The next morning, Anirudh was woken up by a loud bang on his bedroom door and screams. 

Somehow, he knocked out (probably due to the long night the previous night). He was holding on tightly to Bondita's pillow. It felt like she was right there with him all night. 

"Bonditaaa," Anirudh murmured. "Sleep a little bit longer." 

"ANIRUDH! BAHU!" Kaka was yelling. 

Anirudh groaned, pressing his face against Bondita's neck. 

"Bondita...." he murmured into her soft skin. She was comfy... so comfy. He could hold her more tightly and just sleep again...

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? IS SOMETHING WRONG?" Kaka's voice was yelling. 

"Da, calm down," Binoy's voice could be heard. "You know how Anirudh and Bahu are sometimes. They may need some time alone. They're young after all -" 

"SHIV SHIV SHIV! I WILL NEED MY GANGAJAL WITH YOUR DIRTY MIND. I KNOW HOW CRAZY THEY ARE ABOUT SCHOOL, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I NEED TO KNOW WHY BAHU HASN'T GONE TO SCHOOL TODAY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE HASN'T EVEN COME DOWN!"

"Kakaaaaa!" Anirudh groaned, kissing Bondita on her neck, his lips gliding over her smooth skin. "Let us sleep!" 

Another loud knock on the door, and an annoyed Anirudh finally woke up. 

When he opened his eyes though, and saw that he wasn't kissing Bondita's neck or cuddling with her, but he was doing all of that to her pillow, his heart sunk. 

Right... 

He had dropped her off last night. 

Feeling heaviness in his heart, Anirudh finally got out of bed, to face the wrath of his family members. 

--

Bondita woke up early. She had reluctantly left her Pati Babu's shirt in bed that morning, freshened up, and then went downstairs to make breakfast in her school dress.

There was a maid here, but Bondita insisted that she wanted to cook a meal for Manika Didi and Manoshi. 

After all, it would help to get her mind off things. 

She had just finished cooking when she heard the footsteps enter... 

--

Anirudh groaned as soon as he opened the door. 

It was already 10 in the morning - Bondita would have already faced Manika. He was supposed to speak to Manika before Bondita had to explain anything. 

Great. Now Bondita would have to explain things on her own.

"Why are you two taking so long?" Kaka demanded as soon as he saw Anirudh's groggy face. 

"I tried to explain it to you Da. You don't disturb a husband and a wife who don't come out of their room in the morning!" Binoy said, shaking his head. "Why do you think they're taking so long? What do you think they're doing? You're a grown-up. You should understand!"

A look of disgust appeared on Kaka's face, as Binoy went on. 

Sampoorna Maa was beside him, looking at Anirudh with a displeased expression. 

The last time, when Bondita made out with Anirudh in front of her, she was taken aback. And traumatized. Absolutely traumatized.

She had always blamed Anirudh for putting Bondita through this. For making Bondita suffer through all his fitoori whims and wishes. And now impregnating her, yet definitely putting pressure on her young mind to fulfill his dreams. 

Bondita had lost her temper on Sampoorna last time, by not only being the explosive little firecracker that followed in Anirudh's footsteps, but also making out with him in front of her very own eyes, moaning loudly, and then claiming that she was very much involved in the pregnancy process. 

The truth was that Sampoorna was envious. 

Envious to see that Anirudh and Bondita had a relationship where only Bondita didn't give and satisfy him. Anirudh seemed to satisfy her... in every way. 

It was a life that Sampoorna didn't feel like she had. She didn't understand what sexual freedom was. 

So when Binoy was making fun of Anirudh and Bondita, instead of blushing as she probably should, she felt a sense of disgust. A sense of eeriness. 

Fear. 

For Bondita. 

The idea of Anirudh and Bondita staying in their bedroom, enjoying their sexual life... only made her afraid that Bondita was uncomfortable. 

After all, she only had her own experiences to relate to. 

"Shiv Shiv Shiv!" Kaka was just yelling, "Anirudh, Bahu needs to rest. Complete rest. Don't do anything... unholy!" 

"Yes Kaka, we're all unholy," Anirudh said, rolling his eyes, "Because all of us are products of such unholiness!" 

Trilochan wanted to yell at Bihari to bring his gangajal. He knew if Kalindi was here, she would be taunting him about coming to this earth via a bird in the sky!

"Why didn't Bahu go to school?" Trilochan demanded. 

Anirudh sighed. 

"Kaka, Bondita probably did go to school."

"She hasn't even come downstairs Anirudh!" Kaka retorted, sounding annoyed. 

"That's because she's not here," Anirudh confessed. 

"What? What do you mean?" Kaka demanded, trying to look behind Anirudh into the bedroom. 

"Bondita... is somewhere else," Anirudh said. "She has to stay there for a little while." 

"WHAT?" Kaka bellowed. 

Binoy raised his brows, and Sampoorna just glared daggers at Anirudh. Where was her sister?

"I sent her away -" 

Before he could finish, the phone began to ring. 

Nobody moved to answer it. 

"You DID WHAT?" Kaka was screaming. "Where did you send her?"

"Is it Krishnanagar?" Binoy asked, sounding like the only cool-headed one here. "Perhaps she missed her family?"

"WE ARE HER FAMILY!" Kaka was yelling. 

Anirudh took a deep breath and said, "She's somewhere safe Kaka. Nothing has happened to her, and nothing will." 

"Anirudh, explain," Sampoorna ordered. 

Anirudh looked at Sampoorna, a neutral expression in his eyes and he just said, "I don't think I need to explain anything to anyone here." 

"Anirudh, you have to say something," Binoy tried to reason. 

"Look at this attitude!" Kaka was yelling. "You took Bahu to an unknown place, and you won't even explain yourself!" 

"I'm her husband Kaka. She's my responsibility -" 

Before he could finish, Bihari yelled, "Barrister Babu! The call is for you." 

"I'll be back -" 

"Is it Bahu?" Kaka demanded. 

Anirudh just pushed past him to answer the phone. 

The whole family rushed after him. 

--

"Bondita!" 

When Manika saw her, she was pleasantly surprised. 

Bondita offered her a meek smile, as she assembled the breakfast into a plate for her. 

"Wow, you're here so early in the morning," Manika said, as she stepped inside the kitchen. "You stopped by before school? But school is closer to your home!"

Bondita just laughed and said, "Have some breakfast Manika Didi!" 

"Why did you take the trouble to cook?" Manika asked, sitting at the dining table as Bondita brought her breakfast. 

"I wanted to make food for you," she said. 

"You eat too!" 

"I will," Bondita said with a smile. "Does Manoshi sleep for long?"

"She will probably still be sleeping when you go to school," Manika said, "She likes to sleep in. I don't disturb her either."

"I want to enrol her in school," Bondita said, putting food on her own plate and sitting next to Manika, "But she has some catching up to do first. They won't enrol her in the middle of the year either."

"We can find a tutor for her," Manika said with a smile. 

Bondita grinned and said, "You love that idea right? After all, your love story started with ahem..." Bondita let out a fake cough, "A tutor."

Vikram had been the one who taught Manika to read and write after all.

Manika's cheeks turned red, as she recalled the other day. 

That kiss.

The kiss with Vikram was soft, simple. And that was it. It was a soft peck on the lips. There was no more kissing after that. 

He had said he wouldn't be able to stop before he kissed her... but when he did, he looked like he could faint and had stopped right away! 

Vikram just dropped her home... the two of them not speaking too much to each other, both blushing and in their own worlds. 

Ever since, they didn't talk about it, nor did they do anything else. 

"What's going on?" Bondita asked. 

"Nothing," Manika shook her head. 

Bondita eyed her, slightly suspiciously, but she didn't push it further. She just said, "Well, I guess I can tutor Manoshi while I'm here."

"What do you mean? You're going to school right?"

"Yes... but..." Bondita sighed, "I'll be here for a little while Manika Didi."

Manika looked at her with a confused expression. 

"I mean, I came to stay with you two," Bondita explained. 

"What?" Manika gasped, "Why?! Did you and Anirudh fight? Let me call him! He can have such a slow brain sometimes Bondita!" 

"He doesn't!" Bondita gasped defensively. 

"Please! You'll defend him to the end of the Earth because you see him as perfect. But only I know how much I had to suffer through when he was figuring out his love for you!"

Bondita blushed slightly. 

"If he fought with you, it's definitely his fault. Let me tell him off!" 

 "He didn't fight with me..." Bondita murmured. 

"Then? Why are you staying here?"

"Can't I stay here?" Bondita asked. 

"Of course you can! This is your farmhouse Bondita. But... there must be a reason." 

"I don't know the reason Didi," Bondita confessed. 

"What?" Manika gasped. 

Bondita nodded. 

"Pati Babu just asked me to trust him, and he left me here," Bondita confessed. 

It was silent for a few moments. 

Bondita just looked at Manika, waiting for her to react. 

Finally, when Manika reacted, she yelled, "WHAT THE HELL ANIRUDH ROY CHOUDHARY!" 

Bondita gulped.

--

It was Bhoumik Babu on the phone. 

And Anirudh's family members were all standing behind him, watching him like hawks. 

"What's the update?" Bhoumik demanded. 

Anirudh muttered into the phone, conscious of everyone hearing, "Bondita... isn't here." 

"Good. Then I'll bring Mini," Bhoumik said. "You explain things to your family and somehow get them on board."

"What? No!" 

Before he could say anything else, Bhoumik hung up the phone. 

Anirudh blinked a couple of times, and stared at the receiver. 

"Who was that?" Kaka demanded. 

Anirudh was silent, as he put the phone back. 

Kaka turned to Bihari and questioned him with the same query. 

"It was a man," Bihari just said, scratching his head. "He asked to speak to Chhote Malik. He said it was urgent." 

"What did he say?" Kaka then questioned Anirudh. 

Anirudh sighed and finally confessed, "Kaka... there's something you... and everyone else needs to know." 

Everyone looked at him blankly. 

"Saudamini... is... back." 

--

Manika was not happy. 

As much as Bondita tried to defend her Pati Babu, Manika wasn't hearing any of it. Curses were flying out of her mouth, left right and centre. 

Finally, Bondita escaped the situation by saying she had to leave for school. 

And right on cue, a driver was waiting for her outside the farmhouse to take her to school.

Anirudh had arranged this for her yesterday itself. 

Bondita knew that Manika Didi had good intentions. 

That Manika Didi and her Pati Babu had a very deep relationship. So even though she endured hearing all of those curses about her Pati Babu, she didn't get upset. 

Bondita respected their bond. 

She didn't want to interfere in it. Even though she was his wife, it didn't give her a reason to dictate how his friends should be with him, and she knew that very well. 

At school, when she entered the classroom that morning, Batuk immediately demanded, "Why didn't you come to school with me?"

"I wasn't at the haveli," Bondita answered coolly. 

She was sitting in front of him in class, beside Mallika. He was next to Surabhi. 

Vikram was sitting by himself on the desk adjacent to Bondita's. 

"Why?" Batuk demanded. 

Bondita sighed, as she turned her head to look at him. "You're going to get mad at Pati Babu. Don't get mad." 

"Why?" Batuk frowned. "What did Big D do?"

"Nothing! I'm just staying somewhere else -" 

"WHAT?" Batuk yelled so loudly that the other students around them were taken aback. 

Thankfully, the teacher hadn't entered the class yet. 

"You're not staying at home ji?" Mallika gasped. 

Vikram also heard and left his seat, to join his friends. 

"Bondita, what?" he questioned, "What's going on?"

"Bondita, is everything okay?" Surabhi asked.

Bondita looked at all of her friends and said, "There's nothing to worry about. Trust me." 

"What do you mean? You're not staying with me?" Batuk asked, sounding hurt, "Is Big D so mad at me that he separated me from my nephew?" 

"Not everything revolves around you ji!" Mallika snapped at him. "I'm sure he has other reasons! Why will he separate himself from his wife?"  

Batuk glared at Mallika's taunt. 

Surabhi looked at Mallika with a crease on her forehead and said, "Batuk's worried, that's all." 

"Yeah..." Batuk said with a pout, "My poor Boudi! Can't even stay in her own home! What kind of nonsense is this!" 

"Wait, but Bondita's Pati Babu definitely has a reason," Vikram said with a nod. "He won't just leave Bondita without one." 

"But my nephew can't even grow in his own home!" Batuk whined. 

"Oh God!" Mallika groaned. "Why are you such an idiot? A baby's home is their mother! Not your haveli. But a mother's womb! So Bondita is the home of your nephew or niece!" 

Surabhi just sighed and said, "Mallika, enough. You always pick on Batuk. Why is that?" 

Mallika pointedly looked away. "Fine ji! I won't say anything to him! He belongs to you after all!."

Batuk for some reason, didn't like that Mallika was looking away from him... nor did he like that she claimed she wouldn't say anything to him. 

He ought to be happy that the taunting would stop... but he wasn't exactly happy about that. 

Weird. 

"Are you okay Bondita?" Surabhi just asked, ignoring Mallika's unhappy look. 

"I'm fine," Bondita said. "I do miss Pati Babu... and the haveli, but... it is what it is. I accept that."

"Exactly!" Vikram agreed with Bondita like the fanboy he was, "Bondita's Pati Babu must have made the most perfect decision. He always does!" 

Batuk huffed, "Does not! The most perfect decision would be to let me stay with my nephew! Maybe I can convince Big D to let me go with you!" 

Bondita's eyes suddenly lit up. 

"Can you convince him?" she gasped. "I'll be very happy if you come and stay with me!" 

"Where are you staying?" Batuk asked. 

Bondita gulped, not sure if she should tell him. Then she glanced at Vikram, who would find out anyways. 

"The farmhouse," she confessed. "I'm staying with Manika Didi and Manoshi." 

"You're staying with Mishti?" Vikram asked, his eyes lighting up, a faint blush on his cheeks as he remembered their first kiss. 

"Why? Do you want to come and stay too now?" Bondita teased. 

Batuk rolled his eyes. 

Even though Vikram wasn't on talking terms with him, he was still protective over his best friend! 

"I would come and stay with you even if Mishti wasn't there, Bondita," Vikram told her with a smile. 

"Yeah, suck up," Batuk groaned under his breath. 

Vikram ignored Batuk, and Mallika had the desire to shoot another taunt at him. But she kept quiet. 

Because Surabhi owned Batuk. 

Bondita grinned at Vikram and said, "Your parents won't be happy with you staying out all night right? Otherwise... if you can come and stay too... it would be nice. Even if it's just once in a while." 

She glanced at Batuk, and then back at Vikram. 

If the two of them came and stayed with her, even if it was for one night... perhaps, they could reconcile again. 

"Should I come too Bondita?" Surabhi asked with lit-up eyes. 

"No!" Batuk said, making Surabhi glance at him with a frown. 

"I mean..." Batuk coughed, "I just wanted to spend time with my nephew... if you're there it's a distraction."

"Distraction?" Surabhi questioned. 

"Yeah..." Batuk said, not even sure why he was quick to say no. 

He didn't mind Vikram being there. 

So why did he suddenly not want Surabhi there with him, Vikram and Bondita? 

It was strange... when before, he would have wanted every opportunity to be alone with her. 

"We'll all plan something," Bondita said with a smile. "I'm sure I have a week or two at least there. Plenty of time to have fun!"

She then glanced at Mallika, "You're invited too of course, Mallika." 

"I am ji?" Mallika asked, raising her lowered gaze and glancing at Bondita. 

"Of course," Bondita said with a smile. "You're just as much my friend as everyone else here." 

"As everyone else?" Batuk gasped, feeling offended. "I'm not special? And what about Vikram? Weren't we in your lives first?"

"First doesn't always mean best! You should know... first baby," Bondita said with a teasing smile. 

Batuk pouted! 

"You --" 

That was when the teacher came in and Vikram rushed to his seat. 

Bondita just hoped, that somehow she could convince her Pati Babu to allow Batuk to come and stay with her. 

It would make her time there a little more enjoyable. 

Even though she loved Manika Didi, and Manoshi was growing on her more and more... there was just something about her best friends that was irreplaceable. 

--

Everyone looked at Anirudh with blank expressions. 

"Saudamini... is... back?" Binoy repeated. 

Anirudh nodded, as he glanced at his family members. 

"There's a reason... I didn't tell Bondita," he confessed. "She... gets scared whenever she hears her name. Bondita went through a lot of trauma. She hasn't gotten past that trauma. It has left a deep scar in her mind... and I can't risk it. Her pregnancy is already risky because of her age. There could be possible complications if she stresses out. I couldn't let her stay here."

"What do you mean?" Kaka demanded, "How can you throw our Bahu out over that Saudamini?"

"Kaka, I'm very worried about Bondita's health," Anirudh explained calmly.

"I am worried about my waaris too!" Kaka snapped, "But we can hide the truth about Saudamini while having Bahu here." 

"We can't because..." 

Anirudh stopped mid-sentence. 

His family would never understand Bhoumik's blackmail. They would never support Anirudh choosing his fitoor. 

"Because?" Binoy asked. 

"Yes Anirudh, because what?" Sampoorna asked, not sounding happy to hear the truth about Saudamini being back. "Send her back to jail! You're a barrister. Send that bit - Saudamini back."

Bitch. 

Sampoorna almost said it. 

But she didn't. Because too many eyes were on her here. 

How could Sampoorna forget about the reason she became a widow? The reason her husband was snatched from her?

"I can't send her back. She served her sentence already," Anirudh explained. 

"Then why can't Bondita stay here?" Sampoorna demanded. A horrified gasp escaped Sampoorna's lips. "Anirudh don't tell me..."

Anirudh looked at Sampoorna, with furrowed brows. 

"What is it Sampoorna?" Binoy asked. 

"After all these years... did you not stop... feeling for..." Sampoorna's voice cracked. "Your first love?"

There was experience in her voice. A deep feeling. An understanding of what first love meant. 

But Anirudh wanted to yell at her. 

Kaka gasped loudly first though, "Shiv Shiv Shiv! Sampoorna Bahu, how can you utter such horrible words? Anirudh would never feel for such a murderer when we have a wonderful Bahu in our house!"

"First love is hard to get over," Binoy agreed. 

Sampoorna's eyes filled with tears. 

"Is this why you sent my sister away? For your first love?"

Before Anirudh could bellow a word, there was a loud knock on the front door. 

Anirudh just glared at all of them. 

"Saudamini has lost her memory," he informed coldly. "Don't say a word to her about the past. She won't understand. She only knows up until the point that we were together." He pointed at himself to indicate that he was talking about their relationship. "Do not be rude to her. Do not give her looks. Don't try to do anything!" 

He shot cold looks at Sampoorna and Kaka, who he knew would interfere the most. 

"If either of you does anything," he hissed, "There will be nobody worse than me. I will move out of this haveli."

Sampoorna gasped. 

"With your waaris," Anirudh threatened Kaka. 

Kaka gasped now!

Anirudh glared at Sampoorna, "And Bondita - you won't get to go near her. Ever. Sampoorna Maa. So keep quiet."

"How could you Anirudh?" Sampoorna asked, her voice quivering. "After all she did to Bondita... after everything she did to... y - your best friend... how could you even entertain her... you're... you're dropping low in my eyes every moment."

Anirudh just looked at her, a sad smile now forming on his lips.

"Once again, Sampoorna Maa. You understand me so little."

Then he turned his back to them and went to open the door to his guests. 

As soon as he did, he saw that Mini was wearing a red Banarasi saree, alta lined on her hands and feet, and her hair was curled majestically. 

Any man on the streets right now would probably stop and stare, because she looked absolutely stunning. 

But Anirudh looked past that, her physical beauty not quite reaching his eyes or his soul. 

Saudamini's eyes were glistening with happiness.

"Anirudh," Bhoumik greeted. "Hello."

Anirudh was horrified, unable to stop staring at Mini, because she wasn't just wearing alta. 

But... 

Her parting was filled with sindoor too. 

"Anirudh," Saudamini said, a blush on her cheeks, "You were mad at me because I forgot our most important memories. You could have just told me! Baba told me everything." 

She took a step forward towards him, and Anirudh nearly stumbled backwards, but he forced himself to stay put because Bhoumik was watching him like a hawk testing him. 

"But Anirudh, is that a reason to ignore me? To be so mean?" Mini asked him, her lips puckering in a pout. 

Her hand reached up to his arms, clutching his bicep and squeezing it gently. 

"I missed you so much," she told him softly. "My husband... Anirudh." 

Anirudh's eyes widened and he turned to look at Bhoumik. 

Bhoumik just gave him a menacing glare, as if challenging him to break the agreement. 

All of a sudden, Saudamini wrapped her arms around Anirudh and hugged him, nuzzling her face into his chest. 

"Do you know how mean they were to me in jail?" she asked, her voice cracking. "I needed your solace." 

Tears seeped out of her eyes and she whispered, "Baba told me that they locked me up for a crime I didn't commit. That someone else was behind it... and it wasn't me. I... I would never murder someone, Anirudh. I know you believe me. You know me."

Anirudh squeezed his eyes shut, his heart suddenly clenching. 

How did you turn out that way then, Mini?

All of a sudden, Anirudh felt a loud thump on his back. A painful whack. 

And he jumped back, causing Saudamini to let go. 

It was Kaka's cane. 

Kaka had thrown his cane at Anirudh out of extreme anger, whacking him hard. 

--

Precap: 

Anirudh goes to meet Manika to explain the situation. Will he meet Bondita too?

And...

Saudamini moves into the Roy Choudhary haveli, and people start gossiping.

"I always knew that Bondita was not loyal. That's why Barrister Babu must have left her." 

"Did you hear about the time Bondita spent the night with a boy at her school? How disgusting!"

"Barrister Babu must have had enough!" 

Will this truth reach Bondita?

--

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

What stood out to you the most?

What was your favourite scene?

Did you like the scene with the five friends?

Did you enjoy the Batuk/Surabhi/Mallika moments hinted in there? What's going to happen between these three?

Are you excited for the next part?

What will happen now?

If you press star, and leave your comments to show your excitement, I'll post the next chapter super fast as well. Your excitement encourages me a LOT. 

I love you all. 💗