why did you choose to veer away from me... Why?"

"Because I'm scared!... I'm scared that any further closeness to you, and there would be no turning back!"

"So you want to turn back?"

"I didn't say that Rai... But, I don't want you to get hurt for me anymore."

"I chose this... And, me getting hurt is not your responsibility... But what you are doing isn't helping me either."

"Then what would you have me do?"

Raimoti had no reply to that. She too was equally clueless about how to tame her heart or how to deal with this raging emotions that were making her unsettled.

"Do nothing." She muttered softly, "just stay."

The night had grown colder, and without any further dispute, Satya lay down slowly beside her, his left arm folded under his head, and his right hand stretched at her.
Raimoti had tears in her eyes, and Satya couldn't fathom the reason, but the warmth of his arm was readily accepted by her, as she slowly moved closer to his body, and rested her head on his shoulder. Satya wrapped his arms around her at once.

"Just be like this... Satyakirth Sen... And do nothing...!"

"Can I kiss you?" Satya was testing his limits and Rai raised her face and looked straight into his eyes.

"And then? What next?"

"I haven't planned."

"Then good..." She pecked on his lips gently, making him smile.

"Don't worry, I won't taint your honour."
His mouth moved up closer to hers, and she parted her lips to accept him with all her heart, the softness of their kiss threatening to melt their soul with it's pleasing warmth.

"Shut up..." She hushed.

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

"We should get those two married soon."
Bondita smiled at her husband, as she sat up seeing her infront.

"We should?"
He raised an eyebrow, teasingly.

"Yes... And we should sleep together... Me in your arms, and not separately."
Bondita sank down on the grass beside him, picking up his muscular arm, as she wrapped it around her neck, making it her pillow.

"I agree... But it's cold here... You should've been inside."

"Can you not make me warm?" She winked at him meaningfully snuggling closer.

"What do you have in mind Mrs. Roy Choudhury?"
Anirudh pulled her closer, making her petite frame sheathed under his body, and she closed her eyes, smiling bashfully.

"This feels different Barrister Babu... In this unknown wilderness... You and I, like Manu and Satarupa... Even before the creation had begun... "
She inhaled sharply and Anirudh winked back.

"You mean Adam and Eve?"

"No... I meant Manu and Satarupa... Specially... And we aren't 'sinning' tonight!"
She pressed on the word sin and Anirudh laughed out loud.

"We married each other Bondita... Not just once, but thrice! Even the gods are obligated to save us from the 'sin' you referred... It would rather be blessings!"

"Thrice?"

"Tehri Garhwal?"

"Oh yaa.." Bondita smiled, "But Barrister Babu, love that's not tagged with vermillion is sin, whereas the same love becomes a blessing with marriage! how is this any fair? Isn't love supposed to be unconditional? Then why such conditions?"
She struggled to turn around, and Anirudh helped her, both facing each other, in each other's arms, under the darkness of the night sky.

"Then why were you speaking of getting Satya and Rai married?" He cupped her face and smiled gently.
"Marriage a social institution Bondita... And, although love shouldn't be restricted in any form, but restricting physical intimacy before marriage in a way makes our life less complicated..."

"How so?"

"By saving our honour... So that we don't make a series of mistakes in choosing our soulmates... So that no ill intentioned person can take an advantage by tainting anyone's honour."

"But then isn't saving our honour upon our ownselves?" Bondita asked quizzically. "How can you be so sure that the one you marry would be your soulmate? I've seen so many who clearly aren't!"

Anirudh sighed at her words and turned to lie straight on his back.
"There isn't a way to know that for sure... Marriage doesn't guarantee love, and that's an evil of this institution you can say." He paused to think, "And your first question, well... It's definitely upto you to be responsible for your honour, but not always... Think about Mira... She was never even given a choice!"

Bondita nodded in agreement, and promptly raised her folded hands to her forehead muttering a prayer.

"What did you ask in that prayer?"
Anirudh had turned around again, raising his head on his palm, crutching on the elbow, his eyes quizzically looking at his wife's pristine face.

"I didn't ask, just thanked for being able to be with the person whom I love..." She smiled, an overwhelming smile and it touched his heart too.
"I'm thankful for being married to the one who had my soul..."

"Come here Bondita..." He pulled her closer, letting her sleep on his chest now, her face hovered on his.
"Now that you said... It just occurred to me that it's probably not about marriage too... But the right time, and the right deed."

"What does that mean?"

"What I'm probably trying to say is marriage necessary shouldn't be the pass to love someone freely without sinning... For instance, remember that picnic night? We're married then, and in love, but if I had chosen to express my love that night then I'd have sinned, because it wasn't the right time..."

"Is the time right now?" Bondita looked away coyly, a glint of naughtiness glowing in her eyes, radiating it's gleam in his orbs as well.

"Yes... It's perfect... Let's count some blessings Bondita, shall we?"
He hushed into her ears.

"Here? Now?"

"Yes... Here... And now..." He smirked.
"And I just get tonight to love you without holding back..."

"As in?"

"Nothing... I love you Shona... Get up... And follow me."
He whispered.