They shortly reached Bondita's village which was a stark contrast to the town life on Anirudh's.

The houses here were small and some of them were even made of mud and hay. You can see a few pucca houses but they weren't plastered and were small in size.

But the air was much more fresh and refreshing than the town's. The vast field of rice and wheat along with trees gives off the vibes of nature being truly nature.

No cars, no bikes, no pollution.

The car stopped right in front of the small house made of bricks and mud.

Bondita's mama and mami were waiting for them at the entrance. Bondita smiled seeing them and waved her hand trying to open the car door.

"Uff it's not opening pati babu.." Bondita cried looking at Anirudh who chuckled and got out of the car.

"Wait I am coming." He said and went the other side of the car to open the door for her little wife.

"Thank you.." She said smiling brightly. Anirudh just smiled and helped her out of the car because of her saree.

Bondita's mama and mami welcomed them and they did some ritual while they waited for her daughter to arrive as well.

Bondita hopped inside to meet her mother tugging Anirudh behind her by holding by his sleeve.

"Bondita.. Don't jump.. Behave like a woman.." Her mama said but Bondita secretly rolled her eyes and looked at Anirudh who was confused.

"Don't listen to him, he always says that woman should be like this like that. I am sure he wanted to be a woman because he knows so much about us than we know.." She whispered to his ear and giggled.

Anirudh laughed at her talks thinking that it can be case with her mama. He looked at him and imagine him as woman and laughed a little louder.

"Let's go and meet Ma. She is very sweet, you will love her." She said and entered a room. She saw her mother sitting on a mat on the floor and reciting something.

She kept her fingers on her lips and shussed Anirudh as not to say anything.

Anirudh nodded his head and kept his finger on his lips as well. Bondita tip-toed behind her mother but before she could say something her mother spoke up.

"You finally came bondita.." She said turning to face her daughter only to chuckle at the scene.

Both Bondita and Anirudh had their fingers on their lips and Anirudh was tip-toeing behind Bondita just like her. He even shrieked like her when they got caught.

"How do you always know when it's me?" She whined and sat down in front of her. Anirudh was still standing feeling awkward.

"Because I am your Ma.. And a mother always knows when her child is around her." She said and pinched Bondita's nose lightly.

"How are you bondita? You weren't making trouble there, were you?" She asked gently.

Bondita shook her head immediately. "No ma.. I was a good girl, ain't I pati babu?? " She asked turning towards Anirudh who was still standing.

"Why are standing jamai babu.. Sit down.." She said and cleared the place to make it little better for him to sit.

He smiled and sat down. "So as I was saying, I was a good girl so now I deserve a treat, don't I??" She asked.

Her mother smiled and patted her cheeks. "Sure you do.. Tell me what you want?" She asked. "Hmm I want to stay here for the night." She said.

Anirudh looked at Bondita and then at her mother. "But kaka said to come by evening, and I have school tomorrow." Anirudh said.

Bondita pouted and crossed her arms. "I don't care.. I want to stay with my Ma. So I am not going. You can go.. Hhhmmmppp..." She said and turned her head the other side while puffing her cheeks.

Her mother's eyes widened while she placed her palm on her daughter's mouth and glared at her.

"You shouldn't talk to your pati babu like that. What did I teach you?" She asked sternly. "Always listen to pati babu and respect him." She whispered slowly.

"And what you did right now?" She asked. Bondita just looked down.

"Apology to him." Her mother said. "No it's.. It's.. Okay.." Anirudh stammered quiet uncomfortable by the conversation.

It was also the things he quiet disliked in the Roy Chaudhary Haveli as well. "No Jamai babu, it's not okay, she shouldn't have talked to you like this." Her mother and motion bondita to apologize.

"I am sorry pati babu.." She whispered. "It's.. okay.. " He said quickly. Bondita then glared at her mother.

"I just came and you started scolding me.. You don't love me any more.." She started fake crying making her mother chuckle.

"Is it even possible that bondita's mother stop loving her. Hmm.. I made something special for you want to eat?" She asked.

Bondita eyes shined. "Really? Yes I want to.. But Ma.. I also bought something for you all.. Wait let me go and get it. " She said and ran out of the room without waiting for anyone's reply.

"Uff this girl.." Her mother said and looked at Anirudh who was sitting still while folding his legs.

"Go and wash your hands and legs jamai babu.. I am going to arrange the table till you come back." She said standing up.

Anirudh also stood up and looked out. "What about Bondita?" He asked. "Ohh she will come. Don't worry about her. She gets excited everytime she brings something for me." She chuckled.

Anirudh nodded his head and went towards the hand pump to wash himself.

He was just done when he noticed bondita struggling to walk with her saree pallu full of fruits and sweets they bought for her mother.

He quickly ran towards her bare foot and held the another loose end of her pallu before everything spills on the muddy ground.

"Careful.." Anirudh said. Bobdita looked up and smiled. "It's heavy but I can manage." She groaned hosting her pallu more up to walk without difficulty.

"I can see.." Anirudh laughed. "What does that mean?" She narrowed her eyes. "You are looking like a penguin walking on ice.." He laughed while Bondita face became red with embarrassment and a little bit of anger.

"Hmmmppp.." She puffed her cheeks leaving her saree pallu making all the weight shift to Anirudh who yelped. "Wha---" He thankfully managed to not let any of the things fall on the ground.

"You are a man, you should do these heavy works, my mami says that to mama.. So now hold it and walk." She said and started walking.

"Hey hey.. At least walk slowly.." He yelled practically running while holding her heavy pallu while she was giggling, skipping steps while walking.

"Oh my god Bondita. You are also here?"

Both Anirudh and Bondita stopped in their tracks after hearing a feminine voice.

They turned around and saw Sampurna standing there with her husband Saurabh.

He was holding a basket of fruits and some things on his shoulder and smiling at them.

Bondita started making her way towards her while forcing Anirudh to follow her while holding the heavy pallu.

"No.. " Anirudh shouted when Bondita was about to hug her sister. She stopped in her tracks and glared at him.

"Why are you shouting, pati babu? " She asked. "You can't hug her.." He said and pointed at the fruits in front of her.

She made an 'ohh' face and looked at Sampurna who was also looking at them.

"Sorry didi, I can't hug you." She pouted. Sampurna chuckled and pinched her cheeks.

"It's okay. I can hug you." She said and hugged her head and left a small kiss there.

"Hello Chhote Malik." Saurabh said and Anirudh nodded his head. "Hello Saurabh da.." He said and looked at Bondita.

"Let's go.. It's heavy.." He whined. Bondita giggled. "Okay okay, come sampurna didi.." She took sampuran's hand and started walking inside the house.

Sampurna mother stopped them at the front door itself. And did the welcoming ritual while Bondita looked at them confused.

"You didn't do this one with me and my pati babu, why?" She asked.

Mami smiled nervously and looked behind to see if Sumati is hearing or not and relaxed seeing her busy in her work.

"Because you are both are kids that's why.. " She replied. "But Ma.. They are also married so.." Sampurna tried to say but her mother galred at her making her shut up.

"Go and give them to your Ma.." Mama reminded Bondita who nodded her head and went inside.

"See Ma.. What I bought for you.." Bondita chirped going back and forth her mother whose eyes widened seeing all the fruits and sweet in her pallu and Anirudh panting.

She quickly took a hold of her saree and emptied them on the dining table.

Anirudh wiled his forehead and glared at Bondita. She is trouble. He thought but smiled when Bondita looked at him.

"Come and have lunch." Sumati said and pulled back a chair for Anirudh to sit and then for Bondita.

Sampurna and Saurabh also came inside and took their seat. They came late because the cart took more time than a car ofc.

Mami was just comparing her daughter appearance to Bondita. Their difference was quiet visible with naked eyes.

Where Sampurna was just wearing gold earrings that were too gifted by her parents, there was Bondita, fully bathed in gold jewelry. Even her saree which was now dirty because of the half pallu being dragged by the mud, glowed brightly because of the fine work.

Sumati took the pot towards Saurabh to serve him first as he was elder jamai babu and was married before Bondita but Saurabh stopped her.

He motioned him to serve then first. Sampurna furrowed her brows and looked at Anidita who were busy talking to themselves or more like Bondita yapping and he was listening.

"But I am elder daughter, Bondita is my little sister, so shouldn't I get this chance first." Sampuran said and bot Anirudh and Bondita looked at them.

"No, we are elder but he is in bigger position than us. My family work for them. So we should respect them." Saurabh said with a finality in his voice.

Anirudh and Bondita were confused on what is going on. Sumati looked at her mami who was glaring at Bondita.

"It's okay Jamai babu they are children, it doesn't matter to them." Sumati tried again.

"No Ma. Serve them first, they are my chhote malik and chhoti malkin. How can I eat before them?" He said and looked away.

Sumati sighed and served Anidita first who thanked her and started eating.

"You know pati babu, this dal is my fav. Isn't it Ma?" Bondita excalimed taking a big spoonful of the dal in her mouth.

Sumati nodded her head smiling. "Try it." Bondita said and placed a spoonful of dal in front of Anirudh.

Mama and Mami's eyes widened at the action of Bondita who was obvious to their stares.

Saurabh coughed at the unexpected gesture as it is something intimate for them, as they are husband and wife. They don't know that the children they are considering husband and wife doesn't even know the meaning of it.

Anirudh ate the dal from Bondita's hand and looked at her as she was looking at him expectantly for a positive review.

He nodded his head and gave a thumbs up to her. She beamed with excitement and exchanged her own bowl with him.

"You can eat this. It has more." She said. "No it's okay.." Anirudh tried to deny. "Uffo.. I ate it for 7 years and you didn't. So you can eat more today. " She pushed the bowl towards him again.

"Bondita.. Learn to respect your husband. If he is saying he doesn't want to then why are you forcing him." Her mama said with a strict vouce making her flinch.

"But I just wanted to--"

"Enough.."

"It's okay Bondita, if he wants I can serve more. We have plenty of the dal don't worry." Sumati consoled her daughter.

Anirudh looked at them a little awkward. The atmosphere is quite different here than his own house.

People don't talk on the table that's what his kaka taught him. But here they all are speaking and that alone is raising his anxiety little by little.

He pushed his plate a little away from him and stood up. "What happened jamai babu?" Sumati asked concerned.

"Nothing, I am done." He said and showed him his dirty hand. "Where should I wash my hands." He asked.

"On the hand pump--"

"You can wash in the plate jamai Babu--"

Bondita and Mami said together respectively. Anirudh looked between them and then tugged on Bondita's saree a little.

"It's okay, I will wash it at the hand pump." He said and made his way outside.

Bondita was about to sit down when Mami glared at her and pulled her plate back.

"Go and help him. Is this how you are fulfilling your duties as his wife?" She taunted.

"Ma. Don't talk to chhoti malkin like this. I maybe your son-in-law but I won't tolerate a single bad word against Chhote malik and chhoti malkin." Saurabh said, his eyes we're down on the table in respect of his wife's parents but his words were loud and clear leaving no room for discussion.

Bondita still stood up and went behind Anirudh and saw he already washed his hands and now is standing near the grass field.

Some children went towards him with whom he started talking. Bondita narrowed her eyes.

Her eyes burned in anger when she saw who they were. She marchee towards them and pushed one of the boys away from her pati babu.

The boy fell on the ground with a loud thud. A pained cry escape his mouth while Anirudh stood there looking at the scene.

"Bondita.." He shouted a little when he regained his focus. "Why would you push nt friend?" Anirudh asked now glaring at Bondita with anger for the first time till they married.

Bondita eyes widened. "He is your friend?" She asked. Anirudh didn't answer and helped his friend to get off the ground.

"Yes he is my friend. Why would you push him?" Anirudh asked with a little raised voice.

"I.. I didn't know.. He.. He always.."

"What happened, chhote malik?" Saurabh asked when they saw them taking in a loud voice.

"She pushed me." The boy said gritting his teeth in anger and went to grab her arms but saurabh stopped him.

"Stay in your limits boy." He warned and looked at Anirudh. "I am sure there must be a reason chhoti malkin pushed him, chhote malik." Saurabh tried to ease the tension.

Anirudh looked at Bondita who was looking down and just realized that he shouted at his little wife.

But before he could say something, Bondita ran inside the house pulling her saree above her ankles.

I will apologize later.

Author

How's the chapter?

What do you think of their characters?

And keep in mind that Anirudh is still a kid himself. So he will make mistakes.