"Mrs. Bondita Anirudh Roy Chowdhury..!"

Bondita was standing at the door, as she turned around hearing Anirudh's voice.
Suresh had just left, and she had walked him to the door.
Bondita smiled gently as she walked back towards the bed.

"Bondita..." Anirudh called out again, a little gently this time. " Hope I didn't offend you!" He said. "Suresh was repeatedly fumbling to address you, and I didn't like it. Hence..." Anirudh paused as his eyes looked expectantly at Bondita's face, searching for an answer.

Bondita smiled back.
"I did not get offended."

"But, I should have taken your permission before..." Anirudh said.

"I understand Barrister Babu. You don't have to explain yourself." Bondita replied, cutting his words mid-sentence.

Anirudh breathed loudly, as if to show how her answer had relieved a heavy weight from his chest.
He stretched his right hand out to Bondita as she placed her hand in his, filling the gaps between the fingers.

"See, that's what I like about you... You understand." He remarked.

Bondita raised her eyebrow in mock suspicion as her lips curved a beautiful smile on her face.
"Really?" She asked.

"Ahaan.. really. You understand my needs, my likes and dislikes, my pleasure and comforts... You understand me like no one ever did."

Bondita smiled brightly at his words.

"And, Bondita, you never make me do or EAT things that I don't like to... That's the best part..." He stressed upon the word 'eat' and grinned childishly.

"Ahh.. now I see where exactly this is going..." Bondita furrowed her eyebrows and rolled her lips making a chuckling noise. "You almost had me... but, not a chance, Barrister Babu."

"Please Bondita, don't make me do this... I hate the taste of quinine above everything else in my life." He pleaded like a little boy. "My tongue would taste bitter for a whole week Bondita... How will I kiss you?" He pouted his lips innocently.

"Don't kiss me then!" Bondita replied back.

"Now that's a harsh punishment... Who punishes a sick man?"

"I do... " Bondita planted a kiss in the air along with her words. "Now, lie down quietly. I'll quickly run down and prepare something light for you."
She kissed the back of Anirudh's palm lovingly before dashing out of the door.

"Prepare something good... Not light!" Anirudh spoke up as he heard her footsteps fading away in the stairs.

"Gosh... I love her!" Anirudh sighed as he lay back in the bed, closing his eyes in a sweet daydream.

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

As the day rolled lazily for Anirudh, Bondita kept busy in the kitchen, administering the food preparation. She made a simple strew with garden vegetables, and baked fresh bread for him.
'The foreign return Barrister is pretty choosy about taste, especially when sick', she thought as she poured her best efforts into the meals.

It was around midday when Bondita finally came upstairs to her room to wake Anirudh up. She placed her hand gently on his forehead as he opened his eyes slowly. She felt the heat of his body searing through his skin.
"Bondita... " His voice was chokey. " Where were you?"

"I'm right here... Try to get up a little now." She smiled sweetly at him, helping him to sit up leaning his back on the bedrest.

"You know I feel more sick when you are not around." He said as his eyes dropped down to the tray that Bondita had brought.
"I don't feel like eating." He said.

Bondita didn't reply. Instead she dipped a soft cotton cloth in a bowl of lukewarm water and carefully wiped Anirudh's face with it.
"Does that feel good?" She asked him softly.

Anirudh nodded his head and smiled.
"Everything feels good when you touch me." He replied.

"You never miss a chance, do you?" Bondita smiled back.
"Now be a lamb and eat the food."

"Would you be feeding me?" He asked.

"Will you eat if I do?"

"I'll be ready to eat poison in a heartbeat, if you feed me." Anirudh smirked lightly.

"No... Just soup and bread today." Bondita chuckled as she heard Anirudh's sweet talks.
"Now quickly open your mouth."

Bondita had fed Anirudh and he ate heartily. There was a natural, easy happiness that was reflected in their demeanor!
Suddenly, his eyes fell on the bedside table.
"Bondita, who's letter is that?" He asked.

Bondita was clearing the plates.
"Yours." She replied back. "Came in the morning."

Anirudh strained his eyes to read the letter, as Bondita prepared to leave.
" Who wrote it?"

Anirudh didn't reply. Instead Bondita saw his face brighten up as he skimmed the letter.
"Have lunch and come back fast. I'll tell you." He told her with a suppressed excitement in his voice, as his eyes remained glued to the white sheet.

.................
The letter was encrypted, written on a plain white sheet of paper without any letterhead. The envelope was sealed with a regular glue with no emblem on it. Anirudh opened it carefully and started to read the words.

"Dear Seeker of Truth,
I'm extremely exhilarated to inform you that your assumptions were immaculate.
The house was built on an illegally acquired land that originally belongs to the state. The man has a dark history. Also, the mother had disappeared mysteriously twelve years ago, no one reported a case! The boy, a freak, stalks some Bengali girl from the British convent. The lady, however, is a poison. Beware!
Doing what needs to be done.

Yours ever,
The loverboy from college. "

Anirudh crumpled the letter into a ball, as his face carved into a meaningful smirk. He folded his arms over his head and leaned back resting his head on them. His eyes were closed in a triumphed contentment.
"Now... " He sighed, "the game has begun!"

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

"Barrister Babu.." Bondita called him softly as she held a small glass in her hand.
Anirudh opened his eyes slowly and smiled at her.

"What's in it?" He asked.

"Poison." She replied pressing a smile in her lips. " Gobble it up fast." She commanded.

Anirudh took the glass from her hand and did as instructed, his face convulsed as the bitter liquid passed through his throat.

"Good boy. Now..." Bondita smiled as she took the glass away from him, keeping it aside.
Anirudh didn't wait for her to finish. Instead, with one sudden pull, he made her fall on the bed, adjusting her soft frame beside him.

"Barrister Babu... I have work to do." Bondita hushed as her heart started to beat rapidly entrapped in his embrace.

"That can wait... I need you."
There was a strong magnetic urge in his voice and Bondita couldn't help but feel a familiar tingling sensation running down her spine.

Anirudh lay beside her, and when Bondita tried to wiggle to free herself, he put an arm around her shoulders and held her down.

"Lay still and let me feel you." He said as he took his arm away from her shoulders, wrapping her waist instead.

"Why?" Bondita breathed the question softly.

"Because I like to feel you, and you like when I do so." He replied in a husky voice.

"How would you know I do?" Bondita heavy breathing was muddling her words, as she decided to tease him with her words.

"So, you don't like when I touch you?"
There was a hint of serious seduction in his voice.
Bondita swallowed hard. Suddenly, she was afraid that if she lies then probably Anirudh would take this to the next level.

"I didn't say that... It's alright." She  smiled, choosing her words cautiously.

Anirudh grabbed her chin and made her turn around to face him.

"Is my touch just 'alright'?"

He asked as he let go of her chin and traced down her neck with a soft touch of his fingers, inching further south of her body. He lowered his face on her body and clenched her saree with his lips, removing it away from her bosom. Bondita felt his hot breath on her bare skin as he pulled her blouse down her left shoulder, revealing her unblemished white skin in view.
His mouth inched closer and his tongue started to lick her skin wet.
Bondita's pulse quickened as she let out an unforeseen moan from her lips.

Anirudh looked up.

"I thought so...!" He smirked, as he lay back in his original position, spooning her from behind.

"Devil", Bondita hushed.

"Hmm... You got that right." He hummed into the nape of her neck as his grip tightened on her body.