Barrister Babu

Chapter 13: Assistant Lawyer

"Bondita, I wanted to tell you something. It totally slipped off my mind," Anirudh started while driving back home.

She took a sip of water and turned to him. "Yes?"

"Do you remember I couldn't attend your graduation because I had some issues to deal with?" he asked and Bondita was reminded of that day. She wasn't happy at all and cried the whole week after getting Anirudh's letter. But he had no idea. "The villagers tried to kill a woman, Mala and her mother, so I had to rescue them. I fought for them in court too."

Bondita's chest filled with pride. Even though she was sad he couldn't come, she knew he had a reason. "Then what happened?"

"Since they had no place to stay, I offered them to stay at our outhouse," he let out.

"They are still there? I will meet them, Patibabu!" She was eager to meet the mother-daughter duo, after all she loved meeting new people.

"Sure." He had a smile on his lips. But he was really guilty for not being able to attend his wife's graduation. I will make it up to you, Bondita, shotti, he thought to himself.

"You know, Patibabu, today a male barrister, maybe named Mr. Bhasker, tried to trash talk with me," she started narrating her whole day and Anirudh listened with full attention, as if he didn't already know the story. "He thought since I am a woman, I cannot trash talk as per our society rules, but I am also Bondita Roy Chawdhary. When I wasn't a barrister, I still used to reply to everyone and question them. Now that I have a title, how can I stop giving befitting replies?"

"Exactly, Bondita. You should never stop that, because tark se fark mitega," he reminded her.

She nodded.

"And don't be upset that you aren't getting any cases. It's only your first day and nothing is easy in life. Getting the first case is the most difficult task but once you get that, people will acknowledge you."

"I understand," she muttered when something struck in her mind. "By the way, I have been meaning to tell you. Please don't give any of your cases to me. I want to get my first case on my own."

Anirudh raised his eyebrows in amusement. "I never said I would." Even though I was thinking about it, how did she know? he wondered.

"I know," she smiled. "I just know you too well."

He was surprised that despite being away for years, she didn't change. She could still read him like an open book.

"Okay, I won't do that, but you can assist me in my cases. Like being my assistant lawyer until you get your first case. So you don't have to sit out in the open in this scorching heat with nothing to do. How does that sound?"

Bondita twitched her lips before grinning, "Okay, Patibabu!" In that way, I can also stay close to you, like always, she thought in her mind.