As Bondita packed her bag, she couldn't shake off the feeling of reluctance to leave Anirudh's presence. 

She had craved his company for 8 long years, and now that she was finally near him, she didn't want to let go. "Mein apne purane sakha babu toh lekar rahungi aapse," she thought to herself, a determined glint in her eye. 

Just as she was about to leave, Trilochan entered the room, his voice warm and welcoming. "Vaijayanti beta, kaha jaari ho?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with kindness.

Bondita started to respond, but Trilochan cut her off, his expression turning serious. "Yaha nayi aayi ho tum, kaha rahogi? Ek kaam karo, jab tak tumhara adhyayan pura nhi ho jata, tum yahi mehmaan greh mein rehlo," he advised, his tone firm but gentle.

Anirudh, who had been watching the exchange, suddenly spoke up, his voice laced with protest. "Kaka, iski kya zarurat hai?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. 

 But Trilochan was unmoved, his expression unyielding. "Humne keh diya, so keh diya," he said, his voice leaving no room for discussion. 

The finality in his tone was clear, and Anirudh's face fell, his eyes clouding over with discontent.Bondita, on the other hand, felt a surge of excitement and hope.

 She was going to get to stay in the same house as Anirudh, to be near him, to feel his presence every day.

 She couldn't wait to see what the future held, and she was determined to make the most of this opportunity to win back her Sakha Babu. 

Anirudh's eyes snapped towards Bondita, his gaze piercing and intense. He had heard her whispered comment, and it was clear that he was not pleased.

 "Itna gussa aata kaha se hai inki naak par?" she had whispered, but unfortunately, her words had reached his ears. Anirudh's face darkened, his jaw clenched in anger. 

He took a step closer to Bondita, his eyes blazing with fury. "Kya keh rahe ho tum?" he asked, his voice low and menacing.

 "Kya tumhein lagta hai ki mujhe gussa aata hai?" Bondita's eyes widened, and she took a step back, her heart racing with fear. She had not meant to provoke him, but it seemed that she had unintentionally done so.

 "N-nahi, Barrister Babu," she stuttered, trying to apologize. "Maine sirf..." before she could complete her words he just went away  leaving her alone.

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

As Bondita sat on the desk in the guestroom, the soft glow of the lamp casting a warm light on her face, she began to write a letter to her younger self. 

This was a ritual she had been following for the past 8 years, a way of connecting with her past and reflecting on her journey. 

 "Meri pyaari chhoti Bondita," she wrote, her pen moving swiftly across the paper. "Jaanti ho yeh 999 chithhi hai jo badi Bondita yaani ki mein tumhe likh rhi hun. Aaj mein RC Haveli wapais aayi hun par jaanti ho ek nayi pehchaan ke saath." 

 As she wrote, Bondita's thoughts turned to the changes she had seen in Anirudh, the man she had loved and admired for so long.

 "Bondita humare sakha babu bohut badal chuke hai," she wrote, tears welling up in her eyes. "Woh abb pehle wale sakha babu nhi rhe hai. Abb woh khulke haste bhi nhi hai, abb unki jaib mein kalam ki jagah ek bandook rehti hai, itna bada chasma lag gya hai unki aankho pr, gussa toh unki naak pr rehta hai." 

 The words flowed from her heart, a mixture of sadness and determination. Bondita remembered the Anirudh she had known, the one who had been her sakha babu, her friend and mentor. 

She remembered the way he used to smile, the way he used to laugh, and the way he used to make her feel like she was the only person in the world.

 But now, things were different. Anirudh had changed, and Bondita was determined to bring back the old him. 

"Lekin mein wada karti hun tumse, main humare purane sakha babu ko wapis laakar rahungii, tumhari badi bondita," she wrote, her tears falling onto the paper. 

 The letter was a promise, a promise to herself and to her younger self. Bondita was determined to bring back the Anirudh she had loved, to bring back the smile and the laughter. 

She was determined to make him see her, to make him love her, and to make him happy again. And as she finished writing the letter, Bondita felt a sense of resolve, a sense of purpose. 

She was ready to fight for the man she loved, and she was ready to bring back the old Anirudh, no matter what it took.

As the scene unfolded, Bondita's scream echoed through the hallway, gathering everyone's attention. 

Anirudh stepped in, his calm and gentle demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos that had erupted.

 "Baba, aap kya kar rhe hai yaha?" he asked, his voice soft and soothing.As he removed the mask, Bondita's eyes widened in shock. The man behind the mask was none other than her father-in-law, Binoy.

 the man standing before her now was unrecognizable. His eyes were wild, his face twisted in a mixture of fear and confusion.

"Yeh mujhe maar dalegi!" Binoy screamed, his voice rising to a hysterical pitch. Anirudh quickly wrapped his arms around him, holding him close as he tried to calm him down. "Chinta mat kijiye, baba, yeh aapko kuch nhi karenge," he whispered, his voice a gentle reassurance.

As Sampoorna Maa stepped in to take Binoy to his room, Anirudh turned to Bondita, concern etched on his face. 

He thought that she was crying because of the fear that had just gripped her, but as he looked into her eyes, he saw something more. He saw a deep sadness, a sense of sorrow that went beyond mere fear. 

"Vaijayanti, tum daro mat," he said, his voice soft and gentle. "Baba ke saath ek haadsa ho gya tha, jiski wajah se unka dimaag ek chhote bacche ki tarah ho gya." He explained, his words a attempt to reassure her that everything would be okay.

She was crying for the loss of the person she had loved and respected, and for the pain and suffering that he was now enduring. 

She was crying for the state he was in, a state that was so unlike the man she had known.

 As Anirudh looked at her, he realized that her tears were not just about fear, but about the deep emotional pain that she was feeling. 

He took a step closer to her, his eyes locked on hers, and for a moment, they just stood there, the only sound being Bondita's soft sobs. 

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

Anirudh sank into his favorite chair in the study, resting his head on the worn leather rest. He closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath as he tried to shut out the world. 

This was his sanctuary, his escape from the problems and worries that seemed to plague him at every turn. 

But today, it didn't seem to be working. His mind was still racing, his thoughts tangled in a knot of anxiety and concern.

Just as he was starting to feel like he was going to suffocate under the weight of his own thoughts, a gentle hand reached out from behind him.

 The fingers were thin and delicate, but they were also surprisingly strong as they began to massage his head. 

The touch was soothing, calming, and Anirudh felt his nerves begin to unwind as the hand worked its magic.

The fingers ran through his hair, gently teasing out the knots and tangles that had formed as he sat there, lost in thought. 

The touch was slow and deliberate, as if the person behind him was trying to calm him down, to soothe his frazzled nerves.

 Anirudh felt himself relaxing, his body letting go of the tension that had been building up inside him.

As the hand continued to massage his head, Anirudh felt his thoughts begin to slow down, his mind quieting as the calmness spread through his body. 

He didn't need to open his eyes to know who was behind him, but he couldn't help but wonder what had brought them to his study, to this moment of quiet intimacy. 

The hand moved gently, the fingers tracing the contours of his scalp, applying just the right amount of pressure to ease the tension that had been building up. 

Anirudh felt himself sinking deeper into the chair, his body relaxing, his breathing slowing down.

 The world outside seemed to fade away, and all that was left was the gentle touch of the hand, and the calmness that it brought.

The familiar voice echoed in the room, sending a pang of nostalgia through Anirudh's chest. "Sakha babu," the voice whispered, and he felt his heart skip a beat. It was Bondita, his little Bondita, and the sound of her voice brought back a flood of memories.

As he opened his eyes, he was met with a vision that was both familiar and yet, utterly foreign. The petite figure standing before him was a grown woman, with curves that fascinated him and sparked a flame of desire within his chest.

 But her face was a blur, as if his mind was struggling to reconcile the woman before him with the little girl he had known. 

The voice, however, was unmistakable. It was the same voice that had called out to him, that had laughed with him, and that had brought him joy.

 "Mujhe aapki bohut yaad aari hai sakha babu," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "Aap mujhe wapis bula lijiye na." 

Anirudh's heart went out to her, and he felt a surge of love and protectiveness. He wanted to reach out to her, to pull her into his arms and never let her go. But he hesitated, unsure of how to react, unsure of how to bridge the gap between them

As he looked at her, he felt a pang of pain in his heart. His little Bondita was grown up now, and yet, she still seemed to be reaching out to him, still seemed to be calling out to him. 

He felt a sense of loss, of regret, for all the years that had passed, for all the time that he had missed with her. 

But as he looked deeper, he saw something in her eyes that gave him hope. He saw a spark of recognition, a glimmer of the love and adoration that she had once felt for him.

As Bondita's voice cracked with emotion, Anirudh felt a pang in his heart. "Aapke bina mujhe accha nhi lagta sakha babu," she said, her words echoing through the room like a lament. But it was the next two words that she spoke that truly stirred something deep within him. "Pati babu..." she cried, her voice trembling with sorrow.

The term "pati babu" was like a key that unlocked a door in Anirudh's heart, a door that he had long thought was closed and locked away. 

It was a term that Bondita had used before, but never with such desperation, such longing. As he heard her say it, Anirudh felt a surge of emotions that he had thought were long buried. 

 He felt a flutter in his chest, a sense of possessiveness that he couldn't ignore. The word "pati" meant husband, and to hear Bondita use it to address him was like a wake-up call. 

It was a reminder of the fact that he had once considered her as his own, that he had once thought of her as his wife.

 As he looked at Bondita, Anirudh felt his heart stirring, felt the embers of a long-dormant flame beginning to glow once more.

 He saw the tears streaming down her face, saw the desperation in her eyes, and he knew that he couldn't ignore her anymore. He knew that he had to respond, had to let her know that he was still there, that he still cared. 

As Bondita seemed to be moving away from him, Anirudh felt a sense of desperation wash over him. He wanted to reach out to her, to grab her hand and pull her back, but before he could do anything, she vanished into thin air. 

 The sudden disappearance was like a shock to his system, and Anirudh felt himself jolting awake. 

He sat up with a start, his heart racing, and his breath coming in short gasps. As he looked around, he realized that he was in his own bed, and that it had all been a dream.

 But the feeling of loss and longing lingered, and Anirudh couldn't shake off the sense of desperation that had gripped him. He threw off the covers and got out of bed, pacing back and forth in his room as he tried to calm himself down. 

 As he walked, he couldn't help but think of Bondita, and the way she had looked at him in his dream. 

He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to hold her in his arms, to feel her warm breath on his skin, and to hear her soft voice whispering his name.And then, without thinking, he screamed out her name. 

"Bondita!" The sound of his own voice was like a shock to his system, and Anirudh felt himself freezing, his heart pounding in his chest.He stood there for a moment, his eyes closed, as he tried to catch his breath.

 He couldn't believe that he had screamed out her name like that, and he couldn't help but wonder what it meant. Was it just a dream, or was it something more? Was he finally starting to acknowledge the feelings that he had been trying to suppress for so long?