My Destination, My Bondita

38 - The Universal Force Called Love

The next six months passed just like this. 

Anirudh would sneak into Bondita's room at night and sleep with her. They were almost caught many times, but somehow he had managed to sneak in and out of her room without being caught by mere seconds sometimes. 

They had done this so often, that Anirudh had now become an expert at sneaking around the house. 

His Kaka was suspicious that something was off, but thinking that Anirudh would be sleeping in Bondita's room at night was the last thing that was on his mind. After all, Anirudh claimed that Bondita was his zimmedari, and that he had no interest in her as a woman! So how could even his Kaka dream such a thing?

Bondita's marks had gone up again, and she was topping the class once more. Anirudh was very proud of her. After one failure, she had made such a big comeback. 

Manika's family, being business partners of the Roy Choudhary's now, came over often. Manika would often come by and spend time with Anirudh and Bondita. 

When Manika found out that Bondita wasn't pregnant, Manika had been shocked. She didn't understand how Bondita could have mistaken that she was pregnant, however, when Anirudh told her not to worry about it, as she understood everything now, Manika let the matter go, because even she saw what Anirudh was still oblivious to. Even she saw how much Anirudh adored Bondita. 

One day, while Bondita was at school, Manika was at the haveli. Anirudh was in his study, responding to some letters, when Manika knocked on the door. 

"May I come in?" she asked Anirudh. 

"Yes," Anirudh responded, looking up at her with a smile. Then he yelled out, "Bihari, bring a glass of water please!"

He got up and pulled a chair across his desk so that she could sit.

"How are you Anirudh?" Manika asked, sitting down. 

"I'm good Manika," Anirudh said, his eyes bright, sitting back down behind his desk, "Bondita topped her class again!" 

"Wow, she's really amazing," Manika said. 

"She is," Anirudh agreed, a wide smile on his face. 

Manika just laughed, as if she knew something. 

"Why are you laughing?" Anirudh asked. 

"Nothing," Manika said, because she knew if she brought up Anirudh's love for Bondita, then he would once again go into his mode about how their marriage wasn't real. 

Anirudh frowned. 

"Manika you always make these funny faces or laugh when it comes to my relationship with Bondita," Anirudh said sternly. "She is just my responsibility, and I am supporting her for her bright future -- that's it! Yes, I have grown some attachment for her, but she's not my wife."

That was when Bihari brought the glass of water for Manika and placed it on the table in front of her, before rushing out of the study.

Manika sighed heavily. 

It was time to teach Anirudh Roy Choudhary a lesson. For some reason, Manika had grown very attached to Bondita in the last six months, seeing her as her younger sister, and she really didn't like it when Anirudh made such comments about her. 

"You're lucky you're married Anirudh," Manika said casually, eyeing his expressions, tracing her finger along the edge of the glass.

"Why?" Anirudh asked, still frowning. 

"Because if you weren't, the first person my father would bring my marriage proposal to, would be you," Manika said, still observing him. 

Anirudh frowned even more when Manika said this. 

"My father wants me to be someone's first wife, not second," Manika said with a laugh, and then she stood up. "But I don't mind even being your second wife Anirudh." 

She walked around the desk, to where Anirudh was sitting, and placed her hand on his shoulder gently. 

"What are you doing Manika?" Anirudh demanded, standing up with a start.

"If you say Bondita is just your responsibility, she's not your wife, then you shouldn't have a problem with that, right?" Manika asked, taking his hands in hers. 

Anirudh pulled his hands away immediately and stumbled backwards. 

"Manika, I - I," he started, his eyes wide, wondering what had happened to her all of a sudden. "She - she is my responsibility but..." 

"But what?" Manika asked, and reached for his hand again. 

Anirudh gulped. 

In the last few months, he had been so at peace with Bondita in the purest of ways, that he had even forgotten where he had put Manika's earring. The news that Manika was going to get married didn't bother him the least bit, yet his mind had convinced himself that he was in love with Manika. 

"I can't marry anyone else!" Anirudh told her, frowning, putting his hands out of her reach. "And polygamy is wrong!"

"Why is that?" Manika asked, raising her eyebrows. "She's not your wife right?"

"Bondita's bright future is everything for me," he told her sternly. "I will always choose my responsibility over everything else. Even if it's love." 

Manika rolled her eyes. 

"Are you crazy Anirudh? You're willing to put everything at risk, you're willing to sacrifice your whole life and happiness, just for a responsibility?" Manika asked. "Why don't you just admit that you love her?" 

"I can't!" Anirudh told her, his heart beating fast now. "I can't cage her in this child marriage! I can't bind her to me, when she deserves freedom, she deserves to fly!"

He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, before opening his eyes and continuing. 

"I can't say I love her, because if I do, I might take away that innocence that she has, I might take away the bright future that she deserves. My goal is to free her Manika, it's to give her wings. Even if I clip my own wings in return. Even if I'm destined to a life full of sadness and misery, I will happily accept it. Just so she can fly," he told her, his voice cracking. 

Manika's own eyes filled with tears when she heard this. 

How could anyone love someone so selflessly?

"Therefore... I can't love her Manika!" Anirudh told her, his eyes getting wet, a pain in his chest. "I can't ever accept it, and I can't ever admit it! She's my responsibility, and I'll always choose her over anyone else and everyone else, on that basis alone!"

Then without another word, Anirudh ran out of the study, tears flowing down his cheeks, leaving Manika to watch him go. 

"Anirudh, you very well know your feelings for Bondita, and I can see that through the desperation in you voice, the tears falling down your cheeks. The way you love her with such purity, you can never cage her. You can never take away her innocence. Because love doesn't cage anyone. Love only sets everyone free. It's beyond any logic, it's beyond any idea of right and wrong. It's beyond everything. It's a universal force. Therefore, there's no age to love, and there are no boundaries or social constructs that can take away the shine of love," Manika said, tears falling down her own cheeks.  "And I wish that you could realize this before it's too late Anirudh." 

--

When I woke up and I saw that the last chapter had 311 likes, I was moved to tears. You guys are overwhelming me everyday with your love. I don't have any words other than to say that as a writer, the love we get from our readers is a powerhouse. It gives us unlimited powers and energy to do everything we can to serve you better, and to write more for you. So the first thing I did when I saw that, was begin to write this chapter. ❤️

Thank you for everything, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. 🥺❤️