Votes/comments have been very much less in the last chapter compared to previous ones. Please at least press star on the last part if you haven't, so I feel like you aren't skipping. I haven't seen many of my regular reader's votes/comments and it makes me want to wait for them. 

Spree? Yes, that's the plan today if the chapters get fast responses...if you support it by voting and sharing your comments, it'll continue for longer. 

GET ALL PARTS TO 450+ STARS IF YOU WANT ME TO GIVE MORE SPREES. DO NOT SKIP CHAPTERS OTHERWISE THINGS WILL NOT MAKE SENSE.

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The next few days passed by in a hazy blur. 

Things seemed to be going smoothly, until one fine day, something unexpected happened. 

Mallika didn't come to school. 

The gang didn't think much of it on the first day. Then when she didn't come to school for the second day in a row, worry crept in them. Still, they decided that perhaps there was some emergency and she couldn't come. 

Only when the she didn't arrive for a third day, did the four of them get together to try and figure out what the problem was. 

"Maybe she's sick," Batuk suggested in the classroom that day before the teacher arrived. 

Bondita sighed and she said, "Even when we've been sick, we've only been away for one or two days Batuk, unless it's a severe illness."

Batuk nodded, and said, "Then can it be that she's gravely ill?" 

Vikram's eyes widened and he said, "No no! I don't think so! We shouldn't imagine such things!" 

Surabhi just rolled her eyes and she said, "Maybe she's just busy." 

"Busy to come to school?" Bondita demanded. 

Surabhi just shrugged and Vikram sighed.

It seemed like there might be a more serious matter than her just being busy. 

"She hasn't come to school for three days now and I'm very worried about her," Bondita said. "She doesn't even have a phone at her house. Does anyone have her address?"

Everyone shook their heads, not knowing where exactly Mallika lived.

"We can ask around," Batuk suggested.

"What if there really is a problem? People will gossip," Vikram said. "We should find out secretly."

Bondita nodded in agreement. Vikram had a good point. If Mallika was really in a problem, then perhaps public attention wouldn't be good. They had to find out what exactly the matter was first. 

Surabhi was standing there, arms folded, and she just said, "She must live in some house around here. How hard will it be to find her?"

Batuk glanced at Surabhi with a small smile and he said, "Of course she lives in some house around here... but if it's so easy Surabhi, maybe you can find her... with me."

Bondita and Vikram exchanged weary glances at Batuk's flirting. 

Surabhi just rolled her eyes and ignored him, as usual. She wasn't interested in Batuk! Only in Mr. ARC! It didn't matter how similar they looked, Mr. ARC was still older and hotter! 

Batuk's eyes lit up and he said, "I have an idea! I can ask Bipin. His Mama is the principal."

Bondita nodded with agreement. This was for the best. 

"Great Batuk. Let's try and find Mallika's address, then Surabhi and I can go there and see if everything is okay," she told him. 

"Only you and Surabhi?" Batuk asked with a pout. 

Surabhi rolled her eyes again, wondering why she was dragged into this matter.

"Duh, Batuk," Vikram said sarcastically, "If we go along, then I'm sure her parents will be very happy to welcome us home! She will definitely not get in big trouble for having boys over!" 

"My parents are not like that!" Surabhi huffed. "They are very forward-thinking!" 

"I'm happy to hear that Surabhi," Bondita just said to her, "But unfortunately, majority of this place isn't so forward-thinking." 

"Yeah," Batuk agreed, "That's true. Besides, Surabhi, your dad is British. Of course your parents will be forward-thinking! You even lived in London for a year!" 

"Yeah, people are different there," Surabhi agreed, "If a girl and a boy are just walking together it's not as scandalous like it is here! And people don't fuss about your clothes as much!" 

"There are good things about this place too," Bondita said defensively. "In fact, there are a lot of traditions here that are good and teach great things. The only issue is that people have turned amritam (nectar of immortality) into zeher (poison)." 

Vikram nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, I agree with Bondita! Even though my parents are not so forward-thinking, I still wouldn't change them for the world!" Vikram said. 

Batuk just shrugged and he said, "I have both in my family! My Kaka who is so old school that it hurts, and my Dada who is as modern as you can get, but also strict!" 

Bondita giggled and she asked, "And me?" 

Batuk glanced at her and he grinned, "You are the best of both worlds Boudi!" 

Bondita just felt her heart melt! Batuk was seriously complimenting her today? It was hard to digest!

"Bondita seriously has found the best in both worlds," Vikram agreed. "She can really scoop out the best from both sides!" 

Surabhi just rolled her eyes, wondering why everyone praised Bondita so much. It must be because she was the first girl to attend school here! 

"But Boudi, you're also the worst of both worlds," Batuk teased, making Bondita's eyes widen. 

"BATUK!" she yelled, as Batuk snickered. 

She knew he was being too nice to be true!

That was when the teacher came in and they all rushed to their seats, hoping that their friend Mallika was alright. 

-- 

At the Roy Choudhary haveli, Anirudh's head was aching badly. He was feeling extremely feverish. 

He was in the study, and he asked Bihari for a glass of water. 

When Bihari came back, he noticed Anirudh's head on his desk. 

"What's wrong Barrister Babu?" Bihari asked, sounding alarmed. 

"I'm fine Bihari," Anirudh mumbled, "Just have a headache." 

Bihari placed the glass of water on top of the desk and said, "Look at me Barrister Babu." 

Anirudh lifted his head and looked at Bihari. Bihari placed a hand on Anirudh's forehead and gasped. 

"You have a fever!" 

"It's fine, it's not a big deal," Anirudh said, "I'll just finish typing these case files..." 

"Chhote Mallik, please get some rest!" Bihari insisted. 

Anirudh shook his head, and said, "Bihari, I told you I'm fine! It's just a small headache!"

"Barrister Babu seems sick," Bihari Babu said after he left the study, sounding concerned. "Chhoti Malikin has gone to school, and only Sampoorna Mallikin is at home. What should I do now?" 

He went to find Sampoorna Mallikin, who was in her bedroom with the small Sashwati. Bihari knew that Sampoorna and Anirudh didn't have a great relationship, but he had no choice right now when nobody else was at home and Anirudh was refusing to listen to him. 

"Sampoorna Mallikin," Bihari said, after he knocked on the door and entered. "Chhote Mallik has a fever it seems, but he's refusing to stop working." 

Sampoorna looked up from her bed, where she was playing with Sashwati. 

"Fever?" she asked, "What happened to him?"

"Not sure. Even Somnath Mallik isn't here, otherwise he could perhaps treat him," Bihari said. 

"I'll try to talk to him..." Sampoorna said with a sigh, knowing that her relationship with Anirudh wasn't the greatest right now, but for some reason, a true concern for him having awakened in her heart. 

The first night that he had drank himself to insanity when Bondita's marriage was fixed with Chandrachur, was the first time that she felt such motherly instincts for Anirudh. She never approached him, because the whole family had already been there, worried about him. And with what face could she approach him? She had only plotted against him and Bondita in the past. 

Right now, there was nobody here except her. 

She had to at least try... 

-- 

Precap: 

Sampoorna feeds Anirudh soup, as he rests on the sofa of the study room, while Batuk forms a plan with Bipin to break into the principal's office. 

-- 

Chapter is shorter than usual? Yes, but the next one is coming right up. And more can come today too, if you shower your love by pressing star and posting your comments! 🙈

On average I wait for the chapters to get 450+ stars and 300+ comments within the day. Not to say you need to spam, but that's just the low-end zone of what the chapters normally get.

If response slows down, then it seems like you either aren't interested or you aren't caught up, and therefore I'll wait longer to post. I know it's exam season, hence I'm being a little relaxed about this and still updating, but if it drops a lot then I might take longer. I know many of you are indeed reading and are just not voting, so please do vote. 😃

It's just a click of a button. Is it too much to ask for, when you're getting entertainment from someone's hard work? 

Also, I posted about this on my Instagram handle, but what's the last date of exams for you all? So I get an idea of when to plan my next spree! 🙈

Love you all! ❤️