The Superintendent's jeep honked twice outside the Chatterjee Residence.

"Anirudh?" Trilochan looked questioningly at Bondita as he expressed his monosyllabic uncertainty.

"Um.. but, this is not the honk from our Bentley!" Bondita murmured as she walked out of the house into the open porch.
Meenarani Debi followed her trail.

Thle police jeep had stopped right at the entrance as they saw Anirudh getting down from it.
Davidson got down as well as he waved a hello to his dear friend's Missus.

Bondita walked down the porch as she greeted Davidson with an equal courtesy.

"Barrister Babu, why don't you invite your friends to have dinner with us today? I'm sure he too didn't have lunch like you." Bondita smiled brightly.

"That's actually not a bad idea!" Anirudh turned towards his friend. "How good are you with typical Bengali cuisine?"

"You mean fish and meat? Oh I love those!" Davidson's face reflected happiness as he jumped up at Bondita's proposal.
"I don't have friends here, and I don't get invited to family gatherings like this... I miss my family!"

"It's settled then... Please come inside."

Bondita walked inside first, explaining their conversation to Suresh's mother as the widow started to fidget at the thought of a British police officer dining with them.
"Don't worry JethiMaa, he is HIS college friend."

It's been only two months that Paul Davidson got posted in the Indian subcontinent, after his terrible break up with his long term girlfriend Danielle. It was his first military service, and hence got posted in this small quiet town of Dehradun. He was a libertarian, and had nothing against Indians, specially when his best friend from school and college was an Indian boy. Rather, he had always found Anirudh and his indomitable courage quiet fascinating! And, on that day, this little rendezvous with his friend's family had filled his heart with pure joy.
Bondita was as pretty as was her cheerful nature. In a very short time, Davidson also realised that she is endowed with a sharp rationale and intellect as well.
'No wonder his friend fell so hard for her!' he had thought.
And, Trilochan resembled a typical British royalty, only with a darker skin color.
After a sumptuous evening snack, Bondita pulled out a bunch of playing cards which made both the young men jump up in joy.

"Perfect!" Davidson remarked. "But we need a fourth member in the team."

Bondita looked at Trilochan expectantly, pouting her lips and he sat upright and took the bunch of cards from the table, shuffling them with expertise.

"Alright, you had me at that puppy face girl!" He remarked as everyone laughed out loud.

The evening rolled with fun and frolic as everyone indulged in their share of entertainment.
Meenarani, Mira and Koeli chatted their hearts out as Bondita joined the three men in the game of cards, securing her win twice out of the three hands they played.

"Your Missus is a dangerous one!" Davidson laughed out loud. "Danielle would have loved..."
He stopped abruptly as Anirudh placed his hand on his shoulders.

"I'll return back in another four months Anirudh. You will definitely have to bring her to Oxfordshire." Davidson smiled again looking at Bondita affectionately.

"Get married soon Paul Dada, and we'll attend your wedding." Bondita smiled.

'Paul 'Dada'? Wow!' Davidson thought recalling the meaning of the word. 'This girl surely knows how to build relationships.'

"Sure sister, I'll count on it!"

It was almost eight thirty as Suresh finally returned home.

"Where were you Suresh?" Meenarani Debi rushed towards the door as she enquired her son sharply. "You had gone to see her, hadn't you?"

"No Maa... I went to the camp." Suresh paused. "I had some urgent work with Rishit. But by the time I reached there, Rishit had already left."

Meenarani held her hands out to her son.
"Touch me and swear that you didn't go to see her."

Suresh looked away as a deep sigh escaped from his heart.
"I drove to her house. But her car was not there. She had probably gone out somewhere."

Anirudh and Bondita came out of the room as well to welcome Suresh inside.

"Now what else the guests can do but to welcome such a busy host!" Anirudh smiled brightly as he extended his arms to hug him.
"Suresh Da... What on earth...!"
Anirudh exclaimed as he discovered a deep cut in his arm. Blood was oozing out from it as it matted his sleeve.

"Oh... That's nothing. I'll patch it up quickly." Suresh chuckled nervously.
"I went to the camp, as I said. I was sterilizing and arranging the scalpels as this happened.
He quickly excused himself as he dashed inside his bedroom.

Davidson's presence had neither intrigued Suresh, nor did he disapprove it. Rather, he was quite nonchalant about the entire ceremony.
"This is wedding nervousness." Meenarani smiled awkwardly, trying to justify his son's mental unavailability.

However, it was the proposal of a short ride uphill to enjoy the full moon night, that had gained Suresh's attention back.

"A late night ride to enjoy the beauty of an incandescent full moon! Sounds extraordinary." Suresh had rubbed his palms together in excitement as they sat together post dinner.

"But it's very cold!" Bondita rubbed her arms trying to warm herself up.

"Then who would drop me home?" Trilochan remarked. "I'm absolutely not up for a 'romantic' night trip. I'd prefer to sleep comfortably instead."

"No problem Kaka, we understand." Anirudh smiled at him in assurance.
"Lachman would drive you and Koeli back. We too, would accompany you in Paul's jeep. Bondita would quickly get her cardigan and then we'll take the Bentley out." He looked at Suresh demonstrating the plan to everyone.

"Sounds perfect!" Suresh remarked.

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

The night was indeed beautiful with an enchanting moon-bathed aura spreading across the serene nature, as the convoy moved gradually reducing the distance towards the Roy Chowdhury Banglow.
Paul's Police Jeep led the train with Anirudh and Bondita in it as Trilochan's Ford followed their trail. Suresh was the last one in the line. He drove slowly as the moonlit night filled his heart with a calmness.
'Life is afterall not that bad as he thought it to be!' he breathed out loud. 'And, there is justice everywhere...' His throughs drifted back to his childhood days in the village of Chittagong where his widow mother would feed him from her hand before he would rush for school. He recalled those kite fights, those skinny dipping in the village ponds with his local friends... Those were the days! He had very less money, but they were happy.

But then, life happened! He became a doctor and then Dehradun, Sinhas' and Kshitija... The thought of Kshitija filled his heart with an unknown agony. He had truly loved her...
He had asked her to be good only for ONE more day.... But still, she had left!
Her house was empty!

His thoughts were interjected as he saw the black Ford infront had pulled it's brakes, coming to an abrupt halt. He looked out... His car had finally drove him to his destination... Their destination. The Roy Chowdhury Banglow.

The jeep had stopped.
"Didn't you pull the gates before leaving?" Davidson narrowed his eyes as he gestured towards the half opened main entrance gate of the Banglow.

Anirudh nodded sharply as he quickly got down from the vehicle. Bondita followed his suit.

Anirudh looked down on the ground.
"Someone drove right through the green lawn straight to the garden it seems."
His eyes widened as he felt his breath hitched for a moment. His eyes searched for Bondita as he saw her standing behind with her gaze frozen on the car tracks.

"Let's go inside and check." Davidson remarked.

Trilochan and Suresh, too, had got down from their respective cars as they followed the Superintendent in quietude.

The main door to the hall was also open.
"I remember closing this as well!" Anirudh breathed the words as Bondita's lips quivered.
"Burglary!"

Davidson picked up an antique silver showpiece from the drawing room and examined it in the dark.
"No... It's not!"
He pulled out his service revolver as he looked sharply at Anirudh.
"You have a licensed colt, don't you?"
Anirudh nodded as he turned towards his study.

"Barrister Babu.."
Bondita hushed. "Look..."
Both the men turned around and saw burnt out candles glued to the floor, forming a line towards the master bedroom.

"Stay here Bondita." Anirudh hushed as he joined Davidson, inching towards the room.
The door creaked opened with a light push, as Anirudh entered inside, alongside the officer.
There were burnt out candles on the floor as well, with a non-piercing thick veil of darkness.

"The bathroom... " Davidson pointed as both of them heard a loud splashing sound. The water had gushed out of the bathroom door, dampening the expensive maroon carpet on the floor.

Anirudh pushed the bathroom door slowly. His eyes had familiarised with the darkness by then as he saw the overflown bathtub. The sprinklers were turned on as water rivulets fell down on the tub, filling it, and flooding the floor in turn. A heap of clothes lay clustered at one corner, sopped in water.

There was no electricity, and Bondita had lit a lantern as she inched outside the door with a quivering heart, standing behind the superintendent.
And, in that faint shadowy golden yellow flame of the lantern, Anirudh saw a figure floating inside the tub... a female figure... long wet strands of hair covered the face and the body was devoid of any clothes. Anirudh looked away as he moved forward slowly. His heart thudded heavily as he opened his coat and covered the feminine frame with it.
Davidson inched closer as well.
"Who?" He hushed.
Anirudh removed the moistened hair stands as a familiar face emerged infront of his eyes.

"How....!!" Anirudh let out a panicked shriek as in the next moment he cradled the lifeless body out of the tub.

Trilochan, Suresh and Koeli had also entered the long corridor, as they all stood outside the bedroom beside Bondita.
Their hearts, too, pounded heavily and their eyes widened in utter shock as they saw, first the superintendent, and then, Anirudh coming out of the bathroom, cradling a female figure in his arms. Water dripped from her body incessantly as it fell on the carpet as huge droplets.

"Who?" Trilochan gasped.

But, before Anirudh could speak, all their eyes were blinded with a dazzling bright light announcing the advent of electricity.
And, in that light, Bondita saw... not water, but blood dripping from the body as the floor was flooded with water, hued in pink.

Anirudh looked up helplessly, as Bondita's eyes navigated down on the cradled figure, sheathed with her husband's coat. The head was smeared with red vermillion as the liquid had rolled down her face making it unrecognisable. The right hand was kept hidden under the covering, as the limp left hand dangled loosely.
Bondita swallowed hard before letting out a loud deafening scream...

"Kshiii.......!"

Her voice reverberated through the empty walls of the room as the lantern fell down from her hand, shattering into a hundred pieces.

"Bondita..." Anirudh screamed as well, as he saw Bondita's traumatized frame collapsing down on the floor, infront of his eyes!

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A/N: JethiMaa is a Bengali address for aunty. Elderly aunties are called JethiMaa whereas younger ones are called KakiMaa.
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