The Unventured Passions

At Ease with Sorrow

"Tell me what's going on? Will you?" Beenapani spoke softly forwarding the cup of tea towards Bondita.
"You aren't physically unwell, I can see that? So what happened?" She insisted.
"Did the old man..."

"Who? What?" Bondita lifted her eyes to look at her friend.

"Your husband I mean... Did anything happen? Why were you talking about trust back there?"

Bondita took a sip from the earthen cup.
"Trust is a very brittle emotion, Beena. It takes ages to build but only a careless moment to break." She exhaled sharply burying her face once again into a book she had been reading.
"Sorry that I got you expelled too."

"Don't worry about that, I was looking for a reason to drop the subject anyway." Beena let out a soft chuckle.
"Tell me Bondita, what's bothering you?"

"Everything... " Bondita looked up.
"Everything is bothering me Beena... My very existence... Have you ever felt that the person whom you live for doesn't require you in his life anymore?"

Beena swallowed.
"Are you... in love Bondita?"

"Am I? I'd be a fool if I am!" Bondita sighed.

"Is it the old man?"

"Who?" Bondita narrowed her eyes for a moment trying to gauge her question before she chuckled and nodded her head slowly in negation.

"Then who?" Beena's voice was low and measured.

"May I seek the pleasure of speaking to her please?"

Before Bondita could respond to her friend's question, an old husky voice had startled Beena, making her turn around quickly to find the owner of the such a masculine melody
"May I?" The old man spoke again.

This was the first time Beena got a close up view of the old man's appearance. She had seen him before, from a far, speaking to Bondita, probably expressing his love to her in his own quirky way. But never did she imagine him to be this handsome. Probably in his fifties, but his proud frame was tall and strong. Even the ancient wrinkles on his face and those grey eyebrows couldn't suppress the godlike features that might have made women weak during their prime. But the most striking aspect of his entire appearance were his eyes, a pair of blue ocean like orbs radiating elegance.
How can Bondita not love such a man!
Beena gasped as she slowly stood up from the table, her heart couldn't help but saddened at this elderly man's misfortune.
No man deserves infidelity... No man deserves to be not loved...
She had seen her brother pinning for the love of his infidel wife, she had seen him change day by day, a little by little... sinking into an unloved misery.
How can Bondita, her dearest friend, do this to him? Her own husband!

Beena's awestruck thoughts were interrupted once again.
"Please sit. I too wished to speak to you." Bondita's voice was unenthusiastic and plain, the sound of which made Beena's heart wretch a little. She had lost her love at a tender age, and there wasn't anything in the world that could cause her pain than tales of lost loves.
With a heavy heart, she got up from the table leaving behind a saddened sigh that echoed through the ambience of the overcasted outdoor canteen.

"Sit." Bondita gestured towards the empty chair with her eyes.
"Tell me... Were you aware that Girish Da was involved actively in Swadeshi movement?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes."

"Were you aware of what he was planning?" Her voice was harder than before.

"Yes."

"Were you aware that he was planning on using me to fulfill his mission?"

"No... I wasn't."

An uncomfortable abrupt silence prevailed between the two as Satya finally started to speak.