Barrister Babu

Chapter 62: Collapsed World

Batuk sat on the sofa of the living room, the landline receiver pressed to his ear, his other hand gripping the armrest tightly. His jaw tightened with frustration as he listened to his father's voice on the other end of the line.

"Baba, why did you send me this?" he asked sharply, glancing at the envelope on the table in front of him.

Binoy's voice came through the receiver, calm yet resolute. "Because it's time, Batuk. Look, Anirudh got his degree from London. I want you to get your degree from Italy. I would've sent Som too, but he wants to study from here, wanting to serve the people of his country. So this is an opportunity to study business in Italy and prepare for the responsibilities that await you."

Batuk's fingers dug into the armrest. "I don't need to go abroad to prove myself! Anirudh Dada is serving the people of this country, Baba. Som Dada wants to stay here and help too. Why can't I?"

There was a pause on the line before Binoy sighed, his voice sharpening. "That's exactly why I want you to go. Anirudh and Som have chosen their paths, but this family needs someone to take over the business fully—without rebellion, without excuses. You can't all be idealists. Someone has to be practical. That someone is you. Besides, I am also respecting your passion too. It has an Arts curriculum as well."

Batuk clenched his teeth, his emotions beginning to swirl into anger. "Baba, I—"

But Binoy cut him off, his tone turning cold and deliberate. "Don't forget, Batuk. Your mother... she gave her life bringing you into this world. I had dreams for you, dreams I never got to fulfill. Don't let me down."

The words hit Batuk like a punch to the chest. His grip on the receiver faltered, his voice trembling as he tried to respond. "Baba... that's not fair."

Before he could gather himself, his eyes caught a sudden blur of movement outside the living room window. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Bondita running through the courtyard, her saree flowing behind her, her face streaked with tears.

"Boudi!" he whispered, an alarm flashing in his eyes.

In the distance, he noticed Anirudh racing after her, his voice calling out urgently, "Bondita, wait, please!"

Batuk's mind went blank, the argument with his father forgotten in an instant. "I need to go," he said hastily into the receiver. Without waiting for Binoy's response, he slammed the phone back onto the cradle and ran after his boudi.

As he ran, his father's words echoed faintly in his mind, but they were drowned out by the urgency of the moment. His boudi was crying and whatever had caused her to run like that, he couldn't stand by and do nothing.

The sound of his own footsteps joined Anirudh's in the courtyard as both men pursued the one person they couldn't bear to see in pain.

The air outside the mansion felt heavy, the stillness broken only by the hurried rustling of footsteps. Bondita darted out of the haveli, her face streaked with tears, her vision blurred by emotion. She didn't care where she was going—she just needed to escape.

Anirudh and Batuk followed, their footsteps echoing urgently through the courtyard.

"Boudi!" Batuk called out, his voice laced with confusion and worry. He turned to his elder brother, trying to keep pace. "Dada, what happened? What did you do? Why is my Boudi crying?"

Anirudh's jaw tightened, his brows furrowed with frustration and worry. "Batuk," he snapped, his voice firm but trembling slightly, "we'll talk about all this later. For now, let's go after Bondita, okay?"

Batuk opened his mouth to respond but froze as the sound of an engine roared to life nearby. Both brothers whipped their heads toward the driveway.

Anirudh's breath hitched. "No..."