SANJHEDARI

smile

They both were sitting on the bed hugging each other from half an hour, bondita's face is still buried in his neck but her sobbing now stopped and anirudh was lost in his thoughts. After sometime anirudh separated her from himself and wiped her tears but he feel her skin is burning, she had fever. Bondita's whole face is red and eyes swollen, she was still not fine and slightly swaying, anirudh went towards a drawer and brought a medicine to reduce her fever, filing a glass with water he brought it near her lips but this time bondita silently take it as she was not in her full senses ,some because of this excessive crying and other because of fever. He carefully laid her on the bed and covered her with a comfortor.

Bondita don't know when she fall asleep but her sleep broke when she sensed someone is shaking her, but as soon as she opened her eyes a sudden headache made her clutch her head tightly and a cry left from her mouth.

Anirudh is very guilty by looking at her condition, till now he was in his own world where his sole motive is to take revenge from krishna nagar and to protect his family, since last five years bondita was not with them so he was content that she is safe somewhere but after her return from london he totally ignored her, his motive behind this is just to keep her away from this enimity, and besides this he don't want that she will become his weakness in any way whom krishna nagar people used against his family.
On other side he thought that now bondita is living with them in their house she is safe, but he totally forgot that he was protecting her from physical injury but what about her mind, she was right he never want to know how is she living there, how is she feeling, how others treating her, she is his bondita he wants to live with her till the end of his life but what about others, all others considered her their enemy and in their eyes she was not married to him to establish any peace between two villages but it's her punishment for being a member of das family. After hearing her today he realized that she was doing everything to make a place for herself in his family, in his life but they were still treating her as enemy. If he wants to start a new life with her first he have to give her the respect in society which she deserves as his wife and the eldest daughter in law, if being her husband he will not respect her then no one will do.

He helped bondita to sit on the bed and kept some pillows behind her then wiped her tears, bondita looked towards him and remembered her words which she screamed at him today's afternoon. Now she was feeling little awkward, but like he can hear her thoughts anirudh told her to go to washroom to wash her face. Bondita washed her face,it was relaxing, soon she realized that she was still in her morning heavy saree, so thought to change but again the same problem he was in the room and waiting for her to come outside, but this time he went outside to provide her some space to change clothes and return after good ten minutes with a food plate. Bondita remembered how he almost stuffed those medicines in her mouth when she denied to eat them after her forehead stitches, now also she don't want to eat but little afraid also to deny him because now she knows he don't like when someone says no to him, moreover he didn't said anything after her outburst but she knows he is angry just not shouting on her because she has faver, so not want to make him shout on her bondita ate a little and surprisingly he didn't forced her to eat more. After that those medicines which again made her feel vomit but somehow controlled.

Bondita knows she was not at fault today then why is she feeling afraid by thinking that he is angry. Bondita was lying on the bed in the closed room, door latched from inside by himself, as he was taking steps towards bed bondita's heartbeat was increasing audibly and a little shiver may be she still has fever, anirudh reached near the bed and find she was shivering inside the blanket, maybe she has fever.

As he extended his hand to check her temperature bondita tightly closed her eyes, he find this little strange anyway kept his hand on her forehead and neck to check but no she is all fine, no fever. Then why is she shivering ,it was not bondita's fault his face is still like always, calm, like a silent before storm, no one knows when this volcano will erupt and burn bondita in his hot flames. Assuming that may be the wind coming from window is making her shiver he closed it also and laid beside her by covering himself with the same blanket in which she was lying and turned to other side.

Bondita felt relaxed but her shivering is not stopping, if this is not fear then definitely side effect of any medicine, anirudh turned around and to her surprise extended his hand towards her and told in his heavy calm voice

Come here

Bondita didn't understand, already they were sleeping only two hands distance between them, then where is he calling her but not want to ruin her night she shifted a little closer, anirudh made a tsk sound and in an instant pulled her in his arms making bondita's eyes go wide, she put her hand on his chest to avoid collision, now they were lying on the bed with no distance between them, his hand was rubbing her back to sooth her shivering form, she can feel his hard chest near her breasts and this strange feeling made her cheeks red, heart beating more fast instead of calm. Bondita hide her face in his chest, she had never feel like this ,ever, she were never this close with any boy except him but that was simple hug and this is different,

Not feeling her calm he turned her a little , now they were lying sideways, he wrapped his one arm around her shoulder and with other hand rubbing her back, bondita can feel goosebumps in her body, her feets were touching his calves making her toes curl, feeling her heartbeats anirudh can sense something is wrong, he tried to pull her face out from his chest but neither she was showing her face to him nor leaving his night robe from her clutches. He with a little force held her neck and pulled her face to see what is wrong. Luckily the darkness in the room not allowed him show her flushed expression, the lamp is beside her head so he turned made her lie on her back and by hovering over her extended his hand to the switch, bondita sensed what is he going to do so hold his hand and said

Mat kariye patibabu.

Kya nahi karu bondita.

Mera matlab mujhe need aa rahi hai to light mat chalu kariye.

Hmm

And he laid again but didn't leave her, after sometime he called her

Bondita, tum so gae kya.

Nahi patibabu

Agle hafte tum apni maa se milne ja sakti ho.

Bondita lifted her head and looked towards him but was not able to saw anything in darkness, understanding her curiosity of this sudden permission he cleared her doubt by saying that next week they were going to perform a puja in durga ma temple where they invited her family, if they would bring sumati maa with them then she can meet her there. Bondita's happiness has no bound but with these overwhelming happiness she only could utter a little thank u to him.

Anyone can say by looking at her face that today bondita is on seventh sky and why not she was going to meet her mother after five whole months, the union of mother and daughter brought tears in many eyes, chandrachud used to inform thakuma that as her in laws roy chaudhary beats bondita for her little mistakes and didn't give her food for many days that's why thakuma and sumati were more worried for their daughter but after meeting her bondita, they were relaxed neither they found any beating marks on her body and her smile by looking towards anirudh is saying a different story. Anirudh also meet them but he didn't bend infront of them to take blessings like he always did infact he just fold his hands and did a formal 'nomaskar' which was totally okey for them, bondita and anirudh sat infront of the havan kund and performed puja atlast he filled her hairline with durga ma's auspicious sindoor and smiled a little towards her,

But this smile pricked the vast ego of two person, one is obviously chandrachud and other trilochan, trilochan is noticing changes in anirudh's demeanor from last week, he was behaving more softly with bondita, he even scolded two servants who were badmouthing about bondita and restigate other from his job, he allowed her to join them on the dining table, he went to fair with her and saswati, he was caring for her, trilochan doesn't have any issue with this afterall he was more eager to see his grandchildren this time but he have only a fear in his heart that is what if bondita is using his emotions to help her thakuma, like she harmed binoy now also she can try this, he have to be careful.