Bengal, Chatterjee House

"Consider it as my last warning," Anirban gritted his teeth as he spoke dangerously low in Kadambari's ears while hugging her, "One more time if you demean my wife, I shall forget who you are to me." His aunt exhaled deeply, her features contorting hearing her nephew, detaching from him as she stared at his solemn face. 

Her jaws clenched as she watched him walk away to his other aunts and cousins, putting a smile on his face as he escorted them towards the gates. Saudamini's brows furrowed slightly as she saw something odd with Kadambari as she gazed back at her, and as soon as their eyes met, the latter spun around and walked away from there in anger. 

She inhaled a deep breath, looking away momentarily.

The carriages left one after the other as the Sun began to set, drawing the Chatterjee House to its schedule once again. 

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"You know right? When a man leaves his woman and goes to other, what does it mean?"

Saudamini bit her lower lip, those words seemed to be ringing in her ears every now and then. 

"Mistress! The milk shall boil too much!" One of the attendants voice drew her from her thoughts as she flinched, quickly putting of the gas stove, grasping a piece of cloth and putting the vessel down. She exhaled softly, feeling that uneasy feeling churning in her stomach since then. 

Anger had subsided long within her, she just didn't what was it that was lingering within her. 

And Anirban avoiding her since afternoon was making her more restless. 

Even if she wouldn't like to admit, she wasn't liking it at all.

They had hardly spoken after that; except for stealing occasional glances at each other, which the latter turned down and walked away. She knew she shouldn't have said that, but what could she do? Her anger was fuming at that point, everything had bubbled within her to lash out, and his words seemed to have added fuel to her fire. The way he twitched his lips sardonically, walking away....

Deep down even she knew it was futile to reprimand Kadambari, that woman was a bearer of her own self and hardly cared about anyone. It was almost impossible to changer her opinion about her. still, still she felt like Anirban should've done something, after all he was the one who had promised her everything, promised her mother! It was his relatives who had problem with her!

Why should she bear the brunt of his family? 

Saudamini felt her eyes watering as she placed the vegetable curry on the stove to warm it, feeling her mind clouded up. 

Why? Why did God choose such a fate for her? 

Why her?

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Anirban dipped his pen in the ink bottle, with his brows knitted slightly. 

He massaged his temples for a while, angling his cheek on his palm as he was completing the accounts. But his mind was drifting to somewhere else, of course Saudamini. 

He shouldn't have left her alone like that, let alone how much anger she had; he should've consoled her, she had the right to be angry, but right then, it seemed like that he shouldn't. 

What does she think of herself? She could just utter such words like that to him? 

In her anger, could she just say anything to him? 

What does she think of him? She could say anything to him out of anger, and he would listen to them quietly? 

He brushed his fingers through his hairs repeatedly, feeling frustrated. 

Why couldn't she understand him? Why? What could he do after all? 

He knew he had promised her, but it was so.... 

Anirban dipped his pen again inside the bottle, twitching his lips, as he continued writing. He felt the half open door gently creaking, and at once he knew it was his wife. He sucked in a deep breath, ignoring her presence. 

"Listen, dinner is ready." She plainly said, with a stiff voice.

Really? Is that all she had to say? Is that all?

Really?!

He kept his mouth shut, feeling his anger flickering as he kept his hand on his forehead. He felt her walk in, rummage something in the cupboard, arranging a few clothes. She walked past behind his study table, towards the mirror, grabbing a comb and brushing it down her hairs.

Still no words. Seriously?

Anirban breathed in deeply, slightly shaking his head. 

"Come fast, the food shall cool down else," She kept the comb inside the drawer.

"Can't you that see I am working? I shall come down after sometime," Anirban clenched his jaws, giving her a stare for a brief moment and looking away, holding his temples with his index and thumb.

"You can halt your work for some time okay? Everyone is waiting for you downstairs," 

"Then let them! You don't need to worry about me and my family unnecessarily!" Anirban exasperated, looking at her, the latter freezing slightly at his words, "And stop pretending that you care when you don't!" 

No....heck no! 

Saudamini blinked for a while, looking around for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line. She lowered her lashes for a while, turning away and walking out of the room, closing the door.

'What the hell, Ani! What the hell!' Anirban closed his eyes firmly, holding his head in between his hands. 

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Thunder crashed outside, hinting that the night was getting ready for a downpour.

Manikant adjusted the rimmed glasses on his eyes as he skimmed through the accounts, flipping the pages, while Anirban was sitting beside him, arranging the files. 

The British government had just increased the taxes on businesses, and it couldn't help but send a wave of displeasure upon businessmen; the elites into business had politely tried to request them of some consideration, but they hardly cared. Anirban did not understand the feigned friendship the British was maintaining with the elites, when they just did not bother about them.

His father was on the verge of handing over his business to him and Subhankar, hence they would be calling a meeting with a few officials to discuss regarding it and give them a brief over the monthly accounting and taxes. 

As much as Anirban despised mingling with them, he knew he didn't have an option.

But more than that, he was thinking about something else.

He gently massaged the corner of his forehead, watching his father going through the documents. 

"Why are you sulking?" Manikant flipped a parchment underneath, pushing his glasses upon his nose.

"Hmm?" Anirban sat straight, raising his brows, "What?"

"What happened now...." He stacked the parchments inside the register book carefully.

"What would happen?"

"Tore haare haare chini ami, tai dhong ta ektu kom maar.( I know you since childhood, stop pretending now.") Manikant's lips kicked off into a light smile as he shook his head. Anirban scratched his forehead raising his brows, trying to look away getting caught.

"Had a fight with Bouma?" 

Anirban gazed up unbelievably for a moment, biting the corner of his lip, "Baba..."

"Yeah, that's why," His father shook his head, sitting up and opening the door of his cupboard, "Actually, the marriage is incomplete without this pretty little ritual of first fight. You know we have feeding each other first morsel of food, first time entering in-laws house.....first night--why not first fight?" He chuckled softly, earning a glare from Anirban.

"Baba, uff! Tumio na paaro bote! (Baba, uff! You're so....)" Anirban shook his head with a humorless smile. 

Manikant chuckled more, "What? I said the right thing didn't I?" 

His father was exactly like him, hardly serious when times demanded. Explained why he turned out to like that. 

"Eyi, tumi aar oi Kadambari Maashi ke dakbe na to!(Ayee, you won't be inviting Kadambari Maashi anymore!)" Anirban grumbled, arranging the documents in his file, "I am so done with her honestly! That woman doesn't let us live in peace for real! I can't deal with her nonsense every now and then!"

"Now what did she do?" Manikant raised a brow, inhaling a deep breath.

"She's left and done what she had to....I don't understand why she is so obsessed with my personal life so much! That woman really doesn't have a filter in her mouth!" He exasperated, looking away, clicking his tongue. 

"What to do son....you she's our family after all. There's nothing we can do. You know how she is."

It was true.  Anirban along with everyone had a soft corner of sympathy for her even though she had been practically trying to prick her nose within every family matters of them, which didn't concern her. Just because of her past. Kadambari was left hanging at her in-laws when her husband fled away a few days after marriage.

Never to return again.

She became a reason for mockery amidst everyone. His mother's family brought their eldest daughter back, and from that day she had fuming with every sort of luxury which her sisters got. Shaanti told him to mingle with her, she's a poor soul, she needed company. He did, he did. But she felt that she had the authority now to control every aspect of his life. Claiming Anirban and Tripti as her own children and trying get into the nitty-gritties, much to the dislike of Manikant and Somnath. 

And unknowingly, things had turned quite toxic. 

"Family my foot," Anirban muttered. 

 Manikant tilted his head, sitting beside him, "But what did she do?" 

"Perhaps said something offensive to Saudamini, and she's angry with me since then," Anirban shook his head, breathing in deeply, "I don't know why she doesn't want to understand...."

"Seriously, what am I supposed to do? She knows everything but still-"

Manikant clicked his tongue, "Ani....she must be angry."

"Anger doesn't mean that she would just say anything without thinking twice!"

"Ah, that's what anger is, son." Manikant snickered softly. Anirban held cupped his face, furrowing his brows. 

"Arrey, it'll be alright. Let her calm down, then talk with her. Make her understand."

"I doubt she will," Anirban mumbled with a frown, shrugging. 

"Now that you have married her, you will have to handle her isn't it? You were stubborn into marrying her....now why are you grumbling?" 

"Did you think back then?" 

Anirban gazed at his father, his words hitting were it should, "But I...isn't it her responsibility too to understand me as well?" 

"How long have you been knowing each other, Ani?" Manikant raised his brows at him, "Hardly a month, isn't it?"

"Within a month, you can't expect her to understand you totally nor you are liable in understanding her as well! It's not that you both were in love or knew each other since a long time...."

"I know....but," Anirban clicked his tongue, looking outside the window and biting the corner of his lips, feeling tongue tied.

"You want to rush things, isn't it? But relationships don't work like that. Even I and Subarnalata used to fight over issues, even though we knew each other since childhood." Manikant smiled fondly a bit, patting his shoulder, "She had a past too above that, it will take time for her to get over it completely." 

"Women do need a lot of assurances. They may not say, but deep down they do want it."

"I know," Anirban clicked his tongue, cracking his knuckles and looking down, feeling a bit better and gazed at him, blinking a bit. 

"Then? Stop sulking and go, talk to her. Try to pacify her." Manikant took out a packet of cigarette from his pocket along with a matchstick box, putting the cigar in between his lips, and resting against the headboard of his bed. Anirban shook his head, raising his brows, "Go run run run, don't disturb me now..." He waved his hand at him, tilting his head, lighting his cigar. 

"And yes! Please Lord Sahab, close the door before you leave...." 

And Anirban tried to hide his urge to smile a little before leaving.

★★★★★★★★★

A/N

Hayeee 😂

I had originally planned the scene with Subho, but later I changed my mind to Manikant....but dw, you will get Mini and Subho bonding scenes too 😁😁.

Signing off for today!

Nushkie