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October, 1950

Bondita had made it. 

She made it to the dock where Saiyeesha was waiting for her. 

The young girl who was healthy-weighted, with long-flowing hair, and very beautiful, dressed in a simple saree ran over to Bondita when she saw her. She gasped when she noticed the pregnant belly. 

"Didi!" was her only response, and she reached into a bag and took out a small glass bottle filled with water. 

Bondita took the water and sipped it, her insides which were full of thirst slowly being quenched. 

"Pati Babu... must be thirsty too," Bondita then said, in a daze, as she passed the glass bottle back to Saiyeesha. 

"Where is Dada?" Saiyeesha asked, looking around, "Why isn't he here with you, Didi?"

Bondita tried not to cry in front of her student, but it was really difficult. 

"H... he... is taken for questioning," Bondita mumbled. 

Saiyeesha's eyes widened, "They c - caught him?"

"No... not exactly," Bondita said, her heart twisting with worry. "He's in disguise."

"Dada will get out of it," Saiyeesha told Bondita reassuringly, "But Didi, there's only one problem..." 

"Hmm?" Bondita asked. 

"The ship leaves in an hour, and the next ship will only leave tonight," Saiyeesha explained. 

Bondita looked behind Saiyeesha where a huge ship was parked. If only Pati Babu could board the ship with her... then she could at least breathe in satisfaction. Right now, her insides were filled with dread and worry. A haunting feeling. 

Like something could happen. Something she dreaded. Something that she never wanted to happen. 

And the chills inside her just weren't leaving. 

"Pati Babu told me to board," Bondita mumbled, and she shook her head, trying to snap herself out of her thoughts. "He said he... he'll join me on the other side."

"That's a good idea," Saiyeesha said, glancing at Bondita with a soft gaze, "Didi, I think you should listen to him. He is only thinking about the best for you... and your..." 

Bondita smiled when Saiyeesha looked down at her belly. 

"Do you want to... touch?" Bondita asked softly. "I think, the baby would like to be touched by someone else. Our baby needs some social interactions too." 

Saiyeesha's eyes widened with happiness and she immediately reached for Bondita's belly to feel the baby. 

"Oh, the baby is moving!" Saiyeesha gasped, "Even Bhavani didn't move around this much." 

Bondita couldn't help but laugh. "Bhavani was an obedient baby even in the womb, but once she came out she became a little naughty. Trained by her older siblings after all," Bondita said, with a smile. Her thoughts wandered to her children. 

Somewhere, she was happy, that they were in safe hands. That nothing would happen to them. 

"How are they doing?" Bondita asked Saiyeesha softly. 

"You know how they are! Ambika and Girish are still fighting all the time, but both love each other very much. After you two left, they've gotten a bit sad, but they remember to light each other up... and Bhavani used to cry a lot when you first left," Saiyeesha said. "But now she's gotten used to it. Now she clings on to Sashwati the most." 

Saiyeesha continued, "Sashwati is doing well. She also misses the two of you a lot. She stays in Dada's study most of the time, and the kids go to study with her. Bhavani plays there too. She doesn't want to leave Sashwati's side. It's almost like she's found you in her." 

Bondita smiled, tears prickling her eyes. 

"I'm happy she found solace in Sashu."

"They all have, but I know that yours and Dada's absence can still be felt very strongly. Sampoorna Didi, Trilochan Kaka and Binoy Kaka miss you a lot as well. They've worked with me to help plan your escape. They would certainly be followed, otherwise they would surely come to say goodbye." 

Bondita nodded. "I understand."

Suddenly, something felt wrong. 

Goosebumps erupted all over her body, and she began to shiver. 

"Didi what's wrong?" Saiyeesha asked. 

Bondita gasped for air, and closed her eyes for a moment. 

She took a deep inhale, taking more oxygen than normal. It was like she was breathing for two people. 

"Didi? Are you okay?"

"Pati Babu," Bondita murmured, tears stinging her eyes. 

She knew that if she cried now, her breaths would quicken. But she had to breathe. She had to breathe deeply. Take longer breaths. 

She didn't know why. She only had a feeling... a feeling of what could have happened. And she needed to breathe. No matter what. 

She had to find him. 

Her eyes sprung open.

"I need... to go." 

"Didi, you have to board the ship!" Saiyeesha gasped. 

"You said one hour. I'll come back in one hour!" Bondita said. "I need to go to Pati Babu. He needs me!"

"No, Didi! Please! It can be dangerous. Please board the ship, please!" 

Bondita asked, "Saiyeesha, can I take your water?"

Saiyeesha reached into her bag and handed the bottle to Bondita. 

"Didi, if you step away from the dock, something can happen. I'll go to Dada. I'll find him. You board the ship. You need to get onto the ship no matter what." 

"Something is wrong Saiyeesha," Bondita told her sternly, "I can't leave him behind when something is wrong."

"And two wrongs won't make a right!" Saiyeesha finally said, standing up to her. "Sorry for talking back to you Didi. This is the first and last time I hope to argue with you, but even Dada will want you to board the ship. You're pregnant. It's not just your life!"

"Have faith Saiyeesha. Have faith," Bondita said to her student, taking her hand and squeezing it, "Have faith that your Didi and Dada will make it." 

"I have faith in you and Dada! I have full faith. I'll even give my life so you two can escape. But I don't have faith that the destiny which we want, is the destiny that is in store for us!"

Bondita's eyes teared up again and she whispered, "We have to rise above our wants and desires. We have to understand where our desires are coming from. The desire to live... it's just because we're afraid. Afraid of what's on the other side. We want to survive. It's in our innate nature. That's why we have survival instincts. That's why we have fears. We're all afraid to die. But Saiyeesha, even death is written in the stars. Everyone's death is planned. And we can do nothing to change it."

"W - what are you talking about?" Saiyeesha gasped, "Why... why can't we change it? What are you saying?"

"Just... that if something happens to Pati Babu... I won't be able to sustain much longer," Bondita whispered, "Our hearts beat as one." 

"Nothing will happen to him Didi. You board the ship, and I'll find him and tend to him if anything's wrong," Saiyeesha begged. "And even if y - your hearts beat as one, you have to stay alive." 

"If you want me to stay alive, then let me go to him," Bondita then said, her voice turning firm. "I'm not saying this out of choice. But I know our relationship. Even if I try really hard to survive, my body will give up. We're connected by a thread. A thread that's beyond this body and life. For me to stay alive, he needs to be alive too." 

Saiyeesha had tears in her eyes. 

That was when someone came running. 

"Sachet!" Saiyeesha yelled, looking ahead. 

He had tears in his eyes, and he could barely walk. He looked like a wreck. 

"Dada is... he's..." 

Bondita's head swung around, "What happened Sachet? What happened to Pati Babu? Where is he?" 

"He's..." Sachet was sobbing uncontrollably. 

"What?" Saiyeesha asked, eyes wide, "Where's he?" 

"He's... de - dead..." Sachet sobbed. 

Bondita felt like a tonne of bricks had hit her heart. 

For a moment, she stood there, frozen like a zombie. 

Then she shook her head. 

"Have you lost your mind Sachet? He's not dead. Take me to him. Now," Bondita hissed, her voice dark and displeased. 

Saiyeesha was shaking, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

"I saw...h - he got s - stabbed," Sachet cried. 

"He's not dead," Bondita said firmly, refusing to cry. She refused to let a single tear prickle her eyes now. 

Her life was evidence that her Pati Babu existed. 

"I would know it if he was," Bondita hissed. "Take me to him. Now." 

She refused to even tremble at the mention of him being stabbed. 

She had to stay strong. He needed her. If she collapsed, then how could she be there for him?

"B - but," Sachet was sobbing. 

Saiyeesha was standing, her shoulders shaking, as tears streamed down her cheeks. 

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?" Bondita screamed at him, making Sachet shake with fear. "TAKE ME TO HIM. NOW." 

Sachet just nodded, and started to hurry away from the dock. 

Bondita followed. 

Saiyeesha ran after them, shaking uncontrollably, her heart also broken for the state of her Guru. 

Could Bondita make it to him before it was too late?

--

Present Day

When Anirudh opened the door to his condominium apartment, and saw his mom standing there, the only thing he could do was groan with annoyance. 

"You married that gold-digger didn't you?" his mother screamed in a shrill voice at Anirudh.

"Maa?" Anirudh asked with disbelief. 

Bondita was unconscious in his bedroom. He needed to find a doctor, and his mother was here screaming at him. 

"WHERE IS SHE? WHERE'S THAT GOLD-DIGGER?" his mother was screaming. 

"Maa, have you lost it?" Anirudh asked irritably. "Leave from here. I need to get a doctor. I don't have time --" 

"Doctor? I knew it! Didn't I tell you? I told you... I told you she'd get pregnant!" 

"PREGNANT?" Anirudh gasped, color draining from his face. 

How could he be a father without even having done it? 

"She trapped you. Fooled you, and now she's pregnant," his mom went on, sounding very delusional.

"Maa," Anirudh said angrily, "She's not pregnant."

"Didn't I tell you she's trapped you?" Radhika accused. "How did you marry her? How blind can you be?"

"I don't know about all of that. I just know that she's my wife now, and we can't reverse it. So please leave me alone --" 

"There are ways to reverse marriage!" his mother screamed. "My life is an example -" 

"Your life is not what I want to live!" Anirudh yelled. 

Radhika inhaled sharply and said, "Fine, then explain to me why she was going to marry that other man while leading you on. Why didn't you have an idea about him?" 

Anirudh swallowed the lump in his throat. 

To be honest, he didn't know. He knew that the points his mom was saying were correct. He even believed them until the marriage. Even now, perhaps, somewhere he did believe his mom. 

Why did Bondita hide the truth about Paritosh from him, while flirting with him, while making out with him, and spending so much time with him? 

As bitter as his mother's words were, they were the truth. He couldn't come up with an answer, nor had she explained anything to him. 

His heart sunk whenever he thought of Bondita as a gold-digger, or as someone who used him. But... it seemed like it was true. 

"What difference does it make?" he just hissed at himself and his mom. "She's my wife now. I'm going to give this marriage a full chance. I want to."

"She'll make you fall head over hells for her, and your wallet will be empty before you know it," Radhika snapped. "On top of that, she'll brainwash you into agreeing with everything she says and putting you against everyone - even your mom!"

"Maa --" before he could finish, there were footsteps behind him. 

Bondita had come out of the bedroom. She had regained consciousness. 

A look of relief appeared in Anirudh's eyes, as she walked out. She was wearing sindoor, and the green anarkali suit he bought for her. It seemed like she had freshly applied the sindoor. 

He looked at the sindoor with admiration. He was never about such things... but on her, it seemed so familiar... so meaningful, so full of... something emotional. 

"There you are!" his mom yelled, and Bondita's eyes widened. 

His mom charged at Bondita, "YOU ARE RUINING MY SON'S LIFE!" 

Bondita's eyes moved to Anirudh, who shook his head with more irritation. 

"Maa," Anirudh said with annoyance, running after his mom and grabbing her arm, "Don't say anything to her." 

"See? She's performed her black magic on you already!" 

"Maa..." Bondita said softly, looking at his mom. 

"I'm not your Maa!" Radhika hissed. 

"Aunty then... can we have your blessings, for our marriage?" Bondita then asked. 

Radhika glared at her and snapped, "You'll only get my curses." 

"Maaa!" Anirudh just said, in a whiny voice. "What is this drama?"

"No problem, Aunty," Bondita replied. "Even if you give me your curses, I'll accept them. You're my husband's mother, my Sashuri Maa. It's my duty to listen to you and --" 

"See how sweet she's being?" Radhika snapped. "It's all fake! She's trying to impress you Anirudh!" 

Bondita tried not to furrow her eyebrows. She was only being respectful! Plus, she really seemed to have these values. Anirudh's family was her family... and it seemed like this respectful nature she had towards his family members wasn't something new either. 

"Please go now," Anirudh just said to her. 

"She's a gold-digger, why don't you see it?" Radhika just went on. 

Bondita furrowed her eyebrows for real now. This was what Anirudh accused her of too! 

She turned to look at Anirudh to see what he would say. 

"She might be, but she's my wife," Anirudh just said coolly, making Bondita's jaw nearly fall open. 

She might be a gold-digger, but she was also his wife? What did that even mean?!

"You'll come to me crying Anirudh. You'll come crying and say, Maa you were right. I should have listened to you," Radhika warned. 

"Yeah yeah," Anirudh just said, rolling his eyes. 

"How can you be so cool? You should hate a woman like her! And here you're acting like you've fallen in love with her!" 

When Radhika said that about Anirudh, Bondita's heart fluttered. 

Him... falling in love... with her? 

A blush reached her cheeks, making her giddy with happiness. 

"Love? It's not like that Maa. She's just my wife," Anirudh just said, rolling his eyes at the word 'love', "Now please go." 

He started to usher his mother out, as Bondita's heart sunk. 

Here, she was his wife, but there was no love.

Finally, his mother left the apartment, and Bondita looked at him with glossy eyes. 

"How are you feeling now?" Anirudh asked, as he approached her. "What happened earlier?" 

"I didn't understand if you were standing up for me, or putting me down just now," Bondita said to him. "How can you say such confusing things?"

"What's so confusing?" Anirudh asked, and he gently placed a hand on her forehead to see if she had any fever. 

Bondita furrowed her brows as Anirudh felt her forehead. 

"I should be the one confused," Anirudh went on. "I want to take you to a doctor." 

"I don't need to go to a doctor," Bondita said.

"You fainted Bondita!" Anirudh said, sounding concerned, and gently placed his hand on her cheek, unable to help it. 

Bondita felt his touch - the touches that lead her on and made her believe he must feel something for her too

"It happens sometimes," Bondita then admitted. 

"This is normal?" Anirudh asked, shaking his head, "I don't believe it."

"It's not that it's normal... it's just... I get these weird feelings. Moments. Almost like deja vu moments, and sometimes the energy is too much to handle, and my system just collapses."

Anirudh raised his brow and asked, "And you calling me Pati Babu, is that also from a system collapse?"

"Pati... Babu?" Bondita asked, looking at him, her face turning slightly red. 

"It was very strange," Anirudh pointed out, "But you called me that in your sleep." 

"Oh... I don't think I was calling you that," Bondita admitted. "I get these dreams. Of a woman and a man... and the woman refers to the man as Pati Babu." 

"Dreams?" Anirudh questioned. 

"I don't remember much of them. Their faces, I can't see either. The dreams are very scary," Bondita whispered. "I... I don't like having those dreams." 

Anirudh wanted to eradicate all her fears for some reason. Why did she have to get such nightmares?

"How long have you been having these dreams?" he asked her. 

"Ever since... I was a child. For as long as I could remember. I've been getting strange feelings and dreams," Bondita admitted. 

Anirudh looked at her, truly concerned. 

"Maybe we should ask a doctor," Anirudh said softly. 

"It's normal..." 

"It's not Bondita," Anirudh said. "I just want to make sure you're okay. For my sake, will you see a doctor?" 

Bondita nodded, "Alright. Fine." 

She was also curious to know what these dreams meant, and why she was having them. 

Anirudh said softly, changing the topic, "So... I was thinking about something." 

"Hmm?" Bondita asked, lost in thoughts about what the doctor could say about these dreams.

"We should go on a honeymoon," Anirudh said, his voice turning deep. 

Bondita looked at him, eyes widening, her heart beating fast as she was distracted from her thoughts. 

"H - honey - m - moon?" she gasped. 

"That's what husbands and wives do, right? After they get married? So... why should we be any different? Do you have any objections Bondita?" he asked her, teasing her with his gaze. 

"N - no..." she whispered. 

"No to the honeymoon, or no to objections?" Anirudh asked, bringing both his hands to her cheeks and caressing them. 

Bondita just blushed and she whispered, "Y - you decide that." 

Anirudh leaned closer to her, drawn like a magnet, making Bondita's heart race with excitement. 

How she wanted to close the gap between them and be one with him right now, right this moment! 

"Hey miss," he whispered to her, "You're shivering." 

"We... we won't do anything until the honeymoon!" Bondita decided, just as Anirudh was about to press his lips against hers. 

Anirudh pulled his face back before he could even touch her lips, and looked at her with shock. 

"Huh?" he gasped. 

"Yes. That's right. We should... get to know each other! We should learn more about one another. We can't just have... chemistry!"

"Chemistry?" Anirudh asked, raising his brows. "You know about chemistry?" 

"I know about biology too," Bondita said proudly. 

It was Anirudh's turn to blush now. 

"Oh really?" he asked, "What do you know about chemistry and biology?" 

Bondita blushed hard and replied, "I'll teach you on our honeymoon!" 

Anirudh felt like his heart would beat so hard it'd come out of his chest! 

Madame was flirting with him?! In such a... surreal way? 

He was getting excited just by her words! 

"Why can't you teach me now?" he asked, whining slightly. 

"Because you need to learn self-control!" Bondita declared. She shook her head and said, "How impatient you are! Let me get to know you first! And you should get to know me too." 

And not be confused about whether I'm a gold-digger, she finished in her mind. 

"Alright alright," Anirudh said, sounding defeated. "But... kisses are okay, before our honeymoon right?" 

Bondita seemed to think about it for a moment, and then with a bright look in her eyes, she said, "Nope! Not even holding hands!" 

"What?" Anirudh gasped. 

"Understand! This is how we'll know each other best. When we're not stuck on each other's bodies!" 

"Bondita," Anirudh groaned, "This is overdoing it." 

"It's not! I learned this somewhere. That if you can get to know someone for at least six months before you get physically intimate with them, then the relationship is proven to last longer!" 

"Who did you learn this from?" Anirudh asked, sounding like he'd find the person right now!

"Just somewhere," Bondita said with a grin. 

"Alright, well... I'm booking our honeymoon tickets for today --" 

"Haw!" Bondita gasped, "You're that desperate? You really have no self-control! I've never seen a man like you!" 

Anirudh glared at her, wondering if that was an insult or if she was teasing him. 

"Says who?" Anirudh asked, defensively, and then coolly added, "I just want to go sight-seeing!" 

"I thought you wanted to take me to the doctor. You forgot, didn't you?" Bondita teased. 

"No, I haven't," Anirudh stated, "We'll go to the doctor, then straight to our honeymoon!"

Bondita just giggled, wanting to hug him really badly! But she set these rules, so she better follow through with them first. 

Where were these passionate distances going to lead them? 

October, 1950

After the man had stabbed Anirudh, he was lying on the floor, face pressed down, blood collecting, and staining the grass and kaashful red.  

"He won't be able to go anywhere now, let's go and find Bondita," Santosh screamed at the men. 

Santosh glared at Sachet and yelled, "Where were they escaping to?" 

"I... just... know...they were going to e - escape around here..." Sachet cried. "I d - don't know e - exactly - exactly." 

"She is probably still in the forest. Let's go there!" Santosh yelled not waiting for Sachet to finish, and then the men dispersed. 

Sachet went to Anirudh, who was taking deep breaths on the ground. 

"D - Dada," Sachet sobbed. 

Anirudh closed his eyes and didn't respond. He just wanted to feel Bondita... her breaths which were fuelling him. Her love which he could feel in every pore of his skin. Her compassion which flowed through his veins. 

Bondita was inside him. 

He wanted to feel her. 

Just be with her. 

In every cell in his body, he wanted to celebrate her presence. That was trillions of celebrations. All happening at once. What an amazing way to live his final moments - it was enough to make him burst with happiness.  

Sachet just stood up and ran away, while Anirudh meditated on her... on her form, on her presence in every atom within him, on the way she gave him life.

When he came back minutes later with Bondita and Saiyeesha, Anirudh was still breathing on the ground. 

He could hear her footsteps. The familiar pitter-patter. Even when she rushed, he recognized her in every movement. 

Have you come to take me to your abode Bondita?

--

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 

Please leave your thoughts and comments. 

What are your thoughts on the 1950 scene? 

The present-day scenes? 

What will happen now in 1950? 

Where is the story heading in the present? 😲

Where will they go on their honeymoon? 

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Love you all! 💗