"There, that black car. It's Barrister Babu's. Come, let me introduce you to him." Bondita pointed her finger towards the parking as they both saw the black luxury car waiting for her arrival.

"Come Satya. You will like him... I promise." She tugged at his arm, eager to make him meet the man she love. But Satya didn't move an inch.

"Not now Bondita, not today." He smiled at her.

"But why?"

"Let's just say it's not the right time." He paused, letting out a sharp sigh.
"Bondita, you have to promise me something. Promise me that you won't tell your Barrister husband about me, not yet," he urged.

"Not tell him? But why Satya? He is a patriot just as you. Infact, I've a feeling you two would like each other."

"I'm sure we would. But Bondita, your husband is a little too close to the British government. The knowledge of my whereabouts might cause both of us problems. Please Bondita, please..."
Satya folded his hands in a plea.

"Hm... I don't hide anything from him you know." Bondita's grave expression made Satya feel awed for this honest woman.

"It's not hiding or lying. I'm sure he won't enquire, just don't tell him." He requested her again.
"I promise I'll meet you husband one day." He raised his hand to his throat and pinched a little.
"Shotti!! I swear."

This little gesture of his unknowingly lightened up Bondita's face making her smile.
"This is a very Barrister Babu thing you know, this shotti... And I have learnt it from him." She smiled. "You are only the fourth person whom I have seen doing this."

"Who is the third?" Satya smiled brightly, widening his eyes in a question.

"My KakaSasurji... It's a family thing, I guess."

Bondita turned around to see the car once again as she faintly heard Satya mouthing the name.
"Trilochan Roy Chowdhury!"

Bondita smiled and nodded.
"I should get going, he is waiting for me."

She turned back towards Satya as she spoke only to see a pale veil of sadness escalate from his face.

"Thank you for the food Bondita." He handed the tiffin box back to her.
"You are my Annapurna. You always seem to find me whenever I starve the most."
His genuine words filled Bondita's heart.

"My door and kitchen is always open for you Satya, anytime, anyday."

"I don't remember when was the last time someone was this nice to me," he paused, "after my thakuma".

"And your mother?" Bondita asked.

"Lost her at birth."

"Father?" Bondita murmured the question.

"Him too! Lost, gone forever." He let out a sigh as his eyes traced a small sparkle in Bondita's eyes.

"You know Satya, this is only the second time I'm meeting you, but why does it feel that you are a family!" Bondita muttered slowly, her voice a little choked with emotion.

"May be we are!"
He raised his right hand up and wiped a single tear that had rolled down her eye.
"Goodbye Bondita, we'll meet again."

"I'll wait." Bondita sniffed.

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

"Did you just see that!! Wow, I still can't believe she spins that old zamindar in her small finger." Nalini rolled her eyes as she gasped as her friend, sitting at the canteen inside the campus.

"But why did she hide him like that? Taking him out of the department building!" Beenapani took a sip from her brewing cup and spoke slowly.

"Simple! He is old and she is clearly embarrassed of him... Hence, she doesn't want her friends to meet him!" Nalini took a bite from her cold singara and chomped happily, busking I'm the glory of unveiling her new friend's secret.

"Hm... But this is so wrong! Marrying a wealthy old man and then not acknowledging the truth of the relationship." Beena remarked thoughtfully. "I still can't believe she just dragged her husband out like that from the department building."

"Whatever! May be she is after his wealth, may be..."

Beenapani stopped Nalini.
"No. I have a good knowledge about people, and Bondita, she seemed... different!" She paused.
"There has to be something about her which we don't know... Not yet!"

"And, I can't wait to find out." Nalini kept the cold singara back on the plate and stood up.
"Let's go."

"Where?"  Beena narrowed her eyes.

"Bioscope!!"

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

"Where is your Dada, Batuk?
Why have you come in his car?
Where is your brand new motorbike? I thought you'll never get over it!! Bondita chuckled as she sat in the front seat beside Batuk teasing him incessantly out of habit.
"Weren't you suppose to meet Raimoti today?
What happened? Did she beat you..
Or bite you?" She bursted into a playful fit of laughter on her own.
"Come on Batuk, why are you so grumpy? Are you hungry?"

Batuk eyed Bondita clearly annoyed at her unceasing banter.

"You know what, my stomach is absolutely full." He barked the words at her.

"Oops. What did you have for breakfast? Overdose of chillis?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Overdose of lecture!"

Bondita leaned back on the seat.
"Oh... That's the reason then!! And here I thought you are sour because Raimoti kissed you." She pressed a naughty smile on her lips trying to maintain her countenance to be as serious as possible.

Batuk hit the brakes hard.
"Did anyone ever tell you that you talk a lot? And that you can be extremely annoying at times?" He sighed.

"Yes. I have heard those before." Bondita smiled.
"So now, my dear Batakrishna, spit your anger and tell me what happened... Because, if it's your brother, then you know very well the only person who can make his reason is sitting right beside you."

Batuk reduced the acceleration of the car and took a deep breath, as if trying to calm the brewing uneasiness inside him.

"Bondita, Rai did come this morning. And yes, she did try to kiss me." He paused, keeping his eyes fixed infront, on the road. "But,... But, I couldn't reciprocate her actions."

The insides of the car felt silent for a moment at this sudden revelation. Batuk honked twice.
"Dada wants me to make this work with her. He wants me to try... It's for the country, he said." He hit the brakes and looked earnestly towards Bondita.
"But, what about my heart, Bondita... What should I do? Should I just force myself?"

"No. You shouldn't."

"What I feel now is guilt." Batuk remarked softly.
"Guilt for hurting Rai, guilt for not being able to stand up to Dada's expectations.
What should I do Bondita?"

"Apologise." Bondita smiled and placed her palm on top of Batuk's as he held the gear.
"If you are feeling guilty about hurting her, just come clean. Apologise and tell her about your apprehensions." She paused.
"And, as for your brother, I'll speak to him. Don't worry."

The full drawn glasses evaded the external noises from getting inside the car, as if alienating them from all the sounds of the world. The air felt so silent that Batuk thought he could almost hear his thoughts.

"Boudi?" He called her in a low voice.
"What is love? How do you know if you are in love?"

Bondita's gaze was fixated at the receding scenary of the city. Her lips curled up in a subtle smile as she heard his question.

"Love is the most precious emotion one can experience in life. And, you don't find love Batuk, love finds you." She turned towards him.
"If Rai is the one for you then I'm sure you'd know... May be not now... Give it sometime."

"And what if she isn't?" Batuk's pained eyes searched for an answer on Bondita's face as they reached the car Varandah of their house.

"Then... Then you wait for the girl who is meant for you. And, I'm sure she'd come to you... And, when she does, you won't even think twice before loving her...  You heart would know, Batuk, your heart would surely know." She ruffled his hair a little as he smiled at her words.

"Thanks boudi. I don't know what we both would do without you."

"Both?" Bondita narrowed her eyes

"Your lecturer husband I meant." He winked at her teasingly, getting down from the car, as she chased him, raising her hand to smack him playfully.

"You can't catch me Boudi, I'm faster than you." Batuk laughed aloud as Bondita stopped at the threshold of the drawing room. Manimala Kaki came out of a room holding a happy, cooing Rudhi in her arms.

"You always used to lose Batuk." Bondita kissed Rudhi as the baby jumped into her mother's longing arms.
"Had it not been for my daughter, I would have shown you who is faster." She winked back at him as Batuk saw his fascinating sister in law walk inside her bedroom cradling the apple of his eyes in her arms.

"Family is love." He murmured and smiled. "You are right Boudi, this is indeed the most precious emotion that I can ever feel in my life."

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