My Destination, My Bondita

29 - In the Future, May I Love You?

When Anirudh went into the principal's office, he was very happy. He believed that Bondita must have gotten an award for scoring so high. Why else would the principal call him inside to discuss her unit test marks? 

"Anirudh Babu, your wife's exam..." the principal said, pulling out her marked exam paper. 

Anirudh grinned.

"She deserves an award. Is that why you called me here?" Anirudh replied confidently, taking the papers and not looking at them.

"Award? Maybe for the biggest failure," the principal responded, sounding upset. 

Anirudh's smile dropped immediately. 

"What?" Anirudh asked. 

"Your wife failed her exam," the principal said. "Very badly!" 

"No, there must be a mistake. Bondita can't fail. She's a great and capable student," Anirudh said defensively. 

"Check for yourself," the principal urged.

Anirudh looked down at the exam papers in shock, flipping through them, reading the questions and Bondita's answers to them. 

How was this possible? 

"You're right, she was a good student Anirudh Babu, but these days I don't know where her attention has been! Her teacher told me she has been daydreaming in class. Who knows whose thoughts she is lost in," the principal said. 

At the mention of daydreaming and being lost in someone's thoughts, Anirudh felt his nose flare up in anger. 

He remembered the way that Bondita was smiling at Vikram outside school earlier. 

"Is there anything else Principal sir?" Anirudh asked, feeling embarrassed and deeply hurt by this whole thing.

He was working so hard to secure Bondita's future. She had promised him that she would focus on her studies and become a barrister. That she would fulfill their dreams! However, she had forgotten that promise. 

Anirudh felt betrayed. 

"No, you may go. Just remember that if this continues, we will have to remove her from this school. It is bad for our school's reputation," the principal informed. 

"I assure you, it won't come to that. She will do better. I'll make sure of it," Anirudh said, and then stood up and left the room. 

Bondita was waiting outside the principal's office nervously. 

When Anirudh came out, he saw her standing there, looking afraid. The expression on her face told him that she already knew of her mistake. 

Without a word to her, he started to walk out of the school, leaving her running behind him. She didn't say anything to him as she followed him from behind.

She was too scared to take his hand, and he was not even offering it. 

When they finally reached their home, Anirudh closed the door to their hut and started to pack his things. 

"Pati Babu, what are you doing?" she gasped, finally breaking the silence. 

He ignored her and continued to pack his belongings. 

She ran to him and took his hand to stop him, but he pulled his hand away from her. 

"What's the point of staying here? To pass time?" he yelled, glaring at her. 

Bondita gulped. 

"P - Pati Babu," she stammered. "S - sorry." 

"You promised me Bondita," Anirudh said, his voice cracking.