So this chapter is a special one to me.

Which is why I want you to do one thing...

On this chapter specifically, I want your inline comments.

Can you do this for me? 

Your reactions will mean everything. 

Then who knows, maybe if I'm happy, I'll post the next one faster too?

By the way, this chapter is super long. It's two chapters worth of content in one chapter! Which is why I want your inline reactions to all the twists and turns!

--

When Anirudh angrily made it back to his car, Neil was already waiting in the driver's seat. 

Rimi was in the back, and when Anirudh opened the passenger door alone, she pressed her hands onto the two front seats, and swung her body forward so that her head was poking through the middle. 

"Where's Bondita?" Rimi demanded. 

"Ask her," Anirudh said irritably. 

"Huh... hello! I gave you the responsibility to bring her!" 

Anirudh turned to glare at Rimi and he said, "She wants to marry him! I can't force her, alright?" 

"You sucked at convincing her," Rimi accused. 

"Convincing her? She's too stubborn!" Anirudh said with irritation. "Even a rock can be convinced, but Bondita? Never!" 

Rimi rolled her eyes, especially when she saw the red stain on Anirudh's lips. 

"You spent your time making out with her, instead of convincing her!" Rimi said, observing it sharply. She had given him one job! Just one!

Anirudh looked away from Rimi, trying to ignore the unsettled feeling in his heart. Why the hell was he getting so restless? Why did he want to run back there and drag her away from the mandap? 

Who was she to him, except a girl that he had met only a few times?

"Anirudh!" Rimi yelled, sounding very angry. "Say something!" 

"What?" Anirudh shot back at her, turning to glare at her, "What do you want me to do? Carry her and bring her here? She herself wants to get married to him! If she wants to marry him..." His voice suddenly started to crack slightly, "Then... why should I care huh? Why should I go and save her? From what? Her own wish!" 

Rimi turned to glare at Neil, who was holding the steering wheel. When Neil saw her menacing glare, he gulped. 

"Don't tell me you support this!" Rimi snapped. 

Neil managed to say, "W - well, he's... right, isn't he? How can we force someone to not get married to someone when she wants to?" 

"Ugh, none of you understand my Bondita!" Rimi screamed at the two of them. 

Anirudh grumpily crossed his arms, and Neil looked afraid of her temper. 

"Your Bondita?" Anirudh muttered under his breath, feeling slightly jealous when Rimi said that. 

"I'M GOING TO SAVE HER MYSELF!" Rimi decided, and then she was about to open the door to step out. 

Neil asked, "But what will you do?"

"She's probably already at the mandap by now!" Rimi groaned, "I'll go and create a scene! What else can I do?" 

"And Bondita will accept?" Neil asked. 

Anirudh inhaled sharply. "She won't! She's stubborn!" he said instead. 

"She will!" Rimi yelled, "Because unlike you, Anirudh Roy Choudhary, I can convince her!" 

"Right," Anirudh said grumpily, "Then you should have gone yourself in the first place!" 

"You are so annoying!" Rimi screamed at him. 

"And you're the most lovable!" Anirudh snapped back sarcastically. 

Neil was nervously in the middle of all of this, feeling like he was caught between two bickering siblings. 

"Alright, let's say you go and create a scene," Neil said, trying to keep a level-head. At least one of them should be level-headed, after all. "Then will they let you go with Bondita? The groom may call off the marriage, but won't the consequences be worse for her?" 

"She'll tolerate it! If she has tolerated living with that evil Mami of hers for this long, she'll tolerate more!" Rimi said, "But I will not let her marry that idiot!" 

Anirudh felt his heart clench each time Neil or Rimi mentioned her marriage or the groom. 

Before anyone could convince her out of it, Rimi slid to the door and opened it, before stepping out of the car and storming towards the mandap. She didn't even shut the door on her way out! 

"Look at her!" Anirudh complained, as Neil watched with worry. 

Anirudh got out of the car to go and shut the door, and as he went over there, he watched Rimi retreat up the temple steps, an anxious feeling in his chest. 

She... would be able to stop Bondita right? 

"Why do I care?" he asked himself, and slammed the door shut. 

Neil got out of the car, and said, "Look man, I know you're worried." 

Anirudh looked at him, about to deny it, but Neil shook his head, saying, "No need to say anything. I'm not here to force you to accept anything. But... why don't we stay in the area? Until Rimi comes back?" 

"Why?" Anirudh asked, even though deep down he wanted the same thing. 

"Alright fine, because I'm worried. Happy?" Neil asked. 

Anirudh finally nodded and leaned against the car, folding his arms over his cream coloured kurta top, wondering when Rimi would return... with Bondita.  

--

Not long after Anirudh left, Mami had come to get her. Bondita quickly re-applied her lipstick, and was following her Mami out, not having noticed the mark on her neck. 

As she followed Mami up the temple steps, she looked around, wondering if he really left.

Did Anirudh really go? 

Why did that feel so wrong? Why did it feel like he would come back for her? As if that was his... responsibility?

It was such an odd thought, but she couldn't shake off the feeling. 

"But he's blaming me. Why should I wait for him, when he is accusing me of being a gold-digger?" Bondita said, feeling hurt that he had even accused her like that. 

"Huh?" Mami just asked, absent-mindedly, a little too happy to be getting Bondita married. 

"Nothing Mami," Bondita said, a sinking feeling in her chest. 

Should she have just gone with Anirudh? Even though he accused her and said hurtful things? Was accepting that pain, a better choice than accepting this marriage? 

But... she didn't know why this pain from him seemed to be heavier than the pain she would get from marrying someone she didn't want to marry. 

As she was thinking, somehow she made it to the mandap. 

That was when everything started...

--

When Rimi got there, Bondita was already sitting beside the groom, a nervous expression on her face. Prabodh was standing near the entrance of the temple, looking worried. 

"Rimi, what happened? You said Anirudh would help," Prabodh said. 

"Forget about Anirudh, I'm here to help," Rimi said angrily, kicking her sandals off at the entrance, and about to storm inside. 

She caught a glimpse of Bondita sitting next to that tall man. 

"What will you do?" Prabodh asked. 

"Stop this wedding!" Rimi said, looking at Prabodh. "I won't let this happen to Bondita! I can't see her getting involved in this kind of marriage, in front of my very own eyes!" 

For some reason, Rimi felt like she had seen something horrible happen to Bondita in the past... and she went along with it. As if she was not able to help her before, when she was getting married. 

It was impossible though. Because obviously Bondita had never gotten married! 

"Rimi, even if you try to stop the marriage, Maa will intervene," Prabodh told her. "You won't be able to... where will you take her? What will you do?" 

"I don't know! But that Paritosh won't marry her if I cause a scene," Rimi said. 

"But Maa might get her married to someone else instead. She's capable of finding someone random on the street," Prabodh said to her softly. He looked at her and gently held her shoulder. "I know that you want to help Bondita. Even I want to. But unless we have a plan for her, this won't work." 

"I'll take her and run," Rimi then said, sounding determined. "Prabodh, we can't give up without trying! We can't assume. What if, things work in our favour? We should at least take the first step!" 

"You won't be able to run with her! Forgive me Rimi, but you aren't that strong. There are enough people here to keep her away from you." 

Rimi glared at Prabodh, a look of fury in her eyes. 

"Well, then instead of being so negative, come up with a solution!" she yelled. 

Prabodh looked at her, a soft expression still on his face. "I'm trying. With Anirudh. I thought that, he will help her... but where is he?" 

"That guy is a jackass!" Rimi swore. "Worse than Paritosh probably!" 

"What? Why?" Prabodh asked, sounding concerned. 

"He went in to save her, but fought with her then came out!" Rimi complained like a kid, "Who does that Prabodh? I gave him one task! And on top of that they made --" made out. 

She didn't finish her sentence, because at the end of the day Bondita was like Prabodh's own blood sister, even though they were just cousins. 

What if he got overworked? 

Before Prabodh could say anything more, Rimi said, "Let me go in at least." 

"If Maa sees you, she'll get upset --" 

"She won't cause a scene. Not unless I cause one first," Rimi said, and then she pushed past Prabodh and stormed inside. 

As Rimi went inside, Prabodh watched her go, a sinking feeling in his chest. 

"I was always fond of this anger of yours Rimi. Even today when it's directed at me. I want to do everything I can to be the brother that Bondita deserves. To help her out when she needs me... but what can I do, when it seems like there's no way out? I... I will try to think of something. For her sake... as a brother, I can't let my sister go into ruins," Prabodh said, as he watched Rimi storm in fondly. 

This unrequited love in his heart for Rimi, was something that was there for many years. 

As soon as Rimi stepped inside, Mami gasped, upon seeing the unculturable, uncouthly girl! Even though she was dressed appropriately for a wedding today, it was no secret what kind of girl she was! 

"Ohhhhh Kaali Maa, what kind of parents must she have," Mami muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "What a disgrace of a daughter!"

Bondita looked up from her seat, and saw Rimi step in. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and glanced at her Mami, who was glaring daggers at Rimi and trying not to cause a scene. 

Rimi glanced at Bondita's neck and noticed the mark. 

She looked around. Either everyone was too innocent, or blind. How did they not notice that love bite? Or did they just give her the benefit of the doubt? 

"Just a little while longer and you will be my wife," Paritosh whispered to Bondita from beside her. "I already have arrangements for our first time." 

Bondita felt her stomach twist when she heard this. 

"And we will go on our honeymoon... then when we come back, you will be the perfect housewife... I will go to office, and you will pack my lunchbox," Paritosh was muttering to her, in a flirty tone, as if this was a way of flirting. 

Bondita pressed her lips together firmly. 

She closed her eyes and remembered the day that Anirudh made her maggie, and the next morning, he made her toast. 

He had wanted to cook for her. He wanted to go slow for her. 

Tears welled in her eyes. 

That was Anirudh... and this was Paritosh? 

And even if that wasn't Anirudh, there was just an energy about him. If Anirudh said the same thing as Paritosh, then Bondita wouldn't even mind it. 

Was it because she had given her heart to him? Or was it because she felt like... it was his right, to demand things of her. That... for some reason, no matter what she did for Anirudh, it wasn't enough to repay him... for what he had done for her. 

What were these deep feelings? 

When he hadn't done anything for her, other than accuse her! 

"Anirudh..." Bondita muttered under her breath, "Why are you looking so innocent in my mind, that you can say anything and I will find it adorable?" 

They were told to stand for the pheras, and Paritosh smirked. He was a little too restless and excited. 

Rimi went over to where Bondita was from behind, and Mami nearly had a heart attack! 

She leaned into Bondita's ear and whispered, "Let's go. Now." 

"Rimi," Bondita gasped back. 

"They didn't notice that mark on your neck, but I have. When they notice it, you're done for anyways. Be smart, and let's go." 

"B - but Anirudh..." Bondita complained like a little kid, ignoring her comment about the mark. She still hadn't figured it out.  

"Leave him! Just because he must have said some things to you, does it mean you'll ruin your life?" 

"GIRL!" Mami yelled, at Rimi, "Bondita's getting married. Move aside!" 

"I'm her best friend... Bondita's Mami," Rimi said sarcastically to Mami. "I'm just fixing her saree for her!" 

Bondita felt Rimi's hand on her waist, as if she was adjusting her saree. Then she whispered, "Bondita the easiest thing to do is just run." 

"Where?" Bondita whispered, her heart beating faster out of fear. 

"We'll figure that out after! Let's just go," Rimi whispered. 

"YOU GIRL!" Mami yelled again, and this time went over to Rimi, grabbing her arm. She hissed so only Rimi and Bondita could hear, "Why do you keep interfering in my family matters? Who are you? Huh?" 

"Perhaps your daughter from another life," Rimi said, rolling her eyes.  

She meant it as a sarcastic taunt, and she pulled her arm back, causing Mami to nearly stumble. 

"I'd be ashamed to have a daughter like you," Mami hissed, "My Timsy is so well-mannered, so sweet... and you!"  

"We have to start the pheras," the pandit said, and they commenced. 

--

Restlessness was killing him. 

He couldn't wait. 

Not any longer. 

"I... I can't..." he was saying, as Neil watched. "I have to go there and see... what's happening." 

"Rimi must have saved her," Neil said, "She seemed pretty determined." 

"I can't rely on Rimi! I can only rely on myself when it comes to Bondita!" Anirudh yelled, not even realizing what he was saying or what he meant. "No... I can't entrust my Bondita with anyone. Nobody!" 

He didn't even hear himself say my Bondita, but Neil heard it. When he heard it, he nearly gasped. 

"Anirudh... are you okay?" Neil asked. 

"No! I'm not okay! NEIL I'M NOT OKAY!" Anirudh finally screamed, his heart panicking. "Every moment I spend away from her, I feel restless. I feel like I'm supposed to go and save her. Like it's my responsibility... my duty! I feel like I exist for the sole purpose of serving her! Why the hell do I feel this way? I don't know! But... it's like she's some Goddess, who I'm supposed to worship. It doesn't bloody make sense! And I don't even subscribe to it! Because she lied to me! She's a big liar! And... I'm feeling so many things!" 

Neil took a deep breath and placed a hand on Anirudh's shoulder. "Buddy... calm down..." 

"NO I CAN'T!" Anirudh screamed, nearly losing control of his tear ducts now. He felt like he was going to cry. "I... I need to go... Bondita... Bondita... what if something happens... what if I'm too late?" 

"What are you going to do?" Neil asked. 

There was a silence. A deadly one. 

"Anything," Anirudh then said calmly, intensity in his eyes. Then with more power, he hissed, "ANYTHING."

Then without another word, he began to run. Run all the way to the mandir... where Bondita... his Bondita was! 

His jaw clenched, his speed fast. Faster than he perhaps ran in his life. He wasn't running like an athlete... no... he was like a mother. A mother who ran to protect her baby. That was who he was right now. 

He kicked off his shoes by the entrance of the temple and ran inside in his cream-coloured kurta top and dhoti. 

That was when Prabodh looked up and saw Anirudh. 

So this was Anirudh Roy Choudhary. 

"Anirudh?" Prabodh was about to say, but Anirudh rushed past him, not sparing him a single glance. 

He had a sniper's focus today. Focus on Bondita. His Bondita. 

Rimi had decided on Plan B. That she would let the marriage happen, and then steal Bondita after the marriage, and get her to divorce Paritosh. There was no other way to do this without making Bondita's life miserable. If Bondita didn't want this, then this marriage was meaningless to Rimi. 

But Anirudh... he didn't even let it get to that point. 

Bondita was seated back down after the pheres. And Paritosh had lifted the dabba of sindoor, about to fill it in her hairline, when Anirudh rushed over and knocked the dabba out of Paritosh's hand at rocket speed. 

"What the hell?" Paritosh screamed, not expecting that. 

Mami shrieked, and Paritosh's parents were looking very angry. Mama was gulping nervously. 

Bondita opened her eyes and saw Anirudh. 

A smile reached her lips. 

He came. 

He came for her. 

"YOU CAN'T MARRY HER!" Anirudh screamed at Paritosh. 

He then turned to glare at Bondita. 

"UP, GET UP!" he yelled at her. 

Bondita looked at him for a moment, and then looked away from him, a serious expression on her face now. 

For some reason, she wanted to puff out her cheeks!

Anirudh leaned down close to her, and grabbed her arm, pulling her up onto her feet. He leaned towards her and hissed, "Whatever issues we have, we will sort them out. Whether it takes a day, a year, ten years, or ten lifetimes!" 

Bondita looked at him, nervously, as he pulled her close. So close that his face was just a few inches away from hers. 

"But this? This - marriage --" He was gritting his teeth. "I will not... let it... happen... do you get it? Bondita? Bondita Basu?"

Bondita nervously looked at him, as Paritosh screamed, "WHO ARE YOU?" 

He grabbed Anirudh's arm. He was taller, looming over him. 

Anirudh pushed Paritosh back and said, "Bondita's..." 

"What?" Paritosh asked. "BOYFRIEND? BONDITA WERE YOU --" 

Before he could hurl the accusation at Bondita, Anirudh yelled, "Bondita's FRIEND!"

"FRIEND?" Paritosh's mother screamed suddenly. "What kind of friend does this nonsense?" 

Rimi looked at Anirudh, a light feeling in her chest. 

"Answer her, Anirudh," Rimi said, feeling satisfied now. She was so satisfied that she was teasing him, enjoying this drama because now for sure, Bondita wouldn't marry Paritosh. "What kind of friend does this nonsense? Even I want to know." 

Anirudh glared daggers at Rimi. 

Bondita just said, nervously, "It's true that Anirudh and I were close --" 

"CLOSE FRIENDS," Anirudh screamed at her, afraid of her ruining her own reputation. 

"OHH DURGA MAA, WHAT'S THAT ON HER NECK?" Paritosh's mother then screamed. 

Paritosh peered over Anirudh's shoulder and saw the hickey. Bondita touched the spot and glanced at Anirudh. 

Anirudh groaned loudly. 

"It's a hickey!" Rimi announced happily. "A love bite! Have you never got one aunty? Did Paritosh come from boring sex with uncle?" 

Mami gasped so loudly when she heard this, and the colour drained from Paritosh, his mother, and his father's faces. 

Bondita even turned to glare at Rimi, her cheeks red. Anirudh had given her a hickey? She didn't know why the thought was making her heart flutter, even though they were in a serious situation! 

Anirudh was so done with Rimi and her drama! Did Rimi want to prove that they were involved in some scandal or what? 

Prabodh was there, looking at Rimi, a small smile on his lips, as he watched with amazement.

Even Neil had made it here now, and he chuckled lightly when he heard Rimi say that. "This girl," he just said, shaking his head. "She's so different."

"This... this..." Paritosh's mom was dumbstruck. 

"What nonsense!" Paritosh just yelled. "I had so many plans for our life! I'm not going to let you go like that Bondita!" 

He bent down and picked up the sindoor dabba, where there was still some sindoor remaining.

He was about to reach inside to fill Bondita's maang, when an angry Anirudh grabbed his arm and he yelled, as if he was possessed, "WILL YOU STILL MARRY HER AFTER KNOWING SHE'S MINE?"

Bondita turned to look at Anirudh with wide eyes when he said that. 

"I WON'T LET HER GO. AND SHE... SHE WON'T LET ME GO TOO!" Anirudh screamed, and then turned to glance at Bondita when he said this, as if he was seeking her confirmation. Tears filled her eyes, when she saw that hesitation in his eyes... as if what she wanted mattered to him.

Bondita nodded slowly, and he felt a slight flutter in his heart, but he brushed it away and he yelled at Paritosh, "SO WHAT WILL YOU DO? YOU'LL BE THE THIRD WHEEL YOU FOOL?!" 

Paritosh gulped, but he didn't want to answer Anirudh! He had come here to marry Bondita, not face this humiliation! So he still reached to fill her hairline. 

Angrily, without even thinking, Anirudh grabbed the sindoor dabba, and in one quick movement, he pinched sindoor between his fingers, and filled it in Bondita's forehead, a copious amount falling onto her nose. 

"WILL YOU MARRY HER NOW, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S WEARING THE SINDOOR I'VE FILLED?" Anirudh screamed. 

Bondita looked at Anirudh with wide eyes. 

Paritosh also looked at Anirudh... with wide eyes, but also looking like he could cry. He had never faced such insult in his life! 

Mama and Mami both looked like they could faint. Timsy was busy on her phone, not caring about what was happening around here, but when this happened, even she looked up and gasped. 

Rimi was blinking so many times, wondering if she saw this right. 

Neil went beside Rimi and whispered, "I'm certain he's in love with her." 

"Deep love," Rimi just whispered back, "Who does this?" 

"Anirudh is fitoori, but... this..." Neil just whispered, shaking his head. 

"He's also annoying... but this..." Rimi whispered back, stunned. 

Prabodh was watching the whole thing, not sure what to feel or how to feel. All he knew was that his sister was saved, and that was the biggest win for him. 

"How can we bring a married woman as our Bahu? Oh Durga Maa. Sindoor is the mark of marriage!" Paritosh's mom said, shocked. "Paritosh, let's go! We have had enough of insults!" 

Paritosh yelled, "Maa, but Bondita! What is this? Who is this man?" 

"Her husband!" Rimi screamed, "Now get out of here you loser!" 

Anirudh turned to look at Rimi with shock when he heard this. 

Husband? 

He was Bondita's husband?

Mami came ahead and said, "Please don't feel bad, we didn't know our niece was such a disgrace! It must be the fault of her parents --" 

Bondita turned to glare at Mami when she heard this. 

She was about to say something, but Paritosh's mom just said, "We're leaving! This is ridiculous!" 

"But Maa, h - he just filled sindoor. In movies, they fill sindoor on the heroine's hair, all the time. The heroines aren't married in real, right?" Paritosh asked, in shock. "This is hardly... a marriage. It's not!" 

Anirudh glanced at Bondita, feeling nervous now, and Bondita looked into his eyes, a soft gaze in her eyes. 

As they were all discussing about whether this was a marriage or not, Prabodh came. He took Anirudh's hand, and Bondita's as well. He pulled them to the side together. 

"Why did you fill my sister's hairline?" he demanded. 

Anirudh swallowed the lump in his throat. "I... I did it out... of impulse..." 

"Impulse?" Bondita asked. She felt her heart ache, and she hissed, "Then you shouldn't have come at all! I was fine!" 

Anirudh glared at her and he snapped, "You would have married him --" 

Before they could fight for longer, Prabodh took a deep breath and he said, "Listen. Anirudh. Just because you did it out of impulse... does it mean it wasn't real?" 

"It was real. Of course it was real! I didn't falsely put sindoor!" Anirudh said defensively. 

"So will you marry my sister?" Prabodh questioned. 

Bondita looked nervously at Prabodh, then at Anirudh. Anirudh just swallowed the lump in his throat again. 

"I... I..." he started nervously. 

There was a silence for a moment. Then he turned to look at Bondita, taking a deep breath, as if he made a decision.

"Bondita," Anirudh said softly, and at the sudden soft tone of his voice, her heart melted. He asked, "What... do you want?" 

When he asked Bondita what she wanted, Prabodh's heart felt at ease. He knew immediately, this was the right man for his sister. 

Bondita also felt her heart flutter. He cared about what she wanted... how could she not melt, when she already knew about her feelings for him?  

"I don't agree that just by filling sindoor, we are married. Marriage can only happen with consent," Bondita said to him. 

"I agree," he said softly. "This isn't a marriage. Not unless you want it to be." 

"And you?" she asked, "What's your take? Do you want to marry me?" 

Anirudh softly said, "I filled your maang with sindoor Bondita. That was my consent." 

"It was... impulse. You said it yourself," she whispered. 

"Yes, it was. But that didn't mean that I didn't mean it," he said. "I do... consent." 

"Even though you were mad at me?" Bondita asked, getting emotional. 

Anirudh looked away from her, slightly upset, and he said, "I am mad at you. I don't know if I will get over what you did. And you already know that I don't believe in love. You may not get... much from me... But... I don't have any expectations. If I marry you, then... you can leave this place. You can come with me." 

"So you're doing this for me?" she asked. 

"Me too. My parents will leave me alone about getting married." 

"So is this some sort of mutual benefit?" she questioned. 

"Maybe. I dunno. I would say we should take time to think about it, but Bondita... right now, I don't want to leave you behind," he confessed, looking at her again. "I... want to take you with me as soon as possible."

He looked into her eyes. A deep gaze. "I feel like, perhaps, for the first time in my life... my fitoor is taking me in the right direction." 

It didn't make sense. Not to him, nor to her, yet, they both felt like something was just right about this union. 

"If you want to hear what I think, Bondita. I think you should say yes," Prabodh told her. "He's... a good man." 

All of a sudden, a soft voice came from behind.

She was a lady. An elderly one. She had just been visiting the mandir. She had seen and heard the whole encounter. 

She went to Bondita. She had a slight crouch on her back. She wasn't looking exactly at Bondita, and she was feeling around with her hand. It was like she was blind. 

A dreamy tone was in her elderly voice, filled with sweetness, and warmth too. "Maa, pardon me for speaking. But... love is something that's faaar beyond romance. Romance fades over time. Love is life long. By choosing the right life partner, you will settle yourself for life. You shouldn't choose your life partner based on emotions, but on how well you complement each other. And love is something that develops. Emotions are never constant. You should have experienced that by now. So what will happen when the emotions and hormones fade? The answer to that is what you want to use to decide who will be your life partner. Not when you're at the height of your emotions... when those emotions go away... can you still be together? That space, when emotions fade, is where true union is born." 

Bondita looked down at the girl, a familiar feeling in her heart. Not just the lady, but her words were familiar too. It was like she knew this very well. 

Anirudh was also looking at the girl, feeling a strange, strange feeling, that he couldn't understand. 

"Maa, love is not an emotion, but a truth. An eternal truth... that doesn't exist in the highs and lows of emotions, but exists in the space between breaths. Soham, it is called. When you breathe in... So... and when you breathe out... Ham. The balance of inhalation and exhalation. Just before you breathe in, and just after you breathe out, there is a time where breathing ceases. This is when So and Ham are in union. Soham. This is love. So love is not an emotion... But it is Soham. That which is born when emotions cease... this eternal truth is love."

Tears were in Bondita's eyes. She felt very connected to this idea. As if she had already experienced this eternal truth. 

Anirudh was also shaken, feeling very strong sensations. A deep connect. Even though he didn't believe in love, this was not the conventional kind of love that was shown in movies or society. This love... was deep. It was like the true form of love, which deteriorated through time, and left the world in utter confusion. 

Now, love was confused for romance, when that was not at all the case. Love was different. True love was Soham. And every husband and wife, practiced to reach this state of Soham, this state of love... where they saw each other as themselves. Where they reached a state of true union. 

This was the reason marriage came into effect in their culture. Not to fulfill any romantic expectations. But to learn, to better themselves, and to work really hard to see the person in front of them as themselves. 

A man came. He looked to be the lady's husband. 

"Sorry..." the old man said, and he gently placed his arm around his blind wife's shoulders. "She has a habit to get involved in people's matters." 

"It's okay," Bondita said with a warm smile, and she softly said, "Thank you... Maa. You helped me a lot." Bondita felt closer than a stranger to this lady... so the first thing she felt right to refer to her as was mother. The lady looked quite happy to hear this.  

Bondita then glanced up at Anirudh, a soft gaze in her eyes, and certainty in her heart. Without batting an eyelid, she said, "I consent." 

Anirudh blinked a couple of times, and then glanced from the old lady to Bondita. 

"Then... shall we get married? Right here, on this mandap?" he asked her. 

Bondita nodded, feeling a strange calmness. A certain peace. 

Anirudh felt it too. He didn't feel any emotions... only that peace. 

Bondita glanced at the elderly lady and man with a small smile. She asked, "Won't you stay for our wedding?" 

The blind woman nodded, an excited grin on her lips. 

"Please, can we stay?" she asked her husband cutely. 

Anirudh couldn't help but smile, seeing how sweet this old lady was being with her husband. 

The husband just smiled and said, "Alright. If they don't mind... let's stay."

"We don't mind," Anirudh said right away, and Bondita nodded in agreement. He said, "Please stay. We would love it."

"You seem to adore each other a lot," Bondita then said to the husband of the woman. 

"Oh... very much. Maybe we will tell you the story one day," the blind lady's husband said to her with a smile. 

Bhavani smiled as she leaned against her husband, the locket around her neck exactly the same as it was 71 years ago. 

She had never removed it. 

Not even for one day. 

--

Precap: Anidita's wedding! 

--

So much happened! I was going to include one more twist in this chapter, but I'm saving it for the next chapter. This one will probably blow your mind!

Did you enjoy the chapter? 

Any favourite parts? 

Anything that stood out to you? 

What will happen now? 

When Anidita get married, will they accept each other easily?

Press star if you enjoyed! ⭐

And go back and leave your inline comments on parts you that you felt something towards -- happiness, sadness, humor, anything! Even the dynamics (Mami-Rimi, Prabodh-Rimi, Neil, etc). It'll excite me to post faster!

Love you all very, very much! ❤