It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

59

Bondita waited for her Pati Babu the whole day after coming back from school. She couldn't concentrate on her classes much today which earned her a tight scolding from from one master ji. She didn't feel offended. She knew she was in the wrong.

She saw him entre the haveli with his coat hanging from his right arm and his briefcase in the left. Her eyes went to the bandage looking cloth on his right knuckles. She ran up to him.

" Here give me your coat." She didn't wait for him to hand them over, she just took his things and stood there.

Aniruddh had went through a long day and was tired enough to not pull anything to avoid her. He looked at her and she looked up at him with a hopeful smile. She did this thing with her eyes at times like these. She opened them wide and her eyebrows almost used to reach her hairline, shifting weight from one feet to other waiting for him to say something. She was doing that thing right now again and it melted him. He didn't say anything though.

" Cappi...?"

" Hmmm..." He didn't have a heart to say no to her when she looked at him like this. He could bet she always did this on purpose. She must know what it did to him.

He was sitting in his office having his coffee while she waited on him. Waiting for him to say something but decided it was enough.

" Pati Babu...your wound..."

" How was school today ?" He asked putting the cup on the saucer he held in his right hand.

" It is not dressed properly."

" Your homework. Done ?"

" Let me see it once."

He didn't mind as long as she just saw it. He pulled the dressing roughly and forwarded it to her.

" It is all ok. See ?" He was about to pull it.

" Please apply something on it." Bondita knew he was not much in the mood to talk but he was not pushing her away too.

" I will." He half smiled and appreciated her understanding his mood. He was very agitated right now by the whole situation. Someone had fanned the fire Aniruddh started two years ago and it might burn there small world. It was such an idiotic and useless step by whoever made it but Aniruddh didn't want to take it lightly. His marriage was on line.

Her life...was on line.

It was after dinner that Bondita finally decided it was time have a heart to heart with her Pati Babu. She went to his room looking for him to find it empty. The door to the store room of his corridor was open. She peeped in to find him standing there in the almost dark room with just one candle lit in a glass candle stand. She went in further to see his shoulders stiffen. He knew she was here.

" What do you want Bondita ?"

" I just wanted to talk."

" I am kind of busy." He was. She saw him frantically looking through a box kept on an on circuler table that reached above his waist.

" Are you looking for something ?"

" Yes."

" Can I help ?"

" No."

Bondita was getting restless now.

" A few minutes. Is that too much to ask for ?" She questioned softly to not risking his mood to get bitter.

His hands halted. On one side he had that petition worrying him and the other side his promise to not touch her was making its presence reminded to him. Reminding him to avoid what he was about to do yesterday.