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Tiny feet adorned with heavy silver anklets and alta chimed constantly as if talking to the air.

Coffee in hand and saree draped high, a fifteen-year-old Bondita stormed inside the study.

Hearing the rhythmic jingles of payel, he knew who it was. Aniruddh stood up from behind the desk, alarmed.

He immediately took the coffee cup from her safely and then glared at her.

"What's wrong with you, Toofan? Why are you running, Bondita?"

She looked up at him sheepishly, a smile breaking on his face at her antics.

"Sarry," she gave a toothy grin.

He scoffed but nevertheless chuckled, sitting back in his chair.

"You're not going to change," he sighed, looking at her playfully. "What should I do with you?" A smile approached his lips as he picked up the cup to drink the coffee.

"Pregnant!"
He choked on the coffee, the smile vanishing from his lips. His face fell, horror reaching his eyes.

"When will I get pregnant and have a baby?" she questioned, her doe eyes gleaming.

"W-What? "

He stood up immediately, fury building in his nerves, ready to burst upon the person who shoved this bullshit in his Bondita's mind.

"Yes, when will we cross the boundaries? " His eyes widened. His Bondita was talking about these things!

He came out of his zone, bending to her level. She was now tall up to his ears.

"Who told you all these things?" he barked.

She gazed at him cautiously, fearfully. "No one," she said. "I saw Chinmayee today, our neighbor, my friend. She's my age, and her husband is your age. She was gushing about having a little baby to play with next month. Her baby kicked today, and I felt it in my hand." She informed him excitedly, hoping he'd get excited too.

"And" - she tried to hide her giggle at her friend's funny figure - "she had a belly this big." She bit her lip, animating her hands to show the outer curve around her belly.

Aniruddh rolled his eyes and even feared imagining his Bondita like that.

"Her family invited me to her baby shower."

His head snapped in her direction. She's going there, which means the village women will try to fill her small brain with insignificant information that can affect her in brutal ways.

"YOU..." Aniruddh clenched his jaws and pointed a finger at her. "Won't. Go. There."

"Why?"
She blinked. This man keeps putting traffic on her vacations. She's so done with him.

Havaldaar Babu!

"You won't because I'm saying so." He straightened, running a frustrated hand over his hair.

"Explain! Besides..." She glared at him. "What's wrong with a baby shower? And she's my friend. Are you trying to put restrictions on me?" The words escaped her mouth as soon as regret washed over her.

He looked at her, stunned. He's controlling her! Aniruddh found himself resenting even the mere thought.

"I... I didn't mean that," he spluttered. If she were a little younger, it would have been too easy to just say no, and she would obey. Not anymore.

"But it meant the same"

"No, it didn't," he barely whispered. The anger dissipated in the thin air of misunderstandings.

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