My Destination, My Bondita

9 - Kisses and Misconceptions

That was all they did?

A huge relief washed over him -- not because he was free from his guilt, but rather, because Bondita was still protected. Her innocence was still in tact. He could die a thousand deaths if it meant that he could protect her, but what he was not willing to do was live a life where he wasn't able to.

He touched her cheeks and said, "I'm so sorry Bondita. I scared you didn't I?"

Bondita nodded slowly. 

"But what happened Pati Babu?" she asked. 

"Bondita go and get ready for school," he told her, evading her question, unsure of how to explain it to her. 

"Was our suhagraat so bad that it made you cry?" Bondita asked, sounding crestfallen. 

Anirudh smiled at her innocence and shook his head. 

"No Bondita. I had fun too," he told her, and stood up on his feet. 

"Then why were you crying Pati Babu?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"It was for another reason. You didn't do anything Bondita," he told her softly. 

Bondita grinned. 

"You are okay now, right Pati Babu?" she asked him. 

He nodded and touched her cheeks again. 

"I'm okay now," he told her with a smile. 

She pinched her neck softly and asked, "Shotti?"

"Shotti," Anirudh responded. 

She just smiled happily and hugged him around his abdomen, taking Anirudh by surprise. He touched her head gently and caressed her hair, his other hand wrapping around her shoulder. A soft smile appeared on his lips as he held her to him, relieved that even in his intoxicated state, he didn't lose control of himself. 

When he broke the hug, Bondita grinned, gestured with her hand and said, "Pati Babu, come here!" 

He leaned closer to her, offering her his ear, expecting her to whisper something in it. 

Instead, she pressed her lips on his cheek and planted a soft kiss. Then she said, "Maa used to kiss me like that after my breakdowns!" 

Her cheeks feeling slightly warm, she ran from there, leaving Anirudh to watch her go with shock. 

He touched the spot she kissed him gently and then smiled. 

"She's so innocent," he muttered to himself. 

And this was the innocence he would protect for his whole life. 

Anirudh snapped himself back to the present scenario and how absurd all of this was. His eyes got an angry glare again, and he yelled as he stormed out of the room, "KAKA! KAKA!"

Before Bondita went to her own room, she went to Batuk's room. 

"Batuk!" Bondita yelled, pulling his blanket off his sleeping body. 

"What Boudi?" Batuk complained. "Five minutes more!" 

"You have to get ready for school!" Bondita yelled. 

Batuk got up groggily and pouted. 

"There's time!" he argued. 

"Yes there is, but first there's something I have to tell you!" Bondita said with a cheeky smile, sitting on his bed like she had some important information to give him. 

"What?" Batuk asked curiously. 

"You should get married and have a suhagraat!" Bondita told him, her eyes lit up with happiness. 

"What's that mean?" Batuk asked. 

"It's where you sleep in the same room as your husband or wife and jump on the bed to break it!" Bondita told him excitedly. 

"Wow!" Batuk said, eyes wide. "If I jumped on my bed then Anirudh Dada and Kaka will be mad at me." 

Bondita laughed and said, "My Pati Babu didn't get mad at me! In fact he jumped with me! This is why you need to have a suhagraat!" 

Batuk blinked a few times and asked, "He jumped with you? Dada did that? Why does he favour you so much? I used to be his favourite."

Bondita grinned smugly and said, "Because I'm better!"

"How?" Batuk asked pouting jealously. "Why won't he jump on the bed with me?" 

Bondita hit Batuk's shoulder lightly and said, "Silly! You aren't married to him! You have to marry someone to jump on the bed with them. This is why they call it a suhagraat between husband and wife!" 

"Then is this how babies come?" Batuk asked curiously, "When a husband and wife jump on the bed?" 

Bondita's eyes widened. She hadn't even considered this possibility!

"Yes this must be!" Bondita exclaimed. "My Pati Babu said it's when a husband and wife are in love! I think a suhagraat means that we are in love!" 

She got off Batuk's bed and jumped up and down excitedly. 

"I think I'm also going to have a baby Batuk!" she said, "Then the three of us can play together! You, me and the baby!" 

"Wow!" Batuk said excitedly. "There will be a baby in our family!" 

Downstairs, Anirudh was storming to the living room, where Kaka was drinking his morning tea. 

"KAKA!" Anirudh bellowed, causing Trilochan Babu to nearly spill his tea. 

He put the tea down and stood up. 

"Yes Anirudh?" Trilochan Babu asked. 

"HOW COULD YOU?" he asked angrily, "HOW COULD YOU?"