It's almost poetic, ironic probably, how concretes bear witness to the echoes of tragedy that no human can fathom. The anguish and anticipation culminating in a crescendo of emotions, painting the walls with a symphony of pain. The scene was a tapestry woven with the threads of loss, mystery, and love, where Raimoti had sat quietly on the bed in Bondita's room, leaving behind a poignant aftermath, a melody of melancholy that lingered in the air like a haunting refrain.
The soft evening light had filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room. Bondita had approached Raimoti, her eyes brimming with concern, glistening with fear, and she had gently cradled Raimoti's dimpled chin, guiding her gaze to meet her own.

"Tell me what happened..." Bondita's voice was a soft whisper, laden with empathy. The question hung heavy in the air, the weight of their shared history and the unspoken bond they had cherished over the years.

Rai's hazel eyes, once so full of life, were now clouded with pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and the dam of her emotions burst forth. The words tumbled out, a torrent of heartache and sorrow that seemed to fill the room.

"He's gone, Bondita," Raimoti's voice quivered as she spoke, the anguish in her words cutting through the silence like a knife. "Satya... he's gone."

Satya is gone? Satyakirth? The Sacrosanct? How was it even possible?

Bondita's heart clenched at the news, her breath caught in her throat. Satya, the man who had been her closest friend, her dearest confidant, was no more. The world seemed to tilt on its axis, and for a moment, everything around Bondita blurred into a painful haze.

"Noo.... " A suppressed scream came out of Bondita's throat, and in no time she collapsed down on the floor, seated in a defeated posture, a soldier who had just lost her fellow warrior.

"I saw him... I saw the bullet, and I saw him fall!" Raimoti was sobbing, and words came out as jumbled murmur of lamentation.
"The Davidson shot him, throat I think... " She wiped her eyes, "and I won't see him, ever!"
All were quiet, and the room itself seemed to absorb the weight of Rai's grief, the walls closing in as if mourning alongside her. Bondita's grip on Rai had tightened, her own tears mingling with Raimoti's as their emotions entwined in a dance of sorrow and shared understanding.

"What will happen now Bondita? What will I do now?" Raimoti broke down.

In that shrouded cocoon of their grief, words proved futile, consolation an elusive phantom. Bondita and Raimoti were two wounded souls, clung to each other, their silent tears the only solace for the profound loss that weighed on their hearts. It was a mournful duet, their cries harmonizing with the sorrow that had woven itself around them.

As the minutes crawled by like a relentless specter, Bondita summoned her strength, her voice a fragile lifeline extending towards Rai's shattered spirit.

"Tell me, Rai, tell me everything," she implored gently, her fingers tenderly brushing away the smeared kohl from Raimoti's tear-streaked face.

Raimoti hesitated for a moment, her voice trembling like the quiver of a wounded bird.
"Baba was there," she began, her voice fragile.
"He aimed to...to end me, and then, out of nowhere, Satya returned, like a guardian angen, he returned for me." Her voice quivered, "He had no obligation, no compulsion, and yet he returned, solely to protect me."

Bondita's eyes welled with tears, a mirror to Rai's anguish.
"Why wouldn't he, Rai?" she whispered, her own voice choked with emotion.

Raimoti continued her sorrowful tale. "And then, Maha didi...she..." Raimoti faltered, her sobs once again engulfing her.

Bondita's comforting touch worked as a balm for the wounded soul.
"Take your time," she murmured, offering solace through her silent presence.

Raimoti gathered her strength and resumed, her voice quivering with the trauma of the memories.
"Satya was not meant to escape, you see. He had made no escape plan for himself, but fate intervened, and..." She tenderly touched her abdomen, the gesture laden with unspeakable sorrow.
"We were about to leave...I was following him, and then, Baba emerged, as if he had always lurked in the shadows. He raised a gun at me... And..."

Rai paused to draw a breath, the memory clawing at her.
"And Satya saw him. He shot back at him, first at his arm, the pistol fell, and then his knee..." She choked on her words, the pain of the memory too much to bear.
"I saw him crumple to the ground, and I... I don't know what came over me, Bondita. I ran towards that vile man, my own father... Chheeh..."

Her sobs intensified, a tumultuous blend of regret and revulsion. Bondita held her tighter, sharing in the anguish. Raimoti continued.
"Satya stood there, waiting. It was a fraction of a moment, Bondita, a fraction. He stood there, and then that Davidson fired..." Raimoti paused, her mind haunted by the vivid recollection.
"Anirudh Da had successfully deceived him to be away, but... But he must have heard the gunshot... My foolishness... For me.. all because of me..." Raimoti clawed her face with her alta smeared fingertips. "I saw Satya fall into the river, and a dark cloud had enveloped him. I couldn't see much, but it felt as though a pair of dark shadowy arms had embraced him, guiding him into the depths. I heard the loud splash and the following gunshots... Davidson, he fired like a man possessed."
Raimoti paused, and her pale white face ran a cold shiver down Bondita's blood.

The room bore the weight of their sorrow, the memories etched in the very air they breathed. The tragedy, the loss, hung heavily, casting a long shadow over their hearts.

"Barrister Babu...?" Bondita's voice broke the silence, her words carrying a sense of urgency. "How did you meet him?"

Raimoti met Bondita's gaze, her eyes pools of sorrow. "He saved me, Bondita," she whispered. "He argued with the police, screamed at them...I had never seen him so... so desperate."

Outside, darkness continued its relentless advance, the world sinking into a sea of melancholy. The two women remained locked in a tearful embrace, reliving cherished memories and agonizing over their cruel loss. The knock at the door shattered their solitude, a soft echo in the room's heavy atmosphere.

"Bondita..." Anirudh's voice, warm and familiar, pierced the somber air.

"Barrister Babu!" Bondita's voice cracked as she rushed to the door, her tears flowing anew. She buried her face in his soiled white shirt, her sobs an outpouring of raw grief. "Tell me it's not true," she implored, her voice trembling. "Tell me it's not true."

Anirudh's voice faltered, a tear welling in his eye. He gently pulled Bondita away from his chest, his voice heavy with the weight of their burden.
"We have a grave responsibility now, Bondita," he said, his voice strained. "We have Raimoti... And..."

His voice trailed off, unable to bear the weight of the unspoken. Bondita turned to Raimoti, a question in her eyes. There, she saw Raimoti tenderly caressing her own belly, tears glistening like diamonds in her eyes.

"Raimoti!" Bondita exclaimed, her voice quaking with a mix of emotions.

Anirudh sighed deeply, his words a heavy verdict. "She's carrying Satya's child."

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

The familiar theme music faded in, and the grave voice of the radio artist came into being once again, it was a little graver than usual.

"Namaskar! You're listening to Akashbani KoliKata, bringing you the latest news and updates from across the land. I'm your host, and I'm here to take you through the headlines that are shaping our world."

The new jingle started, and along with it a sharp scream from inside Trilochan Ray Choudhary's room

"Koeli... Ei Koeli... Bihari... Where the hell are you all nincompoops?" He screamed again, pushing the closed door of his dark bedroom open with his gold mounted walking stick.

The voice over the radio was heard again.

"Breaking news from Chattagram, Bengal! A daring raid took place at the Chattagram Armoury, orchestrated by the mighty Krantikari leader, Sacrosanct Satyakirth Sen. This audacious act was carried out by the mighty Satyakirth and his band of Krantikaris, leaving behind a trail of mystery and questions."

Advertisement jingle faded in, and so did Trilochan's hasty screams.
Bihari had ran to him with folded palms.

"Saala Bihari, who the hell do you think would light up my room? I'm still the Zamindar, the bloody head of this god damn family... And... And... " Trilochan was panting.
"Where the hell is everyone? Bondita?"

Bihari was shivering in terror.
It was like seeing his old master back again.
"In her room" He responded, "with Barrister Dadababu."

"Anirudh is back?" He huffed the words, wounded about the fact that he didn't come to meet him first.
"Accha... Fine... I'll go and meet him... Laatsaheb everyone!"
He dashed out of sight at once.

The radio was still playing its jingle.
"Looking for the finest spices and teas? Look no further than Chitra's Emporium, where taste meets tradition!"

The gold mounted stick made its way to the staircase.

"Now, back to our top story. Late Shashi Chandra Chakraborty, the Raibahadur of Chattagram, stood as a protector but met a tragic fate during the raid. Satyakirth Sen, known for his principles, is not known to take innocent lives, so what happened this time? Reports suggest that Officer Incharge Paul Davidson shot Satyakirth Sen dead, and he himself has gone missing in the process. Among other casualties were Mahamaya Lahiri, a prominent confidante of the Krantikari group, along with Girish Lahiri and Monoranjan Das, all fell prey to the all-encompassing bomb that blasted at the armoury supposedly after the raid. However, the arms and ammunition have vanished, raising concerns over the implications of this raid."

Advertisement jingle faded in, and as Trilochan reached the hallway leading towards Anirudh's bedroom, he heard the irritating repetition of the advertisement playing on the radio.

"Introducing 'Rajat Tailors', where your clothing dreams come to life with the finest craftsmanship!"
Trilochan flinched his face in distaste.

"As tensions rise, the British police and authority remain silent on the matter, sparking controversies and doubts in the minds of the public. Sources reveal that they are relentlessly searching for Officer Paul Davidson and the body of Satyakirth Sen. However, the question on everyone's lips remains: Is Satyakirth truly dead?"

Trilochan was about to knock at the door, but Bondita had held it open for him already. Trilochan saw her face, her eyes red, her cheeks puffy, as if crying relentlessly, and then his eyes fell on his nephew.
Anirudh too had an uncharacteristic somberness in his demeanor, and this baffled Trilochan a bit, dampening his anticipatory anxiety into a fearful anticipation.

The radio artist was speaking once again, but his voice had that somberness too.

"Satyakirth Sen, known for his indomitable spirit, has evaded death before, leaving the Bengali world holding its breath. His legacy as a 'Robin Hood' figure has inspired many. Will he ever return, or has the legend come to an end? Is he really dead then... Along with hopes of thousands of bangalis who look up to him for their freedom?"

"Kaka... " Anirudh spoke first.

"Who? Who are they talking about?" Trilochan's voice suddenly had a tremor.

"Satyakirth Sen."

Trilochan was startled at the reply, for it came from neither Anirudh nor Bondita, but a beautiful woman sitting inside the room, whom his anxious eyes had missed to see.

"Who?"
Trilochan asked again.

"She's Rai. " Bondita slowly replied, and Trilochan saw the red Vermilion smeared on her hairline.

"Is she the one Batuk married?" His voice had considerably soften, as he slowly walked in front of Anirudh. Did his Batuk really had chosen this elegant upper class lady in his fit? Not bad... Not bad at all... A Ray Choudhary indeed!
"Rai what?" He asked., softening his voice a notch.

"Rai Sen." Raimoti stood up and bent down to touch his feet slowly.

"Sen?" Trilochan trembled.

"Yes Kaka... You remember that doctor who had come to treat me in Calcutta?" Anirudh interjected immediately.
"Sarthaki Sen."

Trilochan nodded his head, but by then his eyes were fixated on a single pendant that hung from Raimoti's neck, a plain sapphire cast in white gold.

"You..." Trilochan murmured, "this... "

"This... This... is Sarthaki's wife!"
Bondita stammered.
"And she'll live with us for a few days."