Murder In The Meadows

02| Court

Kaka called Bondita as she was going out.

"Where are you going, Child?"

"Umm, Kaka, I am going to Court."

"Yeah, let Anirudh drop you."

"Sure."

Bondita was surprised that he allowed her to go. Then she got reminded that Anirudh is there to yell at him.

He came down quickly and went out for taking the car. Bondita went and took Kaka's blessings on her first day of court.

"Kaka, bless me as today is the first day of my court."

"Vijaya Bhava, my Child."

Bondita smiled and went to her room to collect her gun, just in case the public goes haywire.

She was just praying that her old family doesn't show up.

"Anirudh, don't you think the streets are eerily silent?"

"No, it is because of a potential threat from Krishna Nagar."

"I once belonged to the Das Family. I got disowned because I disobeyed their Thaku Maa."

"Are you a spy?"

"I wasn't informed of this Enmity until I completed my graduation."

"Oh, okay."

After an hour, they both reached the Court. There were men and women standing there, armed with sticks.

"I told you the village was eerily quiet, Mr. Gangster. You chose not to believe me."

"Aye woman! Go back to the place from where you came."

"If you enter this court, we will not spare you." A woman warned.

Bondita, who had hidden guns and a sword inside her coat, took a threatening step towards the woman.

"Aye, I am warning you again. You shall not step into this court."

"Really?" Bondita drew her gun and loaded it.

"You think I am innocent and cowardly? No. You are mistaken. This is Barrister Bondita."

"AYE!" A man screamed and raised his stick when Bondita aimed her gun at him.

"Want to die? Might as well help you with it." Bondita retorted.

"Do you know who am I?!" Another man asked.

"Why? Your Father didn't tell you?"
Bondita taunted.

The man's jaw dropped, audible gasps came up from the crowd.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Feeling bad for you that your Father didn't tell that you're his son." Bondita tutted.

The police had to intervene and the crowd was forced to part ways and let Bondita and a very shocked Anirudh who's jaw was hung open.

"Close your mouth Anirudh, if craving for insects then keep it open." Bondita said.

"Uhh, sorry," Anirudh mutters and walks alongside her.

Bondita submits the documents to be produced and obtains her Barrister license.

She's shown her cabin, which is next to Anirudh's cabin and  the Judge asks her to start from the next day and assigns Anirudh as her senior.

.

.

Both of them drive back to RC Haveli.

"How was your day, beta?" Kaka asks.

"It went well, except for the villagers who tried to obstruct me from entering the court premises."

"They are always like that, don't worry. Just win a case and prove them wrong." Kaka said, much to Anirudh's shock.

Som and Batuk also came down, but were in for a shock at their Kaka's changed behaviour.

"Chhoti Malkin has started to bring change in Bade Malik." Bihari whispered to his wife.

Both of them freshened up and Anirudh went to the study to work on his newly assigned cases.

Bondita went in to help Sampoorna and Bihari for making the food.

-------

All of them sat down to eat their dinner.

Upon completion, Anirudh had called Bondita to his study and assigned her a few difficult cases.

She sits in the study to work on it. That's when the telephone in the main hall starts to ring.

Seeing no one was picking up the call, Bondita goes and picks up the call.

A panicked Sumati Maa says, "Your father has gone missing, Bondita. Can you help me?!"

Hearing that news from Sumati sends Bondita into panic.

How much ever she hates her family, but her father holds a special place in her heart.

She starts to overthink and the last she sees is the panicked face of Batuk before she blacks out.

-------

Bondita opens her eyes to see herself in a unfamiliar bright room.

"How are you feeling Bondita?" Anirudh asks her.

"What? What happened?"

"You had fainted, we took you to the hospital when you weren't responding."

"Oh, yeah." Bondita's face falls, making Anirudh frown.

Bondita was in deep thoughts, which made Anirudh look at her in concern.

"Bondita." He called, but she was lost in thoughts, "Bondita!" He called her sternly and she looked up, visibly confused.

"What happened Bondita? Why are you in such deep thoughts?" He asked.

"N-nothing."

"Liar. Tell me. Now."

"My father is missing, Anirudh!" Bondita snapped and broke into tears.

Anirudh was in shock.

But something struck him odd. He asked Sampoorna Maa to take care of Bondita and left from the room abruptly and wordlessly.

Her father's disappearance was only the start of a storm.

*****

What was on Anirudh's mind?

Why did he feel something was off when Bondita couldn't? Would his intuitions come true?

Stay tuned to find out.