Thank you for your quick responses! In less than a day, we got to 450+ stars and 300+ comments on the last part, so this chapter came right away!

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-- 

Both Bondita and Vikram nodded, when the principal took Bipin's name. 

"Yes sir, Bipin," Vikram confirmed. 

The principal looked at them with shock, but that shock soon turned into disbelief. 

"You two were found here at this hour, and now you're taking the name of my nephew? Why should I believe your words, when you two have been caught red-handed in my office?" the principal asked. 

Anirudh and Batuk were utterly confused by this scenario, while Kaka's mind was still filled with the hard truth that his Bahu was here with Vikram all night. 

"Principal sir, please call Bipin here," Anirudh said firmly, "If Bondita and Vikram claim that Bipin locked them, there must be truth to it." 

"I don't trust them," the principal said harshly. 

Anirudh's hands balled into fists when the principal claimed that he didn't trust them.

"There's only one way to find out then, isn't it principal sir?" he asked with gritted teeth, "That is to call Bipin here." 

The principal sighed and went to the phone. It wasn't even 4 AM, and here he was calling his sister's residence. 

While the principal was busy on the phone, Bondita approached her Pati Babu and said, "Pati Babu, why don't you sit down? You aren't feeling well." 

Anirudh looked at Bondita intensely, and she felt a shiver run up her spine. 

Was he mad at her? 

"Bondita --" he started, his tone clearly not a happy one, but he was interrupted. 

"Shiv Shiv Shiv," Kaka's voice said, noticing the bloodstain on Bondita's dress. 

Was this the... symbol of what happened here last night? 

He already knew that Anirudh and his Bahu hadn't ever crossed their limits, so it was not a shock to know that she was yet to bleed whenever she had her first time. However, the biggest shock was that she didn't wait for his nephew, and instead crossed her limits with that Bikram! 

Anirudh didn't understand what Kaka was going Shiv Shiv Shiv about, because he was facing Bondita, but Batuk had seen from behind, and his eyes went wide. 

He quickly took off his own waistcoat and rushed to his Boudi, placing it over her shoulders. Bondita turned to look at Batuk with a smile, as she pulled the waistcoat on. The size was quite big, so it covered until the top of her legs. 

"I was offering mine too," Vikram whispered to Batuk when he came beside him, "But she refused."

"Oh is that why your waistcoat is half-unbuttoned?" Batuk asked lightly, and Vikram looked down at it with an embarrassed blush on his cheeks, as he quickly buttoned it up again. 

Anirudh looked at Batuk incredulously, wondering what the whole waistcoat exchange was about. 

Bondita leaned towards Anirudh and whispered so that only he could hear, "Pati Babu, I got my period. There's a stain there." 

At the mention of her getting her period, Anirudh's unhappiness transformed into another look of relief, and he suddenly smiled. 

Bondita frowned as she watched his reaction. 

He was so happy that she was bleeding! 

"Thank God," Anirudh just said. 

Of course, he was tracking her periods too, and he knew she was supposed to get it at some point today, but he had been sick and had momentarily forgotten about it when he found out that Bondita had gone missing. 

His biggest fear, was what if somehow the contraception stopped working and she got pregnant? It was next to impossible, but the fear still lingered. Therefore, hearing that she had gotten her period was a big sense of relief for him. 

"Thank God?" Bondita inquired. 

"You gave me great news Bondita," he told her with a smile. 

Bondita blinked a couple of times, and pouted. 

"Pati Babu!" 

She knew that he was just happy that she wasn't pregnant, but she was beginning to have cramps!

"Shh, don't whine here," he whispered, knowing exactly why she was pouting, "Once we handle the principal, I'll take you out for kulfi."

Her eyes lit up and she asked, "Shotti?" She pouted again and said, "But you're sick. You shouldn't have kulfi!" 

"Shotti, but only if I feel like you deserve it after all this," he told her, his expression turning serious. "And about me, don't worry about me. You can have my share too." 

At the mention of her having two kulfis, she licked her lips with excitement. 

"Bondita," Anirudh warned, "First prove your innocence." 

He found her incredibly cute, but there was a very serious matter going on here. 

She looked at him and asked, "You don't trust me?" 

"You don't trust me?" he retorted back.  

She grinned and she said, "Of course I do! That's why I know you trust me!" 

"Right now, my trust isn't important. Principal sir's is. So prove it to the principal," he said firmly, "Otherwise you getting out of this will be next to impossible." 

Bondita pouted and looked at him, but he moved his eyes towards the principal, who had just hung up the phone, indicating that she had to prove it. 

He was always there to fight her battles for her, but he wanted to encourage her to fight her own battles. He would of course, step in, if the situation got out of hand, but he wanted his Bondita to depend less on him, and more on her intellect and wisdom. 

"Sir..." Bondita said, stepping towards him, "I can prove my innocence! Can you explain --" 

"Enough," the principal interrupted, sounding annoyed, "I had to disturb my sister's sasural, because of this issue. We will now only talk when Bipin comes." 

"But principal sir, did you call as her brother, or as a principal?" Batuk asked, his tone completely innocent. 

The principal glared at Batuk and Batuk just cowered slightly. 

Bondita just grinned at her brother-in-law, while Kaka leaned against the wall to the side, a heartbroken expression on his face. 

He didn't think he could ever recover from the pain of what he witnessed this time!

In the relationship between Anirudh and his Bahu, he had faced trauma over and over again, and it seemed like his trauma wasn't over yet! 

It wasn't too long before Bipin arrived. 

"Your mom and dad didn't come?" Anirudh asked, glancing at Bipin. He had always been a big guy, but he had grown taller since the time he saw him when he caught him with the adult magazine.  

"They know I went to my Mama's office. Why would they come?" Bipin asked. 

"We don't need to disturb them," the principal said. "Bipin is my nephew. I can be his guardian." 

"You're also the principal!" Bondita retorted. "It's your job to not be partial!" 

"Bahu!" Kaka hissed -- she should not argue with the principal here, because the principal was the only other witness to what had happened here! They had to appease the principal and get out of here before this incident spread! 

Then in the confines of the Roy Choudhary haveli, they could solve this matter! It couldn't spread to others at any cost! 

"I'm not going to be partial," the principal said, and then turned to Bipin. "What happened Bipin?" 

"Huh?" Bipin asked, looking sleepy. "I dunno... why did you call me here?" 

"BIPIN, YOU LOCKED US HERE!" Bondita yelled, "DID YOU FORGET?"

"Yeah!" Vikram agreed. "After saying some horrible things to Bondita, he locked us in here!" 

Anirudh looked at Bipin with shock -- what horrible things? 

"Mama, why would I bring them here to your office? Does that make any sense?" Bipin asked. "They must have come here on their own! Everyone knows that they like each other!" 

A loud gasp escaped Batuk's lips. 

Kaka wanted to disappear with embarrassment. 

Anirudh's hands balled into fists again. What was Bipin insinuating? 

"Bipin, why are you lying?" Batuk asked, "Even I know that you brought them here!" 

"You're her devar, so of course you will try to prove her innocence Batuk. Even if it means you make my Mama doubt me!" Bipin continued. 

Bondita furrowed her eyebrows together angrily and she demanded, "Oh yeah? Then how did I get in? The principal's office is locked, isn't it? It's impossible for me to get in without keys!"

"Exactly!" Vikram said, "And there was no way we could have come in through the windows, because they have bars on them." 

Bondita turned to face the principal, and she said, "Principal sir, can you explain this? Can he?"

The colour drained from Bipin's face, and he just said, "Uh, I dunno where they got the keys! Maybe Batuk stole it from you Mama!" 

Bondita breathed sharply as Bipin continued to throw accusations. 

Batuk glared at Bipin and he yelled, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU BIPIN? WHY ARE YOU LYING? WHY WOULD WE STEAL YOUR MAMA'S KEYS?"

"Mama, see, only guilty people yell like this," Bipin said, with a yawn, "Did you disturb my sleep for this?" 

The principal looked between the four students, and he sighed heavily. 

"Bondita, Vikram, you couldn't prove anything. And in fact, now Batuk is under question too," the principal informed, "The evidence proves to the fact that you two were caught here red-handed." 

"Mama, they are anyways lovers. It's clear that Bondita didn't want to go home, and she was looking for a place to spend time with Vikram," Bipin said. 

Kaka felt his insides fill with disgust once again, and Anirudh's hands balled into firmer fists, anger filling his system. 

He wanted to grab this Bipin's collar right now, and shove him against the wall hard! However, this may make things worse for his Bondita, so he was controlling himself very much right now. 

"What?" Vikram asked, "That makes no sense!" 

"It makes a lot of sense!" Bipin accused, "Bondita has been married to her husband since she was a child, so she was obviously going to be curious about other boys, boys who are her age! Boys that she didn't get bored of by spending her whole life with them! And it's obvious from the amount you are around Bondita that you like her too!" 

Along with the anger, Anirudh felt a stab in his heart when Bipin said this, almost like he was pouring salt over old wounds. 

Fury entered Bondita's eyes and she stormed right up to Bipin, really wanting to give him another slap. 

"How dare you say that about my Pati Babu?" Bondita yelled, an intense look in her eyes, "Just because you can't understand our relationship, doesn't mean that you can make false allegations!" 

Anirudh looked at Bondita, shaking his head. She was getting too emotional now. This wasn't how she could prove her innocence. 

Come on Bondita, use your barrister skills. Use the arguments you use with me, Anirudh begged in his mind.  

"Look Bondita, Bipin has made good points, but you have given me nothing," the principal just said. 

"Good points?!" Bondita asked furiously, "He's just made assumptions! Assumptions aren't good points, principal sir!" 

Anirudh smiled with relief. Now she sounded like a true barrister! 

Although this wasn't good enough. She had to think harder. 

"You also were not able to prove that this is Bipin's fault," the principal said, "Unfortunately, I will have no choice, but to expel you and Vikram for this, while Batuk will be under review." 

Anirudh's heart nearly popped out of his chest when the principal claimed that he would expel the students. 

"WHAT?" Anirudh asked angrily. 

"Sorry Barrister Babu, but these two have been found in my office, and they were obviously doing... forget it. Just the fact that they were here," the principal said. 

Vikram looked down with guilt, while Bondita was both angry, and guilty as well -- one because if she had said no to this plan in the first place, her friends wouldn't be in trouble with her, and two because she would disappoint her Pati Babu so much if this happened. 

What if this crushed their dreams, and he was never able to look her in the eye ever again? 

Tears filled Bondita's eyes, and she said, "It wasn't Vikram's fault. It's all my fault. I forced him to come here with me. Principal sir, if you want to expel someone, then expel me. Don't punish Vikram please."

If they had to get expelled, then it was better she just get expelled rather than them all. 

Trilochan watched with utter shock and disappointment, wondering where his Anirudh had gone wrong, that Bondita was defending another man as if he were her lover.

Should he blame her, or should he blame his nephew? Wasn't it Anirudh's fault for never giving her the rights that he should have given her a long time ago?

Vikram shook his head and said, "No! It's all my fault Principal sir. Don't punish Bondita, please. She can't have this on her record! She has to be a big barrister someday! I'll manage somehow, but it's already very hard for her as a girl, and if she gets expelled now, then people will take it a lot worse than if you were to expel me! Please just end this by expelling me! Let Bondita continue!"

He couldn't let Bondita's dreams get crushed so easily! Vikram himself didn't have a big dream yet, but he knew that Bondita was made for great things, and he couldn't let her have her wings clipped. 

Not like this. 

Not when her intentions were completely pure. 

"I'm going to call your parents Vikram, and then we will make the rustication papers," the principal said. 

Anirudh watched from Bondita to Vikram, a very angry look on his features. 

He knew the bond that the two of them shared, but this was not done. This was so not done! By taking the blame on their own heads, they had given up trying to prove their innocence!  

And Anirudh was extremely disappointed in Bondita for this!

However, that disappointment was for later. 

First, it was time for Barrister Babu Anirudh Roy Choudhary to step in. 

He turned to face the principal, and he yelled, "ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!" 

The principal looked at Anirudh with shock. 

"DO YOU THINK IT'S SO EASY, THAT YOU CAN EXPEL THEM WITHOUT A PROPER INVESTIGATION?" he bellowed. 

"We just conducted one," the principal informed. 

"YOU CALL THIS AN INVESTIGATION? THEIR CAREERS ARE AT STAKE HERE," Anirudh screamed. 

"Barrister Babu, Bipin has explained already that he hasn't done it. It proves that Bondita and Vikram are lying," the principal said. 

"WOW, SO BIPIN SAID, AND SUDDENLY HE'S THE EPITOME OF HONESTY?" Anirudh bellowed, "BIPIN HAS DONE NOTHING EXCEPT PUT ALLEGATIONS ON MY WIFE AND HER FRIEND. HOW CAN YOU TRUST SOMEONE WHO CAN POINT A FINGER ON SOMEONE ELSE'S CHARACTER LIKE THAT?" 

Trilochan squinted his eyes, wondering why Anirudh had to be so loud about this matter. He knew that the school was empty, but what if someone happened to come by early and heard?

"Bipin hasn't done that! Your wife has tainted her own character by being here with a man all night!" the principal accused, "How can you blame my nephew for tainting it?" 

Vikram looked absolutely devastated to hear such allegations against him and Bondita. 

"I'm so sorry Bondita!" he said to her. 

"Shh it's not your fault," she whispered back, "It's a problem of their mentality! We did nothing wrong, and we don't have to prove anything to anyone! The only thing we have to prove is that we came in here because we were lured by Bipin, and to get Mallika's address. That's it." 

"MY WIFE WASN'T HERE ALL NIGHT BY CHOICE, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT. AND EVEN IF SHE WAS, THEN THIS STILL DOESN'T TAINT HER CHARACTER, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Anirudh bellowed. 

Bondita shivered, as she looked up at her Pati Babu with admiration. How she wanted to just kiss those lips that were yelling in her defense!

Even his so called "DJ sessions" were turning into music to her ears. 

"What are you going on about Anirudh Babu?" the principal finally asked, "Of course, if a woman is with an outsider man in a room all night --" 

"ENOUGH OF THIS CHEAP THINKING!" Anirudh screamed, his throat hurting, but he didn't care. "YOU CANNOT POINT A FINGER AT ANYONE'S CHARACTER LIKE THAT, AND ESPECIALLY NOT MY WIFE'S!" 

Bondita smiled, feeling at peace. She knew her Pati Babu would never let anything happen to her. However, she was quite worried about his throat right now. If he kept this up, he may surely lose his voice! 

"I KNOW MY BONDITA BEST. I KNOW THAT SHE DOESN'T SEE ANYONE EXCEPT ME," Anirudh screamed, "EVEN IF I WERE TO SEE SOMETHING WITH MY VERY OWN EYES, PRINCIPAL SIR, I WOULD NEVER BELIEVE IT! SO YOU THINK JUST BY YOUR TALKS, AND YOUR NEPHEW'S ALLEGATIONS, I WOULD BELIEVE YOU?" 

Bondita grinned widely at him, fresh tears in her eyes. Earlier, she had asked him if he trusted her -- and she knew without a doubt that he trusted her more than anything. Just like the faith she had in him, he also had immeasurable faith in her. 

"Anirudh," Kaka mumbled under his breath, "You're only talking about seeing with your very eyes. But I saw it truly, with my very own eyes! The evidence of her affair." 

His heart broke all over again, because he knew that his nephew would be very heartbroken over this once his faith in Bondita was crushed. 

"How will you ever get over this Anirudh?" Kaka cried to himself.  

-- 

Precap/Promo: 

"AND PRINCIPAL SIR, YOUR SET OF KEYS WEREN'T STOLEN. YOU HAD THEM WITH YOU," Anirudh continued, "AND ON TOP OF THAT THE DOOR WAS LOCKED FROM THE OUTSIDE. I DARE YOU TO SAY THEY DID THIS INTENTIONALLY AGAIN!" 

The principal gulped, as he realized that Anirudh was correct. 

"But still breaking and entering -- " the principal began, but was interrupted. 

"I'm not agreeing that they did the right thing by coming in here, but have they vandalized anything? Did they have ulterior motives which were harmful? These are good students, with no prior records. How can you give such a strict punishment?" Anirudh demanded. 

"Very well then," the principal said with a sigh, "I won't expel them. You've proved your wife's and Vikram's innocence, Barrister Babu."

Bondita and Vikram looked at Anirudh with relief. 

"Until I get to the bottom of this, both of them -- Vikram and Bondita, will stay after school every day and clean the school premises for two hours each day under the supervision of a teacher," the principal said. "This is their amended punishment, for entering the principal's office." 

"What? She is our Bahu! She cannot do this!" Kaka denied immediately. 

"Don't worry Kakasasurji," Bondita said sweetly, and then glared at Bipin, "We won't be doing it for long, because the truth will come up in front of Principal sir quicker than you think!" 

--

As they were heading out of the school, Bondita handed a scrunched up paper to Batuk and whispered, "Vikram and I won't be able to come to school today, but go to this address with Surabhi. Make sure she checks if Mallika is okay. Don't worry, it's very close by." 

"But Surabhi..." Batuk said, not sure how to break the truth about Surabhi to Bondita. 

"I know she may not be up for it, but try to convince her to check once. And you go with her, so she's safe," Bondita whispered. "Pati Babu already isn't in a good mood, and he's sick as it is. Please Batuk. Surabhi's our only hope." 

Batuk nodded slowly, and he finally said, "Okay Boudi. I'll ask Surabhi to go with me on our lunch break." 

-- 

When they got home, both Kaka and Anirudh wanted Bondita all to themselves, so that they could erupt in private. 

"Bondita come with me," Anirudh ordered. 

"No Bahu, come with me first," Kaka demanded. 

"Bondita - Come - With - Me," Anirudh said with gritted teeth. 

Bondita looked between Anirudh and Kaka and gulped. 

-- 

"Bondita you may have won at friendship, but you failed as a barrister today," Anirudh said sternly to her, making tears fill her eyes.

-- 

Whoa that precap is more like a promo. It started off as a precap, but turned into a promo I guess. 😂

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Did you enjoy the moment when Anirudh found out about Bondita's period? 

Kaka's heartbreak over Bondita's 'affair'?

Anirudh's DJ session? 

The promo/precap? 

The excitement has just begun, and there are still many things waiting to unfold. 

Also, one thing I want to point out -- once upon a time, Kaka doubted that Anirudh was having an affair with Roopa, and he reacted the same pained way for his Bondita Bahu, afraid that her heart would be broken, sad for her. So, now he's just suspecting the other side. Kaka has always been like this. It's nothing shocking... but it will be interesting because of relationship development. 🤭

Please leave your comments, and do press the star button! As always, the faster the responses, the faster the chapters. 

Also congrats to everyone for 150K+ reads within 50 parts of this book. It's your success more than it is mine, because you were the ones who made this possible by reading and supporting it. LOVE YOU ALL VERY VERY MUCH! ❤️❤️❤️