It Wasn't Supposed To Happen

123

" Zamindar Babu..."

" Kalindi..."

They were both silent. Maybe they had no courage to speak. Maybe they already knew what their hearts said.

There had never been romance between them. Love story... What love story ? They had never talked to each other properly in childhood. Came to know a little about each other through the stories their families would tell them. He often for teased by elder ladies of his family for how beautiful his little soon to be bride was. He was not a good judge of beauty but had known instantly had those women not implanted the idea of Kalindi being beautiful in his head, he still would have her beautiful. As beautiful as she looked in the market. That was what he had on his account for an encounter with women. He had never looked at a girl before her. He never looked at a girl after her.

They had made no promises. Tied no bonds but for Kalindi it was equally heart breaking when he left. He was just following his elder's orders but it was personal to her. She didn't know why more than the loneliness, the taunts, the lecherous eyes of men, the dirty hands reaching out to her was the pain she felt when she dared to look up dressed as a bride sitting in her mandap and he didn't look back.

" Kalindi say something..." She heard the voice clutching the side of the bed in her dark room. She was not saying anything on purpose. She was crying. After so long...she was crying. She didn't want him to know. She didn't want him to know some part of her wanted to forgive him today.

" Thank you..." She managed to suppress her cries for a moment. " For Bondita..."

" Kalindi..." She heard his whisper. " Please... forgive me..."

That was too much for her. She slammed the receiver before she said she did. Scared she looked at the telephone. Did she...? Did she really forgive him...? For ruining her life. For the pain that still stirred when she looked at him ?

She had expected him to reject Bondita's entry in Roy Chowdhury haveli. Could anyone blame her for forming an image like that for him ? But he proved her wrong.
And not only that...

Trilochan allowed himself to hold on to the receiver just a little longer and cry out a few sighs. Yes...they had never been lovers. They had never been friends. They had been nothing to each other for a long while but he knew...he knew she was the one.

" What did you say...?" Aniruddh looked at Bondita sitting on her bed hugging her knees, rocking herself.

" N... nothing..." She moved her face the other way. Aniruddh approached her. She felt him stand near her but didn't turn to him. Should she have not said that ? She didn't know if it was true. Chandrachur was a mad man. He sprouted nonsense to inflict fear. If it was so, she would worry her Pati Babu uselessly. It was not a small matter. She knew her Pati Babu won't rest till he found the whole truth now.

" Bondita...!" He held her chin to make her look at him. Maybe he was too harsh, maybe she was too fragile, she flinched. " Forgive me..." He composed himself as he saw her roughly wipe her tears. " Just...can you explain what you said before ?"

" I said nothing..." What was she doing, she didn't know. She was too scared. Till now whenever she had to share her problems, it would be about studies, books, menstruation, teachers, women and list never ended. But it was first time that she wanted to talk of...murder. It was too scary. Everything was. The thought of someone dead...

" Bondita...I am not moving without an answer. I have all night." He sat on her bed infront of her.

His hands folded across his chest in determination, Bondita knew she was not getting out of this. Aniruddh might have looked unfazed from the outside but he had lost all capacity to think. Killed...?
What was she talking about ?