The Unventured Passions

Need, Want and Wish.

"What are you doing here?"

Bondita half opened her tired eyelids and asked the question in irritation.
It was almost night, and her husband, who hadn't left her side even for once this entire time, had gone down to make a telephone call assuming her to be asleep. Her friend had accompanied him too.

"I was hoping you'd be awake."
The accented English words sounded poisonous to Bondita's weary ears. She flinched her face and turned her eyes away, and the British woman approached her slowly.

"What do you want?" Bondita asked again, and in response Candice just pulled a chair and sat infront of the small cot where Bondita was lying.

"I want you to know that the doctors have confirmed my pregnancy, and your husband has promised me my due justice." Candice spoke slowly.
"And, now that I am going to be a part of the family, I want us to work on our differences."

"You can never be a part of my family Mrs. Mckenzie." Bondita breathed out the words, yet not facing the woman out of a nauseating revulsion, and Candice continued to speak.

"You family was meant to be my family, long back Bondita Roy Chowdhury, perhaps even before you're born, and finally I'll be a part of it."

Bondita didn't reply, instead she just turned her face and looked at her with frowned eyes.

"I see right through you Madam. You schemed my brother in-law into this, didn't you?" She sighed.
"Just last night you were speaking of your undying love for my husband, and tonight you are speaking of being the mother of his brother's child. What kind of a woman are you Candice?"
Bondita tried to get up, but tiredness gave in, so did her throbbing head.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio..." Candice smiled at her, "Women holds secrets of the universe, the depth of which is unfathomable dear Bondita... And let me tell you one little secret here, this woman here, she holds the secret that could break your family in an instance." Candice chuckled, and on this Bondita smiled too, a smile of distaste.

"Karyeshu Dasi, Karaneshu Manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha, Roopeshu lakshmi, Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Shat dharmayukta, Kuladharma Pathni... That's the defination of woman in my universe Mrs. Mckenzie. We aren't the mysterious vixens that your poet might have curated in his plays, but we bear the patience of Sita, and persistence of Draupadi." Bondita paused to breathe, and looking at Candice's confused expression she let out a soft chuckle.
"What? Got muddled with my little Vedic reference? And here you want to be a part of my family... Hush now..."

Bondita pressed her lips in a smile, and closed her eyes, and in an instance she heard Candice getting up from the chair and inching closer to her.

"I might not know your Vedic references Bondita, not yet, but I know this that if I tell my dear old husband that your little brother in law has raped me, and I am bearing the fruit of his torture, you know what the British government would do to him? Or your family?" She pursed her lips and leaned a little towards Bondita, and Bondita trembled in disgust.

"You won't do any such thing."

"I won't", Candice promptly replied. " Provided your husband keeps his promise. I'll marry your brother in law and be a part of the Royal Roy Chowdhury family, a queen I'll be... I always dreamt of..."

Bondita frowned at her words.
"We are no royals. Just landlords! What's wrong with you? You won't be any queen Candice, and trust me my brother in law would never accept you as his wife, and neither would I."

"Ahh...! Who said I need his acceptance? I just want acceptance for my son! And, as a mother I'm prepared to go to any extent to see that my son gets his due."