It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

29

Bondita didn't know what to do next standing there at the head of the bed. Looking at his sleeping face. Peaceful face.

She was wiping her tears again and again. She felt alone for the first time and she was counting in on heera mandi and his second marriage. She knew even being locked up that he was out there looking for her. She knew he married again but she had him to turn to whenever she needed him.
But not today. She could not turn to him today for his own sake. She won't be able to see him break into pieces in front of her when all he ever did was hold her together. How many times had he rescued her, supported her, fought for her, taken the heat in her place. He could not see cry a tear on her cheeks how would he take the news that she had been violated...that too by him...

No... It was her turn. To protect him this time. She had done it before. She could do it now. That was their purpose of life. Being there for each other.

" Think... Bondita think..." She took in few deep breaths. " What would pati babu do...?"
She looked around the room to find an answer, trying to run her brain at the same time.

Think...think...think...

She tried going through everything he ever taught her. Today she would find out how good of a student she was. Then she remembered. She had not stopped hiding and watching him practice his dialogues for court. Clues... Was a word that came up quite often. She was familiar with it, it was common sense. The thing to remember was how the disappearance of clues in his cases could make it look like the incidence never happened.

As if no clues meant it didn't happen.

That was the simple part. How to use it to her advantage was a work.

Bondita looked at him again and then his bare shoulders peeking out of the covers. It was the first thing she had noticed when she woke up this morning. But she couldn't make him wear clothes... could she...?

No...!

She would have to come up with a story to cover his bare back.

What else ?

The bed...
She got to her side of the bed and pulled the covers to clean it but was met with a horrific site. There were her broken bangles, payal which she now noticed was from her left foot and...blood. The scratches from bangles couldn't possibly do that.

Did he...was she hurt last night ? Or was it something normal that happened when a couple... slept together. Yes she had heard the words being tossed around by the married boys in her school though not in her presence but she still caught it. She knew nothing.
And she sure was not on her periods.
She had to get rid of the stain before he saw it. It was, again, impossible. Then, an idea struck her and she prayed to dugga maa to please please make it work.

Bondita cleaned and tidied up the bed on her side. Now she put a handkerchief over the spot on the bed and went to the almirah. She took out the trunk she brought her clothes in and put it over the handkerchief. Next she pulled out all her sarees and scattered them around the trunk, all over the bed making it look like she was packing. She would be packing them for real once he got up and left the room. She didn't want to stay here anymore.
All her belongings were on bed making it look like a mess.

Good.
He would look at it but won't look through it. He would ask question about the mess but won't go through her things without permission. He respected her boundaries.
Only if this works.

Next she fixed herself up. Took a bath, made herself look presentable. She dressed up though she didn't have any care of how she looked. Just good enough to not make it obvious that something was wrong.