I would appreciate it if you press star on all the chapters from 321. 🥺

If you can leave your inline comments, it'll be great, because this is a very long chapter. 💗

--

As soon as the car started moving, Batuk opened the window and peered out. Somnath was in the passenger seat at the front with the driver, and Bondita was leaning on Anirudh's shoulder, resting. 

She reached to his hand and gently trailed her fingers against it lightly, in an almost ticklish way, causing Anirudh to glance down at her fingers. Her fingertips which were covered with alta were running across the palm of his hand, playing with his hand. 

Anirudh smiled, and he clamped her fingers, locking them between his own. She struggled slightly, trying to remove her hand from his so that she could continue what she was doing.

Leaning towards her, Anirudh whispered in her ear, "Are you trying to tickle me?" 

Bondita blushed and she whispered, "I was just having fun." 

Anirudh gripped her fingers which were laced through his even more tightly, and brought her hand to his thigh, keeping their laced hands there. He murmured in her ear, "Get some rest Bondita. You had a long night." 

His warm breath on her ear was doing wonders to her though, so how could she rest? 

"Who was the reason I was awake for so long?" she teased back. 

Anirudh feigned a shocked look and said, "Do I need to remind you of the coffee you so desperately wanted to drink madame?"

"And do I need to remind you of the coffee date you took me on, Birristira Babu?" she teased back. 

A small grin formed on his lips and he let go of her fingers, reaching to her hair and tucking it behind her ear. 

"Why do you wear this in the car too," Anirudh murmured, and was about to remove the pallu from her head when Bondita gasped and took his hand to stop him. 

"Pati Babu, I set the pallu on my hair and clipped it on properly. If you remove it, it'll be difficult to align it properly again," Bondita said with a slight pout.

It was Jamai Sasthi, and more than Anirudh was excited, Bondita was. Her Pati Babu was going to be celebrated! She had set her pallu perfectly for the event! 

Anirudh sighed. The reason why he moved her hair behind her ear in the first place, was so that when he whispered, she could clearly hear him! 

He leaned towards her again, and his mouth lightly tickled her ear, as he murmured, "Do you know how beautiful you look today?" 

A blush appeared on her face and she whispered back, turning her face so that it was close to his, "And you look so handsome. I want to..." She paused mid-sentence, but Anirudh got her point. 

His own cheeks flushed, and his heartrate began to rise. If nobody was here, then in the backseat of this car... Anirudh didn't know what he would do with Bondita. 

He leaned towards her ear once again and started to murmur, "Want to what?" When Batuk leaned close too, to try and listen. 

Anirudh felt his brother lean close, and he turned his head quickly to glare at his younger brother. 

"What are you doing Batuk?" Anirudh demanded. 

"Big D, why so many secrets? I want to know too!" Batuk questioned with a pout. "What's with all this phus phus?"

Phus Phus? Bondita inhaled her Pati Babu's Phus Phus again. Oh, it was heavenly just like him!

Anirudh inhaled sharply and hissed, "Focus on looking out of the window!"

Bondita just smiled and took her Pati Babu's hand, interlocking their fingers again. 

"Batuk, husband's and wives have their own personal secrets. Don't tell me you want to be Pati Babu's wife?" Bondita asked, with a giggle. 

"Boudi, I admit I found Roopa hot, but that doesn't mean that I want to be Big D's wife! Or Roopa's husband either!" Batuk informed. 

Anirudh pressed his hand to his head out of irritation and he glared at Batuk and Bondita both, turning his head both ways to make sure they got his glares! His wife always encouraged such behaviour, and his younger brother took the encouragement to go on and on and on with such nonsense! 

Somnath at the front, rolled his eyes, already done with this car ride. He wished he had brought some headache medicine, because not just his Dada and Boudi, but Batuk also seemed to be a gone case! 

Bondita wrapped her hands around her Pati Babu's arm and used all her force to pull him close to her, making him nearly fall on top of her. 

"Bondita!" Anirudh gasped, but Bondita wrapped her arms around him from her side and hugged him tightly. 

"My Pati Babu is hot!" Bondita huffed, "And so is Roopa! And do you know something Batuk? I've..." A blush appeared on her cheeks and she grinned, "With them both...!"

Anirudh looked at Bondita, the colour draining from his face. 

What exactly was madame going on about right now? Was he trying to say that she made out with them both? To his little brother?

"Bondita!" Anirudh hissed, and Bondita looked at him through her eyelashes cutely. 

Batuk said dramatically, "I really should start chanting Shiv Shiv Shiv and get gangajal for my trauma! Kaka's probably on the right track!"

"Crazy, lustful couple," Somnath just hissed through his teeth. "My Dada became a girl for this girl, and she only returned the favour by turning him into a beast!"

Bondita leaned towards Anirudh and whispered, "Pati Babu, sorry! Batuk just brings out this side of me!"

Anirudh just sighed heavily and glared at his brother, turning his face to one side, before turning his face to the other side and glaring at Bondita too. It seemed like he wasn't going to be done with these glares today! They were both out of hand, especially when together!

"Enough both of you!" Anirudh nearly yelled, "This is why I didn't want you both to sit in one car! Bondita won't rest because of you Batuk! Always causing trouble together!" 

"Trouble?" Batuk gasped, and then he pouted, and said, "Sorry Boudi... I should let you rest so my nephew will  be healthy!"

Anirudh glared at Batuk again, almost snapping at him over how he was so sure that they were having a boy? What if it was a... 

He stopped himself mid-thought and cleared his throat. 

"Pati Babu... I'm wide awake! Shotti!" Bondita said, pouting too. 

He was stuck between the two pouting youngsters, and Anirudh himself felt like the old one who would grow grey hair at any second now! 

Anirudh just wrapped his arm around Bondita, and placed her head on his shoulder. He leaned close to her and whispered gently, "Go to sleep. Now." 

Another pout reached her lips, and Batuk sighed loudly. 

"Boudi, Big D's right. You should sleep! Otherwise my nephew might come to this world with dark circles under his eyes! Remember the time you and I used to read romance novels in my room 'til late? Like that!" Batuk announced. 

At the mention of Batuk and Bondita reading romance novels until late, Anirudh's head whipped around and he glared at Batuk again. 

Batuk gulped and he said, "W - why're you g - glaring at me? If it w - weren't for those romance novels, I bet Boudi wouldn't give you such fun times and many fantasies, Big D!" He grinned after he emphasized the Big D this time. "You should owe it to them --" 

Anirudh's eyes enlarged with fury and Bondita gulped. She grabbed Anirudh's thigh tightly, and said, "I'm sleeping! Pati Babu, can you hold me tighter?!" 

He turned to look at Bondita, wondering what this was about all of a sudden, and she quickly clarified, "When you snuggle with me, I fall asleep more easily!" 

Really, Bondita was trying to take his wrath away from Batuk! While Batuk seemed to be getting quite overconfident around his Dada these days, it didn't mean that Anirudh wouldn't yell his head off when he crossed the line! And she very well knew that with what Batuk said last about the romance novels and dark circles, her Pati Babu was going to explode! 

"Please," Bondita added on, her lashes fluttering cutely. "Your baby is suddenly so tired." 

Which baby? Anirudh suddenly wanted to ask. You or the one inside of you?

But he swallowed the lump in his throat and he didn't ask. He just wrapped both of his arms around her and held her against his body as she closed his eyes. 

Batuk leaned against the window and shook his head. 

"She even falls asleep with Big D snuggling with her!" Batuk just muttered to himself under his breath. "Would he ever snuggle with me?!"

Somnath in the front just breathed a sigh of relief, since it seemed like they would finally quieten down in the back. 

-- 

When they got to Krishnanagar, Bondita was sleeping soundly in Anirudh's arms. Somnath and Batuk got off first, and Anirudh was quite hesitant to wake Bondita up.

Trilochan's car had arrived ahead of theirs, and his Kaka had bounced out of the car with excitement, rushing over to Anirudh's car and noticing that Anirudh was holding a sleeping Bahu against him. 

"Shiv Shiv Shiv," Trilochan muttered, shaking his head at the closeness, now realizing that this wasn't just fake public affection! "Anirudh, wake Bahu up! Don't hug her like that while she's sleeping!" 

Anirudh sighed and said in a hushed voice, "Kaka, I always hug her when she's sleeping. That's why she can fall asleep easily in my arms." 

"Did I ask for personal details about your bedroom life, Anirudh?" Kaka hissed back, desperately wishing he brought his gangajal along! "Now wake Bahu up! Kalindi is waiting!" 

"Isn't it better that we let her rest for a bit?" Anirudh asked, not wanting to wake up a sleeping Bondita. "In this state... sleeping must be good."

"She's only pregnant Anirudh, not a patient at Somnath's hospital! Although she should never be a patient at those useless doctor's hospital!"

Anirudh took a deep breath, ignoring the hospital comments, and said, "But last night too she hadn't slept much --" 

"Anirudh don't you think you're being too much again? Drop this extreme nature of yours!" Kaka taunted, "Otherwise your child will surely get your genes!" 

Anirudh furrowed his brows with irritation. 

"My child will also get Bondita's gene --" he started, and the colour drained from his face when he realized what he just said. 

He cleared his throat, and just glanced at his peacefully sleeping wife, who looked to be in such a sweet slumber, that no commotion in the world could disturb her! In her Pati Babu's arms she was, after all! Her safest zone!

"Nothing can be expected from you!" Kaka just said, and he stormed to the other side of the car, to open the door and wake up his own Bahu!

"No Kaka!" Anirudh said loudly, taking a deep breath. "I'll do it." 

He leaned close to Bondita, so that his nose nuzzled the top of her head, over her pallu. He was really finding the material of her pallu irritating, because he wanted to feel her. His hands moved down to her waist, caressing her soft skin, towards her lower back. 

"Bondita," Anirudh murmured softly, rubbing her back gently, "We're here." 

Bondita shifted slightly in his arms, as he moved his hand up her back to where her blouse met her skin, and he rubbed it to wake her up. "Kaka is waiting and glaring..." he whispered to her. "I want you to sleep but --" 

Bondita's eyes opened and she lifted her head slightly. 

"We are here?" she asked. 

Anirudh nodded, gazing into her eyes. 

Bondita turned her head and looked around, noticing her Kakasasurji outside of her door, watching her like a hawk, and the sight of the familiar Krishnanagar haveli behind him. 

"Kakasasurji!" Bondita gasped, "Are we late?" 

"No, but Kalindi must be waiting," Trilochan informed. 

Bondita looked at her Pati Babu and said, "Is my pallu perfect? And my hair?" 

Anirudh looked at her and sincerely said, "You are perfect. So how can anything on you not be perfection?"

A deep blush reached her cheeks, her heart fluttering at his loving words. 

But her Pati Babu was useless in this matter! He would never say there was anything wrong with her! 

For him, she was always the smartest, best, and most perfect! Sometimes he teased her and called her silly, but that was because she was -- and being silly and crazy were hardly insults in their dictionaries... they very well knew to what extent their craze was for each other. 

He never uttered that she was stupid, or less than perfect as even a joke! Such was the worship of her Pati Babu towards his Goddess! 

When Anirudh finally loosened his grip on her, Bondita got out of the car and asked her Kakasasurji if she looked fine. 

"Yes Bahu, you look great. And me? How do I look?" Kaka questioned as if it were the most serious matter ever, causing Bondita to look at him with wide eyes. 

"Good... Kakasasurji," Bondita just answered, wondering what was with the sudden question about his looks. 

She wanted to look good for her husband's Jamai Sasthi! But him? 

-- 

When they got to the front of the haveli, the Das family was waiting. Thakumaa was at the front with Rimjhim and Sumati, while Tapur was standoffish to the side, and Shoumik Kaka was behind. 

As soon as Anirudh and Bondita arrived, with the family behind them, as if on cue, Chandrachur arrived from the other side, Tupur beside him.

Rimjhim was holding a conch and she started to blow it, while Chandrachur stood next to Anirudh. 

A glance towards Anirudh, and Chandrachur leaned towards him, whispering, "We meet again, Barrister Babu." 

And he brought the whole Roy Choudhary zoo along too, Chandrachur thought, rolling his eyes. What a nuisance.

Anirudh just looked at Chandrachur for a moment, hardly acknowledging him, before looking ahead. 

"My two Jamai Babus have arrived," Thakumaa said happily, as Rimjhim put down the conch. 

She lead the way inside and sat down both Anirudh and Chandrachur next to each other on the sofa, as Rimjhim ran to the kitchen to get all the food items that they had prepared. 

Sumati whispered to Thakumaa, "Thakumaa, Sampoorna's husband is here too. I've told Sampoorna that since she's like my daughter, he can come too as a Jamai of this house." 

Thakumaa glared at Sumati and said, "Bondita's Sashuri Maa's husband is not your Jamai Babu, Sumati! Must I remind you how relations work?" 

Sampoorna looked uncomfortable, as Binoy pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose, not really caring about this Jamai Sashti anyways! 

Batuk was holding Sashwati, trying not to focus on Tupur. Somnath was just standing awkwardly to the side. 

"But Thakumaa, Sampoorna Didi is my Didi," Bondita told her. 

"No she's not Bondita! She stopped being your Didi the moment she married your Sasurji!" Thakumaa said, looking at Sampoorna with a cold stare. "Now she is your Sashuri Maa. Call her Sashuri Maa!" 

Sampoorna took a deep breath, feeling quite insulted right now!

Binoy just said, "Now now, let's not worry about all these little things. I'm perfectly fine to not have this... Jamai... Sasthi..."

Trilochan just nodded his head and glared at Sampoorna. 

"See what a kind heart Kalindi has! She always stands up for the right things Sampoorna Bahu!" he hissed at Sampoorna. 

Sampoorna looked at her Jethji, confused. Earlier that morning, he had said that Kalindi had a kind heart for inviting them for Jamai Sasthi, and now she had a kind heart for denying them? What was wrong with Jethji?

Thakumaa looked at Kaka with a smile. 

"Zamindar Babu, what is with the flattery?" she teased. 

"Well... there are many reasons to flatter you Kalindi! But first, let me tell you, I got you a gift!" Trilochan said, his eyes sparkling. 

"Me? Really?" Thakumaa asked, shocked by this. 

Trilochan reached into his pocket, where he pulled out a small red velvet bag. A look of immense happiness in his eyes, he handed it over to Kalindi. 

She took the bag from him and opened it, peering inside and noticing that they were silver anklets. 

A smile appeared on her lips. When they had been younger, in that one night the two of them spent together, there was one thing that she had told him. She told him that she loved listening to the sounds of anklets. They were her favourite music. 

Trilochan told her back then, that after they got married, the first gift he would get for her would be anklets. 

"You... remember?" Kalindi asked him, looking up at Trilochan, almost with a wet look in her eyes. 

Trilochan looked down with a blush and asked, "When did you let me forget?" 

"I never spoke about it again after...that..." Kalindi indicated softly. 

"Even if you didn't verbally, you spoke about it from inside me," he finished, causing the colour to rise up in Kalindi's cheeks. 

Chandrachur raised his brow when he saw this exchange, finding all of this very odd. 

Batuk and Somnath were watching this flirty side of Kaka with their mouths hanging open.

Binoy and Sampoorna were lost in their own world, having a conversation to the side, Sampoorna a little embarrassed after her small encounter with Thakumaa. 

Bondita was watching this exchange between her Kakasasurji and Thakumaa with wide eyes, and Anirudh was just visibly uncomfortable by this whole situation of being here at Jamai Sasthi. 

Chandrachur shifted his gaze on Bondita. She was looking quite beautiful today. He had a plan... of course. He would never come here, knowing he would see Bondita, empty handed! His plan would undoubtedly separate Bondita from her crazy husband!

"Thakumaa," Chandrachur spoke, as Rimjhim came back in the room and began to gather the food items on the coffee table in front of the Jamai Babus. "I have also brought a gift for you." 

Bondita stood beside her Pati Babu and placed her hand on Anirudh's shoulder. 

"Pati Babu also brought you a gift, Thakumaa!" Bondita said with eagerness. 

After they had been invited to Jamai Sasthi, Anirudh knew that Thakumaa would do some crazy arrangements for him, and he felt awkward to go empty-handed. He had gone out and bought a saree for Thakumaa. He had been hesitant to go, so even this morning, he tried to get out of it... but he knew all along that he would be dragged here. 

"Gift? These are not needed!" Thakumaa said to her Jamai Babus. 

Chandrachur shook his head, and said, "Tupur, give Thakumaa what I brought." 

Tupur nodded and handed a box of sweets to Thakumaa. Batuk peered into the box when Thakumaa opened it, and he scoffed. 

"Look Motichur Dada has brought Chandrachur ladoos!" Batuk said loudly. 

Chandrachur glared at the Little Brat!

Tupur tried really, really hard to not laugh. She ended up pursing her lips tightly and looking down.  

"Oh I AM SO SORRY! I mean Chandrachur Dada has brought Motichur Ladoos!" Batuk exclaimed, dramatically. "What can I do? When Chandrachur and Motichur sound so similar!" 

"Batuk!" Kaka hissed, "Stop speaking so much!" 

"What Kaka? Why?" Batuk asked, a little irritated, "It's not like this is your sasural!" 

Kaka's face turned red when Batuk said this, and he gripped his cane tightly. 

"E - enough," Thakumaa said, her cheeks also red when Batuk said that.

Bondita just shook her head slowly and took the bag from where she had kept it on the side, before handing it to Thakumaa. "This is what my Pati Babu has gotten for you Thakumaa," Bondita said with a smile. 

Thakumaa opened the bag and took out a very, very expensive looking Banarasi saree. It was in pink!

"Mishti Maye, there was really no need for this," Thakumaa said, looking at him with shock. 

"Thakumaa, I always felt like these lighter colours would suit you, but you hardly ever wear them. You always go for darker colours..." Anirudh told her with a smile, "I know you've said, that you feel like your life has gone by, and your life is hopeless now... but I hope, that by wearing this saree, you can start to feel like it's never too late. There's no age to get anything done by. There's no such thing as too old. You can accomplish all you wish to accomplish, at any age! And you... you're physically and mentally fit to conquer the world, if you choose to! You're far from old! In fact, you're still young in my eyes, and you can be forever young in your own eyes too, if you choose to be!" 

Thakumaa looked at Anirudh with glistening eyes, very happy that her Jamai Babu understood her so much. Even Kaka seemed to be quite moved by Anirudh's words towards Kalindi. 

Chandrachur squirmed in his seat, a little jealous by all this attention that Barrister Babu got from Thakumaa. 

"Thakumaa, even I chose the motichur ladoos with a lot of thought!" he said loudly. 

"Oh yeah? What thought?" Batuk questioned, raising his eyebrows, "We would love to know!" 

"W - well, I... it's... orange! Orange is a bright colour! Bright like you Thakumaa!" Chandrachur said, gulping, "A - and it's sweet! Sweet like you too!" 

Thakumaa just laughed and said, "Even if you two came empty handed, I wouldn't have minded. I appreciate both of your gifts." 

Anirudh nodded and said, "Yes Thakumaa, just because one is more expensive than the other, doesn't mean anything. It's the thought that counts." 

"One is expensive in thought too," Batuk grumbled under his breath, and Tupur who was near him, pulled her pallu over her mouth to hide her laughter, once again, unable to stop herself. 

"Rimjhim, are you finished?" Thakumaa questioned, as Rimjhim sorted the array of food items on the table. 

There were at least 64 different food items here! Sweet, savoury, spicy, bitter -- it was a huge feast of many tastes! 

Rimjhim walked over to Chandrachur with a handheld fan, as Sumati went to Anirudh with one as well. All of a sudden, the two mother-in-laws started to fan their Jamai Babus, as per the Jamai Sasthi customs! 

Anirudh nearly jumped with shock, feeling extremely uncomfortable! 

After applying tilak to both Jamai Babus, Thakumaa took a spoon, and dove it into the first dish, which was a rice dish, and she brought it to Anirudh's mouth, feeding him.

He was still extremely uncomfortable, but one by one, Thakumaa started to feed him each of the food items. 

Bondita watched with a happy smile, as her Pati Babu got treatment of a king! Chandrachur just watched enviously, because Thakumaa was clearly being partial towards Barrister Babu, by feeding him first!

After tasting about half of the food items, Anirudh already felt full. He glanced at Bondita, who was watching him happily. 

"Thakumaa, please... for Bondita too," he urged. "She's pregnant, and she should sit down, eat... and the fan should be on her. Not on me." 

Bondita's eyes widened and she shook her head, "No no! I'm perfectly fine! You continue Pati Babu!" 

Anirudh glared at her, and she smiled playfully at him. He melted as he saw her smile -- even that was making his heart flutter today. 

Thakumaa just smiled at the exchange between them, and dipped the spoon into the next food item, bringing it to Anirudh's mouth again. Anirudh reluctantly continued to eat, still feeling very awkward and uncomfortable, not liking this special treatment at all. 

After Thakumaa finished with his food, causing Anirudh to feel extremely bloated, she was about to start for Chandrachur, when Anirudh asked, "Thakumaa, why is there Jamai Sasthi and not Bahu Sasthi? Bondita deserves a Bahu Sasthi too!" 

When Anirudh said this, Bondita felt her face flush. It was her turn to feel embarrassed now. She really didn't want one either! And knowing the fitoori nature of her Pati Babu, he would invent a whole festival named Bahu Sasthi just for her!

Thakumaa looked at her Mishti Maye with a smile. It was these thoughts that made her really love her Jamai Babu! The answers to the questions that Thakumaa always wanted as she was growing up, but never got... leading her to believe that becoming a woman itself was a curse. 

"Anirudh, you don't know anything!" Kaka intervened, "Bahu will get her feast and festivities too. She will have to go through a few shaads during pregnancy!" 

"Shaad?" Anirudh asked, furrowing his brows slightly. "What's that?" 

"Also called Godh Bharai, or baby shower," Sampoorna piped in. "It's done for pregnant women where she is given all of her favourite foods, clothing, and is treated very, very well and is pampered. And in our Bengali culture, at least two are done. On in the fifth month, and one in the seventh month. Although some do it in their third month as well." 

Thakumaa felt her throat dry up nervously, and she gave both Trilochan and Sampoorna a look, to stop them from talking. 

"What's wrong Kalindi?" Trilochan questioned. 

"Zamindar Babu, what will my Jamai Babu do by knowing of all these feminine rituals? It's a ritual where only women are allowed anyways. But at least now, he should be content, that Bondita will get one..." Thakumaa said. 

Anirudh just glanced at Thakumaa a little suspiciously, wondering if there was more to a shaad than he was being told. 

He would need to investigate.

-- 

After Chandrachur's rituals were completed, and everyone ate their lunch, Somnath was walking at the back of the haveli, in the backyard. There was a scorching heat outside, but it was better out here, than with the zoo inside. He was already very fed up by all the people and conversations! He felt like his time was being heavily wasted by coming here! 

He suddenly heard the pitter patter of small feet running towards him, and he turned around to see Tapur, the youngest Das sibling there. 

"Since you're here for the first time, I thought to give you company!" Tapur told him brightly. 

Somnath looked the girl up and down, a slightly irritated look on his face. She was dressed in a nice saree, and simple jewelry. She had a long braid, up to the middle of her back, and she looked to be about the age of a young girl who was on the onset of being a woman. She had curves of a woman, yet, the innocence of a child. 

"Why would you give me company? You're a little kid," Somnath huffed at her. 

Tapur looked at Somnath with a smile and said, "I'm 15 running! I'm not so young!" 

"Quite young," Somnath said, and glanced around, "I don't need company. You can go." 

"But you're our guest --" 

"Please drop those formalities," Somnath said, sounding irritated, the sunlight being cast in his face. "I don't like them --" 

Before he could even finish his sentence though, he felt something fall on his head. Something wet. 

Tapur's eyes widened, as she looked up, a gasp escaping her lips. 

"Oh no! A bird just pooped on your head!" Tapur said. 

"WHAT?" Somnath shrieked, jumping when he heard this. He started to dance around, as if something wasn't in his hair, but rather as if he had insects in his dhoti. He was flinging his arms around in panic! "G - GET IT OFF! HOW CAN IT? WHAT THE HELL?" 

"W - wait, I'll help!" Tapur just said, and before he knew what was happening, she had grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards a bucket of water which was at the side of the haveli. 

Somnath suddenly started doing a panicked dance inside too, when this girl held his hand and started dragging him, as if this was very normal!

-- 

Anirudh was busy in conversation with Thakumaa, when Batuk seized the opportunity. He took his Boudi's hand and pulled her to an empty hallway, far away from everyone else. 

"Batuk, where are you taking me?" she demanded, as he let go of her hand in the hallway. 

A sad look appeared on Batuk's face and he said, "Big D doesn't allow me near my nephew when he's around! Now that he's finally busy, I have the chance to meet my nephew!" 

Bondita looked at him with a smile, and before she could respond, Batuk had dropped to his knees, and wrapped his arms around Bondita's stomach, making her eyes widen. He pressed his face against her tummy from over her saree too. 

"Your Super Chachu is here little one! He will always be here!" Batuk said, his cheek pressed against her belly, as his arms were wrapped around her waist. "I promise you, that as long as your Super Chachu is alive, no harm will be done to you! I will always, always protect you!" 

Bondita's heart melted, and tears filled her eyes, as she felt emotional once again. Oh... how much Batuk loved the baby. 

Her hand found Batuk's hair and she caressed it, running her hand through it. 

"Batuk, when there's a super chachu like you, then the baby won't need to fear, nor will the baby's... m -... me!" 

Bondita was still having a tough time calling herself the mother of her baby. The one time she had sadly lashed out and called herself the baby's Maa, was when her Pati Babu hadn't known, and she had said almost like a curse, asking why the baby had come to give pain to their Maa and Baba. She really wanted to fondly refer to herself as the baby's Maa, but just like her Pati Babu, even she was going through her own struggles of acceptance.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" a shocked looking Chandrachur had appeared, noticing Batuk in such a strange position with Bondita. 

Angrily, Chandrachur stormed over to the duo, and grabbed at Batuk's hair, trying to pull him off. 

"OYE!" Batuk snarled, glaring up at Chandrachur as he stood up. 

"Bondita, how do you let all these men touch you?" Chandrachur hissed at her. 

Then before Bondita knew what was happening, Chandrachur had taken Bondita's hand, making Bondita's eyes grow livid.

"ALL THESE MEN CAN LAY A FINGER ON YOU SO EASILY? IS THAT SO BONDITA?" Chandrachur yelled at her, squeezing her hand tightly, as if he owned it. 

-- 

Precap: 

Bondita finds a wrapped gift in the bedroom that Thakumaa had set up for her so she could rest, at the Das haveli. She opens the gift and sees a bottle of perfume. 

Who gave her the perfume, and for what purpose is it given? 

-- 

This chapter wasn't supposed to be so long, but I kept on writing and it got this long. 🙊

I hope that you enjoyed it! 

I watched many Jamai Sasthi vlogs and did some research, and tried to keep things authentic as a non-Bengali. 

Anything that stood out to you/that you enjoyed? 

Do leave your thoughts! 

What will happen now with any of the characters?

The next part is when things are about to get really, really fun!

I'm going to post a promo after one or two more chapters. A proper promo, because there is a very dramatic turn of events that's about to happen... I won't give anything away yet, but just know that it is a very, very important track for the development of certain instincts. Any guesses?

If you can vote on the parts from Chapter 321... it would mean everything to me. 

I'm feeling a little down seeing the lack of votes in the last few chapters, and it's making me heavily question things. I am feeling every bit of your love though... and the chapters are getting like 500+ comments and so much appreciation, and that's the reason I keep going. I thank you all whole-heartedly for this love. You are the life and soul of MDMB. ❤️

Love you all! 💕