It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

19

Aniruddh was unable to comprehend the situation in his hands as to why was Bondita a crying mess in his arms. He wasted no time to hold her, support her. He had never seen her cry like this before. She used to forget all her sorrows once she threw her self in his arms but today... It felt that she would melt away if he didn't hold her tight enough. And so he held her, held her like her life depended on it, like his own life depended on it.

" Bondita...?!!?!" He breathlessly asked, hardly able to form his own words. " Bondita what happened...?!! Tell...me...!!!" He tried to just, ever so slightly, move her head back to look at her but she immediately moved her hands to the neck of the collar of his white kurta. This action made his heart sink. Seeing his Bondita this weak, this desperate for his support. He immediately held her tightly again and rested his cheek on top of her head.

Bondita was feeling weak and dizzy. Lack of food for a whole day and excessive crying was not a good combination.

" Bon...dita... please..." She felt his grip around her tighten, his voice was breaking, she knew he was crying too. Crying without knowing the reason, crying just because he could not see her cry. Crying as if he himself was in pain. This made Bondita cry harder and a wave of weakness swept over her. Her knees gave away.

Aniruddh felt her loosing control of her body and bent down to stop her from abruptly falling. They were both on the floor now, she half crying and half trying to control her emotions. She really wanted to control the tears knowing their effects on her pati babu. If she didn't stop soon, the roles would be reversed. She had to get the weight off of her chest but she needed to get a grip on herself first.

The only thing stopping Aniruddh from completely breaking down was the girl in his arms.

" Shhh... breath Bondita... breath. I am here...your Birristira babu is here...hmmm?" He stroked her hair, his other arm secure around her.

" Ttha...ku...ma..." She tried to start.
He knew it...!

" Thaku...ma...she is very... I ha..hate her...! She...she..."
He stroked her back with the arm he was using to hold her, trying to encourage her.
" She...is very...very mean..." She now tried to sit straight, noticing he was not allowing her to get out of his grip. She was thankful for it. It gave her the courage she so needed right now. She looked at his worried, devastated face.

" She can't see me hap...happy, see us...happy. Yo...you don't know...wh...what all she said... about youuu...!" She held his face with one hand, iron grip still on the collar. " She...said you don't... don't want me in...your life..." With all the hope she could muster, as if trying to convince herself she asked " you won't... would y..you...?"

Aniruddh couldn't help but loose his cool over hearing this...

" You won't... I... I know you won't... leave me... right pa...pati babu... right...?

" Never...!" He said with so much conviction that she could feel his words getting written over her heart.

He hugged her again, as tightly as he could... trying to feel her warmth, trying to convey his emotions through this one contact.

" Ho...how could you say that...!? How could you... even think that...?" He knew thakuma could be cruel but to this extent...? To make Bondita, his Bondita, believe even for a moment that he could seperate himself from her. He again hid her in his arms, trying to convince her that it was not true, trying to convince his own self that he could handle it, whatever rubbish thakuma had filled her brain with.

But it was going to be this difficult, he knew not.

" Why did you do it pati babu...?" She asked, her forehead in contact with the skin of his chest. " Why did you... show the whole family... society...that you can leave me...?" She looked up. She was more in control now but her tears were not.
" Nobody knows...other than me..." She gestured towards herself, trying to state that she was not pointing any fingers, though failing, " that...that you did it for me... But every one thinks...you replaced me...that I am disposable..."