Barrister Babu: The Journey Ahead

They Were Rebels

When Kaka asked him to fill Bondita's hair parting with sindoor, Anirudh frowned. 

"Kaka, you know why I went with Bondita! They were going to kill her!" Anirudh said loudly. "What choice did I have?" 

Trilochan shook his head and said, "No, now I won't take no for an answer. You have to do it Anirudh." 

Bondita looked up at Anirudh. She was willing to comply with whatever decision he made. Being Anirudh Roy Choudhary's wife was one of her dreams, alongside becoming a Barrister, but Bondita only wanted it when he was ready. 

"Kaka," Anirudh said, "I won't marry Bondita just to prove anything to anybody!" 

He reached for Bondita's hand again, and Kaka whacked it away. 

"No!" Trilochan refused. "You can't hold Bahu's hand just like that with no relation to her!"

"I will marry Bondita," Anirudh said finally, and Bondita looked at him with surprise. "I will marry her if she wants to marry me, but I will marry her properly. Not like this. The first time I married her, she didn't know what was happening. Now, she is old enough, and wise enough. She will not be a victim to society's taunts again! But we won't do anything just to prove it! Not to you Kaka and not to the society!" 

He would marry Bondita properly, like she deserved. He would propose to her first, and he would make sure all the phases of their life would be beautiful. She deserved it. Why would he rush something for the sake of everyone else?

"Yes Kakasasurji," Bondita said, and she folded her hands in front of him, like she was begging, "Please understand. I promise you, we will get married... but not like this. We didn't do anything wrong. If we get married now, it will seem like we are only marrying each other because we made a mistake."

As much as she wanted to legally become Mrs. Bondita Roy Choudhary, she and her Pati Babu shared some values, and they couldn't compromise those values just for the sake of everyone else. 

Trilochan Babu put the sindoor back in his pocket and said, "Fine, you guys have made your decision. Now I will make mine. You might have very modern thoughts, since the both of you grew up in London. But that's not the case here. You can stay here, and we won't say anything to the society members about your relationship, but you can't be alone together. It's inappropriate and I still hold the values you two are looking down upon." 

Anirudh touched Bondita's shoulder gently, his Kaka glaring daggers at his hand, almost like he was going to burn it with his eyes. 

"Go and freshen up. You had a long night," Anirudh told her. 

It was true. Her body was aching from being tied up and running. She was very tired, and she was hungry. 

"You too Pati Babu," she said, holding his hand lovingly, then noticing Kakasasurji's glare, she removed her hand immediately. "S - Sorry Kakasasurji." 

She went to freshen up, wondering how she would be able to stay away from Anirudh. 

"There's nothing she had to be sorry for," Anirudh said irritably, and even he went upstairs to freshen up, in his own room. 

His own Kaka could try to keep him away from Bondita all he liked, but he didn't agree nor was he going to listen. 

Later that day, Anirudh was trying to catch Bondita's attention, but she was reading a book in the living room. His Kaka was there, eyeing the two of them like a hawk. 

He walked over to Bondita, and his Kaka stepped in between and held his cane out to indicate distance. "Stay away," he warned. 

"I want to talk to her... about her career!" Anirudh said, and Bondita blushed, hiding her face in her book. It was a flat out lie and Bondita knew it. "We have to decide what to do now that she's a barrister. I have to help --" 

"Get married first," Trilochan said and shook his cane at Anirudh. "Move aside." 

Anirudh breathed sharply and stormed away. 

"Kakasasurji," Bondita said, lowering her book. "I'm sorry for embarrassing you." 

"Anirudh did one right thing yesterday Bahu," he stated, "And that was to tell the society, even if it was a lie, that you two are married. That way they can't point fingers at us anymore. But Bahu, it needs to happen for real." 

"It will Kakasasurji. I know it will," she told him, "Trust us, please." 

"I do trust you Bahu, that's why I'm letting you stay here. But Anirudh... I don't trust him and his moodswings," Kakasasurji said, shaking his head. 

Bondita laughed. 

His moodswings. They were one of the things that she grew up loving about him. 

"His mood won't ever change about me," Bondita reassured. "I know that." 

"I know that too," Kaka said, "His last ten years have been devoted only to you. But you know how he is. Stubborn. Anyways, you stay away from him too. I've been warning him, but you are no less now. You're also a foreigner."

"Foreigner?" Bondita gasped. "No I'm still Indian."

Kakasasurji laughed and patted her head. He just wanted Bondita back as the Roy Choudhary mansion's daughter-in-law. Was that too big of a demand, especially when his nephew loved her so much? 

That night, after everyone went to sleep, Anirudh sneaked out of his room. This condition where he was told to stay away from Bondita was becoming too unbearable and quite ridiculous in his opinion. Who were they to decide what he did with her? 

In his pyjamas, he snuck towards her bedroom and knocked on the door. 

Bondita who was sleeping, awoke with a start when she heard the knock. She got up and went to open the door, and when she saw it was her Pati Babu, she gasped. 

He covered her mouth with his hand and pulled her inside the room, locking the door behind him. 

"P - Pati Babu!" she whispered against his hand, and he dropped his hand, looking into her eyes. 

"I needed to see you," he admitted. "I couldn't sleep." 

"Pati Babu, if Kakasasurji finds out, we will be in so much trouble. Please go from here!" she told him, and tried to push him back towards the door. 

"Shh relax Bondita, he won't find out," Anirudh said and took her hands to stop her from pushing him away. 

He couldn't even stay away from her for a whole day anymore. How could he stay away from her for longer as per his Kaka's wishes? 

He gently held her hands behind her back and took a step forward towards her. She stumbled back until she hit the wall. He leaned towards her ear and he asked her, "Didn't you want lessons from your Shikshak Babu?"

A blush creeped up on her cheeks and her heart began to throb. 

"P - Pati Babu if Kaka --" 

"If you say anything anymore, I will have to keep you quiet using other ways," he teased, making her blush even harder. 

"B - But --" she stammered, and before she knew it, his lips were on hers, savouring the feeling after a long day apart. 

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