The Unventured Passions

Chanced Rendezvous

The prestigious old library had quite a few tall walls of ancient volumes, Upanishads, Vedas and what not, though mostly they were now a sort of decoration to set the scene. Every tall shelf was neatly arranged with books of different subjects. From Philosophy to history, from literature to social sciences, the collection was a treasure house for any book lover.
Although fashioned in a little ancient style, the library was as vibrant as ever, spacious, and had comfortable seating arrangements, places to read in peace and quitetude. The old librarian, a man in his mid fifties with an ever amiable smiling face, was there to offer advice and ensure the serenity of the space so that one can focus in and relax.

Bondita closed her eyes to inhale the dampened fragrance of old books. Her lips automatically curled up into a beautiful smile at the relaxing momentum of the place.
Greeting the old librarian back, she walked through the tall book shelves, her eyes skimming the books in awe. The bindings were in either red or blue with the titles engraved in golden or silver prints. She picked up a book from a shelf in the history section and started to flip through the pages. The printed words looked alive to her as her eyes skimmed through the pages. Determined to take the book for a read, Bondita looked across the shelves towards the librarian as her eyes caught the sight of three uniformed British police eyeing the place. Clearly annoyed at this unpleasant intrusion, Bondita let out a sigh and turned back towards the shelf only to be startled by a whispering male voice.

"Bondita!" The voice hushed as she quickly turned to face the source of the sound, and her shoulders clashed with that of the man's, standing within a very close proximity.

"Excuse... Who are... " Bondita inched back a few steps as the man raised his hand, touching her mouth in a gesture to hush her words.

Bondita looked closely. The man was old, may be in his late fifties. He was wearing an expensive silk kurta paired with a dhoti neatly pleated at the bottom. His salt and pepper hair was back brushed revealing the wrinkles on his forehead. But, there was something odd about this old man, something which at that very moment seemed unfathomable to her.
Bondita furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her gaze as her eyes met his, his large crystal clear green eyes!
In a flash of a moment, Bondita's memories were jogged as she widened her eyes in astonishment.

"Satyakirth??!" She exclaimed.

The old man nodded his head and pleaded her to be silent.

"They are looking for me." He gestured at the British officers with his eyes.
"Pretend that you know me. Please!" He urged her earnestly.

The officers were walking around the library with their cruel eyes scanning for the prey. Bondita saw one of them approaching them as she quickly pulled out two more books from the shelf and handed them to Satya.

"No no no...I won't listen a word!" She suddenly raised her voice and yelled at him. Satya gulped, he felt a sharp cold tingle of apprehension down his spine. He expected cooperation from this women, and he is seldom wrong about his intuition about humans. But why was she shouting!!
His dry throat and racing mind contemplated his next course of action, should he just run? But then, his mind rejected the idea eyeing the pistol latched to the officer's waistband.

"You had promised me last time, I won't listen a word..." Bondita yelled again.
"You have to take me to a bioscope right now!!" She winked her eyes at him as he shut his eyes releasing a brewing uneasiness. He felt as if a heavy stone was being lifted from his chest. He cleared his dry throat and played along.

"But, sweetheart... I'll take you next week, promise... My knees hurt!" Satya replied in a made up grainy voice, imitating that of an old man's.

"Next week!! Never!! Right now... At this very moment, or else I'll go to my parents!!" Bondita crossed her arms folding them to her chest as she looked away in psudo anger.

"Sweetheart... !!"

"Don't you sweetheart me now!" Bondita cut his words in the middle and continued her act.
"How it is my fault that you are old with bad knees? I want to go to see a bioscope right now!!" She demanded and stamped her feet.
"You if don't take me, I'll find someone else."

"A little silence there!!" The librarian was looking at them with furrowed eyes, clearly curious to know the identity of the old man bantering with the young woman.

"See... You came to meet me in a library of all places because wanted to avoid talking." Bondita rolled her eyes at Satya.

"Now, keep these books back and come out with me at once." She gripped his arm and almost dragged him out of the library leaving a flabbergasted librarian, a bunch of prying readers and a pair of amused British officers behind.

"Why do these old men even marry such young fiesty things!!" One of the officer joked.

"A dying moth and the flame... Haven't you heard?" The other officer chuckled softly.
"Let's check the canteen, shall we?"

Bondita and Satya had stood right outside the library door, sneaking just enough to hear the officers. She had gripped his arm all along in anticipation as her heartbeat paced in irregular rhythm.

"Let's go from here." She hushed, tugging him towards the staircase to reach the next floor.

Satya pulled her back, making her almost fall on his chest.
"Not there, the other way," he pointed towards the lobby leading to the green mantle outside, in the open.

Bondita nodded her head and followed him.
The busy corridor inside the department building was bustling with learners and educators, everyone engaged in their own bidding, or perhaps a little too busy in pursuit of their own selves that they failed to notice the freshman woman walking beside the old man, head down, and in desparate attempts to blend in with the flow.
"I don't think anybody is noticing us!!" Bondita hushed and smiled.
"I guess we resemble any regular professor student duo."

"Or a father daughter duo!" Satya added with a lively smirk, uncharacteristic to his fabricated look.

Bondita smiled brightly at him.
"Yes, that's better. Now tell me what are you doing here? What's all these? And this masquerade disguise?" She eyed the wrinkles on his forehead.
"Last time I saw you, you were dressed as a woman, and now this!"

"What to do Bondita, I'm cursed with a distinctive face, unforgettable I'm being told," he smirked meaningfully.
"The disguise is probably the only way..."

"And you definitely seemed to have mastered it." Bondita unclipped her sling bag and took out a small round brass box.
"Hungry?" She asked.

Satyakirth's face brightened at her question.
"Starving!"

.......................................

The black car sped towards the Alipore Judge Court as the two brothers sat silently inside, each lost in their own thoughts. They hadn't spoken since they dropped Raimoti to her house. It was at the gate of the courthouse when Anirudh broke the silence.

"Judge Neelmoni Mukherjee is the one to pass the verdict on Swadeshi movement arrest case." He paused.
"Lives of twenty one Krantikari depends on this! Batuk, I'm trying my best to get my way through this... And, and all I'm asking is a little help."

Batuk sighed.
"So should I just act? Force myself into this?"

"No. Follow your heart." Anirudh placed his hand on Batuk's shoulder.
"But just be a bit mindful... And ofcourse, don't hurt her."

Batuk nodded his head slowly and he saw his charismatic elder brother walk towards the courthouse entrance with a aura of magnanimity around him.
He took a deep breath and started up the ignition.
Destination. Bondita.

.........................................