It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

6

Kaka had for long stopped banging the door of Bondita's room.
They both sat in front of each other, she was on the bed and he was on his knees in front of her. He had always liked it that way. He was able to see her face while her eyes were casted down.

He was at a lose of words.

" I am sorry pati babu." She managed to say. Though her reply to Radhika made him proud of her, gave him settling warmth in is heart that Bondita trusted him to that extent, their conundrum was far from over.

"For what ?"

" For asking you such absurd question. But pati babu...what to do. It just happened yesterday, it was...it is too much for me to wrap my head around. I know..." She desperately added taking his hands in her's.
" I know you could never do anything to hurt me. Its just I have been thinking about it since yesterday... I have so many doubts, so many questions..." So like his Bondita, Aniruddh could not help but smile.

" When I came into your study today, so much was going on in my mind...it just sort of slipped from my tongue... I really am sorry pati babu..." She had finally apologized. Rest was in his hands now. He was hurt, she knew that. She would gladly take any punishment.

Aniruddh looked at their interlinked hands. She deserved an explanation. She trusted him. But she needed to know for certain. She was old enough to atleast know something about all this, something more than just good or bad touch.

" You...you don't have to be sorry for anything Bondita."
She looked up at him, directly into his eyes. " You were curious, that's all."

He sat on floor more comfortably, crossing his legs. Though at the moment it was making him feel a bit awkward, he was yet to free his hands from her. He knew it was a source of comfort to her at that point.

" Radhika was not wrong. What ever she told you about a relation between husband and wife, whatever the society taught her, to some extent is true."

He closed his eye, took a deep breath and started again.

" That is the relationship of a married couple. They have a right...to be with each other, touch each other. Not this simple touch..." He added pointing to their hands. " Its quite different from this. And both husband and wife have a right on each other. Only on each other. And no one else."

" No one else ? That means a husband or wife can't touch anyone else ?"

" Yes Bondita. They can't. It is what the society has made mandatory. And to some extent it is for the own good of the couple."

" How ?" Slipped her inquisitive tongue.

Aniruddh thought hard. Before explaining that these kind of physical contacts were common, he had to clarify with whome they were allowed. He didn't want her to be subjected to any contacts which were not good for her, she might just think they are common...! She must know only he had the right to touch her.

Oh my...!

He shut his eyes tight at this thought. Though however repulsive the thought was, it was the truth and he had to use it for her protection. She already had fallen prey to Thakur's bad intensions before, she still had to figure out why she felt the touch was bad.

" Bondita you remember I was about to marry Saudamini...?"

How could she forget ? A frown appeared almost immediately on her forehead.
It was the time she knew the truth. She was old enough. And when he was done explaining the frown on Bondita's face was replaced by confusion.

" You had to marry her just because you stayed a night with her. That's absurd !"

" That is what I thought too. Because I was naive. It was my mistake. I had thought just because I had pure intension, every one was the same. When I came to know of her treachery that was when it struck me hard. What if she had blamed me infront of the society ?"