This track is almost over... and I'm seeing that the response is very slow and only getting slower in both stars and comments. I don't know whether my readers have dropped reading or just aren't voting/commenting. 

Am I updating too fast for you? Would you like me to slow down? 

Do you want this book to go on? Then press star on all chapters from 257. Even when the stars were less, there were chapters where the comments made up for it, and I felt your love, and your desire for more... but now even the comments are declining. They aren't only declining by a little bit, but the votes are almost 100 stars less. This is a HUGE drop, and enough for me to end the story. Once this track is over, I will reassess all the chapters and decide whether to continue.

Anyways, the spree party (🎉) can still go on if you join in/show excitement. But it seems like I'm leaving readers behind... so I dunno. Motivate me if you want more this weekend. 

-- 

Batuk and Bondita often got into arguments, but she couldn't remember the last time they fought on this level. 

Their bond had only gotten stronger with time, and now this fight was making Bondita question whether their strong bond was only a figment of her imagination. Maybe her and Batuk's bond wasn't that strong after all. 

"No, what am I thinking? It's just a small fight. We will be okay again," Bondita just said to herself reassuringly. "Our bond is strong. I shouldn't doubt our whole bond because of one argument." 

She was in the study, deciding to work on the case that Anirudh had left behind for her to study. 

He had gone out with Manika Didi and would be late for their lesson, but left work behind for her to do. 

Typical of him. 

As she sat in front of his desk, she checked the file that he kept out for her. There were not one, but two files. 

"Two, Pati Babu?" Bondita moaned, pouting. 

He wanted her to read two cases today? 

She looked carefully at the titles that were on the files, and her mouth fell open. 

One of them was a case, this time it was about someone who merely stepped on someone else's property, and the owner of the property was trying to sue them. 

Bondita nearly yawned looking at it!

The title on the next file, was handwritten by Anirudh -- the title said 'Guidelines for Barrister Babu Bondita'. 

Bondita smiled upon seeing this. She flipped open to the first page, and read: 

My dear Bondita, 

Inside this file, I've written legal terms with their definitions, so you don't have to find the cases as complicated. Anytime you are stuck, look in this file. Everything is in alphabetical order and highlighted for you.

Love, 

Your Birristira Babu 

Bondita smiled, her heart fluttering, as she flipped the pages. 

He had organized everything so neatly, and highlighted the terms for her. Everything was also written out by hand. 

Her Pati Babu worked so hard just for her comfort, and she was so moved by this. 

Bondita turned towards the case, and already felt more eager to read it, just because she could cross reference with the notes that her Pati Babu had handwritten for her. 

Everything about him was interesting to her.

-- 

When Anirudh returned, he went straight to the study, while Manika went to her bedroom. He was so happy, that he was willing to do anything. 

Even fulfill Bondita's fantasy. 

After he entered, he went over to her, as she read through the case. He placed his hands on her shoulders from behind her and leaned into her ear, whispering, "Today you get to make love to your Barrister Babu in the middle of work, missy. I'm in such a happy mood."

Bondita's eyes lit up and she turned to look at him. 

Anirudh noticed something in her eyes -- a look that wasn't too happy. Of course, she showed excitement after his statement, but there was something deeper. 

She looked like she had something on her mind. 

"Is everything okay Bondita?" he asked her, placing his hand on her cheek gently. 

Bondita wondered what she would say to her Pati Babu. If she told him about her fight with Batuk, she was worried that Anirudh would go and yell at Batuk for the harsh things he said. 

No, she couldn't gossip about Batuk like that. 

Still, she decided that she would tell him vaguely.

"I'm fine Pati Babu. I just fought with Batuk..." she mumbled. 

"About what?" Anirudh asked, sounding concerned. 

"It's nothing serious. You know how we are. We always fight over small things," she said, and then smiled at him reassuringly, "How did it go today? You look so happy! Did he agree for the divorce?"

Anirudh looked at Bondita with a grin and nodded. 

"Yes Bondita, he signed the papers. I'll tell you all about it soon," he told her eagerly. 

Bondita grinned, her heart jumping with joy.  

"Really?" she squealed with excitement. 

Her Manika Didi was free! 

Anirudh nodded. 

"Yes Bondita," he said happily. 

"So that's why you are willing to let me fuck my Barrister Babu!" she said boldly with excitement. 

Anirudh chuckled and he said, "Today, I'm so happy that I'll let you do whatever you want to do to me." 

Bondita looked at him excitedly. This was not an offer she would say no to! After all, she had been waiting for this for a long time!

"I'll be back after I freshen up. You keep studying," he told her with a smile. 

"I will! Then I'll study you," she told him in a seductive voice, making Anirudh chuckle. 

He cupped her face in his hands, and leaned towards her, kissing her forehead.

"I'm looking forward to it," he told her softly, a glint in his eyes, and then he left the room. 

Bondita was just shaking in her seat with excitement after he left! Finally, her fantasy would be fulfilled! Finally, she would make love to her Barrister Babu! 

As she trembled in her seat happily, she nearly fell over, but caught her balance by clutching the sides of the seat tightly. 

"Ohho Bondita," she said to herself, "You are so excited, you can barely sit on a chair! How will you sit on your Pati Babu?!"

-- 

Inside the bedroom, Surabhi's heart ached as she heard about Batuk and Tupur. She never thought that Batuk had someone he fell in love with already. 

Her heart was hurting, but she didn't want to leave his side. 

"Why did you tell me this?" she asked him softly. "Do you consider me a friend?" 

Batuk looked at her with his sullen eyes. 

"There was nobody else but you," he just said. 

"So you had nobody else, so you told me about your life?" Surabhi asked, raising her eyebrow. "That hardly makes sense. Why would you share that with me even if you had nobody else?" 

"Bloody hell," Batuk swore, "I dunno. I'm just in a bad position. Boudi and Vikram are not listening, and there's nobody else." 

"There's Mallika," Surabhi pointed out, "So why me?" 

Batuk turned to glare at her and asked, "Why are you bringing up Mallika?" 

"Because you could have confided in her instead!" Surabhi informed, "You didn't have to tell me. I'm sure she would have listened. So why did you choose to tell me?"

Batuk felt his heartrate accelerate and he said, "Because you were here? I don't know. Why are you even asking me?" 

"Because I want you to come out of your dilemma! I want you to stop feeling alone!" Surabhi said defensively, "I'm here for you! I want you to realize this!" 

Batuk stood up with a start and gripped Surabhi's hand, causing her to look at him with shock. 

"What's wrong with you?" she gasped, as he pulled her out of the room. 

"Go from here!" he yelled back, "I don't need you! I don't even trust you! So why the bloody hell did I tell you about my past?"

Surabhi blinked at him a few times as he let go of her hand outside his room, in the hallway. 

"What the hell do you want Batuk?" Surabhi yelled at him, not understanding him at all.

"I don't know! Bloody hell!" Batuk swore.

"One second, you act like you want me, you're all over me, kissing me, making out, and the next you throw me away! Do I look like someone you can use?" she accused.

"You invited this! You fucking invited this!" Batuk snarled.

Anirudh was walking through the hallway at this moment, and he could hear the sound of a small argument.

He approached slowly, hearing what happened next.

"How?" Surabhi asked, "How did I invite this?"

"That night... when you... with Dada..." Batuk started.

Surabhi looked at Batuk with guilt and she said, "Can we not talk about that? It's been four months!"

"How could you even think about kissing Dada?" Batuk snapped, "I can never forgive you for that! Never! And this is why I am having a hard time trusting you Surabhi!" 

Anirudh's heart felt like it had stopped pumping blood, and he froze on the spot, unable to believe his ears.

All those moments of Deja Vu, those strange feelings he had about a girl approaching him in a school dress.

That was Surabhi?

She... kissed him?

A look of guilt appeared in his eyes, and he backed away slowly.

How would he face his Bondita now? 

After Anirudh left, Surabhi whispered, tears in her eyes, "Then I will have to live with a mistake. But you? You also did something wrong. You also kissed me without my consent. Yet, I forgave you. Didn't I?"

Batuk squeezed his eyes shut. He did mess up by taking revenge by kissing her. But there was so much confusion in his heart, that he didn't know what was going on. 

He loved his Dada and Boudi so much, that the idea of forgiveness wasn't an option. Yet, he was liking Surabhi's comfort, her friendship. He was enjoying her company. What was this dilemma in his mind and heart? 

"Fine Batuk Roy Choudhary. I understand you are struggling with many things, and I tried to be there for you. But not anymore. I keep on getting insulted by you time and time again. Enough is enough," she told him darkly. "I'm leaving. And don't even think you can take out your stress by making out with me again. We're done!" 

Batuk's eyes widened when she said that, and he asked like a child, "We are?"

Surabhi didn't let her heart melt this time. 

"Yes. I've had enough of your attitude!" she said firmly, and then turned on her heel and stormed away, leaving Batuk alone. 

Batuk felt his heart drop when Surabhi left. 

He was about to head back to his room with his head hanging, when instead he had a change of heart and stormed right to Manika's room. 

He had enough. Now Surabhi also left him. 

He had no option but to either bottle his stress up inside, or try to solve his problem!

He was worried about his best friend, and this was the only choice he had left. If Vikram and Bondita couldn't understand him, then Manika was his last hope. 

Batuk knocked on the door of Manika's room. 

"Come in," she said. 

After he entered the room, he saw that she was sitting by her desk, and practicing writing the alphabets of the Devanagari script. 

She looked up and smiled at him. 

"Hi Batuk," she said. 

"Manika Didi," Batuk said, and gulped, his heart palpitating, feeling like he was doing something wrong, but ignoring that feeling completely. "There's something I have to say." 

"Yes?" she asked. 

Batuk sat down on the empty seat next to her and said, "It's about... Vikram." 

Manika gave him a puzzled look. 

"He... he..." Batuk stammered. 

"What is it Batuk? You can tell me. Is he okay?" she asked, sounding worried. 

"VIKRAMLIKESYOU!" Batuk said loudly and quickly, his words strung together in a way that she couldn't even understand. 

"Huh?" Manika asked, blinking a few times. 

"Vikram... likes... you..." Batuk said, his heart beating fast, and for some reason, his own face turning red.

Manika smiled when she heard this. 

"I like him too," she said. "He's a really nice boy! Everyone likes him." 

Batuk gulped and he said, "No... I mean... he loves... you...in that way." 

Manika looked at Batuk with shock, her eyes widening. 

How was she going to react now?

-- 

Anirudh was inside the bathroom, staring at his face in the mirror, a horrified look on it, as that night played in his mind. 

That figure in the school dress, leaning towards his lips. 

He had been half-asleep, sick, in a state where he didn't have proper awareness. He couldn't recall the kiss, but it seemed like it had happened. 

All this time he thought it was a dream, a figment of his imagination. But no. It was real. 

He immediately turned on the tap, tears filling his eyes, his heart hurting. 

Anirudh couldn't even process thoughts. He just processed pain. Guilt. 

How did this happen? How? 

As the warm tears ran down his cheeks, Anirudh took the cold water in both his hands and splashed it on his face, before rubbing hard. He rubbed his face so hard that it hurt. 

He kept on doing this for a few minutes, trying to rub harder and harder, trying to give himself more pain. 

How could he not know that wasn't his Bondita?

More and more tears poured down his cheeks, and he just let out a howl of pain -- the agony of his heart, before collapsing on the floor, his face dripping wet and stinging with pain. 

"Bondita... how do I face you... Bondita...?" he sobbed, and pulled his knees up to his chest, shivering and shaking. "How did my thoughts slip from you? How did it happen? How Bondita, how?" 

-- 

Precap: 

Anirudh doesn't come to the study, and Bondita gets worried. She goes upstairs to see if everything is okay. 

-- 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 

How is Manika going to react to Batuk's confession? 

What will happen now between Anidita? 

Read the note at the top of the chapter. It's about the fate of the book. Again, I will only continue based on interest. This track is almost done, so there aren't many parts left. 

I love you all very, very much, and if you want more, you know what to do. 

Vote/comment!