"Bondita... Bahu..."
Bondita had turned her neck to look up. Her hands were busy rubbing a small rectangular piece of sandalwood on a round wet stone slab, gathering sandalwood paste for the next day ceremony. She was sitting inside their in-house temple, infront of the life-sized idol of goddess Durga. Her head was loosely covered with the end of her red Jamdani saree.

"Yes, KakaSasurji?" She smiled at once, the same pristine smile, unblemished, and Trilochan couldn't help but feel a sharp sting in his heart.

"Bahu... Your PishiMaa would want to see you..."

"PishiMaa? Now? But I'm not done with this yet." She pointed at the small half-filled bowl of sandalwood paste.

"Yes girl... Now..." Trilochan forced a smile, as Bondita got up immediately and wiped her hands in her saree.
"And Bondita... "

Bondita had turned around, with that same heartwarming smile plastered to her lips.
"Be safe."

Bondita had narrowed her eyes.
"I'll be safe KakaSasurji... And, even if I'm not... I know you'll keep me safe."

Her innocent trust felt like a hard thrash on his cheek, as Trilochan swallowed hard and called her once again.
"Bahu... Umm... just don't eat anything... Alright?"

Bondita had been fasting the entire day, she had fasted the day before as well, with only a glass of milk and semolina once at dawn... and only this morning when she had complained about the hunger pangs, when PishiMaa had pulled her aside and made her understand the grave responsibilities of being born as a woman... Women were not meant to be distracted by these trivial bodily discomforts such as hunger, and although Bondita felt a thousands of rats waging war inside her stomach, her strong sense of reverence towards this old woman had made her smile in agreement.

"I know KakaSasurji... I'm fasting!"
She let out a sigh and pouted her lips.
Trilochan sighed too, as he saw her in a heartbroken gaze, walking slowly towards Nanibala's room, pulling her saree up below her eye-level.

"Stay safe Bondita." He murmured again.

A few land feuds and some pending legal petitions had kept Barrister Anirudh Roy Chowdhury busy the entire week, barring the few times when he had seen her during their regular evening lessons, Anirudh hadn't really had the time to speak to either his brother, or Bondita in the last one week. And along with this, with his PishiMaa at home, he was trying to keep his interactions inside the household to a minimum, so as to avoid any unpleasant conflict of ideologies with the old lady. PishiMaa was his kin, and Anirudh had respected her as an elder, but revolutionizing her age-old ideas was the last thing he would have wished to do.

Anirudh had seen Bondita that afternoon too, standing beside the dining table, pale faced, licking her lips repeatedly at the sight of the freshly baked balls of luchi on Batuk's plate.

"Bondita, would you eat some? Come, sit with me... Here..." Anirudh had raised a hot luchi at her, as he heard her exhale sharply and then nod her head sideways.
It was a custom that the four of them would always eat together, but PishiMaa had opposed the idea of a woman eating along with the men in the house vehemently.
"It's only a few days Anirudh... Please!" Trilochan had pacified him with assurance.

Bondita had quietly stood beside him, serving him with piping hot food, luchi, aloordum, fulkopi, chatni...
And, Anirudh felt a sad undertone inside his heart whenever he would see her slightly trembling hands raising the ladle to serve food.
"Are you alright?" He had hushed, pulling her a little down by her arms.

"Yes! I am now." She had hushed back.

The night had something eerie about it, the air, the ambience, everything felt a little out of place as Anirudh walked inside his bedroom with slightly staggered steps. He was inside his study when Bihari had brought him his glass of milk as per the nightly routine. Batuk was sitting on his notebook, his head rested peacefully on the table, and Anirudh caressed his hair gently without waking him up.

"You leave him, Maalik... I'll take him to his bed." Bihari had insisted as Anirudh gulped the entire content of the glass and left for his bedroom.

The gas light inside his bedroom appeared to be a little bright, flickering, as Anirudh tried to stretch his eyes a little wider.
What was happening to him!!
He staggered somehow towards the closet and pulled out his nightsuit, the small dots on his dress shirt appeared to be flying.
Anirudh wiped his eyes and looked again... All normal now.
The changing of clothes felt like a challenge to him, and when he had finally sank down on the bed with a book in hand, he felt it first... The burning... Slight at first and then unbearable.
'Must be the spice in food!' his brain tried to reason with the pain, as it gradually took over a portion of his senses, as if dealing with it was energy expenditure enough, without the effort of new thoughts. Anirudh tried to get up and go out, call for help, but all he could do was grab the glass of water from the bedside table and pour it down his throat.
The pain was excruciating, stealing the part of him that was the most precious... his conscience, his rationale and judgements. Anirudh closed his eyes and pressed his face on the pillow, trying to calm himself down. His mind was blank, but his heart was racing, and the pain had slowly transformed into a burning desire...
But, desire for what?
Anirudh felt his heartbeat rising, he felt every veins inside his body pumping more blood than needed, he felt his muscles stiffening up slowly against his will.
"Oh god!!" He had groaned, his face still buried.
The intensity of the pain was growing, now escalated to his pleasure parts, giving him a hard time to hold back.
A sudden surge of energy had taken over him, as with a jump Anirudh got down from the bed, his senses muddled and his vision blurred, he started ripping off his clothes at once. First the shirt and then the trousers, tossed across the room. He stood there in his boxers for a few seconds, undecided, and then rushed inside the attached bathroom.
A loud Splash....!!
And, Anirudh Roy Chowdhury sank his naked burning body inside the water tub, the caressing of the cold water bringing down the heat slowly from his body, but his mind.

"Barrister Babu... O Barrister Babu... Are you inside?"
Bondita had entered the room, her voice was only registering to his mind faintly.
His head was held back on the rim of the porcelain tub, as he groaned slowly at this ordeal.
"Go away Bondita... Just run... "

Bondita was already at task, picking up his scattered clothes from the floor she arranged them neatly on the couch.
"See now... How you have scattered your clothes!" She was speaking to herself, smile on her lips, as she caressing his dress shirt lovingly.
"Who keeps their clothes like this? Thank your stars that you have me to arrange them for you... Or else..."
Bondita had stopped suddenly, the smile faded way from her lips, as she heard his soft growl from inside the bathroom.
"Barrister Babu? Are you alright?"
She kept the small betel case on the table that PishiMaa had given her, and tiptoed infront of the bathroom.

"Go away Bondita... Get away from here..."

Bondita saw him lying inside the bathtub, eyes closed, his body submerged in water as she heard him murmured her name in a growl.

"What are you saying, I can't hear you... "
Bondita had narrowed her eyes at him. It was very rare to see him like this, without clothes, unarmed...unalarmed...
Bondita slowly inched closer to the tub and bent down a little, bringing her ears above his lips. Anirudh was murmuring, and Bondita suddenly felt his warm breath on her cheeks.
"Barrister Babu... Get up...", She had hushed, her face flushed red as she remembered what PishiMaa had told her that night.
A little pain of fasting had made him speak to her tenderly at lunch, and PishiMaa had assured her that she penance would bring fruits more, and that he would love her that night!

'Love her that night!!' Bondita's heart had leapt in joy at the thought of lying down in her Barrister Babu's arms once again, listening to his stories, all night long... exactly the way she used to...
Bondita had missed him, his touch, his company, but above all, she had missed his presence in her life in the last few years.

"Barrister Babu... Get up... Aren't you supposed to lo... love... aren't you supposed to tell me stories tonight?" She whispered into his eyes, as Anirudh opened his eyes slowly and looked at her.

"Why are you here?"
His voice felt different too her.

"I'm your wife... Why won't I be here?"
PishiMaa had taught her the power of her relationship with him, she was his wedded wife!

"My wife!" Anirudh had chuckled.
"That's right... What's the plan tonight 'Wife'?"

Bondita wasn't prepared for such a taunt. She turned her eyes away immediately.
"No... Nothing... Just get out of that thing and come to bed."

"And do what?" His eyes were burning and his senses felt clouded.
Bondita had turned away to leave as in a swift movement Anirudh suddenly leaned a little forward and grabbed her wrist, tugging her a little...
"Barrister...." Bondita couldn't complete her words as her feet slipped on the splattered water on the floor, and before they both realised what's happening, she fell on him, her face on his chest, her hand on his lower abdomen, with a loud splashing sound and a lot of water displacement.
Anirudh had clutched her body instinctively, as his eyes fell on the red vermillion strain on her hairline, her face still buried in his chest.

"Bondita..."

Bondita hadn't looked up, nor did she move, she lay there motionless battling with the strange tingling feeling all over her body. Her heart was racing, and her stomach had started to rumble, the rats had returned back, but the sensation was queer this time.

"Bondita..."
She heard him call her again, as she stirred a little, lifting up her head to look at him, his had gaze painted her face in a bright tinge of red.
Anirudh's right hand had moved up to her face, cupping her chin tenderly, as his droopy eyes stared at her quivering lips in an unknown amazement.
"Have you really grown up? They say you have... But..."

Bondita couldn't speak, as that rumble inside her stomach had started to reach upto her chest, giving her a hard time breathing.

"But, why do I feel you to be the same? My sweet little Bondita..."
Anirudh was speaking softly, the glints of tears in his eyes weren't hidden from her either. His lips had moved down to her forehead, planting a soft wet kiss on the red vermillion dot.
"I... I don't know how else to love you... I just... Bondita... I'm so sorry... I..."
Jets of tears were flowing down her eyes as Bondita felt his pain in her heart too, along with the graduating uncomfortable burning.

"Barrister... Barrister Babu...I... I don't feel very well..." Bondita was suddenly panting, her face burning into sweat.
She pushed on his chest and sat up on the tub, her hand clasping her head, as Anirudh with furrowed eyebrows saw her retch.
Bondita was retching, loudly, and Anirudh had immediately gotten up from the tub, and grabbed her from behind, holding her long hair up in a bunch.

"Shona... Shona... What's wrong... What's happening?"
The sensuous energy coursing through his body had found it's concentration in his anxious worry, he bent down and scooped Bondita up in his arms, as he made her sit on the marbled basin slab and splashed cold water on her face.

Bondita had thrown up betel leaves, a lot of it!

"Who gave you Paan, Shona?"
Anirudh was wiping her face with his hands, her eyes were closed and her entire body was trembling.

"Pishi... PishiMaa..!"
Bondita muttered, as she let out another sharp cry.
"My body... Barrister Babu... My body..." She tried to scrub some unseen sensation off her skin, rubbing her hands vigorously on her arms and neck.
"Please... Do something... It's... it's burning!"
Tears were flowing down her eyes, and from his too, as Anirudh related to the burning sensation that his little wife was going through.

"I'll get medicines, Shona...wait... I'm there..." His words too, were sounding frantic, as Anirudh cradled Bondita's fragile frame in his arms and brought her back to bed.
Bondita was writhing in pain.

Anirudh Roy Chowdhury had never felt so helpless in his life, he left his ailing wife in bed and ran towards the door, pulling the latches with all his might. But, alas! what he wasn't aware of was that the door was locked from outside, only to be opened in the morning.

"Open the door, damn it!" He yelled, but his voice from inside the corner room in the second floor wasn't meant to reach anyone outside.

"Barrister...." Bondita was retching again, as Anirudh fisted his hand one last time on the door before reaching over to her again.

"Bondita??" A cold shudder had made his spine shiver.
Bondita was throwing up blood, fresh chunks of scarlet viscosity had soiled the bedsheet. He picked her up immediately on his lap and held her firmly to his chest.
"No... No... Relax... Relax Shona...!"
He patted her back, and it was then the thought struck him.... White silk bedsheet, flowers in the vase, Bondita in a red Benarasi saree.
His teeth had already gritted in anger and disgust as he growled loudly pressing her unconscious body to his chest.

"Pishi eee... " Anirudh's eyes had burnt that night, as he felt his heart bleed, "I'll send you to hell if anything happens to Bondita tonight", he had screamed.

The terrifying night had finally dropped it's curtains with the advent of the new sun, and that morning when Nanibala along with his reluctant brother opened the latch of Anirudh's bedroom, they witnessed the sight what their minds had craved to see.
The blood tainted silk bedsheet was tossed on the floor, Anirudh with only a towel around his waist was sleeping with his wife on the bare matress of the bed, cradling Bondita in his arms, her head resting on his chest. She was wearing his dress shirt as her crumpled saree lay abundant on the carpet. Her gold jewelleries were scattered all across, and the small betel case that Nanibala had given her had lay open on the floor, it's contents spilled everything.

"Congratulations Trilochan... The plan worked." A derilious smile had brightened Nanibala's wrinkled face as Trilochan looked away from his sleeping children.

"Didi... Let's go... You got what you wanted... Let's not.."

Nanibala raised her hand at him, stopping him in the middle, as her eyes suddenly narrowed down at Bondita's creased saree.

"Why is there so much blood on her saree?" Her eyes had narrowed further as she saw the cup of food soda and dry mint leaves kept on one corner of the room.
"Why are those things here? Did Anirudh suffer from indigestion last night?"

Trilochan sighed at her question.
"I don't know... I'll leave Didi... Do what you want."

Nanibala stopped him again.
"Stop Trilu... This is your house, they are your responsibility... You should be present here." She held Trilochan's arms and dragged him infront of the bed.

"Maa Durga... How much more!" He closed his eyes in disgust as Nanibala bent down and tried to examine Bondita's bare legs, now intertwined with Anirudh's.

"Something isn't right... Something must..."

Her words had woken Anirudh up, as with a throbbing head he opened his eyes, first slowly and then with a startle, as the sight of PishiMaa's face hovering on top of his chest made him jump in terror.

"PishiMaa... What the... What are you doing here... In my room?
His eyes were widened questioningly at his uncle.
"Kaka? What's going on?"

Trilochan couldn't answer as Nanibala rolled her eyes at him.
"How was the night Anirudh beta... Hope there wasn't any problem... Hope bahu did..."
Anirudh's mind wasn't able to register the words initially, but slowly her words started to make sense to him. He tried to sit up stirring Bondita up a little in her sleep. And, looking at her calm sleeping face, all the ordeals of the dark night, all the pains, the sufferings, everything flashed upon his mind at once, filling his heart with an urgent emotion of concern for his wife.
Without wasting a moment, Anirudh had dragged the thin comforter over Bondita's body, as he touched her forehead to check for the temperature, last night she was burning!

"Let me wake her up... She's a woman now Anirudh... She'll sit in the Grahashanti puja today." Nanibala stretched her arms trying to touch Bondita, but before she could reach her, Anirudh had held his aunt's wrist and moved it aside with a violently push, baffling both the elders in the room.

"To hell with your Grahashanti puja... My Bondita won't go anywhere!"

"Anirudh!!" Trilochan had gasped at his action.

Anirudh's eyes were red with raging anger. He took the flower vase from the bedside table and smashed it on the wall.

"Flowers? Silk bedsheet? What were you thinking Pishi? What were your intentions? You almost tried to kill her last night!!"
Anirudh's voice had reached it's crescendo, screaming on top of his voice, as Bondita opened her eyes slowly and groaned.

"Barrister Babu... "

Anirudh's tone had lowered down instantly, his anxious eyes turned to look at her at once, as he bent down to cup her face in his hands.
"Bondita... Shona... Amar Shona... How are you feeling now?"

Bondita nodded her head slowly.
"My head still hurts... Very much."

Her words had infuriated the pent up wrath in him yet again, as he got down from the bed and snatched the bedsheet from Nanibala's hand.

"Anirudh... It's for your good... Whatever I did... How long do you think..."

"How could you Pishi??" Anirudh's rage was giving rise to another kind of emotion in him... disgust!"

"Blame me how much you wish, but one day you'll realise that whatever happened between you two last night, how important it was for..."

Anirudh didn't let her complete the words as he held the sheet open and showed the blood strains on it.

"What do you think this is? What do you think?"
He raised it up infront of her, tears of repulsion trying to burst out from his eyes.
"You think I had consummated my marriage with this underaged girl lying here? How could you even think of such disgusting... I love her Pishi... I'd never do such a disgusting thing to her!!" Anirudh couldn't speak anymore as his emotions finally flew out of his eyes like a free-flowing river.
"She vomited blood last night... Because you had poisoned her... why did you poison my wife Pishi? Why?"

Nanibala couldn't take it anymore. She narrowed her eyes at him spitting fire from them.
"Because, I knew you'd never get yourself to touch her... And because of her my family would remain barren of progenies!"

"My family..." Anirudh howled, "not yours!"

"Yes, your family..." Nanibala was in tears now.
"Your grandfather got me married when I was six... How do you think I survived that this queen here would get special treatment??"
Her voice sounded like a wounded animal, as she held the wooden railing of the bed and sank down on the floor.
"I bore all these Anirudh... And a lot more..
And still I couldn't give them a child, and hence he married again... I know the pain, I know the heartbreak... I know it all!!" The old woman was sobbing uncontrollably as Anirudh swallowed his anger and looked away.

"Pishi, you were wronged, but that doesn't mean you'd inflict the same on some other innocent! What if something bad would had happened to Bondita last night? Would you have been able to forgive yourself?"

Nanibala was quiet, tears rolled down silently from her defeated eyelids.
"I tried to save her life... Anirudh... You're a man... If you won't accept her, sooner or later you would have someone else in your life... Then imagine her situation... She would just be an abundant... Just like me!"

Anirudh wasn't speaking anymore. He quietly sat back on the bed and picked Bondita's head up on his lap.
"I can't even think of anyone else Pishi... I never had..."

"Forget about anyone... forget about anything arranged, but what of that engreji woman your father wrote about... Candice, isn't she? She is of age, and I know you liked her... What if she comes back... what would you do then? Wouldn't you feel like leaving this girl? What's your life with her, your needs, desires... what's...."

Anirudh raised his hand to stop her.
"No one... And I won't repeat myself Pishi... No one can ever take her place... You know why?" He pulled Bondita up to his chest and hugged her tightly.
"Because, she just isn't my wife... Bondita, is my life, Pishi...The reason I live !"

The conversation had ended that day, and needless to say, Anirudh had alienated himself from the entire world just to take care of his ailing wife.
And ,as for PishiMaa, she had left the very evening, without completing the Grahashanti puja... once and for good, and had never returned back to Tulsipur again.

"Graha-ashanti puja!" Bondita had pouted her lips, as Anirudh pinched her nose lovingly.

"So what's next little wifei... Which puja now?

Bondita had grinned, her pale face had brightened up at once, as she slowly parted her lips to speak.
"Picnic puja!"