"Mira... You sure you want to do this?" Anirudh asked her politely as his eyes were fixed on her expectantly looking for an answer.

Mira was sitting on her bed, hurled up as she fidgeted with her fingers. She didn't reply to his question directly. Instead, she nodded her head slowly as her eyes bashfully met Anirudh's.

"You have just recovered. We can always do this later, you know!" Anirudh insisted softly again.

"I'm ready... " Mira replied as her lips curled up in a shy smile. "Let's do this."
Mira stretched her hands towards Anirudh as he placed two wrapped chocolates on them.

"Very well then... " Anirudh smiled broadly as he placed a small tin suitcase infront of her. "Your new books, slate and chalks are in here." He smiled again as he turned around. "And here is your new teacher." He looked at Bondita as he gestured her to come closer.

Mira smiled brightly at Bondita as her excited eyes started to unlock the small suitcase to examine their contents.

"Are you happy Mira?" Bondita asked softly as her fingers brushed through Mira's hair with utmost gentleness.

"Yes Didi... I am. I want to study and be like you." She said expectantly.
"And also... " She turned towards Anirudh. "Don't forget my Cha-ka-lets."

"No I won't.. " Anirudh laughed out loud and Bondita and Mira joined in... The gloomy guestroom had turned into a bright sunshine as a combined resonance of their laughter reverberated through it's walls.

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

It's been a tough few weeks after Mira had regained her consciousness. Not only Bondita and Anirudh, but also Suresh had committed himself to the cause of making Mira's life better. They treated her with medicine, care and tenderness, which Mira lacked all her life. And, one idea on which all three coincided was to get Mira educated.

"Education is the only weapon that can liberate women." Anirudh had remarked.
And it was then that they decided Bondita would take up the responsibility of educating Mira in the preliminary stage before she gets an admission at the convent.

Once recovered, Mira had readily agreed to this proposition. In a chokey voice and with teary eyes, she had thanked Anirudh for considering her with this opportunity.

"Nobody has ever done anything like this for me." She had folded her hands together to thank him heartily.

"You deserve this Mira... "Anirudh had replied taking her joined hands in his. "You deserve to be happy."

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

"Didi... "Mira spoke slowly to Bondita as Anirudh got up to leave the two ladies along with the books. "They say women who study becomes a widow. Is that true?" She asked with widened eyes.

Anirudh stopped on his way out and turned around.

"Who told you so?" Bondita asked her gently, but in her heart she felt a sharp twitch at her innocent question.

"Everybody says so... " Mira replied.

"Mira..." Bondita replied calmly. "Once you understand the greatness and power of education, you will be able to find the answer yourself."
She took a deep breath trying to put a smiling face infront of her.

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

It's been a few days that Anirudh and Bondita had been debating as how to break the news of her husband's death to Mira.
"What if she breaks down?" Bondita had argued.

"But it's not ethical to keep her in the dark Bondita... Haven't you seen how fondly she applies sindoor on her forehead every morning?" Anirudh had remarked.

"But.... " In her heart Bondita knew he was right, but still somehow she wanted to stall the news to save Mira from the imminent pain. "Alright, Barrister Babu... I'll tell her... In due time!"

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

Anirudh heard Mira's innocent question and Bondita's diplomatic answer. He shared a meaningful glance with Bondita before leaving the room.
Mira was staring at her face.

"Didi... Can I ask you another question?" She asked again.

Bondita nodded her head lovingly.
"You can ask me any question Mira... You only learn by asking questions." She said.

"Didi... Who is he to you?"

For a moment, Bondita was taken aback by the abruptness of her innocent question. She thought for a moment to gauge the right answer appropriate for the moment.

"Umm... Barrister Babu is my protector." Bondita replied.

"Oh.. as he is my protector as well?" Mira asked again.

Bondita nodded her head in reply with a smile laced on her face.
"We both are your protectors." She replied.

"So... You, too, were married to a bad person before." Mira asked.

"No Mira... He saved me from my marriage alter before the bad person could marry me." Bondita replied.

The room fell silent again.

"I'm the unlucky one... "Mira paused as her eyes teared up with emotions. "Why am I so unlucky didi?" She asked Bondita earnestly.

Bondita stood up from the chair and sat beside her in the bed instead. She extended her arms to Mira and held her close to her bosom.

"You are not unlucky Mira... No one is unlucky. You are blessed that now you have the chance to decide your own luck." Bondita patted her head as the red vermillion strain on Mira's forehead mocked her with a strange disdain.

"We are the same then?" Mira asked again as Bondita hummed an yes in reply.

Mira's head was rested on Bondita's shoulder as Bondita started to rub her back gently.

"Mira... Tell me about your husband. How was he like?" Bondita asked trying to build a ground for her conversation.

Mira sat up with a forlorn expression on her face.
"He was old... " She recalled. "He was rude. He would... He would beat me for everything I did." Mira paused. "He would ask me to do horrible things to him at night... painful things..."
Bondita saw the terror reflected in Mira's eyes as she continued to speak from her memory.
"And then one day... He fell sick... very sick. And... and then... his brother... "
Mira couldn't speak anymore. Her voice choked as her hands automatically covered her face with an intense horror.

Bondita sat quietly for the next few moments, giving Mira time to recover from her horrified past memories, before she spoke again.
Her voice was even gentler this time.

"Why do you still wear sindoor Mira... When the old man never treated you with a wife's respect."

"Respect?" Mira looked up at Bondita's face as she furrowed her eyebrows towards her.
She touched her parted hairline with her fingers, smearing some vermillion as she brought them infront her eyes.

"I don't know any better Didi... I don't know any better." Mira spoke slowly. "Since the time I could remember, I've always worn this sindoor. Now, it seems that this has become a part of me... I don't know any better!"

Bondita swallowed hard.
"At what age were you married?" She asked.

Mira leaned back on the bedrest and carefully picked up a chocolate, unwrapping it with utmost gentleness.
"Three!" She replied, putting the cha-ka-let in her mouth, happily munching away her sorrows.