Others would have emotional scars, but not Mira, for she was still bleeding, her heart slashed into a hundred slices, her soul shattered into a hundred pieces. Only her body remained, unblemished and fair, beneath the marks of torture and torment.
Mira's bargain with the gods had somehow worked that day, her lucky day indeed, as her gods had never really cared to pay heed to any of her offerings or bargains ever. The barter this time was simple, her life for his!

Batakrishna had woken up, showing signs of healing, and all day long, Mira sat by his side, tending him with everything she had. Her attention was incessant, like the incessant rain pouring outside, tearing the sky. Batakrishna groaned, and Mira gasped, Batakrishna murmured, and Mira sighed, and by evening when he closed his eyes to sleep in ease, she left his bedside for the first time in the day.

'Red saree, bou... And a string of jasmine garland...', he had murmured in his pain, and when his deliriums were legible, Mira heard him murmuring love to her. 'garlands on your arms too...', Batakrishna smiled.

The pain had long taken over a portion of her brain, and now, as if dealing with it was energy expenditure enough, without the effort of new thoughts. Mira had passed all stages of reconciliation with thoughts of future, and all that remained were hurts from the past.
Orphaned at birth, sold in marriage at three, raped at fourteen, widowed at fifteen... Not to mention the unimaginable physical torture from the inception of time.
Mira had suffered enough!
Yet somehow, tears weren't coming out anymore.
The only hope was her son, and now he was gone too.
Mira felt her bones breaking one by one inside her body...
Like an automated robot, she stepped out of the hut in the heavy rain, and walked towards the Bokul tree beside. The fallen flowers had formed a white bed at the base of the tree, sheathed by the canopy, yet drenched.
They were perfect for her, in every way!
Fallen, discarded, soiled... But the white petals standing out when washed in rain.
Mira picked them up one by one.

Batakrishna Roy Choudhary was always a dream to her, a far-fetched, forbidden dream, and she was aware of her position, her limitation. But love makes human do things that are beyond the comprehension of our mundane senses. Mira, forgetting all her inhibitions, had dared to give in to the unconditional love that Batakrishna had offered her, and in return she had pushed him towards the clutches of the inevitable... Death!
She was cursed! Then how could she do this to the only man she ever loved? How could she drag him to the threshold of life and death?
Mira just sighed at the thought.
Her raindrenched eyelashes felt heavy, and her mind felt weary of her feet.
She sat by the tree for a while... Thinking.

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

"I'll burn you all...
In the fire of my youth,
Dare you come to seek my heart."

There was no microphone, and hence the lyrics that came floating across the almost deserted hallways of the Zamindar palace sounded harrowing, at least to Raimoti's ears. She felt restless.

The sindoor daan was done in a haste, the garlands were exchanged unceremoniously, and the wedding ceremony was over way before twilight with the Zamindar's consistent insistence. The purohit had no choice but to hurry up. 
Shashi Chandra looked happy that evening.

By late evening, 'the guest of honor', the famous courtesan Bhromor Bai was pouring raw honey in the enibriated senses of all the elite class men who had come to attend Raybahadur Zamindar Shashi Chandra's fifth wedding. The women weren't allowed, and hence, by a royal decree, all those who existed in and around the palace, felt it safe to be inside the guards of their four walls, if not anything, at least their honor would be guarded thus!
Only Raimoti was out, her ever rebellious self refusing to restrict herself within the walls of confinement.
Satya and his boys were out, as it was their final night, and Mahamaya was on her mission to extract the keys from the Zamindar's trusted accountant.
The sky had drizzled continuously that day, and with a forelorn feeling in heart, Raimoti sat by the shade of a giant Banyan tree beside the dark secluded corner of the palace courtyard, overlooking an ancient, discarded well. Raimoti's eyes were fixated on that well, counting the shades of green algae that had drawn mindless patterns around it's body. Her eyes started to flow suddenly.

It was the same well where her childhood best friend Muktamala had ended her life.

"How cruel this world can be!" A deep sigh escaped from her lips, as she pressed her eyes shut to let the tear trail down her cheeks.

"Cruel indeed."

Mahamaya's words were a sigh too. Raimoti turned around, and Maha made her way beside her, under the same banyan tree.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Raimoti started, but Maha placed her hand on her knees at once.

"Me too. I clearly shouldn't have judged you, provided I can't do mt own job properly."
She breathed the words, the expression on her face made Raimoti frown.

"Why? What happened?"

"No bloodshed. That was Satya's primary rule in this mission. But now it seems we aren't left with any choice." Maha pulled out a sharp small dagger from her hiding and held it weighing on her fingertip.

"The key that the Kajanchi has is useless." Maha murmured. "I saw the lock at the basement. It's a combination lock, some German nonsense... A key and a password."

"Same as our basement in Calcutta."
Raimoti nodded her head.
"The password was my birthday there."

"Numbers?"

"And alphabet. You need to spell the password by rolling those small wheels on the lock."

Maha sighed at her words again.
"This Shashi Chandra is crafty. What do you think his password could be?"

Raimoti thought for a while, and then shrugged.

The two women sat in silence, barring the faint sound of the distasteful lyrics coming out from the grand celebration.
Both were thoughtful, both lost in their own calculations of what's lost.

"You saw him dying, didn't you? " Maha was the first to break the silence, and Raimoti nodded slowly.

"Was he brave in death?"

"Yes." It was Raimoti's turn to place her palm on Maha's hand.
"He was the bravest."

"Where was he shot?" The question was choked in emotions.

"Head."

Another spell of silence, until Maha cleared her throat and turned towards Rai.

"I haven't cried, you know... I won't cry today."

"He won't want you to."
Raimoti squeezed her hand gently.

"But he wouldn't have wanted me to lose our unborn baby Raimoti." Maha's words were a whimper now.
"But, I lost anyway... I lost them both."

"How many months?" Raimoti's words were compassionate, and Maha raised three fingers at her.
Instinctively, Raimoti's right hand moved towards her own belly, as a deep sigh escaped both their hearts at the same time.

The evening was growing into night, and the rain was calming down, and amidst the raunchy musical performances, as the men took a breather, Bhromor Bai caught tune of a song, melodious and melancholic, a little offbeat as per the tone of the settings, and yet, it was that song which made the two women sitting outside smile in unison. Both their eyes closed in peace.

'O Bhromor,
Go and tell Shri Krishna
In the fire of his parting,
My body burns.
Bhromor,
Implore Shri Krishna to stay,
As his absence would cost his Radha's breath

Bhromor, go and tell Shri Krishna.'

The words were known to both, and Raimoti hummed along.

"Who is this Bhromor?"
Maha asked suddenly, drawing reference from the song.

"Radha's friend, I believe... Sri Krishna's messenger."

"And what would Bhromor gain by delivering these messages?"
Maha asked gain, lost in thoughts, and Raimoti rested her chin on her knees and breathed out.

"Purpose."

Both the women suddenly sat upright and looked at each other.
A lighting spark gleamed in their eyes at the same time.

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

"Bou... "
Batakrishna called, slowly opening his eyes, and Mira kept her palm on his forehead at once.

"I'm here." She lips curved into a smile.
"How are you feeling now?"

"A lot better... Alive."
Batakrishna smiled too, and then his eyes fell on the woman sitting by his head.
"Mira!!" He gasped at once, his hands reaching out to cup her chin, and Mira didn't resist this time.
"You... You look exquisite!"

"You wanted to see me like this, didn't you?" She brushed his unkempt hair with her fingers and Batakrishna let his fingers trail to her lips.
Mira planted a kiss on them.

"Whose red saree is this? " He asked, his hands were now on the strings of white garlands that were tied on her bare arms.

"It was in the suitcase you carried from the Te-rain by mistake."

Batakrishna chuckled at her reply.

"It was a good mistake then." He smiled.
"Red looks very good on you... Once we go back home, I'm going to buy you an almirah full of only red sarees."
He kissed her arm, and she remained silent.

"You hairline looks empty... I just need to fill it Bou... And it would be perfect."

Batakrishna continued to play with her long open traces, and Mira didn't object.

"From here, we'll first go home, meet Dada, tell him all about us, and then I'll go to Kashi to bring our Awni." Batakrishna coughed a bit, and Mira held a glass of water to his lips at once.
"Then, I'll marry you, formally..." He continued to weave dreams.
"Societal marriage is important you know... People won't get to raise a finger as you then... "

Mira heard him, and just sighed softly.

"I want to sit up Bou... I'm feeling a lot better." Batakrishna tried to sit and Mira helped him.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, and in response, he pulled her closer to his heart.

"Only for you."

Mira smiled lovingly at him, yet a blankness in her eyes, and she picked up a covered bowl from under the cot.

"What is it?"
Batakrishna asked, and Mira opened the lid and held it in front.

"Food."

Dry puffed rice had never tasted better, Batakrishna thought.

The rain had called it an interval, and lying on her lover's chest, Mira heard a soft knock on the outer gate of the hut. Someone was trying the move the iron chains on the bamboo barricade, making rattling sound.

"I'll see..."
She got up at once, and headed towards the kitchen.

Where love is all encompassing, lust has the power to drive humans to insanity. The rain had only halted, that the schoolmaster thought it to be perfect to have a rendezvous with his little lady-lust! Nothing was more bewitching to his thoughts than seeing the widow girl in her naked form...
And he needed to knead her, her body, her feminity, her vulnerability.

He had almost ran to the further corner of the village, in anticipation, and he found himself panting at Mira's door in no time.
The boy must be dead by now... May be dying, but it wasn't his time to think all that. He tried to unchain the modest bamboo barricade fashioned as an entrance door, and it was then that he saw her.

Clad in a blood red saree, her hair was open, cascaded to her knees almost, and her body was ornamented with strings of white flowers. One snaked her neck like a choker, and another swayed artistically below her bosom like a long necklace.
One was tied around her slender waist too. Her wrists and arms were adorned as well, and the longest one was hanging lose on her hair. The master gulped at the sight, and then his eyes shone in the dark color of lust.

Oh his luck... He gets to devour this Apsara!
Mesmerised at her beauty, the master's mouth fell, as he extended his arms at Mira, ready to clasp her to his chest, but then... He stopped, as abruptly as he had started.

Mira moved her hand from behind, and in it she held a sharp sickle, raised and reach to strike at one mis-step. The master glared at her.

"How dare... "
He couldn't complete his sentence, as the sickle came down on his arm, slicing a chunk of flesh, making blood gush out at once.

"If you shout, I'll strike on your throat."

Never in her life Mira had heard her own voice to be such, it scared her too, but then... She had no time to play the scared doe... Not that night.

"You bitc... "

Mira raised the sickle once again, and the master fell back on the ground, in pain, bleeding.

"Run... Or else, I'll kill you." Mira's words were grave, yet calm.

Shocked and enraged, the schoolmaster got up somehow, and before fleeing je turned around one last time.

"Tomorrow... Tomorrow bitch... I'll see to your death... Promise... "
He spat, pressing his arm firmly, as he frightened steps took him back to the same darkness from where he came.

The rain too started pouring once again.

"Who was at the door?"
Batakrishna asked innocently, holding the half finished bowl of puffed rice at Mira.

"No one."

"The sound?"

"Just the storm."

"Oh." He smiled at her and patted on the bed. "Come, let's eat together."

"I'm not hungry Choto... " Mira paused. "Batakrishna."

A happy smile escalated on Batuk's face at once.
"Then feed me... Please." He requested.

The night grew further, and so did the rain. Thunders were it's constant companion.
Batakrishna was feeling stronger than before, as he half laid on the cot with his back rested against the clay wall. Mira was seated in between his parted legs, her body rested on his chest.
There was no inhibition anymore, but an uncanny calmness, as every now and then, Mira's lips brushed against Batakrishna's body, without invitation, painting him in the hue of her affection.

"How much do you love me? " She suddenly asked, and in response, he leaned a little forward to turn her face sideways, their lips met, and Batakrishna planted his answer with his kiss.

"Will you keep one promise tonight?"
Her voice was calm.

"I'll get Awni... You have my word."

"I know." Mira smiled. "But I want you to promise me something."

Batakrishna frowned. "What?"

"Do you promise?"

"Tell me first." His heart was suddenly beating faster, and Mira turned, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him in her warm embrace.

"First promise that you won't ask me for any explanation."

"Fine, I promise... now tell me." Batakrishna was getting restless, and Mira ran her fingers on his body, caressing him to calmness.

"Tomorrow, you'll be on the first terain that leaves."

"Yes, we will be."

"And if you don't see me around, don't waste time." She buried her face in his chest, and started planting baby kisses on the soft chest hairs. Batakrishna smiled at the feeling.

"I'll be at the station already."
She added. Her hands moved up to his jawline as she slowly raised her head to look into his eyes.

"Alone? How?" He asked, and she kissed his shoulder in response.

"I've some work."

"What work? " He frowned and Mira let out a soft sigh.

"You promised you won't ask." She pouted, and Batakrishna's brows furrowed up further.

"I love you Batakrishna Babu."

"Just Batakrishna." He kissed her forehead and she nodded.

"Just Batakrishna." She hummed.
"Do you wish me to sing to you tonight?" She suddenly asked, and Batuk held her chin and looked at her in a fearful amusement.

"What's with you tonight?"

"Nothing..." She nodded sideways. "Do you want me to sing? "

Batuk nodded in affirmation, and held her close to his heart, his own heartbeat thumping faster than needed.

Mira closed her eyes and hummed a tune, a known tune, yet new in her voice.

O Bhromor,
If I would have known that He would part thus
I would have tied him hard with my cascading traces...
Never to let him part.
Whenever he would have tried to set himself free,
he would have listened to his Radha's plea

Batakrishna felt a tear rolling down his eyes unknowingly, and she pressed Mira firmly to his chest.
Mira was smiling.

O Bhromor,
Please go and tell Shri Krishna
That the fire in Radha's heart
Can only be doused if He
Comes and embraces her... Making her His!

"Who is Bhromor?" He asked slowly, as Mira opened her eyes.

"Fate."

"And Sri Krishna?"
His voice was quivering in an unknown fear.

"Life." Mira breathed out the word and kept her head on his shoulder. Batuk started to caress her hair slowly.

"You won't leave me ever, would you? " He suddenly asked, and Mira closed her eyes and smiled.

"Never."
Her lips inched closer, until the bridged all gaps in between. Batakrishna closed his eyes too, in happiness, in contentment, in denial.

Something was off, he knew in his heart, but at that moment he just wanted to celebrate life with the most precious human in his life...
His Mira...!

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

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