Anirudh- The Story Of A Misread Barrister

Chapter-14: Life Takes A New Turn

"Anirudh babu.....Anirudh babu......", called Bihari while panting. I was seated in my study as usual with my coffee cup, but there was no happiness that I had until the previous day. My mind was somehow giving me cues that something bad was about to take place. I was tapping my foot on the ground and waiting for Subbu's call. I had sent Bondita to school but my mind was preoccupied with weird thoughts about her life and safety.

I turned to Bihari and for a moment got scared on seeing him.

"What happened, Bihari? Oh God, you are bleeding, how did you hurt your forehead? Come I will do the first aid.", I spoke in one go without listening to him.

"Chote malik, I am absolutely fine. First you go and save Bondita malkin. Some men of the village had tied her to the banyan tree near the panchayat and are hitting her with stones. I went to save her but.......", he uttered in tension.

The moment those words left his mouth, I rushed to the panchayat even before listening to him completely.

"All that I feared had come true. My Bondita.....", I started to cry while running.

When our beloved people are in danger, our senses don't work. Probably I lost my brains that I forgot to take my car. I just left home like that, without even wasting a second. After sometime, I reached the big banyan tree where the panchayat sessions are usually held. I have seen my little Bondita who had been tied to the tree trunk and is ruthlessly being hit with stones. Generally when someone is in pain, they remember their mother, but 'pati babu' is what my Bondita was screaming.

"Stop it....", I cried loud.

"I will rip off your limbs if one more stone goes in her direction.", saying this, I rushed to her and untied the ropes that caged Bondita. I went and stood before her like a wall, facing the angry mob.

For some time, I got into a heated argument with the villagers. Later, they went crazy and started raising their sticks on me. When I was successfully able to put them at bay, they started pelting stones again at me and Bondita. I wasn't able to shield her from that shower of stones for a long time. So, I turned around and embraced her tightly shielding almost her entire frame from those villains, while my back faced them. For a few minutes they continued with their barbarous act. The stones ruthlessly hit my back, my head, my legs and every inch of my body. Blood started oozing out from my body but more than that pain, I was relieved at the fact that my Bondita is safe in my arms.

Once my mind got relaxed that Bondita is safe, it started thinking for a solution to escape. I couldn't fight any further because if I leave Bondita alone, I am scared that those devils will not spare her. The ones who were pelting stones until before sometime again picked up their thick bamboo sticks and started beating me. The more they hit, the more tightly I held Bondita and covered her up with all my might. Suddenly, an idea struck my mind and I didn't think twice before implementing it.

"Bondita, listen carefully. Just act as if you are unconscious and hold your breath for a while. When these criminals leave, we shall move from here. Ready, steady and start.", I whispered in her ears.

The moment I finished my sentence, Bondita fell to the ground. I put my fingers near to her nose as if for checking her breath and started crying. I yelled at the villagers saying that if something happens to Bondita, I will not spare them. Seeing Bondita's condition and my anger, they left the place. The fact that made them leave was not my anger but the satisfaction that their job was successfully done. They wanted to punish or if possible kill Bondita for breaking her marriage and speaking against the panchayat. This is what happens when a woman hurts the ego of a man in a male dominated world and exactly this is what I want to change.