"Koeli didi... O... Koeli didi...!" Bondita called out loud early in the morning as she climb down the stairs in search of Anirudh.

"Coming bahu... " Koeli's voice echoed from inside the kitchen.

Bondita saw the study door half opened as she pushed it to walk inside.
Her eyes fell on the floor as she saw Mira sitting there, with her legs stretched infront and her body leaned against the wall, playing with a few rag dolls on the floor. Her swelled up belly was hard to miss!

"Mira? What are you doing here?" Bondita asked curiously.

Mira looked up at her.
"Why weren't you talking to me?" She asked slowly. "Are you mad at me?"

Bondita sighed at her innocent question.
"No Mira. I'm not mad at you." She replied politely. "But what are you doing here?"

Mira didn't reply, instead she pointed towards the study table.
"He left that for you."

"You met him before he left?" She asked her with a surprised expression.

"Yes. 4am it was!" Mira paused.
"Didi... It's not hidden to you how I feel about him... I want him... But, I want you too." Mira's voice choked up as she continued to speak. "I want both of you to be with me."
Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at Bondita expectantly.

Bondita lowered herself to sit beside Mira. She wiped her tears gently and caressed her red cheeks.
"We both are here for you... Don't worry." She patted her head with a motherly tenderness. "And, what you feel for him is gratitude and comfort. It's not love Mira... Love is different. Love hitches your breath and stops your heartbeat everytime you see your beloved! Love is sacrificing your own happiness for the betterment of the other." Bondita spoke reflectively. "The way he did for me!"

The room fell silent as Mira started to fiddle with the edge of Bondita's saree while Bondita sat quietly beside her, thinking about Anirudh.

"Didi... He loves you a lot." Mira suddenly spoke as her head lay buried in Bondita's bosom.
"I know!" Bondita replied softly.

"You are very lucky. I have never known anyone to possess so much love in their heart." Mira's voice quivered as she spoke her words.

"I'm sure there is someone who would love you thus." Bondita tried to soothe her as her hands patted Mira's back gently.

"No one has ever loved me like the way he loves you!"
Mira sniffed up a sob as she finally parted herself from Bondita's embrace.
She pulled out the gold pin from her hair and handed it to Bondita.
"I know what this is." She pointed at the head of the pin. "It's an alphabet. It's 'B'... as in Bondita." She replied slowly. "He got it for you. It's yours."

Bondita didn't reply. Instead, she took the pin from her hand and pierced it back on Mira's hair.
"Take it... Now it's a gift from me to you!" Bondita cupped her face lovingly as Mira's eyes reflected the sisterly love that she felt for her.

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

"My dearest Bondita,
Apologies for not waking you up at dawn and handing this letter to you in person. (Although I won't deny it to be tempting enough to steal one farewell kiss from your sleepy lips.) It would take me about two day to wrap up the case and return back to your arms. ( I seriously have no idea how I'm going to stay away from you these two days.) So, wait up for me!
Lachman is accompanying me as I'll be in need of a valet at the court. Gobindo will be here to drive you if you need to go anywhere urgent. (Although I would strongly suggest you not to, unless it is necessary.) The two new gardeners will not come until I return. So, it's only you, Mira and Koeli who would be staying indoors. Be safe and keep everyone safe. Sleep in my room downstairs till I return. My bed and my pillows would remind you of my touch. (The safe in my room has money. Code is the year I met you.)
I would have crossed Dehradun border by the time you would read this letter. Send me a kiss, and the clouds shall float across and carry it to me. Also, a surprise awaits you once I return. So wait up and keep missing me the way I do.

Yours and only yours,
Husband (Would be?)
Anirudh. "

Bondita folded the letter as she held it close to her heart. It was the third time that she had read it! She kept the folded paper aside and picked up one of Anirudh's soft satin pillows, digging her nose in it and taking a big sniff from it's subtle fragrance.

"It indeed smells like you Barrister Babu... But, the smell is so faint... It's like you are here, and yet you are not." Bondita murmured to herself. "Such a big tease you are..." She giggled bashfully burying her head in his pillow as her body lay stretched lazily on his soft bed.

"I miss you Barrister babu... " She murmured again, closing her eyes to daydream about the things that she would do to him once he returns back to her arms.

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

Suresh had left for the hospital early in the morning as Kshitija stayed back in his house.
He had treated her with medical tenderness to relieve her from the soreness and pain that he had inflicted upon her the night before.

"Kshi... I'll be back before evening." Suresh told her lovingly. "I know it would be difficult for you to stay here all alone the entire day... But, I promise I'll be back before you know." He had hugged Kshitija gently as he spoke the words into her ears.

"I'm fine Suresh Babu. You go and do your work. And, I would need some money as well." Kshitija paused. "Don't worry... Not a lot... I just need Bheem to buy me some essentials."

"Kshitija... I'll get you whatever you need. And I keep the money in the cupboard upstairs. It's not locked. Take whatever you need. Everything is yours." Suresh planted a soft kiss on her forehead before driving away for the hospital.

Kshitija stood there for a while as the last trail of Suresh's car faded in the distance. She quickly went upstairs and opened the cupboard Suresh had mentioned.
Counting the notes in her hand, she quickly climbed down and stood at the open Verandah porch infront of the house. Taking a deep breath, she took out a small whistle from a knot in her saree and blew it out loud.

The sun was mild and the nature around reflected a sense of serene calmness, but the turmoil and anxiety in Kshitija's heart was too intense for her to notice and enjoy this pure beauty of the nature.
It wasn't long that two large masculine figures appeared infront of hers. They was dark and their gazes were fierce. One of them had a grotesque scar on his face.
Kshitija looked at them and smiled.

"Any news?" She asked.

"The man has gone out of town. Only one caretaker and one maid in the house."

"And the orphan?" She hissed the question as the two man looked at each other.

"The orphan stays inside the Banglow along with the wife.." one of them replied.

"You idiots!" Kshitija growled. "That's not his wife... That's the orphan, staying with the widow inside." She paused.
"You know what you have to do now. Take this money and go to the village." She handed over a note to the men as they bowed their heads gratefully at her.
"Get the villagers ready... Tell them how the widow has become a kept in the barrister's house. Once they take her, I'll deal with the orphan myself." Kshitija smiled evilishly as she gestured the two men with her eyes to leave the place.

"Now dear Bondita..." She murmured, "if Anirudh is not mine, he can't be yours either!"

She inhaled sharply in the hope of her upcoming triumph as her sore legs walked her back inside Suresh's empty bedroom.