It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

52

Trilochan had heard the full telephone call. Aniruddh had asked for a form for some school in Dalhousie. Wasn't it the place he asked Bondita to go to before ?

Was he sending her away ?

He was angry at Aniruddh. How could he send her away when they had both suffered so much. They were still not over it and he was sending her off...??!!

His fitoor was getting ahead of him.

" Aniruddh...!" He stopped his son who was coming out of the study. " Why are you sending her away ?!"

" You were spying on me ?" Aniruddh asked without his regular peaked voice.

" No ! Beta, no. I was just passing... Are you really sending her away ?" Trilochan's worried and sad face affected Aniruddh's already drowning heart. He didn't reply.

" I understand..." Trilochan kaka continued. " I made a mistake. But beta... don't punish the poor girl for it. Don't punish yourself."

" You think I am sending her away ?!" Aniruddh was getting irritated. This was all happening because of his Kaka and Thakuma. And he was angry about it.

" You are not...??!!"

" When...?!!! When are you people going to understand I. Don't. Want. To. Part. With. Her. Ever...!!! "

" Then why...?"

" She wants to leave..." Aniruddh didn't like the taste these words left on his tongue.

Trilochan remembered she said so but didn't think she really wanted it. " But...why..." Trilochan knew the answer but still was hoping to get something other than what he thought. He won't be able to bear it if his bahu decided to leave because of him.

" Oh...! I don't know...! Maybe because she was drugged by her own family. Or...or could it be that baby she didn't want ? I bet it could be how she lost it ! What do you think Kaka...?!" Aniruddh's eyes held madness but his words were the haunting truth.

Trilochan removed his spectacles to wipe his tears. " Beta...stop her... I am asking you this... please."

" You think I don't want to...!??!! But I can't Kaka...!" Aniruddh decided to walk away before he started one of his loudspeaker rolls. Bondita was in the aangan, couldn't hear them. But what if she came this side ?

" But Aniruddh...!" Kaka kept a hand on his arm stopping him. " You can ! I mean...she is a child ! You tell her she can't go, she won't !" Kaka knew he should not speak in their matters anymore but they were still his children. He could atleast stop them from this disaster.

" She is a child...?!" Aniruddh asked his Kaka as if he had asked an offensive question. " She was a child Kaka...! Just a month ago she was. But not anymore...! The...the things she was made to go through... What child should go through that...?!! You have made her grow up faster ! You have snatched her childhood !!!"

" Aniruddh... please..."

" And I can't stop her this time. I can't force her to live here when all she feels here is sad." With that he snatched his arm and went away. He should have told his Kaka to not interfere this time. But something stopped him from doing that. A very small head of selfishness popping up. He wanted to keep her near him. But he couldn't do it himself. His Kaka had a tendency to poke his nose in his marital life. For the first time it would do some good if he did.

Aniruddh felt hypocritical, selfish...and he was hating himself for it. Hating for wanting to keep her in his arms forever. That should not be.
She was supposed to fly. His arms can not become her cage.