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--

"Guess what?" Vikram asked Bondita, after their fangirling and fanboying moment ended. 

Bondita looked at him with a curious expression. 

"Your Pati Babu agreed to send you to school again!" Vikram announced victoriously, causing Bondita's eyes to widen. 

"Really?" she asked. 

Vikram nodded and he reached into his bag, taking his notes out. 

"Really Bondita," Vikram confirmed, and then he went into detail about the conversation downstairs. 

Bondita listened with wide eyes as Vikram narrated how her Pati Babu agreed. So, he agreed so she wouldn't feel lonely. Her heart warmed up at the thought. 

Even though studying during pregnancy was something that Anirudh was apprehensive about due to the fact that she could exhaust herself, and even though he was quite overprotective about her... for her sake, he was still willing to send her to school. Just so that she could feel happy amongst her friends. 

This thought made Bondita happy!

Vikram handed the lessons of the day to Bondita. 

"You can study these today," Vikram said. 

Bondita nodded, and she said, "I'll rewrite your notes tonight and return them to you in school tomorrow." 

"Take your time Bondita," Vikram said, "And your Pati Babu is right about one thing... you shouldn't exhaust yourself at all." 

Bondita smiled and she said, "I won't!" Or she would try not to anyways. She was determined to top her classes again! Bondita had to prove to her Pati Babu that she could do this! That their dreams wouldn't go in vain! 

--

After Vikram left Bondita's room, he went to visit Manika in her room, nervous about approaching her the way that Bondita's Pati Babu had suggested. 

How could he urge her to talk to him? 

Regardless, if Anirudh asked Vikram to listen to the words of Manika's heart, Vikram had to try. What Anirudh said to Vikram wasn't just advice for him! It was like an inscription set in stone. Vikram would very firmly follow the words of his mentor! 

But... what could the words of her heart be? 

Manika opened the door after he knocked on it, surprised to see him there. 

"Hi Vikram," she said softly. 

Vikram looked at her, his heart beating fast out of nervousness now. Everytime he looked at her, he always felt like he was in another world!

"Mishti... I..." he said, his throat dry. "I came to talk to you... if that's okay." 

Manika was surprised to hear this. She thought that he had something to talk about, maybe about Bondita... so she opened the door further to let him in. 

Vikram sat on her desk chair as she sat on the bed. He glanced at her, wondering what was on her mind. 

Bondita's Pati Babu had said not to listen to the words that came out of her mouth, but her unsaid words. 

He had to figure what that was somehow... 

What better way to do that, than to be honest about what he felt first? Perhaps then she might respond with transparency too, once he put himself into a vulnerable position for her. 

So as scary and nerve-wracking as this was, Vikram decided to confess his feelings. It was the only chance he had to get her to open up.

"I missed you Mishti..." Vikram confessed. 

Manika looked at him, her eyes widening slightly, not expecting this.  For some reason, she could detect that flutter in her heart when she heard his words too. 

"Vikram... what are you saying?" she just asked him softly, "You only spent time with me to teach me how to read and write. Why would you miss me?" 

Vikram shook his head and stood up from the chair, approaching her. He wasn't approaching her to try and scare her, but rather even the steps he took towards her were humble. Manika stood up as well, until Vikram stood right in front of her. He was about a head taller than her, with Manika up to his shoulders. 

"You're more to me than someone I taught how to read and write..." Vikram said to her, his heart hammering hard, "From the day I saw you for the first time..." 

Manika felt a lump in her throat when Vikram confessed this. 

She wanted to stop him -- or close her ears! But she couldn't. She couldn't do it, because somewhere, she wanted to hear it too. She was selfish, perhaps, for craving for this love that she didn't get from the last house she was in. 

All she wanted was to hear the words... to feel the truth of someone's love... not because they wanted her body, but just because they loved without expectations. 

This was all she wanted. 

Was it wrong of her to want this?  

The fact, that she had also fallen head over heels for the one in front of her, was just a cherry on the cake.

Vikram's love was a cake that she had, but she couldn't eat it too. And this broke her heart more than anything else. 

"Mishti, the day I saw you, I found you so beautiful... that I was blown away," Vikram confessed, "I never saw someone who looked like a fairy, but that day I was certain I had met one." 

Tears invaded Manika's eyes when she heard this, never having known this.  

Vikram continued sincerely, his voice cracking slightly, "I knew you were married, I knew you were pregnant. But I never felt like anything was wrong, because I didn't even think we would meet again... but then you came to Krishnanagar... and we met again. I spent time with you, I read you pregnancy books. We spent the whole day together. Anytime you spoke to me, I would feel like I was in heaven."

A small smile appeared on Vikram's lips, and he said, "You once told me and Batuk that our little heads would hurt because we were thinking too much about Roopa's and Bondita's Pati Babu's affair. At that time, I was ecstatic, because you were worried about my little head! That compliment made me smile for days Mishti!" 

Tears slipped down her cheeks. She hadn't known that Vikram felt this strongly about her since the beginning. What had started off as attraction at first sight, turned into a crush as he spent time with her. 

"And then... after what happened with you, when I started to teach you how to read and write, and we got even closer, I... don't know Mishti, my heart which said that it was happy to love you from afar, wanted to be there for you. I wished to be better... capable of you," Vikram confessed. "I wished I was able to support you in those tough times..." 

The crush had turned into love, as Vikram grew more, and spent even more time with her. As he saw all her shortcomings along with the beauty, and realized that he could love her regardless... that was when he truly fell for her. 

Because love was not immediate; it was cultivated. Love only became strong when it stood the test of struggle and time. A love that was untested, that happened on first sight, was not love. Attraction, yes... but love? No... that had to be beaten and ripped apart by many trials and tribulations and if at that point, it still remained strong; then one could confidently say that yes, this was love. 

"Then you pushed me away from you Mishti... and I never complained, because I never wanted to put any pressure on you... I never wanted to force my way in. I only wanted to come to you, if you wanted me," Vikram confessed, trying hard not to choke on his words. "But... the truth is that I miss you. A lot. And the way I feel about you... I don't know how to explain it but... it's special Mishti. Very special." 

Manika wiped the tears that had fallen from her cheeks after hearing such a sweet confession from him. 

How moved she was, by the depth of his love... but Batuk's words still plagued her mind. It still made her want to keep a distance from him, for his sake. 

She took another step towards him and looked up into his eyes, gently bringing her soft hand to his cheek, where a tear had fallen. She used her thumb to wipe it away, and Vikram shivered with her touch. 

"I still say today..." Manika whispered to him, "That you shouldn't... stress out your little head. Because, your head is precious. Your feelings are precious. And you are precious too." 

Vikram looked at Manika, not sure where she was going with this, but her warm hand which was resting on his cheek, was enough for him to relax and not think; and just like she said, he wouldn't worry.

Because to read the unsaid words in her heart, he had to forget about himself and his worries completely. How could he understand someone else, if he was too lost in himself? 

"You've admired me from the moment you saw me," Manika said softly, "You've somehow without even thinking about it, felt like I was worthy of the admiration, and that means everything to me Vikram." 

Vikram looked into her eyes, as she spoke. 

And that was when it was hitting him... the words that she was struggling to say. 

The truth that was really in her heart, hidden behind this façade that she was putting on. 

The fact that she also loved him. That she also wanted him to stay with her... and she had a reason for pushing him away. 

"You... are also deserving of appreciation... and you should focus on your life... and live a good life," Manika said to him, her heart aching as she said those words.

Suddenly, her soft expression turned to one of shock, because his hands had suddenly found her cheeks, and he cupped them gently. 

"Mishti... why didn't I understand sooner?" Vikram asked, his heart aching. "You... you feel it too." 

Manika's eyes widened, not expecting this. 

"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to understand you sooner," Vikram apologized, sounding hurt, "I'm very sorry." 

Manika felt an ache in her chest, as he caressed her cheeks lovingly. 

"Vikram..." Manika whispered, her heart aching, because she had also understood, that he had figured out what she felt.  

"Don't push me away now, please Mishti. Unless you really mean it... because I won't... I won't force you..." Vikram murmured, still caressing her cheeks. 

Manika felt herself melt. The confession from earlier that showed the depth of his love, and now the sweet way he cradled her face so preciously. The way he pleaded with her not to push him away because he didn't want to force her. 

How could she not melt by this sweet man?

Tears seeped down Manika's cheeks and she whispered, "I don't have it in me to push you away when you love me this much." 

Vikram looked at her, surprised, and his eyes filled with fresh tears. 

Did she... really agree?

Instead of saying anything about the topic, she just whispered, "Can you hold me?" 

Without letting her wait for a moment, Vikram felt a flutter in his heart, and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him, trembling inside from the shock of this moment... but feeling fulfilled. 

Manika hugged him back, and closed her eyes, her heart feeling heavy, yet full of warmth. 

No further words were exchanged. No further thoughts. All they felt was the satisfaction of holding each other. 

Vikram spoke the words that Manika had suppressed inside that day -- his confession more than enough for the two of them. Now those unspoken words weren't needed for him anymore, because he had heard them directly from her heart.

--

Manika spent the rest of the day, in a daze. 

After they had broken the hug earlier, Vikram and her just looked at each other with flushed faces, not wanting to ruin the moment by speaking out of formality.

So that they could relish in this small moment that they had shared together without covering it with any layers of formality, Vikram decided to leave. So he said he would be back another time, and Manika nodded, wanting some space to process what had just happened too. 

Vikram had gone home after that.

She had work in the study, and when she went in there after spending some time with her happy and flushed face in her own room, Anirudh kept looking at her nervously, as if there was something he was hiding from her. But he kept avoiding her gaze, still upset with her, trying to focus on the new pregnancy book that he was reading. 

Manika was organizing the bookshelves, not saying a word to Anirudh, and Anirudh stubbornly was not saying a word to Manika too! 

"Slow turtle," Manika muttered under her breath after some time of silence, as she was arranging the books in the study. 

"Huh... what?" Anirudh finally said, looking up from his book with a frown, "Were you saying something to me?" 

"I was just saying that turtles are slow," Manika said loudly, putting the final book in the shelf. 

Anirudh furrowed his brows, wondering what that was supposed to mean. 

"Yes, turtles are slow!" Anirudh said, now taking a dig at her -- after all, he had full permission to roast her now! "And sometimes they need to be prodded to even take steps!" 

"Look who's talking," Manika said, rolling her eyes. 

Anirudh gulped, feeling the brunt of the taunt, and Manika turned to look at him. 

"I heard Bondita shifted rooms?" Manika questioned. 

"The whole house found out?" Anirudh groaned. 

Kaka would throw a fit! 

"No. Bondita told me directly," Manika informed. "I don't think anyone else knows yet." 

Anirudh breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Bihari got too busy to inform Kaka about it. 

Kaka would be going to a mandir far away shortly to offer prayers of thanks for blessing him with a grandchild. He would be out until late because of this! So perhaps, Kaka wouldn't even need to know until tomorrow. 

Bihari had already cleaned up the study, and had mixed in all the letters together on one side of Anirudh's desk. After he read through one of these books, he was planning on going through these letters and replying to them. 

Little did he know, that there was one letter that he hadn't seen yet, which was buried among the piles, waiting to be read. 

"So whose amazing idea was it for Bondita to go to her own room?" Manika questioned sarcastically, "Did you send her there?" 

"Me? What? No!" 

"You can do anything in your overprotectiveness," Manika just said, rolling her eyes, "And you're lucky that while the rest of this world doesn't seem to understand you Anirudh Roy Choudhary, at least, I can!" 

It was a direct dig at Sampoorna. If she found out that Bondita went to her own room, then Manika was sure, that once again Anirudh would be blamed. For some people, finding faults in Anirudh was easy. Hardly anyone could see the suffering that he went through. And it made Manika incredibly defensive about her best friend. 

Anirudh just cleared his throat and said, "I don't need your understanding!" 

"Right, because you're mad at me. I know. That'll fade in two days, so you're just being overdramatic!" 

"What?" Anirudh gasped, when Manika called him overdramatic. 

"You should be happy that Bondita got some support on the days you weren't here, but no -- you're mad because I didn't tell you! Sometimes, you're just very stupid Anirudh!" 

Anirudh furrowed his brows unhappily, when Manika called him stupid!

"What support?" he just demanded. 

"If I tell you, you'll go into a guilt mode, so it's better I don't," Manika said, rolling her eyes, "And that'll take another week for you to recover from!" 

Anirudh couldn't believe all this roasting that was going on right now! 

"I'm sure I already know Manika! She was sad and guilty because she didn't want to disappoint me. Do you think I wouldn't understand my Bondita?" Anirudh questioned, frowning. "I understand her very well, and this is exactly why I can't let her see my sad self all the time!" 

He hadn't even realized that in his haste, he had accidentally slipped out 'my Bondita'. Not, just Bondita, like he had been so stubbornly trying to claim.

"And you should be alert around some people," Manika added on, rolling her eyes and ignoring what he said last, "There are people who act like they have your best interests at heart, but are even more cruel than your worst enemies!" 

Of course, she was talking about Sampoorna. 

"What? Are you talking about yourself?" Anirudh just asked absent-mindedly, staring at the book, he was trying to read, but Manika wasn't allowing him to. 

Manika's mouth fell open now, at his roast. 

It seemed like Anirudh wasn't bad at this game either. 

"Forget it. I have other things to do!" Manika huffed, and she stormed out of the study. 

Anirudh couldn't help the slight smile that appeared on his lips. Teasing her was fun, actually. It seemed like he was stacking all his childish revenge together in one basket right now. First, by sending Vikram directly to her, and now this! It was revenge for not telling him about Bondita's pregnancy, and for roasting him for all these years. 

It was payback time! 

-- 

That night, Anirudh was in his room. Bondita had been in her own room for most of the evening, claiming that she was resting. 

Thankfully, Trilochan had gone to the faraway mandir that evening, and hadn't returned yet, which meant that he still hadn't found out about the room switch. 

Binoy and Somnath didn't have any reaction, if they had even noticed. 

Batuk tried to go near Bondita's room after school, and Anirudh had seen him, so he had yanked Batuk's collar from behind and pulled him back, warning him to let Bondita rest! 

"But Big D, Super Chachu wants to meet his nephew!" Batuk wailed. 

"Go and study Batuk!" Anirudh had just yelled at him, his irritation added because of the Big D reference.

This caused the young man to storm to his room with a pout, wondering why the world was against his super amazing bond with his nephew!

Sampoorna Maa had just given Anirudh unhappy looks all evening, after she found out that Bondita was in a separate room. She didn't get a chance to speak to him alone, otherwise Anirudh was certain, that Sampoorna Maa would accuse him of not looking after Bondita well. 

He was afraid to face her too... her words had really shaken him last time, and he was scared to hear more things he didn't think he would handle... and which could possibly push him further into his guilt and away from Bondita. 

So he was trying really hard to avoid Sampoorna now... he just didn't have the heart to listen to her accusations anymore. They hurt... too much. 

It was already hard to stay away from Bondita, and she hadn't even moved to her room for a day!

He had been pacing around in his room for almost an hour now, restless. 

When he couldn't handle it anymore, he left the bedroom and went straight outside Bondita's room, and began to pace back and forth there in the hallway instead! He was going crazy! 

It was eleven at night, and he knocked on the door slowly, gulping nervously.

He had to make sure she didn't need anything. Yes, that was all. That was why he was knocking! 

"B - Bondita?" he called out. 

Bondita was inside the bedroom, sitting behind her desk, textbook open and studying. She had been studying ever since Vikram left. 

She had to make sure her Pati Babu didn't find out about her studies! So... she had to send him away for now, because she hadn't finished with her allotment of work for today. 

There was a small silence, and then suddenly, "I'M RESTING PATI BABU! IN A GOOD POSITION, DON'T WORRY! DO YOU NEED SOMETHING?"

She said the last part, trying to appease him, so he wouldn't worry about her being in any weird positions. She still remembered on the way back from the hospital, he told her that leaning against his chest in the car was not a good position! 

"Oh... you're... resting... good... very... good..." he just mumbled, feeling extremely restless. He ran his hand through his hair, and gulped nervously as he stared at her closed door.

His arms were feeling empty, craving to hold her in them again.

The pregnancy book he read today, seemed to have given a thumbs up to tight hugs... although, he still wanted to cross-check with many books first!

"Tell... me if you need anything Bondita!" he said to the door.

"Okay Pati Babu!" she replied. "But I'm fine! Don't worry!"

But he was struggling to stay away from her... so he just uttered the first thing that came to his mind, without even giving it a second thought! 

All of a sudden, his throat felt dry, as he asked, "Last time, you said your b - breasts were feeling sensitive right? D - Do you want a massage Bondita?"

Inside the bedroom, Bondita blushed, and she touched her breasts from behind the desk, almost giving into the tempting offer, but instead, she maintained her stance and said, "IT'S OKAY PATI BABU! I CAN MASSAGE MY OWN BREASTS!"

He had told her to pleasure herself after all earlier! So surely, massaging her own breasts was something she could do too!

"Oh...okay..." he mumbled, placing his hand on her door.

"IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE PATI BABU? CAN I REST NOW? I THINK YOU SAID THAT MY PRIORITY SHOULD BE RESTING AND MY HEALTH, RIGHT?" she called out.

My priority is my studies Pati Babu, but I can't tell you, so I can only use the words resting and health, so that you'll let me focus, Bondita thought in her head. 

Anirudh pouted slightly, as she used his own words against him.

Here he was getting so impatient to see her, to hold her, and madame wanted to rest away from him!

"No... Bondita... there's nothing else... but..." 

"But?" Bondita questioned. 

"Did Vikram tell you... you can g - go to school from tomorrow?" Anirudh questioned from outside the bedroom. 

"Yes, he did!" Bondita said, smiling from inside. 

"Okay... well.. yeah... I just wanted to say that." 

"Okay Pati Babu! I understand!"

Anirudh sighed, and said, "Get some sleep Bondita." 

"Yes, Pati Babu, I'm about to!" 

Anirudh rested the palm of his hand against the door, his heart hammering hard, feeling very restless because she wasn't even opening the door and looking at him. 

"Good night..." he finally said, sounding defeated.

"Good night!" 

With a small pout on his lips, he started to head back to his own bedroom. 

This was just the first night... and he was already missing her, his arms feeling cold and empty. 

The foundation for a love so deep, to be felt all over again had just been set up. Now the era of Anirudh and Bondita's love was beginning all over again... and they would get to experience the love and passion they shared for each other... fresh and in a raw way. 

A beautiful lotus was about to bloom, by rising from the muddy waters of insecurities. After all, it was this mud, that gave the most beautiful lotus flowers. 

-- 

Precap: 

Some morning hugs between Anirudh and Bondita 🙈

Anirudh's moodswings? 

--

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

What did you think of the ManVik scene? 

The ManiRudh scene? 

Anidita's part? 

The precap? 

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