It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

88

Bondita was in his study when she saw her Pati Babu enter. He looked...not as excited as she thought he would be on such a day. She knew what she said to him had a role in his mood. Aniruddh was not surprised when he found her there. He was expecting it. He walked past her to his table without replying to her greetings for which she had stood up.

" Here..." Bondita saw a bundle of papers as he turned to her. " This has all your answers." She sat to read them and he waited patiently. Nervously. She asked a few questions as she was not versed with technical terms. It felt to him she was reading his answer sheet and it felt he was about to snap. Scared she might find a flaw. No one can know the plight of a victim no matter how much they try to. Till now only reformers had put up their views on this law while congratulating him. Views of someone who was a target of all this...it was important.
Waiting for it was nerve wrecking.

" The legal age is sixteen now ?" She looked up at him.

" Yes..."

" I am still...a child bride...?"

He walked up to stand infront of her. " You...are not a child anymore Bondita."

Bondita was surprised at this. He had never considered her to not be a child. Why today ? " Do... I have a... choice...now ?"

" Yes..." He smiled putting his hands in his pocket. The smile that defied every emotion she read in his eyes.

" Between what...?" She had read it but wanted to hear it from him.

" Between me and your mother."

The papers fell from her hand. Her mother and him ? But that was a way to put up the answer. Between choosing her sasural and going back to mayaka. Between a married life and an unmarried one. They all meant the same thing but he had chosen the harshest of the options for her.

" Did I do it right Bondita ?" He desperately wanted her opinion. " Is it even remotely close to what you wanted ?"

" This is not for me alone..."

" But it is because of you alone."

Bondita felt those words heavy. Why was he giving the credit of his work to her ? " No Pati Babu... I did nothing. Infact I...am ashamed that I didn't take more interest..."

" Please... Please. Tell me." The urgency was evident.

" It is the best that, as my small mind can comprehend, could be achieved at the first try."

" You think so ?" He looked relieved.

" Yes..."

" You understand it right...?"

" As far as you explained it, yes..."

" So you...still trust me ?"

Bondita saw him now standing with the back of his waist against the large table, hands on either side looking at her expectantly. " I have always trusted you..."

They both knew it was not the truth. It had come out the night she had put forward her views about his work. That she didn't support it. That she didn't trust him to want her as she wanted him.

" Do you trust me now ? Do you... still trust me ? Do you now trust me when I say...I was not trying to part my ways with you ?"

Bondita knew he was hurt with the resistance she showed towards his innocent advances this morning. Innocent for him, a turmoil for her. He always thought he was touching her normaly, she knew it was true but it had always affected her differently than he intended. It was addictive to her, desirable, dark. Even when he was not trying to be so. She didn't know why she moved away from him in the morning but she was somewhere upset with him for being this happy when she was dieing from inside. " I have always trusted you Pati Babu."