Barrister Babu: The Journey Ahead

The Night Before Their Marriage

Bondita waited for her mom to fall asleep before slipping out of her room and going downstairs towards the study. 

She didn't know why Anirudh was so eager to meet her tonight, just one night before their marriage, when they could spend their whole lives together from tomorrow. She didn't question it though. She trusted him fully, and knew that whatever he did would only be in her best interests.

As soon as she entered the study, she closed the door silently. Anirudh was sitting on the sofa, reading a book. There was only a lamp on. She didn't know why was reading in the dark, so she reached to turn on the big light, but Anirudh shook his head. 

"Bondita, come," he told her, putting his book aside.

She went to sit beside him on the sofa. 

"We're getting married tomorrow," he said to her, smiling. 

She smiled back at him and nodded, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. 

Her dream to become his wife, and the daughter-in-law of this household was finally coming true. She didn't just have one dream growing up. Along with her dream to become a barrister and bring change to this society, she also always wanted to be his wife. 

Anirudh reached to the table beside the sofa and picked up an album. It was an album of photos of the two of them, individually and together. 

"I put this together when you were in London," he said to her, brushing his fingers over the cover lovingly. "I used to go through this everyday." 

Bondita felt touched that he had compiled the album for their memories. She touched the cover along with him, her fingers brushing over his. 

Anirudh opened the album, and they went through the pictures, flipping the pages and reminiscing their journey. 

He had married her to save her from death, he had taken her responsibility, and soon became her Guru. He taught her the way to think about the world, the correct values to have. He taught her independence and empowerment. 

Tears flooded her eyes and she gently rested her head on his shoulder as they recalled their journey together. 

"I used to pee on the bed," she whispered to him. "And you used to wash the sheets. You would cut my nails for me. You would take care of me in every way. When I had to go away from my mother, you didn't make me feel like I didn't have one. You made me feel like I had both a mother and father."

Anirudh wrapped his arm around her as she sniffled. 

"I was small, but you took care of this little Bondita. You sacrificed your own happiness and stood up for me. You took my responsibility and raised me," she whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. "You know every part of my life Pati Babu." 

Anirudh wiped her tears away with his free hand and he responded, "Bondita, I used to think love was superficial. That it was about romance. But what we had was beyond every kind of  romance. We had respect, adoration, mutual understanding, and we knew each other to the depths of us. We knew every layer of each other... and Bondita, that's what companionship is about. It isn't about romance." 

It was easy for her, because he had been the male figure she looked up to the most as she was growing older. Falling in love with him and having even romantic thoughts about him was easy. 

However for him? It took a lot of introspection. 

There had come a time where their relationship advanced beyond him being just her guardian and teacher. 

Bondita had also become the mother he lost as a child, she had also become the father to talk some sense in him when things went wrong. She had also become his Guru to show him the way when he didn't know it. She lit up his world, and she lit up his life.