The Unventured Passions

Marriages and Togetherness

There is so much to learn from the night sky. The stars twinkling in the darkness are the nemesis of hope, and their faint glow is the reason to believe in all the good that there is!
Even in the darkness of that February night, the four souls, deserted, wondering without a shelter were hopeful, and it was perhaps this hope that had made the hardships of the night easier for them.

The tent was prepared, nothing fancy, but a large polythene sheet, well covered, hung on two bamboo poles, their sides stretched forming a triangle with the support of heavy stones. The flooring was simple too, a straw mat placed neatly on the green dewy grass. Its wasn't much, but it was comfortable.

"You take rest, I'll take the first watch," Anirudh had remarked, "let the ladies rest inside."

Satya nodded, readily agreeing to this proposition, and as Bondita and Raimoti retired inside the tent, Anirudh and Satya sat by the fire, their eyes casted lazily at the burning flame, they minds thoughtful.

"So where next Satya?"
Anirudh asked, without looking up, and Satya let out a loud sigh.

"Rangpur palace is probably the place that can keep us safe for this week... Do you think going to Tulsipur would be safer?"

Anirudh nodded in negation.
"No Satya... Kaka and my daughter is there, me in Tulsipur at this moment would only jeopardize their safety."
He stretched his arms and flexed his muscles to relax, resting his back against a bolder, his eyes looking up at the starry night.

"So it's all till the final hearing... And our paths would be diverged... But, know this Satya, whenever in life, if you think I can be of any help... Never hesitate... Not even for a second."

His words were genuine and it warmed Satya's heart.
"It's good to have someone to fall back to..." He smiled, pausing a little, as he looked straight at him, an earnest expression in his voice.
"Anirudh Da... Do you think we can breath in a free country? In this life?"

"Ofcourse!" Anirudh smiled back. "Have faith brother... There will be a time when our mother won't be in shackles anymore, but then she'd want her sons to support her to stand up, be free again, in the true sense."

Satya sighed, inhaling the depth of Anirudh's words in his lungs, as he looked up at him again.

"Can I ask you something Anirudh Da?"

"Sure."

Satya hesitated for a moment.
"I've... I've been on my own my entire life. But I want to know... how is it like to have someone to share your life with?"

Anirudh closed his eyes and exhaled at his question, and his hesitation made him smile.
"It's a privilege... A privilege that all men aren't destined to have... And if you do... You shouldn't ever let it go."

"And what if that involves risks?"

"Living life alone is risk Satya... And, it's not just about you, it's about the will and want of the other person as well... You can't just shut yourself fearing the risks!" His words were calm, his eyes sky-bound.
"I might sound selfish, but in life it's alright to be selfish in love... And if you ask me Satya, I don't want to die everyday being away from her, fearing the risks... pinning for her every moment. Rather, whatever time I've I'd wish to spent in her arms."

Satya nodded silently, his eyes had depth, as if brooding over some deep philosophies of life.

"Tell me about Tulsipur Anirudh Da..." He finally spoke, "You have a lovely family."

"That I do." Anirudh smiled gently.

"And your Kaka? How is he like?"
Satya felt a hitch in his voice, sounding a bit unfamiliar to his own ears.