Barrister Babu: The Journey Ahead

Her Rakshak Babu

The next day, Bondita woke up even earlier than Bihari Babu. She went to the kitchen and started to make breakfast for everyone. When she was younger, Anirudh used to get so upset whenever he saw her cooking, because he wanted her to only hold a pencil, not a spatula. However, Bondita learned to fall in love with both aspects of her life -- from her studies, to serving her family. 

Not too long after she began to cook, Biharu Babu entered the kitchen. 

"Bahurani!" Bihari Babu squeaked, "What are you doing? You just came from London. Let me do it!" 

"No Bihari Babu, I will," Bondita refused. 

"Bahurani!" Bihari Babu wailed. 

Bondita just smiled and continued to cook. She cooked everyone's favourite foods - from Anirudh's, to Kakasasurji's, to Somnath's and Batuk's (Anirudh's two brothers), and even her Sasurji's. She met Somnath, Batuk and her Sasurji later in the day yesterday. Sampoorna ma (her sasurji's wife who also happened to be her cousin) had gone to her maayka (maternal house) so she wasn't home. Bondita was glad that she didn't have to see her. They didn't exactly have a nice relationship.

When everyone came down for breakfast, she served them. Anirudh came down last, and when he saw Bondita serving breakfast, he had an exasperated expression on his face. 

"Pati - Barrister Babu, come and sit," she said, "I made your favourite food." 

He still stood there, and Bondita laughed internally. He was so stubborn. Sometimes when she was younger, even she would wonder who the child was in their relationship. 

 She went up to him, took his hand, and practically dragged him to the table. He didn't say anything, but just sat down. 

"Mmmm Bahu, I missed your food," Kakasasurji complimented. 

"So good Baudi," Somnath and Batuk both said. 

Somnath was apparently going to get married soon, and Batuk had also just finished studying sciences in India. 

Even her Sasurji complimented the food, but Anirudh said nothing. After he was done eating, he just got up and went. 

After everyone finished eating, Bondita went to the living room to sit down with Batuk and Somnath, when one of the neighbours came bolting in. 

"HOW CAN YOU STAY HERE?" he screamed at Bondita, and everyone got up with a start.

Anirudh came running down -- perhaps the fastest she saw him respond to anything.

"An unmarried woman staying in a house full of men! Do you have no shame?" he asked, "Disgusting woman!"

Bondita felt her heart hurt when she was being insulted, but Anirudh stepped in front of her. 

"You have no business with this family," he told the man. "This is a matter of our household and we will take care of it. Please leave." 

"We will not let this happen!" the man said, and a crew of men suddenly entered the Roy Choudhary household. "She has already spent a whole night here. Which man has she been seeing? Anirudh Babu, is it you? Or is it your brothers? Your Kaka, your Dad?" 

Anirudh couldn't take it anymore. "HOW DARE YOU!" he screamed, and he lifted his fist, punching the man who made the comment. "How dare you speak about her like that?" He was starting to beat the man, having had enough of these people. 

Bondita looked at her Pati Babu, both with admiration and with fear.

He was doing everything he could to protect her, but this society always thought they knew the best. 

"Anirudh!" Trilochan Babu yelled. "Stop!" 

It was only when Bondita touched Anirudh's elbow gently, that he turned around and stopped fighting. The men from the society noticed this gesture, and one of them shook their head. 

"How low! You guys have such a relationship, but there's no name to it," he said. "She is touching you so freely."

"What's wrong with it?" Bondita challenged to the men. "If the intention is pure, why is touch bad? Who are you to say what is good touch and what is bad touch?" 

The men just looked at each other, dumbfounded.

"Take her!" one of the other men said, and before she knew it, a bunch of men had grabbed her, and her eyes grew wide. 

"Pati Babu!" she screamed, and Anirudh tried hard to fight off the group of men. There were more than ten of them. 

Trilochan Roy Choudhary was also screaming for them to stop. Even Batuk and Somnath were trying to stop the men, but one of them knocked Anirudh out with a bat, and dragged Bondita away. 

"PATI BABU!" she screamed, trying to kick at the men as Anirudh fell to the ground, unconscious.

She tried to remember her self-defense lessons that her Pati Babu taught her, but there were way too many men. 

"Lock her up!" one of the men said, taking her to a nearby shed. "We will burn her alive tomorrow. We have to set an example. We will tell everyone in the society that this is what happens to women like these so they will know!" 

They threw her in the shed and tied her with a rope, until they locked the shed door and left. 

Bondita struggled against the ropes, but they just weren't coming off. 

An hour later, Anirudh's eyes opened. 

"BONDITA!" Anirudh screamed, and Trilochan Kaka came running in. 

"They took her, but Bihari saw where they took her," Trilochan Kaka said frantically. "He followed them and found out. She's in a shed."  

Anirudh was going nuts. His head was aching, but he didn't care. 

"BIHARI!" Anirudh screamed, and Bihari came running in. "Take me to her. NOW!" 

Bondita, in the shed, tried her hardest to get rid of the ropes. Her hands were red from trying. She had no doubt though that her Pati Babu would come. He was her Rakshak Babu as well, her protector. And her protector would always come to her in times of need. 

Suddenly, she heard the door get pushed open, and there he was, Bihari Babu behind him. Her eyes filled to the brim with tears, she watched as Pati Babu ran towards her. Before he even got her out of the ropes, he hugged her. 

"Bondita, are you okay?" he asked, sounding so worried.

Bondita wished she could hug him back, but her hands were tied. He quickly broke the hug and untied her hands. 

"Yes Pati Babu, I'm okay," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Let's go," he said to her. 

"They said they will burn me alive," Bondita told him. 

"They won't be able to do anything to you," Anirudh said adamantly. "Come." 

"Where will you take Bahurani? She will be in danger at home," Bihari Babu said. 

"I'll take her somewhere," Anirudh replied. "I don't know where yet, but we will find a place." 

He took Bondita by the hand and said, "Bihari you go back home. Tell Kakasasurji I'll call when I get the chance." 

"Pati Babu," Bondita squeaked, and Bihari Babu ran back towards the Roy Choudhary Haveli. "Do we have to do this?"

Anirudh nodded. He took Bondita's hand and began to run with her, away from Tulsipur. 

It was just the two of them with no destination. No place to go. But they were together, and that was all that mattered to her.

--

Now it's just Anirudh and Bondita, together 24/7 and there will be some interesting twists in the upcoming parts. I hope you liked the chapter!