"Alright, a little hiccup Bondita... Just don't panic!"
Anirudh started the ignition of his Black Ford as Bondita rolled her eyes at him, adjusting herself in the seat.
"Mira's in-laws are outside the hospital... They are waiting to claim the newborn if it turns out to be a boy."

"WHAT?" Bondita yelled out. "After all these they get to CLAIM Mira's baby?"

"Don't panic... I have already sent Lachman to inform Davidson and Heinrich. They'd be in the hospital soon. Just hope Mira is fine." Anirudh restlessly shifted in the driver's seat while steering the wheel towards the direction of the hospital.
"Don't panic.... There is absolutely nothing to worry." He murmured.

Bondita turned towards him, sensing his uncomfortable fidgeting, as a short laugh escaped from her lips.
"Guess who is panicking now?"
She pressed his arms firmly with her hands and gaqqve it a little squeeze.

"Don't worry Barrister Babu... Everything will be fine. And, I'm here with you!"

Anirudh smiled back at her as he exhaled a long held breath.

"Tell me something Barrister Babu, why is it that Mira's in-laws get to claim the baby?" Bondita asked, curiosity evident in her tone.

"Mira is still a minor Bondita. And, we don't have any legal claim on her. I mean we could adopt her, but that process would take long. So, legally Mira's in-laws are still her guardian and has claims on her baby as per the paternity right." Anirudh paused after speaking the words in one breath.

"Hm... Adopt Mira and become grandparents at once... Not a bad idea grandpa." Bondita winked at him mischievously, mellowing down the intensity of the moment.

Anirudh smiled back in a lighthearted grin.
"I'd definitely love some grandkids someday... But, for now, first let me slowly teach you how to make babies."
Anirudh smirked naughtily as he noticed the red tinge on Bondita's cheeks.
"What now, don't you want to have babies with me?"

Bondita nodded her head slowly.
"I do..."

"Hm... That's what I thought. My baby is all prepared to have babies." Anirudh laughed out loud. "But, Shona, I'd like you to grow up and study a little more at first... Then, babies for sure."

"Dhatt... Barrister babu... You are just so incorrigible!" Bondita slapped his arms lightly as she looked out of the window, bathing in the silvery moonlight amidst the inevitable darkness.

"Barrister Babu... You know I have been thinking something." Bondita suddenly spoke breaking the silence abruptly.

"What is it Bondita?"

"It's about that typing font. Although I can't recall where, but I have seen it somewhere... I'm very certain." She paused. "But, when I checked all the letters that we've received here, it matched none... I'm wondering where might I have seen..."

The car stopped with an abrupt halt as the screeching noise of the brake echoed through the night.
"We're here... Get down." Anirudh interrupted her in mid-sentence.  "Bondita, let's go inside quickly as there will be prying eyes around."

Anirudh parked the car and got out from his seat, as he held Bondita's door open, helping her out of the car.
He guided her inside the hospital building as they saw a few known faces mobbing infront of the entrance.

"Mira's in-laws?" Bondita hushed as Anirudh nodded his head sharply in affirmation.

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"Good that you are here too, Anirudh."
Dr. Suresh rushed in as he saw the couple approaching the maternity ward.

"You are here Suresh Da? So, who is with Mira?

Suresh smiled a little at Anirudh's question.
"Don't worry. I got a renowned doctor from the city... Mira is in good hands... It's just that after that incident, I just couldn't focus..."
Suresh couldn't complete his sentence as a dark cloud enveloped his calm demeanor.

"I understand Suresh Da." Anirudh lifted his hand, as he squeezed Suresh's shoulder in assurance.

"Bondita, my mother is also here... " He smiled at Bondita pointing towards the direction outside the labour room.
"Any minute now you see... It's always good to see a new life's blooming... new slate... new hope!" Suresh's voice drifted off to some unknown surrealism, and Bondita couldn't help but sense a small quiver of regret and hopelessness in his tone.

Anirudh pressed Bondita's hands firmly as they saw a midwife coming out of the labour room. They rushed towards her along with Dr Suresh, as the women flashed a bright smile on her wrinkled face.

"Doctor Babu... It's a son!" The lady cheered happily as Anirudh and Bondita exchanged a happy glance with each other.
"I guess Mira always knew this!" Anirudh murmured as he sat down on one of the chairs in the corridor.

"But, the trouble begins now Anirudh... Do you think her in-laws would just let her and her son be? Never!"
Suresh let out a deep sigh as he expressed his concerns to him.

"So? What are you suggesting?" Anirudh furrowed his eyebrows.

"You are the law abider... You tell me Barrister Roy Chowdhury." Suresh asked him as they saw superintendent Davidson approaching them with rapid steps.

"The mob downstairs is getting restless. First, it's so unlikely to get a girl in the hospital to give birth among men. And second, they got to know the gender of the baby!" Davidson pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the droplets of exertion, evident on his pink forehead.
"What does the law say Anirudh?" Davidson looked at the Barrister expectantly as the doctor joined him.

Anirudh's face turned grim.
"As per the law, we can't stop them from taking Mira and her newborn... Unless..."

"Unless??" Bondita jumped up.

"Unless we beat the law with the club of customs... We need to get Mira married so that the son gets a father's name, and Mira, a guardian."
He turned towards Davidson as the superintendent jumped back a few steps away from him.

"Woo mate... You aren't possibly thinking that I'm gonna marry the girl, are you?" Davidson wiped his face again.
"I'm a stern catholic, deputed in India only for six months... My family would disown me if I..."

Even in this moment of absolute gravity, Bondita couldn't help but pressed her lips in amusement as Anirudh raised his hand to stop his friend, relieving him from the burden of this sudden strain.

"Barrister Roy Chowdhury?"
Anirudh turned around as an elderly nurse came out of the labour room holding a small bundle in her arms, and everyone standing there couldn't help but smile as they heard the soft cooing noise coming out of it.

The nurse held the bundle up towards Anirudh.
"Here, you can hold him now..."

Anirudh extended his arms, taking the cooing bundle carefully in his arms.
"Bondita... Look... Isn't he exquisite!" Anirudh gasped as he lowered the newborn, revealing his calm angelic countenance to her.

"He is... Indeed!"
Bondita smiled happily.
"What shall we call him?"

"Anirudh!" The old nurse interjected. "The boy is to be named 'Anirudh', the mother has been very specific about it."

Both Bondita and Barrister Anirudh smiled in unison as they gazed at the cooing newborn lovingly, murmuring motherese to him.
"Hello Anirudh junior... Welcome!"

"Here, give him to me son... "
Meenarani Debi's soft voice came from behind as Anirudh turned around, ready to hand the baby to Suresh's mother.

"And, Bondita Maa... I heard the doctor inside asked for Mira's old medical reports." She paused, extending a paper file towards her. "Here... I got all her reports since you had brought her in Suru's camp." She smiled brightly as her free arms were now ready to embrace the little angel in her soft grandmotherly warmth.
She started muttering baby talks as young Anirudh continued cooing happily.

"What should I write as the boy's last name?" The old nurse asked again, looking expectantly at the young men standing there.

"Sire... Sire... The crowd below is not listening... They have got the village headman as well..." Ganesh Lal was panting as he spoke the words in one breath. "We have five constables posted but how long...."

Davidson looked up at the helpless sub-inspector as his gaze turned back to Anirudh.

"We don't have much time mate... So, what do you think could be done?"

One of the phosphorus tube light flickered in the long hospital corridor as the silhouettes standing there experienced varied emotions, battling with their inner do's and don'ts.
Anirudh was lost in grave thoughts as Suresh and Davidson stood beside him.

Bondita, however, was busy ruffling the pages of Mira's old medical reports, skimming the papers, as her eyes became narrower and her jaws clenched in an unknown agitation.
Her eyebrows furrowed deeper and her dark eyes started to review the pages once again from the beginning, as if to ascertain a dreadful apprehension.

"Chatterjee!" Suresh spoke up suddenly breaking the silence of the moment, and his voice had startled Bondita to the core, breaking her trance.
"Write his name as Anirudh Chatterjee. Son of Dr. Suresh Chatterjee!"

Bondita looked up slowly, lifting her eyes from the papers to the doctor's face.
Barrister Anirudh had already tied him up in a happy embrace as the superintendent congratulated him on his new acclaimed paternity.
Meenarani also looked happy, as she eyed her son with pride and love, with tears of joy beaming from her eyes.

"Bondita?" Anirudh called her.

Bondita didn't reply. She was rooted in her place and her face had turned completely white. She swallowed a dry lump on her throat as she felt a pit in her stomach.
Her heart started to wrench and her head reeled as she looked down at the old medical reports once again...
All had the same alignment, with the alphabet -r- slightly raised than the rest... And, all these reports were typed by one person, only one...
Dr. Suresh Chatterjee!

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Guys keep voting once from the beginning 🤪 I'd like to get out of this 13 number asap. 😉