The rain poured incessantly.
The water washed over Bondita's bare skin so strongly that it felt as if she was in the flow of a river rather than a rain shower, and Bondita couldn't resist but to go with this dangerous flow.

Suresh stood infront of her, with a bewildering expression on his grim face, shadowed by the darkness and the rainfall. He held the shiny knife reflecting sharpness, in his right hand as his left hand moved up ruffling his own hair in dismay.

"What... How do you know this to be true? Suresh asked her sharply.
"How can you be sure that Kshitija was expecting?"

"From the police files... Why don't you go check them once."
Bondita's voice was calm and fearless.

"Argh... God...!"
Suresh growled as he covered his face with his hands.
"It's all because of you... Bondita... You destroyed our lives. I was happy with Kshitija, untill you introduced her to Anirudh!"

He turned towards Bondita and cried out loud.
"I never meant to kill Kshitija. My life ended the very day when she died. She's the only woman I have ever loved... and, now I've lost everything." Suresh gasped for breath.
"I hate you Bondita... And, I hate your husband... I hate Anirudh!"

"But, I don't hate you Suresh Da."
A strong familiar voice emerged out from the darkness, as Bondita looked up and let out a deep sigh of relief.
Anirudh had crept behind Suresh and had gripped his hand that had held the sharp knife. With a tight tug, he made Suresh drop the knife on the ground, with a soft clanking sound.

Suresh turned his head to look at Anirudh as he broke down into tears.

"Why don't you hate me Anirudh? Why?"
He sobbed the question, sinking his body in the muddy ground, as he buried his face in his hands.

"I don't hate you because I understand you... Your situation... Your helplessness."
Anirudh's voice was firm yet compassionate.

"Anirudh I... I... thought of harming you too... How can you not hate me?" Suresh stammered the question in between his sobs.

Anirudh leaning forward and held Suresh up by his shoulders.
"Stand up Suresh Da... It's raining a lot... Let's go inside and talk."

He held Suresh and walked slowly towards the shaded porch in the kitchen garden as Suresh sank down in one of the cane chairs haplessly.
Bondita had followed them as she stood silently behind Anirudh.

"Sit down Bondita." Anirudh gestured her coldly as he pulled a chair infront of Suresh.

"Consider me your attorney. Now tell me Suresh Da... Why did you write that letter to Kshitija?"
Anirudh asked firmly.

Suresh looked up at Anirudh blankly, trying to gauge the beginning of his story.

"Things had changed after Kshitija met you Anirudh. She started to long for you... And, it was evident in her behaviour." Suresh paused, wiping the water from his face. "Then after the Holi celebration, her longing turned into an obsession! She framed her brother to defame Bondita... And, she intended to make you fall for her as well... But, when her plans didn't succeed, she plotted to murder Bondita." Suresh looked up meeting Bondita's curious gaze.

"That night when you were kidnapped, it was not you who was meant to be taken... Kshitija had planned the entire plot meticulously. Mira was to be taken by the villagers and once, Bondita's was alone in the Banglow, she had planned to burn her alive here. Her goons had already worked out a detailed plan of the interior of this hourse." Suresh paused.

"Hm... Bheem and Raghav worked here as waged labourers." Anirudh breathed the words softly.

"So, when that plan didn't succeed, she used me to reach you... She had agreed to marry me so that she could get her status back in the society and could be close to you... But, by then, I had known all her plans... I tried to reason with her, I tried to make her understand how much I love her, but nothing worked... It was always you Anirudh... It was Always YOU!"
Suresh broke down into fits of wailing once again as Anirudh extended his arms to squeeze his shoulder tenderly.

"Why did you write the letter Suresh Da?" Anirudh asked again.

Suresh looked up.
"Because of You Anirudh... I wanted to be you!" Suresh coughed up his tears and started to speak again.
"She was so smitten by you that I thought, if I can be you... I can make her feel that I can be no less than Anirudh Roy Chowdhury, then probably she would start loving me." Suresh looked at Anirudh earnestly.
"Love made me a shameless person Anirudh. I broke into your house and wore your bathrobe and lay in your tub." Suresh's voice broke.
"I thought, I'd surprise Kshitija and compel her to love me... But, things got ugly."

Anirudh had narrowed his eyes as he tried to make a mental note of every word that Suresh spoke.
"So, what happened after?"

"What I didn't know that Kshitija had a different plan in her mind. She carried a knife thinking that the letter could be a ruse that you might have used to lure her into something. So, she intended to kill you... So when she saw a man in the dimly lit tub, she thought it to be you. And, before I could say anything she started to undress." Suresh swallowed hard.
"But once she realised it's me, she got infuriated and her rage knew no bound.
She insulted me and my mother with abhorring words..." Suresh paused taking a deep breath.
"And, I won't lie Anirudh, I got infuriated too... What not I had done for her, and yet she pinned for you. I had slapped her once, and she had ran that sharp knife right through my arm. I tried to calm her down... But she... She won't listen..." Suresh paused again.
"She had disregarded my love completely. She wore the same benarasi that I had given her for our wedding. And, when I told her so, she removed it completely from her body. She had carried a small can of vermillion as well, she suddenly smeared her forehead with it and said 'now I'm married to Anirudh'. And, when I objected saying that she needed medical help, she raised the knife to strike me... I resisted, I twisted her hand and she lost her balance, making the knife pierce her neck instead." Suresh covered his face with his hands again, recalling the horrific details of the night.
"Anirudh, I'm not lying even a bit as I have nothing more to lose... That night, I had panicked. So I lay her lifeless body inside the water-filled tub and left."
He looked at Bondita again.
"But now, that I came to know the cruel truth about my unborn baby, I have no wish to live! I want to die Anirudh... I want to die."

Anirudh held Suresh's hand firmly, trying to comfort him with his assurance. He turned towards Bondita as he spoke softly.
"Can you please get a glass of water for him?"

Bondita left immediate as Anirudh sat with the doctor, trying to soothe him from the trauma.
"Suresh Da... You can't change what has happened. But, you have the power to write a brighter future. You are alive, this means you still have the chance to do good."

Anirudh smiled warmly as Suresh wiped his eyes to look at him.
"We have to take care of two things Suresh Da. First, get Rishit out from the jail. It wasn't fair on your part to frame him for the crime that he hasn't commited." Anirudh paused. "And, next you have a second chance of redeeming your mistakes by marrying Mira and giving her the life she deserves."

Suresh nodded at his words silently.
"I'll do whatever you say Anirudh... Anything... Anything at all... I'll marry Mira whenever you say. And, I'll testify in favour of Rishit."

Bondita had arrived with a glass of water and Suresh gulped the liquid at one go.

"Suresh Da... I'll get a bail for Rishit tomorrow, and you will marry Mira the day after... From here...the Roy Chowdhury Banglow."

Suresh nodded.
"I'll... I'll marry her the day after!"