"What are you doing here?"

Bondita half opened her tired eyelids and asked the question in irritation.
It was almost night, and her husband, who hadn't left her side even for once this entire time, had gone down to make a telephone call assuming her to be asleep. Her friend had accompanied him too.

"I was hoping you'd be awake."
The accented English words sounded poisonous to Bondita's weary ears. She flinched her face and turned her eyes away, and the British woman approached her slowly.

"What do you want?" Bondita asked again, and in response Candice just pulled a chair and sat infront of the small cot where Bondita was lying.

"I want you to know that the doctors have confirmed my pregnancy, and your husband has promised me my due justice." Candice spoke slowly.
"And, now that I am going to be a part of the family, I want us to work on our differences."

"You can never be a part of my family Mrs. Mckenzie." Bondita breathed out the words, yet not facing the woman out of a nauseating revulsion, and Candice continued to speak.

"You family was meant to be my family, long back Bondita Roy Chowdhury, perhaps even before you're born, and finally I'll be a part of it."

Bondita didn't reply, instead she just turned her face and looked at her with frowned eyes.

"I see right through you Madam. You schemed my brother in-law into this, didn't you?" She sighed.
"Just last night you were speaking of your undying love for my husband, and tonight you are speaking of being the mother of his brother's child. What kind of a woman are you Candice?"
Bondita tried to get up, but tiredness gave in, so did her throbbing head.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio..." Candice smiled at her, "Women holds secrets of the universe, the depth of which is unfathomable dear Bondita... And let me tell you one little secret here, this woman here, she holds the secret that could break your family in an instance." Candice chuckled, and on this Bondita smiled too, a smile of distaste.

"Karyeshu Dasi, Karaneshu Manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha, Roopeshu lakshmi, Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Shat dharmayukta, Kuladharma Pathni... That's the defination of woman in my universe Mrs. Mckenzie. We aren't the mysterious vixens that your poet might have curated in his plays, but we bear the patience of Sita, and persistence of Draupadi." Bondita paused to breathe, and looking at Candice's confused expression she let out a soft chuckle.
"What? Got muddled with my little Vedic reference? And here you want to be a part of my family... Hush now..."

Bondita pressed her lips in a smile, and closed her eyes, and in an instance she heard Candice getting up from the chair and inching closer to her.

"I might not know your Vedic references Bondita, not yet, but I know this that if I tell my dear old husband that your little brother in law has raped me, and I am bearing the fruit of his torture, you know what the British government would do to him? Or your family?" She pursed her lips and leaned a little towards Bondita, and Bondita trembled in disgust.

"You won't do any such thing."

"I won't", Candice promptly replied. " Provided your husband keeps his promise. I'll marry your brother in law and be a part of the Royal Roy Chowdhury family, a queen I'll be... I always dreamt of..."

Bondita frowned at her words.
"We are no royals. Just landlords! What's wrong with you? You won't be any queen Candice, and trust me my brother in law would never accept you as his wife, and neither would I."

"Ahh...! Who said I need his acceptance? I just want acceptance for my son! And, as a mother I'm prepared to go to any extent to see that my son gets his due."

"Son?"

"Yes, son!" Candice touched her belly gently and smiled.
"There hadn't been any first born girl in the family I'm being told." Her face brightened up in a minute and looking at her unnecessary delight Bondita let out a soft sigh and nodded her head.

"Who told you this? My aunt-in-law is a first born in Roy Chowdhury family."

The smile on Candice's lips faded in an instance, and she cleared her throat and looked away.
"Nevermind! Take it as a mother's intuition." She looked away and prepared to leave.
"And, you won't understand Bondita... You aren't a mother yet."

"Who said I'm not." Bondita slowly got up and sat in the bed. Enough was enough, she could tolerate her nonsense on everything, but not on her motherhood.
"I have a daughter Candice. Anirudh and I, a year and a half old."

"Wha... Roy? Roy has a baby?" Candice widened her eyes.

"Yes, we do. So you see, I probably know more of being a mother that you currently do. And Candice, I would never do anything unethical in the name of my daughter, and so shouldn't you."

"Shut up." Candice glared at her, and turned around, and Bondita smiled silently in the subtle victory of their word battle.

"Mrs. Mckenzie?" She called out.
"What if your husband comes to know the truth with proof that you seduced my brother-in-law, and now blackmailing my family?" She raised an eyebrow at the pale woman and smiled.
"We will be dragged to court I'm aware, but what will he do to you madam?"

The words lingered in the empty hallway of the hospital.
Candice hadn't replied, and Bondita hadn't stretched the conversation further, as after a second of contemplation both had chose to silently leave each other's company.
For, Bondita knew no matter what, she would never jeopardize her family's safety, and Candice realised the bitter truth of how her husband would react to this infidel pregnancy of hers!
Bondita collapsed back on the pillow and closed her eyes.

"Batuk... What did you do Batuk... Why!" She kept murmuring.

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

A cold night gives all earthly beings ever more reason to draw closer to one another, to feel the natural warmth they are born to give, and the borrowed body heat were like a cup of sugar, yet come the new light of day it returns with honeycomb. But not all such nights has the comfort of warmth, neither mornings...

Mira was asleep on the dry grass bed with the small potli as her pillow, hurled up, while Batuk rested in his seated position, his head resting against the tree trunk, arms cross to his chest.
The birds weren't chirping, and the crickets continued their song, and slowly, as if being cradled into reality from a world of sleep, Mira opened her eyes and turned to look at the Batuk, sitting wide awake infront, his wrist held to his ears.

"Choto Zamindar Babu?" She called him, in a sleepy tone, as if to ask what he was doing, and Batuk looked up at her and stared for a few seconds.

"Huh?" He hummed an unmindful response and cursed his watch under his breath, and Mira pressed her lips in a smile.

"What happened now?"
She asked, and he slapped the wrist watch once again and shook his wrist.

"Damn this! My watch Mira, it's a goddam Rolex, and the wretched thing isn't working!"
He shook his wrist convulsively to get the electronic to work his way, but alas!

Mira had no clue about a Rolex, neither she ever worn a watch, let along owning one. She quietly sat infront and let Batuk carry on with his antics, till she finally felt the need to speak again.

"What is it saying?"
Her voice was just a low murmur, and Batuk looked up at her and mouthed the time.

"Six o'clock."

Mira narrowed her gaze and yawned, as her eyes roamed around the surroundings, dark green trees, dark blue sky, but there was no trace of the moon anywhere.

"Where is the moon?"
She asked softly, and Batuk raised his eyes at her face.

"Why? Right infront." He smiled, but unable to fathom the connotation of his words Mira kept staring at him blankly.

"Where?" She asked again, and Batuk chuckled at her innocence.

"I don't know Mira, may be somewhere in the sky... But the point is as per my Rolex it's six in the morning, but it's still night, and if my Rolex is indeed not working, then I'll seriously have to write a strongly worded letter to the company."

He breathed out the last course of action and prepared to stand, and to his surprise he found Mira quickly move to his feet, in her hand was the pair of his muddy boots, waiting for him to wear.

"Mira!" Batuk gasped and bend down to hold her hand.
"You don't have to do this for me Mira."

"You don't have to do this for me either." Came her prompt reply, yet soft, and Batuk frowned at her words quizically.

"I don't have to do what?"
He wore the shoes and she readily tied the laces for him.
Batuk didn't object this time.

"This... Taking me to my son." She murmured.

"You know why I'm doing this Mira, don't you?" Batuk sighed and held her up by her shoulders, and Mira picked up the potli from the ground and stood upright, her head reaching a little below his ears.
Batuk continued.
"Given a chance, I'd do this for you over and over again... You have planned to leave me Mira, but you have no idea how much this togetherness matters to me."

"I didn't plan... I just don't have a choice." Mira replied and casted her eyes down.

"You do. Everyone has a choice." Batuk picked up the trunk and prepared to leave.
"I don't understand this Mira, I've made the intentions of my heart clear to you, and it's not hidden how you feel for me... Then why can't we be together? And have a family, have babies, and grow old together... Why does it have to be so difficult for us? For me?"

Mira turned her face towards him and smiled.
"Because you are a Zamindar and I'm a poor widow."

"Really?" Batuk smiled too, the contiguous smile radiating from her lips to his, and a distant nameless bird flew in the eastern sky, making both of them turn to look up at the sky.
"And what if I'm not a Zamindar? What if I'm just me? Batakrishna Roy Chowdhury, a doctor... A poor doctor? Would you accept me then?"

Mira clutched the potli tighter to her breasts and nodded her head.
"I would. But then I won't be the widow Mira either."

"What do you mean?"

"From this day, I'll start praying that I die soon, and born soon again, as Mira, but not me, but the one who could be with you, as yours."

A few more birds cooed at a distance, and although it was still dark, the fragrance of the air had suddenly changed, making the duo determined to start their due journey. They quietly headed westward, him walking ahead, slowly, and her a little behind, yet none spoke more than they needed to.

"What absurd logic indeed!" Batuk had finally broken the silence, and the abruptness of it made Mira stumble on a rock, making her almost fall on him yet again.
Batuk held her arms for support at once.

"I mean whatever you said... About you dying and then being born again... I mean where do you even get such ideas Mira?"

It was evident that Batakrishna had been thinking about what Mira had mentioned, but the gravity of the thoughts become prominent to Mira as she saw the ruffled expression on his face.

"Why?" She just asked, and it was enough to incite Batuk to pour out all the logics that he had been gathering in silence.

"What why? You are what... Eighteen now? Then let's say you die now and is born again in the next ten months... still you'll be nineteen years younger than me!" He rounded his eyes at her, and Mira couldn't help but feel the need to burst out in laughter at this cute seriousness. But instead, as always she kept silent, head lowered.

"What's wrong in it?"
She asked instead, teasing him a little,and Batuk stopped midway in his walk.

"Really? It's entirely wrong Mira! How can I marry you if you are nineteen years younger!" He rolled his eyes at her, and she pressed her lips tighter, yet a thin crack of smile escaping the corner of her mouth, giving him a hint of her intentions.
Batuk too wanted to match up.

"However, I do have a solution you know." He added, and Mira nodded her head quizically to ask.
"Well, you die, and I die right before you... Or even better I die now, and you wait a couple of years and then die, then the age gap would be perfect once we are reborn... What's say?"

"Dhaatt!!" Came a prompt reply, a sharp one, and Batuk saw Mira biting her tongue and praying to the gods to un-hear his wishes.
"Baalai Shaat!" She murmured, her eyes turning teary, and he burst into laughter aloud.

"Come on Mira... Prepare to take one if you are giving one to me." He chortled, resuming the journey once again.

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

"What time is it Barrister Babu?"

Bondita asked in a throaty voice, reluctant to open her eyes after her night long stay at the Central Calcutta hospital. It was dawn, and she was almost cradled in her husband's arms, as he helped her out of the hospital.

"It's six Shona." He replied softly, holding the backdoor of the car open.

"What? Six already!" Bondita frowned, trying to see clearly.
"What about Beena?"

"Your friend is a very brave woman Bondita, and for once I must say I'm proud of your choice of friend." He helped her walk down the wide staircase and Bondita held on to his arms tighter.

"Really?" She whispered.

"Yes. Your friend proactively volunteered to drive Candice to her banglow, and when I pointed out the time you know what she said?"

"What?"

"That it's only by being out in the dark, one can truly fight against darkness." Anirudh smiled proudly.
"Such amazing thoughts. And, when she telephoned her residence, her family seemed to be accomodating too... Why could'nt we find someone like her for Batuk! I wonder how progressive her parents would be!"

"Her parents are dead." Bondita remarked plainly. "Just her brother, and you've known him quite sometime now."

"Really? Who?" Anirudh guided her out into the shaded parking lot, and Bondita looked around in stupified astonishment.

"Prathamesh Sir." She murmured unmindfully, as her eyes were already sky bound, wondering the cause of such overwhelming darkness around.

"Barrister Babu... Six you said, then why so dark?" She asked, walking towards their vehicle stationed infront, as she stooped down lazily making her way inside the car.
Anirudh didn't reply, but was smiling, as inside, a sweet presence was prepared to surprise her, along with the answer.

"Kakasasurji!!" Bondita gasped, and Zamindar Trilochan Roy Chowdhury smiled proudly and stretched his arms to welcome her inside.

"It's Mahasurjograhan BouMaa... Comes once every hundred years... Very pious, very sacred..." He remarked fondly.
"It's said that on this day, whatever you ask from RadhaMadhav, it gets granted!"

"RadhaMadhav?"
Both Anirudh and Bondita asked in unison, surprised, hearing the name of the god whom the old uncle had seldom mentioned in life. And, the prompt question let the elderly Zamindar a little unsettled, perhaps thoughtful.

"Nevermind."
He tried to smile.

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

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