"Bondita.." Sweta yells from downstairs making the said gild flinch at the loud voice.

"Yes Ma.." She yelled back. "Come down, you need to make something sweet today." Sweta yelled back and went to the kitchen.

Bondita still calls her Ma. Because that's what her husband calls her. She came down holding her saree carefully and went into the kitchen.

"Yes Ma.." She asked again. "Come and make something sweet which you can." Sweta said getting away from the stove.

Bondita looked at the stove and then at Sweta. "What? Get to work.." Sweta said rolling her eyes. "I don't know how to cook." She whispered slowly.

Sweta looked at her surprised. "What? You don't know how to.. cook..? " She asked. Bondita nodded her head.

Sweta slapped her forehead and shook her head in disbelief. "Don't know what Trilochan da saw in you." She taunted and took out the ingredients which will be used in making the kheer.

Bondita quietly look down playing with the hem of her saree. "Now don't just stand there. Go and wash these utensils at least. " She said to Bondita.

Bondita quickly took the utensils towards the washing area and kept them on the ground before sitting herself.

She started cleaning them one by one but it was soon turned to disaster when her saree started getting all wet from all sides due to water.

After some time she finished doing the dishes and took them towards Sweta whose eyes widened seeing almost all the kitchen wet and water dripping from her saree.

"What the-- Bondita what are you doing. Stop moving." She shouted making her stop in her tracks.

Sweta came forward and took the utensils from her hands and glared at her. "Were you playing with water huh? Why did wet your clothes like this?" She asked, her voice stern and cold.

Bondita lowered her head. "I didn't realize--"

"Wow.. Didn't your mother teach you anything rather than running your mouth huh? Such a waste you are." Sweta taunted and held her by her arms while dragging her out of the kitchen forcefully.

"Ahhh.." She yelped as her feet got stuck in her saree loose end making her fall but not entirely as her arm is still in Sweta's hold.

"Be careful gurl.." Sweta said and took her to the bedroom. "Go and change before coming back to the kitchen. " She said and closed the door.

Bondita just looked at her with wide fearful eyes and sat on the floor near the door.

"I want my Ma.." She cried softly.

Trilochan was coming downstairs when he heard thensoft sobbing sound. He frowned in confusion and made his way towards the sound only to come in front of Bondita's room.

He knocked on the door softly. "Bahut??" He asked. Bondita just hiccuped. Trilochan slowly opened the door and saw Bondita sitting in her wet clothes.

"Ohh Lord.. Why are sitting here like this? " He asked crouching in front of her.

Bondita flinched slightly but then wiped her nose and looked at Trilochan with her teary eyes.

"I want to go to my Ma.. " She cried. Trilochan smiled softly for the first time and patted her head.

"Okay.. I will send you there, now stop crying." He said. Bondita nodded and then pointed at the saree.

"I don't like wearing these clothes. Can't I wear mine regular clothes, please kaka sasur ji.." She asked looking hopeful.

"No bahu.. Girl are expected to wear these after being married.. Hmm?" He asked softly. Bondita shook her head. "No.. See I got all wet because I don't know how to handle it please kaka sasur ji let me wear my simple clothes. Please.." She wailed rubbing her feet on the floor.

Trilochan sighed and looked at her. "Okay okay.. Fine, you can now stop crying." He said when he saw her crying more hysterically.

Bondita stopped crying right away. "Really?" She asked. Trilochan nodded his head in defeat.

"Thank you kaka sasur ji.." She said happily and hugged him. Trilochan was baffled for a moment before hesitantly patting her head.

"Now go and change, you will catch a cold and don't you want to go to your mother's house?" He asked.

Bondita nodded her head and stood up before going inside the bathroom with another saree. As she doesn't have her clothes in this room right now.

“Is everything ready?” Trilochan asked, halting Bihari Babu mid-step as he placed a neatly wrapped gift box into the car.

“Yes, malik…” Bihari replied dutifully, giving a quick nod before continuing with his work.

Trilochan gave a silent nod of approval and turned away, heading back to the living room. With Binoy away in town with Sweta to visit her ailing grandmother, he knew this was the perfect opportunity to send Bondita to her mother’s house—especially with Anirudh accompanying her. It would avoid unnecessary questions, and perhaps, keep the house a little quieter for a while.

He had just settled into his chair when the soft, musical sound of anklets floated through the air. His ears perked up before his eyes followed the sound to the staircase. Bondita was descending slowly, holding onto the railing with one hand and adjusting her saree with the other.

Her small frame was almost lost in the oversized fabric, but she carried herself with a strange mix of nervousness and pride. Trilochan raised an eyebrow, confused.

She walked up to him with a gentle smile and bowed to touch his feet. “Always be happy,” he said, his voice softening just a little as he blessed her. Her smile grew.

“But why are you again wearing the saree? Yesterday you were crying so as not to wear it,” he asked, eyes narrowing in mild suspicion.

Bondita giggled, a sweet sound. “Because I am going to my Ma… Ma says we should wear only saree after marriage and I don't want to get scolded by her. So I will wear other dresses here,” she added matter-of-factly, her tiny finger pointing around the entire haveli.

“She is right… A woman should wear what is made for her,” Trilochan said with a nod of approval, though the firmness in his voice made Bondita’s lips form a small pout.

“But you agreed, Kaka Sasur ji…” she whined, tilting her head and folding her arms.

“I don’t know why I did that…” he muttered under his breath, mostly to himself.

“Huh… Did you say something, Kaka Sasur ji?” Bondita asked curiously, her eyes wide as she leaned a little closer.

Trilochan quickly shook his head. “Nothing,” he said, waving his hand as if brushing off the thought.

She gave a quick nod and quietly sat down beside Trilochan on the sofa. The old man raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. No one ever sat this close to him—except Anirudh. It was an unspoken rule in the haveli, a boundary respected by all.

But then again… she was his wife.

He cleared his throat and subtly shifted a little away from her, though she didn’t seem to notice. Her small legs dangled above the floor, swinging back and forth as she hummed something under her breath. A few moments passed in silence before she finally spoke, her voice curious and innocent.

“Where’s pati babu?” she asked, glancing around the room.

Trilochan looked up from the edge of his newspaper and sighed. “He must be getting ready, as he came late from his school.”

“Ohh… He also goes to school?” she asked, eyes widening with surprise.

“Yes, of course. He is a Roy Chaudhary—education is in our blood,” Trilochan said with quiet pride, straightening his shoulders slightly as he unfolded the newspaper fully in front of him.

Bondita was about to ask another question when they heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Anirudh came rushing out of his room, his kurta slightly crumpled and hair still wet from a quick shower. He ran his fingers through it in a feeble attempt to tame the damp strands, his brows furrowed in concentration. He paused in front of them, trying to look composed, though the faint flush on his cheeks gave him away.

“I’m sorry… I came late from school,” he said, straightening his posture and avoiding Bondita’s eyes.

Trilochan and Bondita both looked at him without saying anything at first, and that only made him shift uncomfortably on his feet. He glanced at them, a bit confused.

“We have to go, no?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yes, but not like this…” Trilochan finally said, standing up with a sigh. He picked up his shawl and walked toward Anirudh.

Before Anirudh could protest, Trilochan began rubbing his wet hair with the shawl, like he had done countless times when Anirudh was smaller.

“Kaka… I can do it,” Anirudh said, stepping back a little, clearly embarrassed. His eyes flickered to Bondita, who was watching him silently, her chin resting on her palm.

“I said I’ll do it,” he repeated, ruffling his hair roughly and turning his face away, hoping the heat in his cheeks wasn’t too visible.

“Shall we go?” he muttered quickly. “It’ll dry on its own in the car.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving Trilochan shaking his head and Bondita suppressing a smile.

Both Anirudh and Bondita stood at the front gate, the sun casting long shadows behind them as the car slowly backed up, turning to face the direction it needed to go. A faint breeze played with the ends of Bondita’s pallu while Anirudh absentmindedly kicked a pebble near his feet.

He glanced around, his sharp eyes scanning the quiet courtyard. Apart from a few maids lingering in the distance, it was just the two of them. He turned toward his kaka, frowning slightly.

“Where are Ma and Baba?” he asked, voice low but curious.

Trilochan, who was standing a little ahead, looked over his shoulder at the boy and then turned back to face the road. “She and Binoy went to her grandmother’s house,” he said, his tone flat. “She’s unwell, so they went to check on her.”

Anirudh nodded slowly, accepting the answer without a second thought. “Oh,” was all he said.

Trilochan watched him from the corner of his eye, his shoulders loosening just a little. He let out a quiet breath. The boy hadn’t caught on. Not yet.

He knew that the time would come—sooner or later—when Anirudh would understand that his mother hadn’t approved of this visit. That her dislike for Bondita and her world wasn’t just casual indifference, but something deeper, something rooted in prejudice. But for now, let him remain untouched by that knowledge. Let him be a little boy still figuring things out, without carrying the burden of such realities.

Trilochan’s gaze drifted to Bondita, who stood with her arms neatly crossed, her eyes bright as she looked at the road ahead, unaware of the silent war being fought in the minds of the adults around her.

No one knew about his decision—not even Binoy. No one had been consulted when he tied a Roy Chaudhary name to a girl from such a background. A girl who, by their world’s standards, didn’t stand a chance.

And yet, here she was. A small, innocent thing beside his nephew.

Bihari opened the door of the back seat of the car as Anirudh got inside followed by Bondita.

Bihari babu closed the door and backed away to let the car pass.

Bondita waved to Trilochan who just stood there with stoic face but one can clearly make out of the faint lines of smile that was threatening to break through his lips.

"Wow.. It's so beautiful.." Bondita said leaning on the car's door while Anirudh was watching her.

He was carefully kept his hold on the loose end of her saree so she doesn't loose her balance while standing.

It wasn't intentional, it just happens on instinct as he always made sure Batuk stay safe during car rides. So it has become an habit of him.

"Do you think we can eat from these fields, pati babu?" Bondita asked pointing at a field full of corns and turned around to get her answer.

Anirudh looked at the field and then back at Bondita. "We can't.. It doesn't belong to us." He replied. "Now sit properly otherwise you will fall." He said making her sit.

"I won't.. Let me see.." She stood up again and started looking out of the car.

"Ufff... Why it's always getting in the way? " She cried tugging her hair for the nth time during the journey.

"What happened? " He asked curiously. She looked back and pointed at her hairs. "I think my clips fell somewhere." She pouted and sat on the seat with her arms crossed.

He furrowed his brows and looked at her hairs again. "Then use another one." He said. "I don't have another. It was the only I have but now it's also gone." She whined.

Anirudh thought for a moment and then his gaze fell upon the brooch which was pinned onto his kurta and without thinking he took it out and forwarded it to her.

She looked at the brooch confused and then back at Anirudh. "Tie your hair with it." He said.

Bondita looked at Anirudh and then laughed out. "It has pin.. It will not stay in the hair, pati babu.." She laughed covering her mouth with her little fingers.

Anirudh cheeks turned pink in embarrassment as he look down and quietly pulled his hand back.

Bondita shook her head and looked out of the car again but a smile was still evidently present on her face.

Anirudh also looked out of the car, the redness slowly going down while the brooch was still fisted in his hand carefully.

Author here..

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