ShriRam: We all have a Ram and a Ravaan in us... Once you conquer your ego, and let you humble self devote to the feet of Dharma, you would have conquered the Ravaan in you... It's your path... It's your Dharma what you would choose!

Lakshman: But how do we know the path of one's true Dharma?

ShriRam: Listen to your heart... But, judge with your mind. Choose between the good and the evil and always stand up against whatever is unjust... Dharma will be with you.

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The final act of RamLeela was getting enacted in the Roy Chowdhury's premises as every single soul sat with rapt attention to listen to Lord Ram's discourse of right and wrong, good and evil.
Even Anirudh and Batuk, sat beside each other and watched the play... occasionally discussing the words spoken by ShriRam with each other.

"Dada... It that case, even Ravaan was following his own Dharma, isn't it? I mean the concept is very relative. What is right to me might be wrong to someone else. I'm sure Ravaan must have thought that whatever he was doing is just."

Anirudh heard his little brother speak and couldn't help but feel proud at his ideas.
"But, Batuk. There is always a line between just and unjust... good and bad... right and wrong. If you read Ramayana, you would see that at his end, Ravaan confessed that what he did was wrong and asked for redemption from Shiva...
Hence, he is a glorified villain." Anirudh hushed.
"Mind works in a funny way Batuk, no matter which way you decide to go, mind would always counter your decision, and that's when you have to use your rationality and judgements to decide what's your Dharma."

"What's my Dharma Dada?" Batuk asked innocently.

"What do you think?" Anirudh asked him in reply.

"I want to help people, I want to do something good to the society... Like you!"

"Sorted then... Persuing a greater good is your Dharma... Our Dharma."

"What are you two blabbering!"
Trilochan let out a groan of displeasure as the two brothers winked a smile at each other.

"It's always to insightful to talk to you, Dada."
Anirudh ruffled Batuk's hair lovingly.

"I'm proud of the fine young man that you have grown into.."

The final battle started as the actors announced a short break from the performance.

Trilochan walked up to the couch where Bondita was seated with other women.

"Bahu... Ahem... Go and get ready!" He commanded.
"Anirudh will be there in another hour."
He looked away from the women sitting beside her and threw a command in the air.
"You ladies go and get her prepared... You know what to do!"

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

"Put the red roses, not the pink ones."
Bondita instructed Parul as she pinned the roses beautifully in her bun.
Bondita wore an off-white Benarasi with a thick red border laced with golden works. The gold jewelleries were artistically worn too, matching the occasion. Her feet and hands were painted with scarlet Alta once again. Her hairline was smeared with vermillion as a golden maangtika adorn her head.
She wore matching jhumkas and a big round naath with a chain that was pinned to her hair loosely. She wore no blouse, and her bare shoulder was painted with designs from white sandalwood paste. Similar design was made on the flat of her forehead, above the brows.

"Bahurani... You look like a goddess!" Rani gasped as Bondita finally stood up from her dressing stool and stood infront of them. She adjusted her armlet and bangles, resonating a beautiful jingling music. Her thick gold waist chain and her anklets aided equally to that beautiful music.

"Barrister Babu will faint tonight!"
Parul teased her, as her heart was truly awed by the mesmerizing beauty that stood infront.

"Our Anirudh Babu is Lord Krishna himself... He is no less", objected Sadhana Kaki who stood infront, administering the preparations.

"Bondita Bahu... If your mother-in-law would have been alive today, she would have told you these words, but alas!" Sadhana Kaki let out a sharp sigh.
"Bahu, as you walked inside the room, you are no longer Bondita, but Anirudh's wife... Don't deny your husband... Of anything..." She forced on the last words.
"And, always remember, men loves obedient wives... Do not lift your veil unless he does so... And, give him this glass of milk."
Rani handed her a brass tray with a glass of milk on it.
"Remember bahu, making your husband happy and content should be your first priority." Sadhana Kaki remarked as Parul, Rani and two other women took Bondita out of her room, heading towards her new room, to embark on a new journey of her life.

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

Clanking of metals, and battle cries emerged from the courtyard as the women took Bondita to the door of her new bedroom. She had expected to reach before, she had planned to sit on the beautifully decorated, flower clad bed, before the arrival of her husband. She had expected him to approach her slowly, building her anticipation and then lift her veil gradually to reveal her angelic face.
But, upon reaching , Bondita realised that her husband was already inside the room, ruffling some papers with a grave expression.

She entered inside the room gradually, taking her time and producing as much jingling noise as possible to grab her husband's attention.
The women outside had expected a stupified groom, outwitted by his bride's beauty, they had thought of cracking a joke or two as well.... But, Anirudh's grave demeanor and nonchalant attitude made them fasten the door without any interjection.

Anirudh's heart started to pound the moment he had sensed Bondita's presence at the door. He clenched his teeth and took a deep breath, keeping a calm demeanor to match up to his thought-out ploy.

"There you are Bondita... Come... Come and sit." Anirudh spoke nonchalantly making her frown a bit.
He made no attempts of looking at her for he knew one glance of her face would make him go weak on his knees.
And, as for Bondita, she was baffled by this sudden unexpected informality from him.

"Sit Bondita... !"
Anirudh lifted his head and gestured her towards the large flower clad bed.
In his heart he thanked his stars that her face was veiled from his eyes.

Bondita walked slowly towards the bed and sat down on the edge.

"You know what this is?" Anirudh showed her a piece of paper and asked.

"No." Bondita replied inaudibly, but her voice created a havoc in his heart.

"It's your admission form... Which you won't be needing anymore." Anirudh tore the form in two halves as he saw Bondita almost jump on the bed.

"But, why did you tear it?"
She asked politely, with an eagerness laced in her voice.

"Because, it's of no use." Anirudh let out a sigh and turned towards her.

"Did you get the glass of milk?" He asked her casually and Bondita nodded her head.
She lifted her right hand to point at the side table where the tray was kept.
Anirudh got a glimpse of her creamy bare shoulder, painted with sandal. Her slender artistic fingers pointed their red tips towards the glass.
His breath hitched at the sight!
Her entire being was reflecting the aura of intoxicating sensuality and Anirudh for a moment felt powerless.

"Perfect!" He cleared his throat.
"Drink the milk fast... You will need it... And then let's make a baby...!" Anirudh paused to register her body language.
"Come on hurry up... We need atleast three rounds tonight!"

Bondita lifted her head a little, revealing her red quivering lips and a partial glimpse of the round naath that she wore.

"Three rounds?" For what?" She asked with a trembling voice.

Anirudh let out a laugh.
"You want a baby... So, let's make it... I'm sure you know how it's done."
Anirudh inched a little forward to her as he saw her retreating back in the bed a little.
He smiled.

"Bondita, do you know how a baby is made?" He asked her again, with a firmness in his voice.

Bondita nodded her head.

"Excellent! Atleast we won't be wasting time in any explanation." Anirudh inched even closer and grabbed her wrist.

"Wha... What are you doing?" Bondita murmured, trying to free her hand from him.

"What do you mean?" Anirudh asked her.
"I'm giving you the wedding gift that you wished for... Remember what I said... Your wish is my command... Moreover, you made me swore." Anirudh bent a little forward towards her.
"And, I'm keeping my oath."

"Wait! Barrister babu... Listen to me!" Bondita cried out.

"What happened Bondita?" His voice mellowed down a bit.
"Don't you want this?... Don't you want us to have a baby?"

"I do..." Her voice cracked, cracking Anirudh's wrenching heart in the process.
"But... But, not like this!"

"Like what?" Anirudh asked her.
"Bondita this is how a baby is made... I go inside you and..."

Anirudh pushed her on the bed, and made her fall on the soft pillow. He hovered over her with an urgency and grabbed her waist roughly. His right hand still held her left as he pinned her on top of her head.
Her face was still veiled, revealing only her trembling lips.
Anirudh's heart wrenched.

"Ah.." Bondita let out a sudden scream as he realised that his pressure on her wrist had broken the conch-made Sankha in three pieces.
Anirudh didn't react. Instead, he moved his left hand down her knee drawing the hem of her saree, uplifting it till her thighs.

"Stop... Barrister babu... Stop...!"
Bondita pushed Anirudh aside forcefully and got up from the bed.
"We love each other, this doesn't need to be like this?" She almost sobbed the words.

"Like what?"

"This!... Whatever you are doing... " Bondita broke down into tears.
"Coming closer to you never felt wrong, even when we weren't married... But, now... Now, it felt so wrong!"

Anirudh didn't reply. He sat quietly on the bed listening to her words carefully.

"I want us to have a baby... I understand you don't, not right now... So, let's wait a little then... I don't want this to be an imposed feeling." Bondita blurted the words in a breath.

"Imposed? You made me swear it! What were you thinking then, Bondita?" Anirudh asked calmly.
"You are an adult now, my wife... You have to learn to own up your words... I'm owning up mine!"

Bondita stood quietly for a minute before she started to speak again.

"Barrister babu, I understand what you feel about having a baby, but why can't you see that a woman can both bear a life and make a profession at the same time."
She looked at her wrist again, rubbing the wound.
"You hurt me!"

"Is it paining Bondita?" He asked in a calm voice.
"But, you should be preparing yourself for such pain... The entire process of childbirth is a thousand time more painful than this."

He picked up the broken pieces of Sankha from the bed and put it in his pocket.

"That pain is beautiful! Every woman goes through it!" Bondita urged as Anirudh chuckled at her words.

"Beautiful indeed!" His gaze turned thoughtful for a moment.
"I have seen my mother going through that 'beautiful' pain Bondita, and guess what... She didn't survive it!"
Anirudh got up from the bed and paced towards her, holding her by her shoulders.
"I can't lose you Bondita, I can't!" He hugged her tightly in a embrace, as his head buried down into the veil covering the crook of her neck.

Bondita stood still for a moment
"I now understand Barrister Babu... It's not the baby... But the thought of losing me is what is scaring you." Bondita spoke slowly. "Tell me... Am I right?"

Anirudh didn't lift his head up.
"May be." He hushed.

"You won't lose me Barrister Babu... I promise you this!" Bondita touched his hair gently, caressing his head with a tender love.

"Barrister babu, I have given it a thought. I'll listen to what you had proposed. Let's go to Calcutta and fulfill our dream first. Then we'll have all the time in the world to raise a family.."

Anirudh raised his head and looked at her, cupped her face in his hands. He still wasn't able to see her eyes, but her lips gave away every expression that he needed to know.

"You mean it?" He hushed.

"Yes. I do... I mean it... I mean what's the hurry... I'm only eighteen." Bondita smiled gently.

"Yes, there is no hurry."
Anirudh smiled brightly and for the first time in the night Bondita felt the warmth of her Anirudh reflecting in her heart.

"I got a little carried away... I'm sorry." Bondita apologised.

"I went a little far too." Anirudh apologised as well.

He inched a few steps away from her and stretched out his hands to lift her veil carefully, revealing her exquisite face.

"You look... you look like my wife!"
Anirudh gasped and swallowed as his eyes gaped at her face.

Bondita looked up bashfully.
"Now milk?"

"Yes... Let's sit." He smiled brightly, taking her hand in his.
"I'm sorry once again Shona."

"I'm sorry too!"