In the rise of the wind, dressed in well whipped brine, the waves of the Ganga had every appearance of enjoying both their crescendo and the anticipated diminuendo. For they were part of the music of nature, part of the ebb and flow.
Anirudh was watching the river, lost in the rhythmic percussion of waves crushing on the hull of their small boat. His eyes were steady to the horizon, face aglow with the last orange rays before twilight beckoned the stars. His lips bore the semblance of a smile, just enough to show that he was enjoying his thoughts, whatever they may be. Bondita moved closer so that he could feel her presence, yet stayed quiet, allowing him to stay lost in the moment a while longer.

"Hey there." He broke their silence, and Bondita wrapped her arm around his, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Given the danger lurking behind us, don't you think this sunset is ironically beautiful?" Anirudh chuckled at his own question, and Bondita snuggled closer.

"Are you still mad at me Barrister Babu?" She hushed softly.

"Umm.. a little." Anirudh touched her hand entwined with his and squeezed a little.
"You should have told me about Batuk's whereabouts."

"Sorry." Bondita clutched his shirt tighter.
"I didn't wish to give you more reason to worry... And I was sure Batuk would pull it off."

"Did you see his condition Bondita? He had blood clots on his lips, lord know what he might have done to get there."
Anirudh let out a sigh and unwrapped himself from Bondita's hands, only to pull her nearer by putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Sorry again." Bondita murmured.

The tide appeared drawn to the horizon, waves rolling in and out, its rhythm as steady as their own, and then within minutes they started to rise higher, taller, and Anirudh and Bondita heard Raimoti retching again from inside the dome.

"She isn't keeping up well. We need to halt." Bondita quickly got up, and Anirudh held her hands to support her as the boat wobbled unsteadily.

Satyakirth was lying down on the other side of the deck, and had rushed to aid Raimoti as well, and both he and Bondita supported her to come out of the shade, to breath the much needed fresh air.
Anirudh's black coat was wrapped around her shoulders, and she looked considerably frail, without food and water, and the relentless movement of the boat had made her condition worse.

"We need to halt the boat Satya."
Bondita remarked, as she cupped a little river water in her palm, and sprinkled it on Rai's face, her head was leaned on Satya's shoulder, and her eyes were closed.

"But, how? It's high tide!"
Satya sighed.

Rashik, the ferryman, was robbed off his ability to speak at an early age, and it had only aided in heightening his other senses, along with his sense of nationality, and it was this love that had made him a duteous, obedient accompliss of the sacrosanct. He was struggling with the oars, and as the tide rose higher, Anirudh promptly picked up the other oar to support him.

"Ahnn ahnn...!" Rashik was taken a little aback at this sudden help from a zamindar, as Satya had introduced him as one, but when Anirudh smiled back with enthusiasm to make him comfortable, Rashik too smiled back, making a suggestive sound, pointing at a direction on the shore, and Anirudh looked up at once, his eyes shining in possibility.

"Satya, we can't go on like this, let's halt."

"But?"

Anirudh hadn't waited for his reply, and as the ferryman neared the boat towards an isolated broken shore, Anirudh jumped off the deck with the thick anchor rope in his hand. Water had reached above his neck, and with difficulty he tried to swim ashore.

"Wait... I'll come too."
Satya too had jumped, and swam towards him, and together they pulled the rope, battling against the tide, as they finally tied the rope to the thick trunk of an orange tree.

"Oranges!"
Bondita's eyes shone up, as she touched Raimoti's head tenderly.
"Look... Oranges, they should definitely stop your nausea!"

"Throw me in the river instead." Raimoti groaned in response.
"I'm such a disgrace."

"You dare not say that girl." Bondita rolled her eyes, and got up immediately.

Satya was still at the shore and Anirudh was swimming back to the boat while Bondita shouted out loud.

"Hey... Satya... Get some oranges."

"Whaaat? Where?"
Satya stretched his ears to hear her.

"Oranges.... Overhead..." Bondita screamed.

"Sorry... We won't have time for this, and we'll have to..."

A loud gush of tide muffled his words, and Bondita sighed, looking away.
Satya had always been very particular, very straight forward in his plans and actions, and Bondita had witnessed his emotionless cold side quiet a few time.

"Rai... Sorry... We'll have to find something..."

Bondita hadn't completed her words as Rai widened her eyes and raised her index finger in front, pointing towards the sight that awaited them, and as bondita followed the gestured direction, her eyes brightened up, and so did her heart.

"Barrister Babu! oh my God", Bondita cheered and Raimoti smiled, as the both saw Anirudh swimming back to the shore towards the direction of the orange tree.

In no time the women saw with gaped expression as Anirudh opened his shirt, revealing his spectacular features, and his agile body climbed up the tree effortlessly... and, in a few minutes his laid out shirt was treasured with fresh juicy oranges.

"Your husband is a gem Bondita, lucky girl." Raimoti smiled at her, and Bondita blushed like a new bride.

"I know... He's amazing!"

Satyakirth had chosen to not be a party to this little feast, as he thought it to be way more important to scout the place around for unwelcoming danger, that's how he was, that's how his life had been!

"These are so juicy..." Raimoti grinned happily, feasting on the fresh oranges, and Anirudh-Bondita had joined her too.

This was their first meal since morning, and the journey had made them starve to exhaustion.

"Satyakirth can be so inconsiderate sometimes." Raimoti complained, and Anirudh nodded his head at once in denial.

"No Raimoti, don't get him wrong. He's doing the most important thing right now as we eat."

"And that is?"

"He's scouting the place, and looking for a shelter for the night." Anirudh spat a few seeds into the river.
"Given the colour of the cloud, it won't be possible for us to spend the night in this boat."

Raimoti's face fell at once, and she picked up two oranges and tied them in her saree.

"For him?" Bondita hushed, winking her eyes in a tease, and Raimoti nodded bashfully.

Anirudh was smiling at the two women, and this lightheadedness made him feel a little relaxed, his mind calming down like the waves of the river.

"Anirudh Da, can I ask you something?" Raimoti suddenly spoke and Anirudh nodded gently.
"Well, I understand Satya being a Krantikari has no other way but to hide from the police, and I have chosen to assist him in his cause, but why are you two tagging along?" She paused to frame her next sentence.
"I mean, you are a famous one, and the British police would gladly help you if you seek protection."

Anirudh was smiling at her, his eyes looking at her intriguingly.
"I'm glad you asked." He took the discarded orange peels and aimed them towards the shore.
"I can seek protection from the police, but that would mean leaving you and Satya alone." He smiled again, sharing a glance with Bondita.
"Bondita and I have talked about this, and we're of the same opinion. Plus, I need your presence at the court on the day of the final hearing, and your father's goons as well as his hired lawmen would seek you like mad hounds, I just don't want you to face this alone." He paused, taking a deep breath, "this is my battle Raimoti, I started it, and I want to finish it myself."

"And Bondita? She is going through this hardships unnecessarily!" Raimoti turned to look at Bondita, her eyes glistening with emotions, and in response, Bondita cupped her face lovingly.

"I'm here because I don't want to leave you alone, whatever you are doing is for the country, and it's my country too... And, also because, a day without Barrister Babu feels like death to me... Whatever you are referring to as hardships is nothing in comparison to the feeling that I'll go through without him beside me."

Anirudh inhaled sharply at his wife's words, his eyes glowing in love and pride, his lips had a pleasing smile, as he extended his hand, his fingers touching Bondita's raised fingers in an assuring bond.

"Wow! You two are like a dream." Raimoti gasped and suddenly, to all their surprise Rashik, who was sitting a little away, eating oranges and listening to their conversation, got up and took out an old worn out penny from his pocket.

"What's that?" Bondita asked at once, and Rashik smiled, circling the penny over their heads, closing his eyes and praying silently, before he tossed the old coin into the river, creating ripples of hope and happiness.

"What did he just do?" Raimoti's eyes were widened in question, and so was Bondita's, and Anirudh patted old Rashik's shoulder and mouthed a thank you to him.

"He just wished us eternal togetherness."
Anirudh closed his eyes and smiled, inhaling a lung full of fresh air once again.

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

Love making is supposed to be more than just a mere part of pleasuring one another. It is rather an ability to be close to a person, so connected that you could talk with just a glimpse of the eye, and beat of the heart. It is meant to be so comfortable that at one point it should feel to be breathtaking, it should feel to be ecstatic to an extent that your entire body would start to concentrate at the core of the comfort, slowly releasing all that you have held back, leading you to a feeling of euphoria. That's what a real orgasm is all about!

Batuk and Candice lay naked beside each other, spent, their hearts still pounding like a wild horse, their mind still not able to clear from the aftermath of the untamed sexuality that they had just experienced.
It was a brief moment, but it was enough for Batakrishna to dream a life with the naked woman lying in his arms.
His family, his duties, his country... Everything seemed a little blurred as Batuk visioned his entire life with Candice, soaked in the newfound wetness of his lover.
He would ask her to file a separation from the governor, and then they would start their new life, he would go to England with her if needed, and they would wed.
Batuk smiled at his own thoughts, and he turned around, crutching on his elbow, and tucked a strand of Candice's golden locks behind her reddened ear.
Candice was smiling too, tears rolling down her blue eyes.

"What's on your mind?" Batuk hushed into her ears, kissing on the tear trails.

"I always imagined Roy to be a gentle lover", she smiled but there wasn't any glow in it, "This was different Batuk, this was wild, rough!" She sighed at her own words.

"What?"
Batuk mouth was on her soft breasts, nibbling on the pink nubs, his eyes a little confused at her words.

"Roy's touch was gentle, it felt gentle in my dreams too." Candice gasped at his touch, and Batuk narrowed his eyes, lifting his face, the smile had faded away from his lips already.
"You are thinking about my brother?"

"I always think about him." Candice smiled back, touching his nose."
"Exactly his nose, same to same."

The frown that had surfaced in Batuk's face had grown further, as he quickly left her, and sat up on the bed.

"What's going on Candice? You just made out with me... And you are thinking about my brother?"
His voice was becoming tougher.

"So?" Candice sat up too.
"I could make out with you only because I imagined you to be him." The smile hadn't left her lips, and she quickly pulled out the promise ring from her finger and shoved it into Batuk's hand.
"Thank you for freeing me... Atleast mentally." She breathed out loud.
"Would you give this to your brother, and tell him what we did, please."

Batuk couldn't respond, and he felt the blow of a spear piercing right through his heart, a pain enveloping his entire being, giving birth to not just helplessness but a feeling of acute anger in him.
He had promptly shoved the ring back to Candice's hand, and stood up at once, gathering his trousers from the carpet below.

"What happened Batuk? Won't you do this for me sweetheart? Won't you tell Roy how you made love to me?"

Batuk was fuming with rage, as he quickly buckled up his belt and pulled up the suspenders.
"You need medical help Candice, ask you husband to take you to a good doctor."

"Why don't you treat me!" She stretched her arms and looked at his with a mock invitation, infuriating Batuk further.

"Damn you." He murmured, picking his shirt up, and as he was about to pull the door open, he sensed something flying at him across the room.
A sudden hit, a sharp pain, and Batuk let out a suppressed cry, holding his forehead as fresh warm blood oozed out of his fingers.

Batuk groaned in pain, and his eyes fell on the heavy brass vase rolling on the carpet, with tiny specks of his blood on it's ornamented body.
"Crazy woman!" he muttered, and Candice laughed out loud, a dry lifeless laugh.

"Crazy in love."

Batuk's jaws were trembling, his fists had tightened at once and he felt a sharp stab in his heart.

"Then why did you..."
His voice quivered in pain and anger.

"Why did I?" Candice breathed out loud. "Why did he?" She almost screamed.
"You're precious to him. He broke me, and hence I broke you... Now, you'll leave with the feeling of rejection and heartbreak, just like me."
The gaze in her eyes were vacant, and her words were plain, automated, as if without emotions.
"Tell me Batuk, how do you feel?"

"Feel? I don't feel anything Mrs. Marietta McKenzie, only pity for you." He opened the door and clutched it's wooden frame with all his might.
"But, know this... You'll always find me in your way, if you ever dream of coming in between Dada and Bondita."

Candice was staring blankly at him.

"I won't come in between them." She sighed. "But he will... Begging!"

"See a doctor."

The door slammed infront of her eyes, and she saw Batuk storming out, as Candice wiped the long held tears in her eyes and sighed deeply.
"Forgive me Batuk... I'm helpless." She sobbed.

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

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