It was only a few days later that the new school year had started. 

Along with the new year, the workload had gotten heavier, and the courses were getting harder. Anirudh had prepared Batuk and Bondita well though, and Bondita had breezed through her first few days of the new school year. 

Batuk was not as lost as the previous year, and Bondita and Vikram both took extra care to make sure he was on top of his work. 

The two new girls of the year, Surabhi and Mallika were in their classes too, and they often hung out with Bondita, Vikram and Batuk.

It had only been about a week since school re-started, when the five of them were sitting together in the school cafeteria, having their lunches. 

Everyone was in their school uniforms, and even Surabhi had cut her nails short and had stopped applying makeup. 

On the first day of school, she had been scolded by the teachers for looking too glamorous, and was warned that it was not tolerated at this school. 

It had made Vikram nudge Batuk and tease him that he told him so, but Batuk just scowled, upset that someone was told off for applying makeup. Why was looking pretty a sin to the school board members? 

The girls all had their hair tied in braids, and the only girl who looked a little different was Bondita with her sindoor, shakha pola and alta. 

Batuk was still flirting with Surabhi, and it had become quite obvious to even Bondita now. However, Surabhi was strong enough to handle it herself, so Bondita didn't interfere. 

"Last night's homework was so hard ji," Mallika said in the canteen, sounding stressed. 

"What was so hard about it?" Vikram asked. 

"The math problems went over my head," Mallika said to him. 

"I can help you figure it out," Vikram offered kindly. 

Batuk just looked at Surabhi and asked, "Surabhi, did you struggle with the homework too?" 

Surabhi glanced at Batuk for a moment before turning her gaze to Bondita and asking, "Bondita, if I need any help, I can come to you, right?" 

"Of course," Bondita said brightly, as Batuk pouted beside her. 

Bondita glanced at her brother-in-law and whispered so only he could hear, "It pays to study hard Batuk. Then maybe you could have impressed her yourself! See, now she's impressed by me!" 

Batuk rolled his eyes. 

"I might need more time to learn though," Surabhi said, "I can come to your house and learn... right?" 

Bondita looked at Surabhi with surprise, and she nodded. 

"Of course!" 

She didn't know how her Kakasasurji would react to having Surabhi come over, but she knew that Pati Babu wouldn't mind. In fact, he would be so happy to see a girl coming over and studying with her! 

"Yes Surabhi, you can come," Batuk said with a grin. 

Surabhi ignored Batuk again and she asked, "Then how's the day after tomorrow? It's a weekend, so there's no school too. I think I can spend the whole day there!" 

Nobody knew of Surabhi's other intentions for wanting to visit Bondita's home. She wanted to ogle at that hot Anirudh Roy Choudhary and make a move! 

Batuk's eyes widened and he looked like he was in heaven just by the mere thought of Surabhi coming over for such a long time! 

Bondita smiled and she said, "Yes! You should be able to come over the day after tomorrow!" 

"Ji can we come too?" Mallika asked, "Me and Vikram?" 

"Vikram's always welcome," Bondita said with a smile, "And I'm sure you can come too Mallika. But because my Kakasasurji has never met you and Surabhi, I just need to warm him up to the idea first!" 

"Kaka will be fine!" Batuk insisted, "He'll listen to me!" 

"They're girls, Batuk, he won't listen to you," Bondita said, furrowing her brows. 

"But they're your friends, it shouldn't be a problem! It's not like I'm going to say they're my friends!" 

Bondita sighed heavily and she said, "Surabhi, Mallika I'll confirm with you both tomorrow. But Vikram, you can of course, come at any time. You're basically family. And Kakasasurji is used to you by now."

Batuk chuckled. Of course Kaka was used to Bikram by now. He had spent so long with them in Krishnanagar, and Kaka had somehow warmed up to the boy. 

Vikram grinned. 

After Anirudh had spoken to Vikram's father the day of the application form, it seemed like Vikram's house arrest had ended, and Vikram's family had warmed up considerably to the Roy Choudharys again. 

"Come over today too Vikram," Batuk said absent-mindedly. 

"Sorry Batuk, I have to babysit my baby sister today. My mom's still in the hospital," Vikram said. 

His mother had given birth to yet another one of Vikram's siblings yesterday. He had another sister. 

"How is she now?" Bondita asked. 

"She's well," Vikram said with a smile. "My baby sister is so tiny. My parents still didn't let me hold her though! Your Manika Didi was so nice to let us hold her baby!" 

Bondita smiled and she said, "Manika Didi trusts us a lot." 

"Who is Manika Didi ji?" Mallika inquired. 

Batuk sighed and he said, "Vikram's crush." 

Bondita turned to look at Batuk with wide eyes, as Vikram's face just went red. 

"WHAT?" Bondita gasped. 

"Vikram, you have a crush ji? That too on a lady with a baby?" Mallika gasped. 

Surabhi even turned to look at Vikram with shock, now actually finding Vikram interesting. 

Vikram glared at Batuk, and Batuk just said, "I was joking guys. Chill. She's just someone who's close to our family."

Bondita just eyed Vikram suspiciously, as he avoided Bondita's gaze. 

Was Batuk really joking? What else was going on behind her back? 

Vikram glared at Batuk, and Batuk just smiled sheepishly at his best friend. He had somewhere hoped that if not him, then one of the others could snap him out of his love phase. However, he took back his words faster, because he couldn't expose his best friend just like this. 

He still hadn't given up on saving his best friend's heart though. 

Batuk had told Vikram the truth about what happened with Tupur as soon as school started. Vikram had been sympathetic and had told him that things would get better. 

However, it was hard for Batuk to forget about her. 

There were too many memories. 

Too many thoughts of how things could have been. 

It ended just like that. 

-- 

Later that evening, after everyone finished dinner, Bondita was about to head to her bedroom to do some homework, but decided to check on Batuk first. 

He was in his bedroom, and she wanted to see if he was studying. 

His door was closed, and she could hear sad music playing in the background. 

((Note: This is the version of the song playing in the background))

https://youtu.be/fT7cCmpNkO4

Ajeeb dastan hai yeh
Kahan shuru kahan khatam
Yeh manzilein hai kaun si
Na woh samajh sake na hum
Ajeeb dastan hai yeh
Kahan shuru kahan khatam
Yeh manzilein hai kaun si
Na woh samajh sake na hum

What a strange story this is
Who knows where it started and where will it end
What destinations are these
Neither she nor I could understand that
What a strange story this is
Who knows where it started and where will it end
What destinations are these
Neither she nor I could understand that

Bondita knocked on the door. 

No response. 

"Batuk?" she called out. 

He didn't answer. 

"I'm coming in," she said, and she turned the door handle, before entering his room. 

She was shocked to see that he was leaning against the side of his bed, holding on to some papers. He had a sad expression on his face, and he looked like he could burst into tears at any moment. 

Bondita closed the door behind her and went over to him, sitting on the floor next to him and glancing at the papers. 

He didn't even budge when she came. 

On the papers, there were letters of the Devanagari script, written over and over again, and the way it was written seemed to be by someone who was not used to writing. The lines were not straight and the writer clearly had been struggling. 

"What's this Batuk?" Bondita asked. 

Batuk turned to look at his Boudi. 

"I never told you Boudi... but when we went to Krishnanagar... me and Tupur... we..." Batuk took a deep breath and he said, "We... liked each other..." 

Bondita looked at Batuk with shock, as a hidden secret of the past was revealed to her. 

Yeh roshni ke saath kyun dhuan utha chirag se
Yeh roshni ke saath kyun dhuan utha chirag se
Yeh khwaab dekhti hoon main ke jag padi hoon khwaab se

Why does smoke rise from a candle along with light
Why does smoke rise from a candle along with light
Am I dreaming or have I woken up from a dream

"What, Batuk?" she gasped, her eyes widening. 

Batuk showed Bondita the papers. 

"I taught her how to read and write... a little bit..." he said, "And... we grew closer... we fell in love..." 

Bondita continued to look at Batuk, her heart hammering hard. 

No... oh no... 

"We didn't work out... and we wouldn't have even if... even if she didn't marry... Chandrachur..." Batuk confessed sadly. "Dada explained to me about compatibility... and I know... our priorities were different... the way we saw things was different... we were not on the same page." 

So her Pati Babu knew about this? 

Tears filled her eyes. 

How much pain Batuk must have gone through to see the one he loved married to someone else. 

Ajeeb dastan hai yeh
Kahan shuru kahan khatam
Yeh manzilein hai kaun si
Na woh samajh sake na hum

What a strange story this is
Who knows where it started and where will it end
What destinations are these
Neither she nor I could understand that

"Why didn't you tell me Batuk?" she asked, her heart aching. "Maybe I could have stopped Tupur's marriage somehow... maybe I could have done something..." 

"You couldn't have Boudi," Batuk said, turning to look at her, his eyes looking lifeless. "She had already made up her mind that she would rather marry Chandrachur than go against her family." 

"It's my fault," Bondita whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. "Chandrachur was supposed to marry me..." 

"It's not your fault Boudi. If anyone should be blamed, it should be me. I knew that they were going to get her married to Chandrachur, but I still couldn't stop it," Batuk said, his voice cracking. 

"You knew?" she asked, looking at him with shock. 

"Yes... Tupur told me that if I brought you back on time, then she wouldn't have to marry him... but Boudi, how could I do that to you?" he asked her painfully. 

More tears slipped down her cheeks, as Bondita looked at her brother-in-law, an ache in her heart. 

"Batuk!" Bondita cried, "You kept all of this to yourself! You didn't tell me! You didn't think that maybe we could have come up with a solution together, if you just told me?" 

"I didn't know what to do," Batuk said, his own eyes growing wet. "Dada had become an emotional wreck. He was barely living! How could I add to his burdens? And you? You were in Krishnanagar, and it was so hard to contact you. If I told you about this, what if you went back and agreed to marry Chandrachur? I know that you love Dada a lot Boudi, but I also know you won't let anything wrong happen with anyone! Even if it means something bad happens to you!" 

Tears poured uncontrollably down her cheeks, as she looked at Batuk. 

He cared for her this much? He loved her this much? 

So much that he could put aside his own life, his own wants, his own love for her? 

"And don't feel bad Boudi! I already told you, we wouldn't have worked out. She wasn't happy... and neither was I... not truly..." he told her, his voice hoarse. "There were always problems... always insecurities..." 

Mubarake tumhe ke tum kisi ke noor ho gaye
Mubarake tumhe ke tum kisi ke noor ho gaye
Kisi ke itne paas ho ke sabse door ho gaye

Congratulations to you on becoming someone's light
Congratulations to you on becoming someone's light
You're so close to that person that you've become far from everyone else

"But Batuk!" Bondita sobbed, feeling uneasy about all of this. It was like a heavy weight had been placed on her heart. 

Batuk looked at her and smiled through his tears. He reached to her cheeks and gently wiped her tears away with his fingers. 

Bondita sniffled. 

"Boudi, don't cry or Dada will kill me," he told her lightly. 

Bondita couldn't help but smile through her tears. 

"You crazy boy," she told him, sounding like Anirudh for a moment, "I always thought that only your Dada was the crazy one out of you three brothers. But today you proved that you could give Pati Babu competition!" 

Batuk laughed through his tears and said, "That's a compliment." 

A small laugh escaped her lips too, through her own tears, and she whispered, "I wish Tupur didn't marry Chandrachur. I wish she said something. If she waited just a little while longer... just a little while until Pati Babu and I got there, then I would have certainly stopped the wedding. Even without knowing about you two." 

Batuk looked at Bondita and said, "I don't know whether she regrets it or not Boudi. All I know is that I begged her to do something, anything... I even told her to set the haveli on fire, but the truth is that she's not you Boudi. She's not someone who has those kind of guts. She doesn't want to be a dark mark in society, whereas you... you don't care. She cared. If she didn't care, then maybe things would have been different today." 

"It's not her fault too," Bondita told him softly. "She wasn't raised like me. Thakumaa taught her differently. She doesn't have a Pati Babu in her life..." 

"I tried Boudi, to be that for her... believe me I tried. I tried to convince her to speak up and stand up for herself. Throughout the entire two months, I kept on using your example, but she..." 

"She didn't like it, did she?" Bondita asked softly. 

"Yes, she kept on getting upset that I kept comparing her to you... she kept thinking that I preferred you to her... and..." Batuk gulped, and he said, "It's true. You and Dada were number one for me, and you will always be." 

Bondita looked at Batuk, fresh tears forming in her eyes. 

"Oh Batuk..." Bondita whispered, her heart aching with mixed feelings. 

She felt happy to have so many people who loved her like this, and at the same time she was sad that Batuk's heart was broken. She was also incredibly touched that Batuk cared for her so much. 

She just didn't know how to process all of this. 

"I don't know what's happening in her sasural... but I truly hope that she is happy," Bondita said, looking at him sadly. 

"She was determined... that... she's married and that it can't be reversed," Batuk confessed. "She sounded like she would try... to make it work." 

His heart hurt as he said this. 

"She will fill so much light in that Chandrachur's life," Batuk said, "But... I don't know if he will be able to do the same for her." 

Bondita remembered Chandrachur and her heart ached. 

"Unless she wants to leave him, we can't force her," Bondita told Batuk softly. "It's her choice. We shouldn't pressure her in any way."

Batuk looked down with guilt, remembering how he tried to get her to forget her marriage.

"Don't worry Batuk. I will find out how she's doing," Bondita told him softly, but Batuk didn't think it mattered. 

She seemed too stubborn the last time they spoke. 

What difference did it make now? 

Ajeeb dastan hai yeh
Kahan shuru kahan khatam
Yeh manzilein hai kaun si
Na woh samajh sake na hum

What a strange story this is
Who knows where it started and where will it end
What destinations are these
Neither she nor I could understand that

Batuk glanced down at the papers where Tupur had tried to write the Devanagari script. 

"You know Boudi... there was one time..." he said, looking at Bondita. He had never told anyone about this. Not even Vikram. 

"One time?" she asked, her eyes widening. 

He nodded, and she understood it immediately. 

Fresh tears entered his eyes and he said, "When you were in that shack, she wondered about... why... you and Roopa used to make noises that sounded like a a d - dying animal..." 

Bondita didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or laugh. 

"Later that day, when we met..." 

"Let me guess, you..." 

Batuk nodded. 

"I did..." 

"Consensually?" Bondita asked. 

"Yes," Batuk said, "She wanted to know too..." 

Bondita just looked at Batuk with a small smile. 

"Don't be sad Batuk, you beat me for once," she teased. 

"Huh?" Batuk asked, surprised. 

"You had sex before I did," she told him, trying to bring a smile to his face. 

"What? No way!" Batuk denied. 

"Really," Bondita said with a smile. 

"Seriously Boudi, seriously?" Batuk asked. 

Bondita giggled through her tears and she said, "Yes Batuk. Your Dada has been very slow." 

Batuk couldn't help it. A smile reached his lips, and he laughed. As hard to believe as it was, it sounded just like his Dada. 

"So I beat you in one subject," he teased. 

She giggled and she said, "Yeah... you did. But only one, okay?"

Batuk couldn't help but laugh, and Bondita laughed along with him, the two of them forgetting the pain for a moment.  

Kisi ka pyar leke tum naya jahaan basaoge
Kisi ka pyar leke tum naya jahaan basaoge
Yeh shaam jab bhi aayegi tum humko yaad aaoge

You'll create a new world with someone's love
You'll create a new world with someone's love
I'll remember you whenever an evening like this will come

Suddenly, tears filled Batuk's eyes again, and his smile fell once more. 

Bondita's heart ached, seeing him in this condition. 

"I've been trying to move on Boudi. That's why... I keep flirting with Surabhi," Batuk confessed. "I thought... if I can... find other girls hot, and take interest in them, I will get over this pain faster." 

Then suddenly his heart shattered in his chest. 

"But somewhere, deep down, even when I try, I still feel the pain. I can't forget it so easily," he told her, tears spilling out of his eyes. 

Bondita reached to hold his hand, but Batuk had beat her to it. He threw his arms around her and pressed his face to her chest, like a little kid clinging on to his mother for her love. 

"Boudi, I keep trying to move on but her memories keep haunting me." 

Ajeeb dastan hai yeh
Kahan shuru kahan khatam
Yeh manzilein hai kaun si
Na woh samajh sake na hum

What a strange story this is
Who knows where it started and where will it end
What destinations are these
Neither she nor I could understand that

Tears streamed down Bondita's own cheeks, as she caressed his hair with one hand and held his shoulder with her other hand, while Batuk adjusted his face against her chest.

If anyone were to see them in this position, it would look very wrong, very awkward. However, both Bondita and Batuk knew what kind of relationship they shared, and they didn't need to prove it to anyone. 

The love emanating from the two of them was pure, free of any questionable intentions. 

Bondita held him against her chest like a mother would hold a child, as Batuk sobbed heavily into her saree. 

"It's okay Batuk, cry as much as your heart desires," she whispered to him. "I'm here for you. I always will be." 

He just sobbed uncontrollably, his hands falling to her back, clinging on to it tightly, as he cried against her chest. 

They stayed just like this, for what felt like hours, until Batuk had no more tears to cry, and neither did Bondita.

That was when his head fell to her lap, and Batuk closed his eyes, feeling like he could finally sleep peacefully on the lap of the one who had not only become his closest friend and sister-in-law, but also the mother he had lost many, many years ago. 

He had lost Shubhra Maa when he was so young, that he couldn't even remember her face, let alone her love. 

However, today, he felt like he did know of such a mother. One whose lap and arms were open for him unconditionally, as she stroked his hair with so much love. 

There was once someone that went by Rumi, who beautifully said: the wound is where the light enters you. 

And today, Batuk Roy Choudhary could proudly say, that his Boudi was that light for him. 

Precap: 

The next morning, Bondita is already in her school uniform, ready to go to school. 

"Pati Babu, I need money!" 

Anirudh takes out some money and gives it to Bondita. 

"That's not enough! I need more," she demands, and Anirudh looks at her with shock. 

What does Bondita need money for? How will Anirudh react to this? 

-- 

I got emotional writing this chapter. 

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. 

I love writing Anirudh and Bondita in this story, but as much as I love them, I also love the other bonds -- whether that's between Bondita-Batuk, Bondita-Vikram, BonTukRam, Anirudh-Manika, and more. 

I've tried writing everyone and every relationship with depth and lessons, and there is so much more coming. 

Remember to press star and leave your comments for fast updates, as usual. 

I love you all! ❤️