My Destination, My Bondita

78 - Melting the Stubborn Distance

That day was an eventful one. 

It all started in the morning, after Bondita had breakfast and was about to leave for school with Batuk. They were in the living room. 

Anirudh was reading a newspaper, and Kakasasurji was drinking a cup of tea. 

"I'll be late when I come back Kakasasurji," Bondita said, as she finished tying her own shoelaces. "There are extra classes today." 

"Late?" Kaka said with a frown. "Why are there extra classes when you are already topping them all. What's the need?"

"Kaka, the teacher specifically asked Boudi to stay back to help teach the other students," Batuk informed.

When Anirudh heard this, he lowered the newspaper slightly, a proud smile on his face. He glanced at Bondita with a grin. 

Bondita wasn't looking at him. She was just looking at her Kakasasurji, worried about whether he would let her stay back or not. 

"But what's the point?" Kaka huffed. "The other students should study on their own. Why are they troubling my Bahu?" 

"Kakasasurji, it's just for a little while. It'll help them," Bondita was saying. "I'll come home as soon as I can."  

"No need Bahu! You are studying, that is already a big deal. You don't need to be a teacher too. There are already teachers in the school for that!" Trilochan said decisively. 

Now Anirudh stood up, and Bondita shifted her gaze to him. 

"Kaka, teaching is a very important aspect of learning," he said, "In fact, you should support Bondita for doing this." 

"Communication is an important aspect of a relationship too," Kaka huffed under his breath sarcastically, "But nobody follows any rules around here! So no need to go Bahu!"

Anirudh dramatically said, while glaring at Kaka all this while, "Bondita go! What you are doing is good work. No need to come home early. Take your time and come home! Even if it's very, very late!" 

Bondita gulped, and started to back out of the room as her Kakasasurji and Anirudh glared at each other. 

"What nonsense," Trilochan huffed and stormed to the doorway where Batuk and Bondita were heading out. 

He noticed that Bondita had a sad look on her face. 

"Bahu, what happened?" he asked her.

"Kakasasurji... nothing," she mumbled. 

"Batuk, go outside and wait," Trilochan ordered. 

Batuk unhappily went outside, wondering why his Kaka was speaking to his Boudi privately like this. 

"Tell me Bahu, what's bothering you?" Kaka asked her. 

"I just remembered that my Pati Babu encourages my studies and it's a great thing, but our relationship is only that. It's only of a Shikshak and his Shishya," she confessed sadly. "I understand that relationships don't happen with force. It just hurts a little bit that my Pati Babu and I can never be together. I keep remembering that we are far apart now. It's not like before anymore. Anyways Kakasasurji, I should go or I will be late." 

Kaka watched her go with a crestfallen expression on his face. Then a surge of anger hit him and he stormed back inside to the living room where Anirudh went back to reading his newspaper. 

Trilochan snatched the newspaper from Anirudh and yelled, "Do you even know what you're doing?"

Anirudh looked up with a start.