The shocked Roy Chowdhury's

Trilochon was pacing up in the living room of the Haveli while the rest of the family looked at him like he had gone mad.

He was behaving as if Anirudh had taken Bondita somewhere to finish her off. He really considered him a monster in the case of his "Bondita bahu".

"Kaka, I don't think dada would have told you about their outing if he wanted to kill her. So, please stop behaving like this and sit down"-Batuk's words made no effect on Trilochon, while Somnath slapped the back of Batuk's head.

Honestly, Binoy believed his da to have gone mad but the way there was no sign of them even after sunset made him a little worried for his Bondita bahu too.

Binoy wasn't the biggest fan of Bondita before. But the way, she took care of him 3 years back after his accident made him love her like a daughter.

She stayed with him at the hospital along with Trilochon. She took care of his food, medicine along with every other need as Sampoorna wasn't there at home then.

She just for the sake of his health took 2 months leave from school after having a shouting match with Anirudh for three days just to take care of him as she knew the men in the family wouldn't be able to take care of him at all.

Anirudh was quite upset at her then but she had paid no head to him and that was the start of Bondita being away from Anirudh.

Because at that time, she had got to know about his letters to Saudamini that he had written at the beginning of their marriage as well as his love at first sight for Manorama.

All of it made her firm on her intention to stay away from him as much as she could. As she knew she would always be his "unwanted responsibility" only.

Binoy's accident then had given her a perfect opportunity to distance herself from Anirudh.

Binoy in those months saw the side of Bondita that his da was proud of.

That was the time when he started considering her the daughter he never had. And today he was equally worried for her but was not showing it that much. Because it would make his family gawk at him like he was a chimpanzee.

The family members soon heard the screeching of the car's tires and understood that Anirudh and Bondita are finally at home.

When they appeared in the doorway, everyone sighed in relief. while Trilochon ran to Bondita completely ignoring Anirudh.

"Bahu, are you okay? Are you hurt? This nalayak didn't hurt you right? He didn't make you cry in public or shout at you in the car right!"-Bondita was stunned at her kakasasur ji's questions, all the while Anirudh was ready to erupt like the volcano that he was.

But he was interrupted by Batuk, Somnath and Binoy.

"Boudi, how could you leave my match in the middle? Am I not the most important person to you? Do you know I nearly lost because you were not there? You know na you are my lucky charm!"-Anirudh fumed hearing his little brother.

"How dare he consider Bondita his lucky charm? She was only his lucky charm"-Anirudh thought with a little jealousy.

And since when did his brother believed in these superstitious things? Completely forgetting that he himself considers Bondita his lucky charm.

Bondita was about to answer Batuk, when she was interrupted by Somnath.

"Boudi, I have a viva tomorrow. Will you prepare my suit for me..please? And make me Tiffin for tomorrow too?"- Somnath's long list of demands were interrupted by Binoy.

"Bondita bahu, are you fine? Anyways, tomorrow is your holiday from school. So, help me and Batuk to check the factory's accounts"-Anirudh couldn't stop himself from shouting at this point.

Who the hell did they think he was? A monster! Who would harm her? He loved her the most in the family and everyone had the audacity to believe that he would make her cry in the streets or even kill her like his Kaka believed. Honestly, were his Kaka high or something!

"Bass (enough), how could you even think that I would harm Bondita! Don't you all know she is my wife. And Kaka I am not a Nalayak. How could you even think, I would make her cry or shout at her in public?"-Bondita was about to stop him when he started again,

"And Batuk, have I been educating you for you to start believing in superstitions? And Bondita is my wife first, so for her I would be the most important person, not you understand"-Anirudh's words had stunned Bondita and rest of the family members.

"Dada, are you jealous from me because I am Boudi's best friend?"- Batuk's careless words made him really angry but it was Trilochon's words that made him believe that his family is filled with lunatics.

"Nalayak Bagar Billa, have you started drinking from Binoy's liquor collection? Or are you smoking weed from your Bigrail British friends? Otherwise, you never care for Bahu at all. Wait! are you possessed by a ghost? Binoy hurry up, we need to call a exorcist. Maybe Anirudh has finally become mad"-everybody was stunned at the words of Trilochon, when a angry Binoy started fighting with Trilochon as he had offended him by questioning his liquor collection.

"Da, how could you blame my liquors for Anirudh's behaviour? He was mad from the beginning. And Britishers are not bad. Why don't you understand. It must be Anirudh's fault"- his words made Anirudh stunned.

While Sampoorna was laughing seeing the situation.

"What kind of family was he born into! All are mad here"- Somnath thought after seeing the mad situation of his home.

"Baba, Kaka, how could think of me like this? I am not mad nor am I drunk..I am.."-his words remained silent as Bondita finally shouts unable to bear the madness anymore.

"Enough, please calm down everyone. Kakasasur ji, he didn't hurt me, Batuk I am sorry for missing your match, Som dada, I will iron the suit in the morning and prepare your Tiffin. And sasur ji, don't worry, we will check the accounts together with Batuk and Patibabu, please don't shout so much, your blood pressure will get high again"-Bondita finished her words in one breath and the family looked at her stunned.

They barely recovered when she spoke again,

"Patibabu has bought kulfi for all of you at home. I will serve it after dinner hmmm"-the choti malkin of the Haveli spoke up clearly having no time for their squabbles.

She handed the kulfis to Sampoorna and went to her room to change her school dress in order to cook dinner.

All the while, everyone went to their rooms silently like chastised little babies.

Bondita had just finished cooking dinner, when she saw Batuk behind her.

"Boudi, you can tell me, where did dada take you? I won't tell anyone"-he uttered without knowing that Trilochon was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"I will tell you later, Batuk; call everyone for dinner please"-Bondita didn't know why she did it but for the first time she didn't want to divulge her secret with Batuk. Not at this moment anyway.

Trilochon on the other hand, pouted at his bahu from afar for she didn't tell him about their secret.

Anirudh was in his room thinking about how to talk to his Kaka about Bondita staying in his room with him, when Batuk hollered at him for dinner.

Anirudh didn't know his announcement would make Trilochon's sleep vanish from his eyes.

As everyone was having their dinner, Bondita was skillfully managing listening to the chattering of Trilochon, Batuk and Somnath at the same time and replying to them as well.

As Bihari bought out the kulfis for everyone after dinner, Anirudh felt it to be a prudent moment to divulge his plans regarding Bondita.

"Kaka, I have to tell you something".

"Tell me, nalayak fitoori; what new kranti have you taken on your shoulders?"-taunted Trilochon.

Batuk and Binoy laughed at it while Anirudh wanted to bang his head somewhere.

"Stop it and listen to me Kaka, I have decided that Bondita is old enough now to understand everything regarding marriage and relationships. So..So..I want to stay in the same room with Bondita from now on just as a husband and wife does. I will shift my things in Bondita's room tomorrow"- his words made the Roy Chowdhury's silent.

Somnath choked on his Kulfi and Binoy's chashma nearly fell of his hands as he was going to clean seconds before Anirudh's sudden announcement.

Batuk and Sampoorna looked at him like he was an alien.

But it was Trilochon who was shocked the most.

"Arre Bihari... Bihari, bring me my Ganga Jal, Anirudh is possessed. Shiv..shiv..shiv, our Haveli is under the dark gazes of a witch"- TRC was shouting while Anirudh looked at him with red angry eyes. He couldn't believe the stupidity of his Kaka.

"Kaka, I am not joking. I am going to sleep in Bondita's room from tomorrow. Stop overreacting on it"-Anirudh literally shouted at him.

Trilochon Roy Chowdhury didn't know if he should be happy or not. He kept pinching himself all the while muttering different god's name.

Bondita felt like she was dreaming. Anirudh Roy Chowdhury had told her once that, she would always be his responsibility only.

He would never see her as his wife. But today he was announcing his rights in front of everyone.

She had tried to ignore his words in the living room a while ago thinking it to be some frenzy of his.

But the way he had announced his latest wish regarding their life, made Bondita apprehensive of the changes this decision will bring forth.

Here she was, trying to shelter her heart from the pain of expecting anything that he will not give her and there he was, trying to crawl his way back on the barren land that her heart had became.

To be honest, she didn't want to share a room with him because then he will get to know about her nightmares. And she also didn't want to shatter again from her expectations regarding him.

She knew she had to talk with her Patibabu soon.

Anirudh after seeing the frown on Bondita's face was suddenly worried about his decision.

"Is Bondita unhappy with my decision. Does she not want to be in close proximity with me? Does she dislike me nowadays? Is she not in love with me anymore? No.no. I must be overthinking from all the stress. Bondita loves me and that's a universal truth"-Anirudh thought while looking at her .

While their family members were still shocked and processing the events of the dinner.

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