"Barrister Babu..." Bondita called out softly as she peeped into the study room. The silence of the night was too overbearing for her low voice. Also, she was careful not to wake up Koeli or raise an alarm unnecessarily.

"Barrister Babu... You in there?" Bondita called out again, a little louder this time, as she pushed the door open.
She ran her eyes across the darkness as her voice reverberated in the empty room.

Bondita furrowed her eyebrows as she closed the door back.

"Why would he even say such a thing!... A VILE woman, it's very unlike him to use such a word!" The thought rang in her mind.

She stood there for a minute, thinking, before she finally started to walk back up to the stairs.
'Where did he go?' Bondita thought.
The heavy saree and the jewelleries were making enough jingles to wake entire  Dehradun up, and Bondita thought it might be the best idea to get rid of them, before she could go out and look for him... first, in the terrace, and then, in the estate garden.

She slowly walked up to her room, trying to avoid making a noise as much as possible. However, upon nearing the door, she stopped.
The door was wide open as the white floral curtains fluttered in the chilly night breeze. The moonlight had entered the room in abundance through the half opened window slits, and it was then that Bondita noticed Anirudh's tall figure lying in her bed, stretched out in disarray. The moon beam bathed his slender, greek god-like frame, making his face appear angelic! His silk tie was pulled down to his chest, his white shirt was disheveled and untucked.

Bondita inched closer, only to stumble on one of his boots that lay scattered on the floor, desperately in need of an arrangement.
Anirudh was sleeping like a small child, diagonally, in her bed, as if without a care in the world. Bondita moved further close to him and stood beside the bed, as she slowly raised her hand and placed it on his chest.

"Aaaaah.." Anirudh almost screamed in shock in his sleep-like state, as words muttered out from his mouth.
"No please... Don't touch me... Please... I'm married, I swear I'm.." His words were slurpy.

Bondita, too, jumped up at this suddenness.
She removed her hand from his chest and neared her face to him instead.
"Sshhh...! Anirudh it's me, Bondita." She hushed as she ran her fingers along his unkempt hair to calm him down.

It was either her name, or probably the soothing touch of her hand, Anirudh finally opened his eyes struggling against his heavy eyelids.

"Bondita..." He murmured. " Don't leave me Bondita."
He pulled her hand close to his chest, pressing it to his heart.
" Don't leave me please..."

Bondita sat down beside him.
"I won't leave you... I promise." She said lovingly.

"But... But... She is sitting in my room... don't let her touch me Bondita. I hated her touch." Anirudh's words were disarranged.

"Who are you talking about?" Bondita ran her free hand on his forehead as she asked the question with utmost tenderness.

Anirudh was quiet for a moment before he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"The vile one... Chi-Ti-ja" He muttered as he let out a childish chuckle, probably remembering how Davidson had pronounced the name.
"Only you can touch me... Here.." Anirudh looked at Bondita as he pointed towards his chest.

Bondita nodded her head in agreement and smiled back.
But, inside her head, she had already started to wage a war between what she had knew and what she just heard!
'Kshitija??' The name rang in her ears.
'How could she!!'

"Bondita..." Anirudh called out again.
"Have you seen my pillow?" He asked softly.

"Which one?"

Anirudh didn't answer, instead he pulled Bondita's small frame onto his chest, entrapping her into a giant bear hug.
"This pillow..." He remarked.
"I'm going to make you my pillow tonight." He inhaled the calming fragrance of her hair deeply.

Bondita lay her head on Anirudh's chest, listening to his heartbeat, as he held her close in a tight embrace.

"Barrister Babu, you are reeking of spirit." Bondita remarked.

"Yea right... Because I had spirit... And spirits stinks!" Anirudh's slurry words had started to find back their orientation a little.
"Let me freshen up."
Anirudh got up from the bed sloppily and pulled the tie over his head as he headed towards the washroom.
"Wait up for me tigress, will you..!" He winked.

"It's cold Barrister Babu... Don't bathe. Just wash up.. alright?" Bondita raised her voice a little as Anirudh entered the bathroom.
"And try not to latch the door." She added.

"Don't worry Tigress, I've seen worse!" Anirudh peered through the door and smiled meaningfully as he closed it back.

Bondita heard the sound of water splashing from inside as she quickly got up to get rid of the saree and change into her comfortable satin nightgown.

' Kshitija?? She touched him..!! When? How?' The questions kept hammering in her head as she opened the wardrobe to pull out a towel and one of Anirudh's nightsuit whose button she had sewn the other day.

It was after some generous minutes that Anirudh finally came out of Bondita's bathroom.
The bath had sobered him up considerably as he walked around confidently with only a towel wrapped around his lower waist.
Water droplets dripped from his hair making his body glitter in the silver moonlight.

"Aren't you feeling cold?" Bondita asked as her eyes followed him across the room.

"Umm.. a little." He turned around and smiled at her, as she pointed him towards the clothes and the towel.

"Are you tigress?... Feeling cold?" He asked as he removed the towel effortlessly from his lower body to replace it with the light blue cotton trousers.

"Ishhh..." Bondita closed her eyes with both her hands and blushed profusely as Anirudh flaunted his proud masculinity infront of her.
"Don't you have a little shame?" She murmured sheepishly.

"I'm shameless...!!" Anirudh smirked as he pounced on the soft bed trapping Bondita's petite frame, crushing her under his princely muscular physique.

"Let's become shameless together." Anirudh growled seductively as he started to tug at Bondita's nightgown.

"No.. No.. Anirudh... Not this one, don't!"

But before Bondita could complete her expression, Anirudh tugged at the front tussle so hard that it tore open a considerable portion of her soft flimsy nightgown, revealing a good view of her firm endowed assets.

"Grrr... Anirudhhhh!!" Bondita growled back as she grabbed a pillow and started smacking him lightly with it.

"So... War it is..!" Anirudh picked up another one in mock defence.

The duo decided to completely ignore the clock as it sounded the arrival of the midnight. Instead, they sprang on their knees on the soft cozy bed and caught themselves engaged in a playful pillow fight, with fluttering fluffy cotton feathers all around, as suddenly the mood and style of the innocent brawl took a dangerous seductive turn.

Anirudh had suddenly dropped his pillow and had caught hold of Bondita's both hands, making her release the grip.
The torn pillow fell from her hand as he placed her arms around his shoulders making her clutch his neck.
With one sudden drag, he held Bondita's waist and pulled her closer to him, making her acutely aware of his enigmatic presence.

Their bodies collided as Bondita's heartbeats touched Anirudh's.
Their eyes intensified their gaze on each other as their lips inched closer bridging the gap in between.

"Are you cold?" Anirudh hushed under his breath.

"A bit..." Bondita gaped as her beautiful bosom began to heave with rugged breathing.

"Let me warm you up tigress." Anirudh growled passionately as he moved away from Bondita's parted thirsty lips, without giving her the professed kiss, and started to devour at the crook of her neck instead.

"Aahh.. Ani... Aahh... Don't..." Bondita moaned scraps of words as her entire body started to wobble and tremble under Anirudh's overwhelming touch.