More than just Feluda (Fanfic)

Leap through the Years

The years have gone by... Except for many more achievements for him in espionage, their personal life did not change a lot. Sindhuja however noticed how he slowly grew distant from her, busy as more cases and work came in. He would be outside for a lot of time and while at home, still busy in his own work. She was now used to him not talking to her for hours or even days on the go, because he was working on something and didn't want to be disturbed. But then when the case was over he would come and sit by her side again, but then think of something else and go back into his stuff. Though he still had love for her, she knew her place in his world was getting smaller and smaller.

She had now found something for herself too; books, poems, music filled in empty space meant for him. She spent her time more and more in these arts, so she could momentarily forget about what was slipping away from her hands.

1975:

Sindhuja was nearly dozing off when the door closed. Forcing her eyes to open, she turned her head to see who it was. There in her room, she saw a tall man probably the same height as him, but more bulky and with a long greying beard. He had a thick brow and dark skin, and was wearing a dirty grey kurta with an equally dusty pyjama that was supposed to be white. He turned to her to say something, but she was terrified, so much that her throat had forgotten how to make a sound to shout for help. Heart racing and struggling to find her voice, she staggered to the other end of the bed and stood up on the floor grabbing a broom nearby. He stared at her in a familiar way, eyes wide in amusement. 

Meanwhile she realised she could speak again and was about shout out and call everyone in the house, when he tossed himself over the bed and held her hand with the broom away from them. She had already shouted for help twice when he covered her mouth with his other hand and said in a tense voice, 

"Shhh.... Shut up! It's me Sindhu!..."

Her eyes grew even wider in shock. She knew this voice.

Her own voice muffled into a whisper, "Mitter Babu!"

He brought his hands down and she heaved a sigh of relief. Then he fell on the bed behind and burst out laughing as she still stood frozen in place. Seeing him cackle like this in a long time, she felt light inside but decided to not show it out. Throwing the broom down, she crossed her arms and glared at him, which cracked him up even more.
"This isn't funny at all."

Somehow stopping his bouts of laughter, he said, "Of course it is... You really didn't recognise me, did you?"

"Not at all! I was so scared!..."

"Scared? My dear wife, you might just have beaten me down with your poor little broom today! If the others in the house had heard you, things would have been even worse..." He said still grinning.

"Actually I should have done that... That's what you deserve for playing such a terrible trick on me!"

"But I'm just coming back from my work, what have I done?"

She put on a frown. "The only thing you've done is nearly given me a heart-attack!"

"As if you'll get one so easily... You might as well shove the heart attack off with your mighty broom-weapon!"

"Stop it!"

"No but this really is a good idea... Fighting off goons with a -broom..." He said laughing again. "You must tell this amazing idea of yours to Lalmohanbabu, for any fight-scenes he might want to write..."

"Yeah, where the heroine beats up the hero so bad that he can't go on any stupid adventures for atleast the next six months..."

"Oh come on, you've always supported his works despite me picking on the mistakes... Calling THE Prakhar Rudra's adventures stupid isn't something Sindhuja would say!"

"No but I'm talking about THE P. C. Mitter's adventures here; what have you been up to with this shabby fancy-dress at midnight?!"

"Not something stupid, okay? It was necessary for me to go undercover tonight..."

She frowned. "Alright, whatever that necessity may be, please change back now. You look like the creepy old men sitting by the Fancy market's corner-alleys."

"Yeah, yeah..." He lightly stretched and got on his feet.

Going towards the bathroom, he stopped and turned to her. "And, I'll be going early tomorrow and return by around the same time. Don't wait for me during dinner."

"I don't wait for you to have dinner anyways. Neither for lunch, breakfast or even to sleep." She said in a tired voice.

But he had already left to the bathroom.