Read, it's important if you want many updates this weekend:

I am still waiting for Chapters 304 and 305 to get to our count of 450+ stars, so please go back and hit star if you've forgotten. I've noticed some readers vote only on one chapter and not on them all (I don't understand why, when each chapter takes time and effort to construct, and I post a reminder on each part). Don't skip parts! I feel like you're skipping chapters if you do this, and it makes me a little less motivated to post faster. 

Again, the only reason I request for your stars on MDMB is to see how caught up everyone is because of frequency of updates, and to keep track of interest, because as soon as the general interest drops, this story will end. I am very satisfied with a journey of 300+ chapters, and I'm willing to end it at any point now. So as long as the demand is there, supply will be provided (economics reference for today... fun fact, I studied economics in University 🤭).

There are many readers who have pressed star on the previous chapters, and who were so excited for the spree, and I respect their love and sentiments so much. Hence I posted this update. 

So yes, I am planning to go on a spree party this weekend, but every part should get to 450+ stars, and I am hoping you participate in the party by showering your comments!

Remember, your love is what will fuel this spree to go on... it's like a battery for me, and it'll help me recharge to post the next chapter, because writing chapters takes a lot of time and effort, and your love is what motivates and recharges me to write more! 

So are you ready to participate in the spree party? 🥳

-- 

Anirudh's gaze was on Bondita's lips, his hands moving to her hips, fingers curling around the material of her saree. Bondita shivered, feeling his grip travel a little lower than her hips... he was caressing the top of her buttocks, almost unintentionally, as he studied the shape of her lips. 

It wasn't the first time he was studying her, but revisions on this subject, were something that Anirudh was particularly fond of. 

Their physical proximity was what lead to the destruction of Bondita's future, yet... Anirudh was still being drawn to her. He was still silently being beckoned closer. 

Why... oh why...?

Bondita leaned even closer to him, aching to feel his lips on hers again. 

His grip around her soft mounds of flesh on her bottom grew firmer, and he leaned towards her, his lips only a few inches away from hers. 

Anirudh loved her so much, and suppressing the urges to show her his love was getting harder by the moment. 

Yet, as his lips almost closed in on hers, he remembered...

He was the reason behind all this. 

It was all his fault. 

And he felt a pang in his heart again, as he let go of her immediately. 

Bondita's eyes sprung open and she looked at him, stunned. 

Avoiding her gaze, Anirudh gripped her arms instead and manoeuvred her around, so that he could escape from the closet he had been pressed against. 

"Pati Babu... what happened?" Bondita asked, as he immediately let go of her arms right after he escaped free from the proximity. 

"I... you... rest..." he just mumbled, running his hand through his hair nervously. 

He took a few steps towards the door, ready to rush out, when Bondita grabbed his hand, stopping him. 

"You won't even kiss me?" she asked him softly. 

Anirudh turned to look at her, a nervous look on his face, as he tried to juggle between his own feelings of guilt in a way to not disappoint Bondita too. 

"It's not like that..." he answered, his heart hurting. 

"Then?" she asked, stepping closer to him, "What's it like?" 

Anirudh took a deep breath and pulled his hand away from hers, causing Bondita's heart to drop. 

He was doing it again. Indirectly distancing himself from her. 

She could see the pain that was shining on his face, that he was desperately trying to cover up so that it wouldn't affect her. This was why he was trying to rush out too, so she didn't detect the sadness on his face, and feel this state of misery herself. 

But who would tell him... that she was already miserable? Not because of him, but because of her own guilt that she had somewhere suppressed deep inside in an effort to heal him. 

He didn't even know... otherwise, perhaps, he would also forget about his feelings, just for her sake. 

It was truly hitting Anirudh now, that Bondita had taken the right decision of moving out. Being in the same room as him would just make her unbearably sad. He couldn't have that... especially not when she was in this state. 

"Bondita, I just want you to rest," he told her firmly. "And... I have some work to do. So I'll go and do that."

That wasn't a lie, at least. He did have a lot of work pending; a lot of pregnancy books to read.  

"Then before you go..." she said. "Can you..." She gulped, sounding nervous all of a sudden. "Pati Babu... can you..." 

"What is it Bondita?" he asked her, furrowing his brows slightly. 

"One hug..." she mumbled cutely, looking down. 

Anirudh looked at her incredulously. 

She sounded so nervous to ask for a hug? This was a first. She usually hugged him like it was her birth right. 

"Well... since you're going to put us through a dry spell... this is the least I can ask for right?" Bondita asked, pouting slightly as she looked at him. 

Anirudh felt his throat dry up when Madame called their sexless life a dry spell.  

"I... didn't say... we will go through... a dry spell," Anirudh told her, his face flushing slightly. 

He wasn't denying her sex. He considered her feelings too... if she had a desire to have sex with him, he would for her sake, have sex with her. 

Anirudh had always put her needs above his own. Even now, he would. 

However, the guilt was too overbearing right now. Instead of giving her an experience where he was just guilty through it all, it was better he take a few moments away... for now. 

Once he calmed himself down, and if she needed him... he would make love to her. Not for his own desires, but for her sake. 

"So... you'll have sex with me?" she asked with a pout, and then placed her hands on his shoulders, her core suddenly throbbing with desire. 

All of these desires were so magnified inside of her. If it wasn't for the fact that she believed she didn't deserve to feel these pleasures, she would have surely rubbed her body against her Pati Babu's with need by now! 

"M - maybe... let me r - research first..." Anirudh mumbled. 

Bondita furrowed her brows and demanded, "You don't trust my Thakumaa?!" 

Anirudh looked at her cute expression, and his heart melted ever so slightly.

"I do trust her," Anirudh said, "But... your Thakumaa hasn't told us the details." 

"Details?" Bondita asked breathlessly, looking into his eyes. 

"Well... what positions... it's okay in..." Anirudh murmured, his ears turning pink as he said this. 

Bondita couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. Instinctively, she pressed her face into his shirt, gripping his waistcoat with her fingers, as she blushed slightly. 

"My Pati Babu wants to research sex positions," Bondita summarized, her words muffling into his waistcoat. 

"I... I should go..." he said sounding nervous, gently bringing his hands to her shoulders. 

Bondita let go of his waistcoat and looked at him with a blush, as Anirudh looked down into her eyes with a small smile. 

She looked so cute. 

Before he could get entranced by Madame's sweet gazes though, he turned around and rushed out of the room, while Bondita watched him go with a dreamy smile. 

She had barely moved into this room for a few minutes, and she was already watching him go with a dreamy smile! 

What was going to happen when days passed in this sweet separation?

-- 

When Vikram entered the haveli, he looked around nervously, wondering if he should find Bondita first or Anirudh. 

He decided that his best bet was to give the notes to Bondita, and then speak to her Pati Babu about the decision of not sending Bondita to school.

Vikram walked past the study, where the door was open, and he saw that Anirudh was glancing at a collection of books that he had spread across his desk. He had decided to go and give Bondita the notes first, but he just couldn't resist, when he saw the study door open. 

So, he knocked on the study door, nervous about this. 

Anirudh looked up from behind his desk, where he was glancing between different pregnancy books, trying to decide which one to read first.

When he saw that it was Vikram, a relieved look appeared on his face. 

Vikram would have experience about these matters. 

"I'm glad you came Vikram," Anirudh said. 

Vikram nervously held on to his school bag as he entered the study, approaching the desk. He looked at Bondita's Pati Babu, and he immediately felt a wave of admiration. It didn't matter what Anirudh did, but Vikram didn't think he could ever stop appreciating him! 

If it weren't for the fact that his best friend needed him, he wouldn't ever question Anirudh for his decisions. He had so much respect and faith in him. 

"I'm guessing, you know... about Bondita..." Anirudh said, his heart feeling heavy when he admitted this, because nearly everyone had found out except him!

Vikram nodded, dropping his bag on the chair in front of the desk. 

"You've also witnessed two of your mother's pregnancies, and Manika's as well," Anirudh said to him softly, a little considerate when he took Manika's name, because he was well aware of what Vikram felt for the woman. "I... wanted to hear your thoughts about the topic." 

Vikram gazed at Anirudh and took a deep breath, his heart hammering hard because he was so nervous to be speaking to Anirudh like this. 

"Yes Bondita's Pati Babu! I have experience in the matter, and I will love to share my thoughts about the topic! But..." Vikram started, his hands fidgeting and getting sweaty now, "There's something I must say first!" 

"Yes Vikram?" Anirudh asked, walking over to him and looking at the boy patiently. "You can speak freely."

They were about the same height -- with Vikram shorter by merely a few centimetres, and Anirudh could look at him, eye level. 

Vikram looked down nervously, and said quickly without breathing, "Bondita's Pati Babu forgive me if I'm overspeaking but...! Pregnant women don't need to stay at home all the time! They can go out... and Bondita can come to school! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

Anirudh looked at Vikram, a startled expression on his face, when Vikram confronted him about this topic. This wasn't what he had been expecting. 

"Vikram... I didn't say that pregnant women couldn't go out," Anirudh said, "That's not why I'm not sending Bondita to school. I remember, even Manika used to go to parties during her pregnancy. Sampoorna Maa used to go out on long trips to visit her Maa and Baba too. I'm not against pregnant women stepping out of the house at all." 

Vikram looked up with shock.

Then why was Bondita's Pati Babu against her going to school? 

"The truth is that B - Bondita... she... will do anything to prove to me that... that..." Anirudh's voice cracked, as he spoke in a tone deep with emotion, "That our dreams won't go unfulfilled... she will cause herself stress and tire herself out... I know her... if she goes to school, then she will forget about her own health... for my sake. And I can't let her compromise with her health like that." 

Vikram looked at Anirudh with awe. 

It did sound like a Bondita thing to do, actually. 

"That is true Bondita's Pati Babu! I agree with you fully! Completely! But there's one thing you are forgetting, I think... correct me if I'm wrong, but..." Vikram gulped nervously, "Well... if she stays at home... Bondita may get sad... and staying happy and tension free is very important in pregnancy! That's why I used to try to make Mishti laugh all the time when she was pregnant!"     

Anirudh looked at Vikram with wonder now, the awe in Vikram's eyes, being reflected back in Anirudh's.

"At school... there's Batuk, there's Mallika, there's Surabhi, and there's me. We will all take care of her! And even if our other friends are busy with their lives, I will make sure Bondita's comfort is priority," Vikram vouched, "I promise! Even before myself, I'll put Bondita. You won't have a reason to worry!" 

Anirudh looked at the boy's enthusiasm, his heart melting at the conviction in Vikram's voice. He trusted that Vikram would undoubtedly take care of Bondita, even though he didn't quite fully trust the rest of the gang to do so in the best manner. 

Out of everyone, Anirudh felt safest entrusting Bondita with Vikram... even more than his own brother. 

"And Bondita's Pati Babu! If you separate Bondita from her friends, she will feel lonely! It's not good to feel lonely during pregnancy! In fact, she shouldn't be treated like a sick patient. She should do things as normal. She already experienced a shock with this pregnancy, is it right to shock her more by changing her life completely?" Vikram questioned. "Again... if I am wrong, then please forgive me!" 

Anirudh shook his head and said with a small smile, "No Vikram, you're not wrong. You're right. You're absolutely right." 

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Why didn't he consider the fact that school wasn't just about studies, but rather about the relationships that Bondita had coveted? Separating her from her friends at this stage, wasn't a wise thing to do. 

"I... am?" Vikram asked breathlessly, looking at Anirudh with admiration. Wow, Bondita's Pati Babu knew when not to let his ego get the best of him, and also to change his way of thinking when he knew he was wrong! This was an amazing quality, and it was making him more of a fan of the man! 

"You are right. She should go to school for the sake of her mental wellbeing. She will be happy there... amongst her friends. I am just worried about how comfortable those chairs are in school... and the environment itself may be dusty..." Anirudh started, furrowing his brows slightly. 

"It's okay!" Vikram said immediately, "It's not that dusty. And she is used to the environment, so she won't feel anything. At least in the initial months of her pregnancy, it'll be completely fine. Later on, it might get a little uncomfortable, but we will figure it out then. We can certainly make arrangements, I'm sure of it! You are Tulsipur's Barrister Babu after all. If you can't do it, nobody can!" 

Anirudh looked at Vikram, unable to stop the smile that formed on his lips. 

The boy's optimism and positive thinking really won his heart over. 

"I also don't want her to get stressed out about her studies," Anirudh said firmly, "I can send her to school, and she can learn there... but after school hours, she has to rest!" 

"There's nothing wrong with studying either during pregnancy!" Vikram started, but he was interrupted. 

"There's nothing wrong with studying for a normal pregnant woman. Bondita is not normal. She will exhaust herself completely in her studies," Anirudh said firmly, "This is not something I can compromise with." 

Vikram gulped, and kept his mouth shut this time. He was just glad that he convinced Anirudh to let Bondita come to school. 

"Okay Bondita's Pati Babu!" Vikram said right away. 

"I know you'll do it without me asking you... but if you take care of her, I will feel at peace," Anirudh said, "I want you... to always be with her during the day. Not anyone else. You." 

Vikram nodded nervously. 

He could, probably. But he couldn't follow Bondita to the bathroom! 

When Bondita first joined the school, there was only a bathroom for boys in the building. But Anirudh had insisted to the principal, that he would fund a bathroom just for Bondita, and they had opened a separate bathroom for girls within the building too. Slowly, as more girls in different years joined the school, they used that bathroom as well. 

"Yes... okay... Bondita's Pati Babu," Vikram said instead, with a nod, "I will be with her all the time and make sure she doesn't face any discomfort." 

"Good..." Anirudh said with a sigh, his heart still slightly restless about all of this, in his protectiveness for Bondita. 

Anirudh looked at Vikram, feeling an admiration for the boy. He was well aware that Vikram was a fanboy of his, yet for the sake of his friend, he was willing to confront even him. 

What an amazing friend he was. 

Anirudh really wished he could do something for him, related to Manika... but perhaps his best friend Manika was quite similar to him in many ways, and needed her own time to go through things as well. 

So Anirudh placed his hand on Vikram's shoulder, almost in a way of comfort and reassurance. 

"You should go and meet Manika," Anirudh just said, not sure if he was doing the right thing. 

He wasn't on speaking terms with Manika right now after she hid Bondita's pregnancy news from him. As childish as it was, sending Vikram to Manika was almost like revenge for Anirudh, with good intentions of course. 

She was taking her sweet time to make amends with the boy, and it had been many months now! He didn't even take this long to accept his relationship with Bondita... did he? Perhaps it had just been so long since that time, that timelines got foggy, and he couldn't remember clearly anymore since it felt like Bondita had always been a part of him. 

However, Manika always pressured him to accept things, and now she would feel the pressure too for hiding this much needed news from him! 

"Mishti..." Vikram murmured breathlessly, "Is she okay?" 

Anirudh looked at Vikram and just said, "You should urge her to talk to you." 

"Urge her?" Vikram asked, eyes wide. "Like pressure her?" 

Anirudh sighed, and he pressed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Just listen to the words that she isn't saying to you Vikram... not what is coming out of her mouth." 

Vikram looked at Anirudh, his eyes widening. 

What did Bondita's Pati Babu mean? 

"Bondita's Pati Babu... she... doesn't want to talk to me much I think..." 

"This is why I'm telling you to listen to her heart," Anirudh pressed on, and looked into Vikram's eyes, as he said, "Your feelings for Manika are so strong... haven't you learned to read her by now?"

Vikram's eyes widened as Bondita's Pati Babu acknowledged his feelings for Manika. 

"You... you... know...?" Vikram gasped, suddenly feeling ashamed. 

Anirudh gazed into Vikram's eyes warmly and said, "Bondita didn't tell me. Don't worry." He didn't want Vikram to think that his best friend betrayed him and misunderstand her. 

Even though Bondita never told him about Vikram's feelings, he knew that she was well aware of what the boy was feeling too. 

However, despite the deep bond that Anirudh and Bondita shared, they never talked about anyone else's personal secrets, not unless there was a genuine concern for the well-being of them. Never for the purpose of gossip. They respected every personal relationship of theirs and the sanctity of information that came their way very much.  

"I... wasn't... thinking that..." Vikram said, and he just looked at Anirudh, looking sad and forlorn as he asked, "I'm just... wondering... are you... a - ashamed of me...?"

Anirudh shook his head immediately and asked, "Absolutely not! Why would I be?"

"B - because she's... older... and... I don't have a chance..." Vikram confessed, his heart hurting, and then suddenly his eyes grew wet. "I don't wish to attain her... but sometimes I wish I was born earlier, just so I could have met her at a reasonable age. I wish I was Bengali sometimes. I wish... I could be someone worthy of her... just so that I can l - love her in my mind without feeling wrong about it... I mean, I don't wish badly for her... I just... do love her and I can't help it. I wish... I had q - qualities... that were suitable for her t - too." 

Anirudh looked at Vikram, somehow forgetting all about his own personal problems for a split second when he saw what Vikram was going through. 

Then without another thought, he wrapped his arms around the boy and engulfed him in a hug, rubbing his back in a comforting manner and saying, "You're perfect Vikram. Just the way you are. And if she has to, Manika will love you... just the way you are too." 

Tears slipped down Vikram's cheeks, as he felt the loving embrace of the man he admired so much. There was so much warmth in the hug of his mentor, that he felt like the world could come crashing down, and he wouldn't even mind it, because this moment was indispensable. 

--

I hope you enjoyed this part! 

What did you think about the Anidita scene in the beginning? 

The part where Vikram convinces Anirudh to let Bondita come to school? 

The part where Anirudh and Vikram speak about Manika? 

Anything that stood out to you/that you liked? 

Anything you're looking forward to?

Excited for the next part? 

Remember to vote on all the parts, and comment! 

Love you all! 💞