Anirudh- The Story Of A Misread Barrister

Chapter-55: Anidita's Poetry And Blooming Love

{Note: Breaking all the literary norms, I am using verses from my favourite songs as poetry in this chapter, since I find so many songs aptly suitable for Anidita. So.... }

It was half past five in the evening of the next day. Bondita and I met at our secret meeting place which happened to be the abandoned bungalow in Deenpur. I gave her a new dress and jewels to wear. She looked at me with lot of love in her eyes, which raised my hopes all over again. Indeed I cursed myself for not listening to her fully the previous night.

When Bondita was describing her lover, I couldn't take it; and hence cut her off in the middle. Only if I had shown some patience, I would have been relieved from the emotional unrest. Whatsoever, seeing her excitement, I brushed aside my doubts for the time being and asked her to get ready at the earliest. I too went into another room to change.

It was not so early before we came out of our respective rooms and looked at each other. Apparently, she looked stunning in that get-up too, just like a new bride. Also, ever since she donned the given costume, she started behaving weirdly like a newlywed wife. Her amusing behaviour made me laugh, as well as incited a wave of excitement within me. Consequently, bowing to the ploy of my delusive mind, I went closer to her, to adjust the head ornament that adorned her hairline. Then, as a matter of course, my hand went to the chain that stretched out along the ear from behind her large ear hanging to the hair. While loosening its hook that clasped her hair tightly, I asked,

"Is it hurting you?"

She was moving her head to say no, before which she sneezed. I understood that it was the effect of the previous night. In the process of attending to my needs, she stayed in wet clothes for a longer time, and the result was evident. She caught cold. At once, I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and gave her. Clasping it immediately, she rubbed her nose with utmost cuteness, while I stood there enjoying the sight.

My stare couldn't escape Bondita's awareness. Essentially, a woman is blessed with the power to understand a man's gaze and the intention behind it. So, as a response to my looks, her cheeks turned red. It didn't happen for the first time that day. In fact, ever since we arrived at this mansion and began writing stanzas of love, she blushed every now and then. Since it is an organic human response to the emotion called love, I didn't find it strange. In fact, I also felt the same way as she did while writing those verses of love, which we had planned to recite in the function at Noor Jahan's house that night.

I must admit, it was a fantastic afternoon, when we sat in the wide veranda of the mansion with papers and pens to scribble down some lines which would be recited by two lovers. We often blushed while writing, hid our faces behind our hands, looked away from each other and laughed when we went too dramatic here and there. Whatever, finally we came up with a decent draft which was good enough to convince our audience that we belong to the group of poets and musicians who were to entertain the marriage party in Khans' mansion that night.

"Pati babu, how am I looking?", Bondita asked, making me widen my eyes in a delightful shock at the term pati babu. Only I know how much I missed listening to that name.

"I asked, how am I looking?", she asked again.

This time it was my turn to sneeze before giving an answer. I sneezed twice.

"I told you to stay back at my house for the night, but you were in no mood to listen. Look, you caught cold. If you keep sneezing like this, your beard and moustache will surely come off and we will get caught.", Bondita rebuked, while I frowned.

"By the way, you look so good in this beard and moustache. I think you should give it a try in reality too.", Bondita admitted.

When I asked for the kerchief, she hesitated. Instead, she reached out to her bag to take the unused hanky that she brought. However, I held her hand to stop and took the one that I gave her.