One-sided love. 

It was a beautiful, yet scary thing. 

It was something that was full of butterflies, yet full of dread. 

"What's wrong with me?" Mallika wondered, as her eyes kept landing on Batuk during class. 

She just wanted to keep seeing him. She was getting a blissful feeling just by watching him. It was strange, creepy, stalker-like behaviour! Yet, she couldn't help it. She couldn't help the pull that she was feeling for him. 

Batuk was busy -- lost in his own world. Today, he was sitting behind his girlfriend Surabhi. Since Bondita wasn't here, Surabhi and Mallika sat together as the only two girls in their class. 

Batuk was so envious that his Big D took Bondita out on vacation! How lucky she was! She got to take time off school and go to nice places, and here... he was stuck with his notes! 

But... there was one thing that Batuk knew for sure. 

He loved his nephew more than anything! 

Yes, he wanted a nephew, because he wanted the child to be just like him. He wanted to be a Super Chachu! And he believed he would be an amazing one! 

His eyes landed on the back of Surabhi's head and he pouted, extremely bored during class. She was writing something in her notebook as the teacher was teaching in the front of the class.

Mallika on the other hand, he noticed kept on turning around once in a while, angling her face. 

Batuk frowned. Was he a threat to her or something? Why did she keep on looking at him?

Mallika didn't find his jokes funny, she always insulted him! He didn't like her at all! Yet, one time she cried, and Batuk couldn't help but feel soft-hearted for her. Maybe she wasn't so bad... but her ability to insult was horrendous! 

Batuk glanced across the room, to Vikram who was sitting in a corner. 

Vikram was his and Bondita's best friend. Except, the problem was that Vikram and him weren't on talking terms. And Bondita wasn't here. So Vikram was growing closer to Mallika!

Another reason he wanted to dislike the girl!

Well, the reason that he and Vikram weren't talking was his own fault. He was the one who tried to separate Vikram from Manika, by telling her that she should stay away from Vikram for his own good future. 

When Vikram found out, he had stopped talking to Batuk completely. And it hurt Batuk quite a lot, that Vikram wasn't talking to him. 

"Bloody hell," Batuk groaned under his breath, "What's with everyone in this world!" 

Mallika turned around and gazed at him, "What did you say ji?" 

"Nothing to you," Batuk shot back. 

Mallika bit down on her lip, her heart aching slightly.

Of course. Why would he speak to her? 

Her love was one-sided. 

And since when did one-sided love ever win?

--

That afternoon, when Batuk got home from school, he noticed a bright blue jeep right outside the haveli. It was probably imported. 

Batuk's eyes widened! 

Did they get a new car? 

His Baba probably got it! No way, could his Kaka have such great taste. And his Big D was away with Boudi... and Som Dada, who just started practicing medicine at the local hospital? No way! He would probably find a bland vehicle to purchase if he did at all!

Batuk rushed inside, to find out more details. 

But when he went inside, he was shocked to see... 

Chandrachur Dada?

"What are you doing here?" Batuk snapped, dropping his backpack on the ground, and watching as the tall man gazed around the empty living area. 

"Where's Bon - Barrister Babu?" Chandrachur questioned, his eyes gazing with suspicion at the little... pest. 

Chandrachur and Batuk had an interesting relationship. Batuk sarcastically called him Chandrachur Dada, because he was told to. But there was a lot of roasting and childish banters that happened between the two of them! 

"Chandrachur Dada, why do you care?" Batuk huffed. 

"I wanted to thank him for the car," Chandrachur said, glaring at Batuk with annoyance! What a little brat he was! 

"Car?" Batuk gasped, his eyes widening. His eyebrows even reached his hairline! "Big D got you that car? WHAT?" 

Why didn't he get a car? Why was he going around gifting this annoying man a car? 

His Big D favoured even Chandrachur Dada over him?

"Of course," Chandrachur said smugly to Batuk, "That car is mine!" 

Batuk glared at Chandrachur sourly. What was his Big D even thinking?! 

"So where is your sister-in-law, and your Big... D," Chandrachur said the last part with a drawl. 

"My Big D?" Batuk asked, raising his brow. "I don't think you want to meet him." 

Only Batuk was inwardly snickering at the double meaning behind the words! After all, he had dubbed Anirudh Big D after hearing a certain... ahem... phone conversation between his Boudi and Dada. 

It was quite - no extremely traumatizing! 

"He's on vacation, with my Boudi!" Batuk then said. 

"VACATION?" Chandrachur nearly screamed. 

Batuk pouted and nodded. "Yes, and my nephew is on vacation too. And his super chachu misses him." 

"Nephew?" Chandrachur asked, furrowing his brows! 

He had tried to make Bondita his so many times! He had tried to even slip her pills that could induce an abortion. However, each one of his attempts failed! 

And many times by this little brat! 

That man really was that baby's super Chachu or whatever! This Little Brat probably didn't even realize what he'd done to save his nephew!

"Now will you get going?" Batuk questioned rudely. 

Chandrachur huffed, and asked, "Where did they go?" 

"None of your business!" 

How Chandrachur wished to pull the brat's hair right now and make him scream! 

Batuk looked at Chandrachur with distaste. 

Tupur had been his first girlfriend. They had a summer romance. They fought a lot, and she never understood his relationship with his Boudi. She never understood how he prioritized his Dada and Boudi over everything... even her. 

And he also, perhaps never made her feel loved. 

Somewhere, they had many incompatibility issues. 

And Tupur unfortunately, got married to Chandrachur in a twist of events. 

He felt sad for the girl... very sad... 

And he could never like Chandrachur! Ever!

"It's just that I wanted to thank Barrister Babu personally for the car!" Chandrachur told Batuk, feigning innocence. "I think that you shouldn't treat me like such a stranger! After all, I'm like your... Dada."

Batuk rolled his eyes and said, "You pester me so much Chandrachur Dada! I'm sure they went on a honeymoon! They won't be happy if you go there. You don't know how much they've traumatized me. Do you want to be traumatized too?"

Chandrachur looked at Batuk sourly. 

Of course. 

He had been traumatized already by them! 

Witnessing that sight had been the most horrendous thing ever! He had been so broken-hearted.  

"Then when will they return?" Chandrachur questioned. 

"I dunno. A week? Two?" Batuk wondered, "Big D seemed like he wasn't going to ever let her return! The day of our history test itself, they hurriedly packed, and Big D was the most excited about it! I'm sure they're enjoying it and won't be back anytime soon!" 

Chandrachur scowled. 

That Barrister Babu! What must he doing to his love, right now? He didn't even want to imagine the scary things they must be up to!

Bondita... one day, you'll be mine! If I do enough tapasya, you surely will! And I will never give up on you! 

--

Saudamini had gone to her house across the Roy Choudhary haveli. When she knocked on the door, there was a middle-aged lady who opened it. 

She stared blankly at the stranger, not sure who she was. 

"Who are you?" the lady asked, taking in her unruly appearance. 

"I should be asking who you are! Where is Baba?" Mini questioned. 

"Baba?" the lady asked, shocked. 

Saudamini looked at the lady and said, wanting to smack her forehead, "My Baba!" She said it in a tone like it was the most obvious thing!

"Your Baba?" the lady asked, furrowing her brows. "I don't think your Baba has come here." 

"He doesn't need to come here! It's his house!" 

The lady now inhaled sharply, referring to her appearance. "If you are looking for food or money, then ask. Don't try to be conniving!" 

A shocked expression landed on Mini's face. 

"What? I --" 

"I've lived here for the last four years! And you're telling me this is your Baba's house? At least come up with a better excuse if you want our money!" the lady scoffed, and then she slammed the door right on her face. 

Saudamini was frozen for a moment. 

Last four years?

Those were part of the years that she couldn't remember... 

Had they moved? 

There was a sudden panic in her heart. Where could her Baba be? Was this really not her home? 

Now she felt even more lost... abandoned. These lanes which she once called her home, suddenly felt like a town she'd never been to before.  

"Baba," Mini sobbed, looking around, tears in her eyes. "Where are you Baba?" 

Her eyes landed on the Roy Choudhary Haveli. 

Anirudh! 

Anirudh must be there... yes, Anirudh! 

The Roy Choudharys were like her family anyways! Except that Trilochan Roy Choudhary. He was always hesitant about her! But Binoy Baba was like her own father!  And Somnath? Somnath was very fond of her! 

Mini rushed towards the Roy Choudhary Haveli! 

They would surely take her to her Baba!

And Anirudh... oh he probably missed her anyways!

--

Bondita was looking at Anirudh, frozen on the spot, when he uttered the name that she hadn't heard for years. 

Why was he bringing up Saudamini after all this time?

"Bondita," Anirudh said, his voice heavy with emotion. He looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes again. His hands were still closed around hers. "Saudamini was... released from jail." 

Bondita's hand shook inside Anirudh's. 

"She... was released a few days ago," Anirudh said, looking at her again, "And... I d - don't know where she is --" 

Bondita just gasped, panic filling her system. 

She could recall the heartbreak she faced as a kid, stuck in Hira Mandi, relying on her Pari Didi when she saw her there. Saudamini had pretended she didn't see her and left her behind, in that hell. 

Then... everything she did to their family, everything she did to her, to Saurabh who had lost his life for her. To her Sampoorna Didi too indirectly.

How... how could she just take this lightly? 

"H - How can she... how can she... be out?" Bondita asked, sounding shocked. 

"Bondita..." Anirudh whispered, holding her hand tightly, as her hand shook. "I won't let --" her come near you. But he couldn't finish, because Bondita started to panic. 

"If she comes here? If she hurts our baby? Pati Babu, what if she hurts our baby?" Bondita asked quickly, looking at him with extreme panic. 

"No, Bondita. She won't --" 

"Pati Babu please, promise me!" Bondita cried, tears filling her eyes as those moments of past trauma filled her system again. "That nothing will happen to our baby! Nothing!" 

"Of course Bondita. Nothing will happen. You know it!" 

"She might try to hurt me again -- and the baby is inside me..." Bondita cried. 

"She won't! Bondita, she won't!" Anirudh told her, shaking his head adamantly. He let go of her hand and held her shoulders firmly. "The news came as a shock for you, and you've had such a traumatizing past with her... but that doesn't mean that what you think is true. Bondita, I know what she did was very... unforgivable. But she has paid for her crimes... heavily." 

Bondita shook her head. 

"No Pati Babu... I don't want her near me!" 

He couldn't reason with her right now. Somehow her hormones made everything harder for her. Emotions were extreme. And the best thing he could do... was to show her that he was there.

That there was nothing to be afraid of, even if he was quite afraid himself. 

She was shaking, and Anirudh held her close to him. Bondita rested her head against his shoulder as he gently rubbed her back. It felt so soothing when he did that. 

Anirudh held her comfortingly. Bondita cried, "I'm being unreasonable right, Pati Babu?" 

"Not at all Bondita. You're not being unreasonable," Anirudh murmured to her. "How can anything about my Bondita be unreasonable, you tell me?"

"If it weren't for our baby's sake, I wouldn't be so scared," she just cried, her heart melting softly at his sweet words. 

"I know Bondita. But I won't let anything happen to you or our baby," Anirudh said into her ear. "I won't ever let anything happen to you two." 

Bondita wrapped her arms around him, her hands clutching the back of his waistcoat tightly, the material bunching up inside her fingers. 

"I... I love you... Pati Babu..." 

The last deeply buried fear she had. It stemmed from her childhood. 

She had witnessed them ball dancing. Even if at the time, she had found it fascinating. Later on, she understood what those moments must have been like. 

She had witnessed them through various moments. Lots of them. 

She knew... that there had been something between the two of them. 

And she never inquired later on... because her Pati Babu was hers. She was sure of it. Completely sure. 

However, since she had seen their relationship at such a young age it had left an impact in her memory... and maybe this insecurity had just been buried, because she never had to face it. 

She never had to worry about them because Pari Didi turned into Buri Didi and left their lives.  

But now... she was back. 

And those buried insecurities seemed to be rising. 

Perhaps the pregnancy hormones were amplifying it. 

But somewhere she wondered... 

What exactly did her Pati Babu have with Saudamini? 

"I love you too Bondita," Anirudh murmured into her ear. 

"You're... everything to me," Bondita whispered, holding him more tightly, like a child clinging on to their mother. 

The mother he was to her, after all. He was everything to her. Absolutely everything.

She knew, very deeply, that she meant the universe to her Pati Babu too. He worshipped her. Completely, irrevocably, and they were meant to be. 

She knew this. 

Then why... why were these insecurities suddenly rising? 

Perhaps... Bondita was human too. 

Perhaps... she was no Goddess, after all. 

Bondita squeezed her eyes shut. 

What was happening to her? 

The mere mention of Saudamini had prompted so many feelings from within. 

Bondita didn't realize yet, that even the ever compassionate Goddess, had to understand and master human emotions...

Because emotions weren't bad. 

They never were. 

They were like horses. 

Once one learned how to navigate these horses, the horses were used as a guide... 

Horses were never shunned. 

Neither were emotions. 

No matter how severe, how scary they may seem. 

And to become a Goddess, meant to truly understand emotions... not make them disappear... because when energy from the emotions were streamlined in the correct doses, each and every emotion was powerful.

That was why there were so many Gods and Goddesses. To show that there was a form for every shade... and each and every side was divine. And each side was within everyone. 

Maybe this was what the journey was for. To truly be the beautiful lotus flower that bloomed from the muddiest of waters! 

To tell a beautiful story of compassion, forgiveness, and divinity... 

The divinity that Anirudh saw in Bondita... 

Perhaps, it was time to show it to the world. 

Bondita clung on more tightly to Anirudh, feeling somewhat ashamed of herself for feeling this way. And she was too afraid to ask. Too afraid to tell him that... she was feeling scared... yes, for their lives... but also, because she hadn't fully understood who Anirudh and Mini had been in the past. 

Yet, she knew without a doubt that Anirudh was hers. 

100%... with full conviction. 

But even the best of minds faltered. 

And Bondita's mind was faltering... 

--

Precap: 

Chandrachur and Saudamini reach Darjeeling. 😲 What will happen now?

--

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