Mira was listening quietly to every word that Batuk spoke, as if his words were golden, perhaps some elixir she's been waiting all her days to hear. And unknowingly, Batuk poured his heart out, starting from his childhood days, to his banter with Bondita, Batuk shared his fun memories with Mira, and she gasped and smiled everytime. Batuk was smiling too... No one had ever listened to him with such patience, no women, and here, sitting beside this barely educated simple girl, Batuk felt free from all the societal decorum of so-called elitism. He felt uninhibited, he felt free... Mira was smiling at his joke, and he laughed out loud, he snorted, and he knew he won't be judged. Mira was calm as ever, maintaining her monosyllabic responses, but in her words were a kindness, a concern that was so quick that, for her, it was natural. This attentiveness was apart of who she was and that was, as Batuk thought, the most attractive feature he had ever seen in a woman for quite some time. As the hours go by it became the best conversation he had ever had, one sided though, but it flew, with listening and simple responses. And that's probably what happens when two loving people meet and connect.

"And, here we go..." Batuk had finally parked the car, and looking out of the window Mira saw a huge building with grey pillars and statues of lions glaring at her.

"Post aaphis?" Mira gasped and turned to look at Batuk, her rigidity had lessened to a huge extent too, and Batuk smiled brightly at her.

"Yes, Post Office! The most boring place in entire Calcutta." He grinned. "Let's go."

The office was perhaps built with the theme of a royal palace in mind, or probably it was, before some ancient king was forced to give it up. And the Britishers, so meticulously, had turned the place into a busy workplace, bursting with people, mostly from the upper section of the society.
There were rooms, with nameplates hanging by the door, and the long corridor connected the foyer area, leading into a large central hall where agents of different sectors poured themselves into business.

Batuk was walking confidently, his Oxford boot tapping on the marble corridor matching the echos of its sounds with that of the British and behind him was Mira with all in her wonder stuck eyes her face rounded in a gaped expression.

"Mira? Come fast." Batuk called her gently, and she increased the pace of walking, her hands desperate to hold the hem of Batuk's coat from behind.

"I... I... I'm running." Her dry inaudible voice murmured.

Mira was indeed running, her head lowered to map the floor, and to match up with Batuk's tall steps she has no other choice.
And, on the third floor, when Batuk stopped abruptly, Mira bumped into him, her face pressed to his shoulder, and Batuk turned around and frowned at her.

"Look up." He told her, "Eyes up Mira, look up and walk... You haven't done any crime that you'll have to hide your face... You understand?"

And Mira only tried to understand, nodding her head promptly, and the rest of the way she managed to keep her eyes up.

It took them another hour to seek an appointment with the concerned officer, and Batuk showed him the address in the letter, seeking the telephone details of the said post office.

"So it's official you said?" The man looked at Batuk through his glasses, and Batuk pulled out his hospital ID card.

"As you see, I'm a practicing doctor, and this woman's mother-in-law was my patient, an old lady she is, uneducated too... And, she hadn't contacted her in the last few months." He paused, staring back at the office for a dramatic effect, "and, I'm only hoping she's alive!"

"So you want me to telephone the post master of this postal code and enquire?"

"Well, that would have been great, but I don't want to trouble you so much, so if you could give me the number, I'll speak to him myself."

The man pushed the glasses back to his nose and nodded.
"Please sign this form and take that telephone directory file from the shelf. The numbers are listed against the postal codes."

Batuk smiled gratefully at the man.
"Thank you Sir, thank you so much." He extended his arm from a cordial shake, but before he could, a strong male voice with a distinctive British accent yelled out from behind.

"Owi...how long do you think it'd take? Just be off and disappear, we're pressed with much important work here!"
The man shouted at them, and the post officer at the desk stood up at once, his hands folded and his head bowed.

"Leave... Leave... New officer posted yesterday, very angry!"

Batuk frowned in disappointed and glanced at Mira once, but to his surprise, the girl was smiling happily at the officer at the door, her eyes bright and she walked towards him gleefully.

"Dabidshon Dada!"
She cheered softly, and the officer frowned at her once, before his face too brightened up at her sight.

"Oh my God! Meera? What on earth are you doing here?"

"Barrister Babu's brother, looking for my son!" Mira muttered the words, and officer Davidson nodded, looking straight at Batuk.

"Hey kid, you're Ani-rude's brother?" He asked, gaping at the uncanny similarly between the two, and Batuk smiled and nodded at once.

"And, you sir would be?" Batuk walked towards him and extended his hand.

"Paul Davidson, his friend from college, in London... Umm... Best friend actually."
Davidson didn't shake his hand either, but to the post officers utter surprise, he pulled Batuk by his shoulders and tied him into a tight manly hug.

"Ani's kid brother is my brother too... Tell me... How can I help?"

***

The work at the Central Post office was done, and the trio was seated at the grand Coffee House at College Street, only a few blocks away from Batuk's Medical College, behind which was the post office building they had visited.

"That's easy... I'll call the post master and ask him to get Suresh Chatterjee's mother on the telephone, don't you worry Mira... Had I been in Dehradun when you left, I would've ensured that you don't face all these in the first place.

Davidson took a large sip from his Irish beaten coffee and looked gravely at Batuk.
"This girl here, my boy, has gone through hardships that are beyond your imagination, and mine too."
He sighed, and Batuk nodded his head slowly.

Mira was seated at the same desk, a little away from them, her head lowered on the table, and her hands playing with the two salt cellars unmindfuly. And the two men turned their eyes to look at her, and then came out a couple of sighs.

"Where is my friend again?" Davidson asked, and suddenly Batuk's face turned grave.

"Sir, we... we're in a bit of a pickle here." Batuk lowered his voice and spoke softly, "And as you are my brother's best buddy, may I seek your help in sorting a bit of an issue we're in?"

"Like?" Davidson's red face had an immediate frown.

Batuk had stirred upright, and clearing his throat he started narrating him about the chain of incidents that had led to his brother's incognito exile, but very carefully he omitted all the parts that had to do with Satya.

"So, the hearing is in a week you said?" Davidson kept the empty cup on the saucer and let out a sharp exhale.

"Yes."

"And, this Neelmoni guy is still missing in action?"

"Yes Sir."

"And, Anirudh is hiding with his wife because he's been chased by Neelmoni's goons?"

"Right sir."

"And the British police hasn't intervened yet! My goodness, what on earth is wrong with the department here!"
Davidson had stood up at once, and rubbed his neck and let out long excited breaths.

"Batuk... I need to read the case file of Ani attack, and the bombardment of your house." He paused to look at Mira.
"Would you be able to meet me around... Say... at six?"

Batuk looked at his watch.
"It's eleven now... I'll wait."

Davidson patted Batuk's shoulder, and smiled.
"And in the meanwhile, take the girl to a bioscope or something." He winked, and waved at Mira, as she too, lifted her chin up from the table and waved back at the officer.

"Suresh Chatterjee died a horrific death, right infront of her eyes, and I wonder how she's still sane with that trauma!"

Batuk casted his eyes down and nodded at his words.
"I'll take her somewhere."

"Yes, and meet me at the station at six."

***

Officer Paul Davidson had left, leaving a beacon of hope in both Batuk and Mira's heart, and with another cup of coffee and a plate of omlette, Batuk sat infront of Mira, looking lazily at her playful fingers, as his mind raced with trucks of thoughts.

"You aren't having the omlette Mira... Not the coffee even!" Batuk spoke lazily, yawning a little, and Mira looked up at him and frowned.

"I'm a widow Choto Zamindar Babu, I don't eat all these."

Batuk frowned and leaned forward.
"Then? What do you eat?"

"Only rice, with the starch, once a day."
Mira smiled happily at him, and Batuk felt a twitch in his heart.

"That's it? And nothing else?"

"Nothing else." Mira repeated.

"Then what did you eat at the hotel that night?"
Batuk forehead had a furrow and Mira shrugged her shoulders a little, and looked down bashfully.

"Nothing... I got food for Bhaggu, and You."

"You had fed me that night... I remember."
Batuk hushed and Mira looked at him, without lifting her face.

"You were behaving like a child... But when I fed you, you had eaten quietly."
She giggled and Batuk suddenly kept his hand on her palm, making her jump in her seat.

"What else did I do?"
His voice was suddenly hoarse and Mira felt another jolt of electricity coursing down her spine. These were forbidden emotions, sinful feeling, and in a quick response, she pulled her hand away from him.

"You... You were crying... For that white lady."

"You saw her?"

Mira nodded.
"In the morning, and when she came out of your room."

Batuk had no response to these words, and he sighed deeply and leaned back on the chair thoughtfully.

"You love her?" Mira asked softly and he looked at her.

"No... I thought I did... But she loves my brother."

"Oh!"

"Everybody loves him Mira... Nobody gives a damn about me."
He exhaled sharply, looking away.

"That's not true." Mira's voice was softer than before and Batuk frowned at her for a second, before he held the base of her chair and pulled her towards him, closer, earning a glance from a few customers who were sipping their morning teas.

"Choto Zamindar Babu!" Mira gasped and Batuk caught hold of her hand in his.

"Do you care for me Mira? Tell me... Do you?"
His voice had a helplessness, an urge and Mira felt a strange sadness descending to her heart, making her feel the emotional emptiness that the man infront was probably feeling.

"I do... But there are others who care for you too!"
She tried to reason, making no attempts of removing her hand from his grip.

"But, I want that special care Mira... The way Bondita cares for Dada, and Raimoti cares Satya Da."

Mira nodded, and smiled a little.
"Your uncle had fixed your marriage, or so I hear... Once the new Zamindarni comes, she'd care for you the way you wish for."

"And you?"

"Me? I'd not be here forever... Would I?

"Where would you go?"
Batuk's voice cracked and Mira kept her free hand on top their joined hands, letting out a soft sigh herself.

"I do not know... Not yet... I just want to see my son, hug him, love him, and then I'd leave... "

"Why can't you stay?"

Mira giggled at his words. There was a sadness in that laughter and Batuk felt it in his heart.
"I'm a bad omen Choto Zamindar Babu, Apshaguni, haven't you heard your uncle... I can't stay and ruin everyone's lives... Especially not yours, or my son's."

Her words had a deeper connotation, a hurt that she had bore in herself, and suddenly Batuk couldn't find words to match up to her depth.

"Mira... Let's go shopping!" He got up, and pulled her up by her arm.

"Shopping? Why?"
She murmured, nervously, and Batuk tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and leaned forward, hushing into her ears.

"Let's get you clad in blue today... Shall we?"
He smiled tenderly at her.

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

"Satyakirth, we have a problem here!"
Bondita had almosy jumped on him the moment be entered inside the small hut that they had rented.
Satya had left at dawn, and it was only late in the evening that he had returned, his face tired, his eyes sunken, and water dripped from his black curls, as if freshly bathed.

"What problem?" He frowned at Bondita, as he kept the jute bagpack down on the floor.

"The marriage... Tomorrow... It can't happen."

"What?"

"Yes Satya... The girl is underage, and the groom is old."

"So?" Satya had sat down on the floor, his face buried in his palm, and he was rubbing his face as if relieving all the stress of the day.

"So we have to help!" Bondita sat infront of him, her voice restless, and Satya looked up at her.

"No, we don't."

"What? What do you mean?"
Bondita's eyes had widened at his response.

"Look Bondita, we're in a mission, and I absolutely can't jeopardize it by getting involved in any peripheral social reforms."

"Peripheral social reforms?" Bondita repeated his word and looked at him in disbelief.
"You just did not say that!"

"No, I just did! I'm not Anirudh Da, and please don't hold such expectations from me Bondita... There are much greater things, much more complex, and suddenly I'm... I feel so lost, and..."

Satya had gotten up from the floor and was now walking around restlessly, and Bondita noticed the deep cut and the fresh blood clot on his right ankle.

"Where were you Satya?" Her voice had soften down considerably, and Satya turned around.

"My boat... I found it... But..."

"But?"

"Maya was supposed to be in it, but it was only Nazar Mia... And no note from her!"

"Maya, your rakhi sister?"

"Yes! Yes Bondita! I had sent her word through the boatman, and she never fails to keep a date..." Satya cupped his head and pulled his hair.
"The plan, the blueprint... The detailed map of the armoury, she has everything!"

"I'm sure she'd find you."
Bondita murmured, unsure about how to respond, and Satya let out another loud sigh.

"Now, the only way would be to go to Rangpur and seek help."

"From?"

"I've people there."

"Your subjects?"

"No. Comrades!"

The room fell silent, the distance between their thoughts becoming acutely evident with every passing second, and at was after some agonizing minutes, Satya spoke gently.

"Sorry I snapped at you... But I don't think I can help in stopping this marriage... For if we do, the police would intervene, and it won't be nice for me."

"But it's about a girl's life Satya... I don't expect you to understand, but I can't let this wedding happen." Bondita paused, and Satya looked at her, feeling the firmness in her words.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked, and Bondita replied thoughtfully.

"Nothing much, tie the groom and take his place."

"And?"

"And I'll do the rest!" She smirked.

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

Please vote for the previous chapter and this one too!

What do you think would happen next?

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And any thoughts about how Batuk and Mira should spend the day?