My Destination, My Bondita

19 - The Mattress Conundrum

When Anirudh reached Bondita's school to pick her up, he saw both Bondita and Batuk standing there. 

Bondita ran over to him and took his hand immediately, smiling up at him, admiring him like she always did. 

Anirudh wasn't able to meet her eyes. 

Batuk saw how his Boudi went and held his Anirudh Dada's hand, so he also ran and held Anirudh's other hand, as if he was competing for his Dada's attention.

Anirudh glanced down at both Bondita's and Batuk's hands, then looked from Bondita to Batuk, wondering what new mischief the two of them were up to today. 

"Dada, when will you come home?" Batuk whined. 

Bondita pouted and looked at Anirudh too, wondering the same thing. When would she be able to go back to the haveli and see her whole family again?

"Batuk, go home and focus on your studies," Anirudh responded, removing his hand from Batuk's. 

"Dada, you always favour Boudi! You're still holding her hand!" Batuk pointed out. 

Bondita smiled proudly. 

"It's not like that Batuk," Anirudh said, still not letting go of Bondita's hand. "She has to come with me, that's why I'm holding her hand." 

"Then who do you love more Dada? Me or Boudi?" Batuk demanded. 

"Batuk!" Anirudh yelled, his voice loud now, making both Bondita and Batuk jump. 

Anirudh felt Bondita's hand slightly tremble in his grip, and he took a deep breath. 

"Batuk, stop wasting time and go home and focus on your studies," Anirudh ordered. 

Batuk pouted. 

"You only jump on the bed with her..." he mumbled. 

"What?" Anirudh asked, frowning. 

"When the baby comes then we'll jump on the bed with the baby!" Batuk decided. 

Bondita glared at Batuk. 

Hadn't she explained to him that only a husband and wife could jump on a bed together? And about the baby, she had forbidden everyone from stressing out her Pati Babu!

"Baby?" Anirudh asked, confused now. "What baby?" 

"Pati Babu, let's go!" Bondita said, and started to pull his hand, giving Batuk a death glare. 

Batuk crossed his arms as Anirudh pulled his hand out of Bondita's. 

"I don't know what you are talking about Batuk, but I don't favour anyone," Anirudh told them both sternly. "You are both equal for me." 

"Yeah right," Batuk mumbled under his breath. 

Bondita puffed out her cheeks and folded her arms, turning her face away from Anirudh in her classic pose that showed she was upset. She thought that she was her Pati Babu's favourite! 

Anirudh noticed Bondita doing this, and felt a light feeling in his chest. He smiled. 

Batuk noticed the way his Dada was smiling at his Boudi and also folded his arms. 

"You never smile at me like that Dada!" Batuk pointed out. 

Bondita looked up to see her Pati Babu's smile, but he immediately turned it into a frown, looking angry again. 

"Batuk, go home! Didn't I say to study?" he ordered. 

"But Boudi needs to study too right?" Batuk asked, "Why don't you tell her?" 

"Your Boudi also needs to study," Anirudh said, turning to glare at Bondita now, who pouted her lips. "So we are going home. Come Bondita." 

He offered his hand to her, and she took it, sadly looking at Batuk. 

"Bye Boudi," Batuk said sadly. 

"Bye Batuk," Bondita replied, just as sadly. "Tell Kakasasurji, Sasurji, Bhaari Babu, Koeli Didi and Somnath Dada that I miss them." 

"Okay Boudi," Batuk said, "Should I tell Sampoorna Maa too?" 

"I don't miss her," Bondita replied, "So you will be lying if you tell her." 

"Okay Boudi," Batuk said with a slight laugh. 

Anirudh knew that Bondita's long goodbye was because she really missed the Roy Choudharys, but right now he needed to keep her away from the adults of their house for her own safety. 

"Come on Bondita, hurry," Anirudh urged, and pulled on her hand. 

She gave a final sad look to Batuk before following her Pati Babu towards their new home. 

"Pati Babu, a lot happened today at school," she was telling him. 

Anirudh was lost in the thoughts of what he had come to realize in the mandir -- his feelings for Manika... could it be that his mind was forcing it like the sage had said? No. They were real. They had to be. 

This was the only way he couldn't hurt Bondita. He couldn't ever dare to think about Bondita in such a way, and the easiest way to ensure that was to love someone else. 

"Hmm..." he murmured, lost in his thoughts. 

"Kakasasurji did a Puja in my name for my birthday. He fed so many people without homes for me," Bondita said excitedly. 

"Hmm..." Anirudh murmured again, still lost in his own thoughts. 

"I got prasad too. Don't get mad, okay Pati Babu? I can't turn down prasad!" Bondita added on. 

"Hmm..." was all he said, her words not registering in his head. 

When they finally made it to their little home, Anirudh was shocked to see the sight there. The villagers were gathered around, and the man from the mattress shop was there with two more of his co-workers. 

"There you are!" the store owner said, sounding annoyed and looking at Bondita. "Do you know how long I was waiting here for?" 

Bondita gulped and looked at her Pati Babu. 

"Bondita what is this?" Anirudh asked, turning to look at her. 

"I... I..." Bondita said. 

"Your wife has bought a mattress from us! For her Pati Babu!" the man explained, mocking her earlier tone. "She ordered the best mattress, but that mattress was too big to fit through the door, so we had to go back and get a smaller one. When we got back, we realized the door was locked, so we can't even put it inside! We should demand extra charges for all of our wasted time!" 

Anirudh looked at Bondita with shock. 

"Bondita!" Anirudh yelled with a glare. 

She shivered and looked from Anirudh to the mattress shop owners. 

How was she going to get out of this now?