Discretion of readers required.

Fourteen strenuous days passed with him trying and her avoiding.
His attempts failing and her ignorance rising was tough, tough to both yet was impussiant.
His heart yearned to console, to heal, to comfort her injured heart.

The dorp head Balchand's words resounded in him,
"Pyaar chooptha nahi,
Ankon mein dikh hi jatha.
Uska kayaal rakiye, Saheb."

Teaching the evening lessons, inside he was getting ready to make a move today. A small move.
The class dispersed with the hustle - bustle, his voice stern
"Bondita."

Stuffing her belongings was ready to run as usual escaping his eyes and questions.
"Bondita," he called again, audible for all. Giving up, she walked to the front to him.

He waited till the class evacuated,
"Bondita..." called her softly this time.
She lifted her eyes up to him after a inner battle, pain it was pain and guilty in his eyes which she could not stand and that moment she knew it was about that, he wanted to talk about that, the past she wanted to forget, to run away from.

"Bondita..." his voice breaking her tumult thoughts.
"Bondita... muje tujse bath karna hai."
Almost requesting.

"Nahi," her instant answer.

"Bondita... Please."
He was pleading.

Her steps back one by one in fear of his questions, in alarm.
Uttering, "Nahi..."

"Bondita..." He stepped towards her.

"Nahi"

"Bon..."

"Nahi," squealing, she darted out.

If it was for other day he would have followed her forced her to open up to him. He was her Sakha babu, he had the right, the right to share her fright and turmoil.
But today was not the day, he was wanted somewhere else actually needed by someone else. So he gave up on her, giving her much needed time to contemplate.

09:30 PM, Tulsipur.
The late night seemed auspicious as few people ran here and there getting things prepared, prepared for the worse, for the destruction of another child bride.
Away from all, hiding herself, rolling her fists tight banged on the hard trunk of the tree,
"Nahi, fir ek ladki shikar nahi hogi.
Bal vivah ki. Kabhi nahi."

"Tere hothe huye, zaroor nahi hogi."
The firm masculine voice sent shivers down her spine.

The air turned heavy as she turned to spot the direction of the voice well aware of its owner.
As her pashmina sheathed her all, felt relief yet uncertain about his presence and his discovery of her.

Stammering, "Aap..."

"Janthe hain aap, muje?" He questioned.

"Tulsipur ki mashoor Bir Barrister babu ko koun nahi jantha?" She uttered.
"Par aap..."

"Haan, Jab aap bachon ko bacha rahe toh muje bhi aapko bachana chahiye na..." He sounded serious.

Confused at his statement, "kya?"

"Woh wahan koi bal vivah nahi ho rahe balki aapko pakadne ke liye, fasane ke liye jaal hai. Rakshak." He said, giving her time to settle with the fact.

"Aap itne pakka kaise keh sakthy hai?" She doubted.

Passing a subtle smile, "Jab kaka Zamindar honge, itna tho patha hoga na."

"Waise aapko kehna mera farz tha,
Baki aapki marzi." He finished.

Shooking his head in disbelief, he walked few steps away from her and stumbled to fall in the trench.
"Aha... ha... ahaa" he bawled.

"Sakha babu..." a much louder scream, the sight of him falling had hurt her while the loud known gasp up above the trench gave goosebumps to him.
He knew her voice, it was her for sure yet the only person standing was his ajnabi but why did it feel like her, his Bondita.

"Kya woh?
Nahi... woh kaise ho sakthi hai.
Yehaan toh sirf woh ajnabi hai par muje yesa kyun lag rahe?
Yesa kyun lag rahe wohi hai...."
His surmise was knocked down as realisation hit him as she bent down giving her hand for him to climb up with frequent bawls
"Sakha babu.
Sakha babu, Sakha babu..
Teek hai na aap, kuch huha toh nahi,
Haath upar kijiye, koshish kijiye."

The one word was all enough for him to confirm, it was her, his Bondita. His Bondita was his ajnabi, risking her life in the nights trying to save children from child marriage, sati, becoming a widow etc.
His ajnabi was his Bondita...

A glint in his glistening eyes bright enough to evade the darkness of the night, he passed a toothish grin in exultant.
Confused, she yelled
"Kya aapke sar par chot tho nahi lagi, aap gir gaye upar se has rahe.
Haath upar kijiye, mere hath pakad kar jaldhi upar ayeye."
He frowned.

"Pakadiye..." with that, he caught hold of her soft hands trying to up himself from the not so deep pitch.

"Arey sambhalke... gir jayenge." Soon the words left her mouth, he glided and fell with a thud.

"Nahi ho rahe." He whined, dusting himself.

"Arey yese kaise, mere hothe huye yesa kuch nahi hoga..
Haath agey kariye aur kas ke pakadiye.
Kabhi Chodna math."
Following her instructions, he climbed up.

Climbing, his hand intact on hers and the other held the turf firmly. Letting go off his hand, she grabbed his collars to pull him up.

Pulling him up by his shoulder, both rolled down on the muddy clod.
With a glance on each other, they began to laugh madly.
Their laughs reverberated turning the coarse wind chirpy.

Her laughs made his heart delight and cherish. He wished to stay such his full life away from all, all people, all situations, all odds in the world and rest beside her in blithe.

He stopped but not her, as her heart warming laugh continued. He rolled over her taking her for surprise, her breathes quickened at his vicinity, her eyes closed in freight of being caught.

Hovering over, his arms intact aside caging her. His right hand went for her pashmina that covered her up sheathed her identity from the society.
His own heart beating fast, he could feel her and as her hand uncovered her revealing the burried truth, the beauty behind the hidden shawl.

He gasped, his face exactly above hers. His eyes above her, his nose just inches away from brushing hers, his lips on her slightly parted ones ready to.... and finally she heaved heavily and that move, that heaving led to all.
That heaving, her bossoms touching his muscular hard chest. It was all.
That slight touch, the friction between them sent a jolt of electricity inside her while he was all crumpled inside.

Her eyes opened sedately one by one, a sudden foreign feeling, an overwhelming tingling sensation inside her craving and enjoying his proximity. Unlike before.

His eyes fixed on hers, as both lost at their mere touch. They were on fire so were their bodies, it did not feel the same as six years back and reality struck that they changed and so as their equation.

A sudden squeal from far very far brought them back and realising their position. She shied unknowingly trying to get out of his authoritative hold, but only to get rolled, both rolled leading their bodies to get pressed together on the hard turf, rolling.

"Sakha babu," she gasped.
Her eyes wide in anticipation at his act. Then viewing the sounds of people approaching stayed still beneath him.

His hand below her head and the other closing her mouth, his eyes wandering across trying to spot the people. Finding none, he relaxed.

His eyes moved to hers, her almond eyes kohled dark and dense. In the moment his heart wanted to kiss them, assure them about him yet his mind overpowered it.
He felt his sanity draining away with her, his principles fading, his ethics un existing... and the last he cared was her and his rousing feelings for her. Her sandalwood engulfing him leading to all possible wild fancy.

For once he wanted his heart to win over his mind, his feelings to win over his ethics.
Just for once, he visualized what it would look like, feel like if the inches distance is covered, his rough ones on her soft parted ones. Beauteous.
The thought burst his insides, a beautiful feeling it should be.
He thought at his serene fantasy,
An invincible unite.

Thud...
She pushed him aside startling him, getting up began to run.

Running as fast as her legs could help, reality dawned her and the freight alarmed her.
Hurt being caught, she never wanted too atleast until the laws were helping. But now, she knew. With her identity revealed to a wrong person, everything would go out of her hands as never in worst he her sakha babu would allow her, allow her risking her life to save others in the dead night.

He sprinted back, this time much determined. Her running away from him did not make sense to him, they were one in all sense hence there was no need of running away.

Reaching the bank of the river, she frantically walked into it. It raged him, her impulsive act terrifying him as he too walked backing her.

The water reaching her thigh level, she tried to move more in but was stopped. His rigid rough hands caught her arms ceasing her moves,
"Bondita...
Bondita, pagal math bano."

Falling on deaf ears, she tried to wriggle herself.
"Bondita...." he bellowed, harshly.

Baffled at her, not having a choice pulled her out harshly.
When completely out away from the river water, wriggling herself.
She backed, her arms across her chest sheathing herself from the piercing chillness of the cold night.
It was then, he observed she was fully drenched top to bottom fully wet and her cream coloured kurtha not helping her much.

Turned his head aside unwillingly, unbuttoning his cherry red shirt handed to her. This small gesture melted her heart, a smile formed in her lips as she pulled the shirt over her with her eyes fixed on him.

Grabbing his shirt collars, she smelled smelled as it reeked of musk, his musk, his perfume, of him. The only soothing fragrance that existed in the world to her. She blushed unknowingly.

As he turned towards her, she covered up her blush with stern look.
Yet failed miserably, he observed her crimson cheeks matching his red shirt.
For once, he felt proud proud of himself for being the reason behind her flushed face.

Staggering, she backed one two three...
Soon, storming towards her caught her hands as she wriggled he struggled.
Yet, they maintained a distance.
The distance he abhorred while she felt difficult and feared herself for subsiding it.

Holding her hands facing her, he whispered "Bondita... mein."

"Nahi... door rahiye." Making him frown.

"Bondita suno tho..."

"Nahi, Mein khooni hoon..."

"Nahi"

"Maar diya meine... ussey..."

"Nahi"

"Muje sazaa milni chahiye..."

"Nahi"

"Mein khooni hoon,
Khooni hoon....
Yehi hathon se unka khoon kiya."

"Nahi..."

"Dhoor rahiye, Math chohiye..."

"Nahi..."

By now, with their palms entwined, he forced his forehead on hers, his breath faning hers....
Both drenched in sweat, tears and in an unknown feirce hankering, burning in covet, in need of each other.

Their orbs met making them vulnerable and forcing them to surrender to surrender and venture into the hidden unknown terrains and feel each other may be corporealy.

"Mein khooni hoon,"

"Nahi... ho."

"Meine ussey maar diya,"

"Usey marna hi tha."

"Muje sazaa milni chahiye,"

"Khood ko bachane ke liye sazaa nahi milthi."

"Mein khooni hoon,
Math chohiye muje...."

"Nahi ho... Nahi ho."

"Toh kya hoon mein?" She was in need of answer.

"Meri Bondita ho, meri Bondita....
Meri pyaari si titli." His answer, instant.

"Mein,"

"Meri Bondita ho,
Aur kuch nahi...."

"Mein,"

"Meri ho,
Meri Bondita,
Meri Bondita ho...."

It worked, now she felt really liberated at his confirmation at his affirmation of her not guilty not culpable.
For once, she wondered whether it is his consoling words or comforting touch healing her deep wounds.
Not bothered, relished the feeling at present. It was consuming her driving her out of the world.
For some reason, she felt his touch differently not as before. Today, it was different and it claimed her all.
She felt herself surrendering and submitting to the man before who kept her intact away from uneasy tense.

However his simple touch on her hands and forehead was making it hard for her to control, to control herself from falling over him and hiding from the cruel world.
She felt him, him only the safest place for her to rest, for her.
And then his crazy wild thoughts reminded her of the escalating emotions for the man before her.
He was her Sakha babu but he felt him as a man a normal man with a woman, with her lone near the gushing river water. For some reason, her heart expected more more from him, unknown of what she expected but her body was not giving up on him rather her mind on the budding new feelings for him.

Sliding together, they both sat with legs folded facing each other. Their knees touched and her hands and forehead still intact on his.
It was making her difficult to breathe even.

"Bondita..." He breathed out, bringing her out of new tumult caused by him and his mere touch.

"Hmm.." Words caught in her throat at their closeness.

"Iss duniya mein sabse pavithra kya hai? Patha hai tuje?" He asked.

"Jal, paani.." She answered confidently.

Passing a smile, he nodded sideways and thats it that single smile had weakened her.

"Tum...
Tum ho.. Meri Bondita hai. Iss duniya mein sabse pavithra..." His sugary voice softened her.

"I am proud of you...
Bravo Bondita, I am proud of you."

"Shotti, Sakha babu?"

"Shotti,
You are neither a damsel in distress nor you need a knight in shining armour."

She beamed, no more guilty a fresh good heartwarming pride engulfed her admist her eagerness.

A prompt past troubled her,
She flinched "He kissed...."

"Kisses are made of love, Bondita."

"He touched...."

"He was an animal. That's it."

"He..."

"Shh... Tum meri ho, meri Bondita. Yaadh rakhna."

She gasped,
As his dry lips kissed her head, moving little down her forehead,
Then her quivering eyes one by one, the tip of her nose,
Downing more,....
A new excitement building inside her wanting him desperately to close the gap, ashamed of her own dirty thoughts yet her heart, soul, mind carved for the unison of their lips. She wanted to feel them on her, on her lips and more on her.
It was his testimony for his words, ridiculous thoughts even though she wanted him to prove his words through his actions. She was silly.
By letting their lips meet, meet for once and this sudden adrupt urge in her was bustling.
She wanted to feel and dwell in his lips, also to dwell and seek refuge in him.

His gaze trying to discern her, her mind and her heart. Yet again losing to his strong principles, he moved his lips to the corner of hers and for some reason he felt he got the permission with that placed his gnarled lips on the edge of hers.
Both trembled, forcing them to linger more and cherish the feeling. It was overpowering their senses.
Beside Sakha Sakhi, they were something else today and the friction of his lips on her skin was electrifying them.
Away from all decency, they craved the moment to be immortal.

Pulling his face off her, he observed her eyes closed her lashes battling and her lips had a smile. He was content.
Shoving his hands in his pant pocket, grabbed the traditional yellow powder.
With her eyes still closed, with little hesitation touching her left shoulder he glided his hand back softly on her smooth skin. Smearing the yellow on her streak cut, caused due to him.
She tottered.

Remembering the other, he observed her, her eyes still closed.
He let a soft chuckle.
Wearing his over sized shirt, all buttons unevenly done yet she was looking so innocently appealing.
With a breath and his own eyes closed, slided his fingers in between the bottons on her waist, he found her another streak and thus rubbed the remaining powder on it. On her mid waist.
She shivered.

The alien feeling was something, something new, something unbearable.
Again, the moon was the only uninvited guest that witnessed their hearts healing and palpitating in newly found passion.

A blush in her eyes and a bashful smile on his lips made their night blissful.

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