Rudhita OS: Until we meet again | Barrister Babu

The Pendulum clock resigned for the hour after informing the arrival of morning by ringing 5 times. The curtains of that huge room surrounded by book shelves and a study table, with a huge bed in the middle was still hiding the windows beneath them. It was still dark and calm outside, expecting the hustle bustle and light of a new day.

Even though, the darkness she was witnessing was more of a trailer for her, Darkness which will be following her for the rest of her life. It would be consuming whole of her. But she couldn’t quit, she wanted to but she couldn’t. Because she loved him, she valued him and his wishes? It was above hers for her. This was the only thing he wanted her, the only thing he requested. How could she turn that request down? Above all, he was the love of her life. Her only love. Aniruddh Roy Chowdhary. 

Bondita clutched onto her husband’s Kurta as her head buried onto his chest, trying to decipher his heartbeats, trying to convince herself that he’s going to be there, for long, with her. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to get away from this, attributing it to be a bad dream, expecting to be taken away to reality, a much better reality. This wasn’t the day she was ready for, and she wouldn’t be, no matter an era was given for her to be. But instead of getting away into an alternative universe, her mind trailed back to previous day, where she finally knew, they were at it.

-x-

“Baba, let us take you to hospital. Please?” Bondita looked at her husband begging with her eyes as their son, Rudra Roy Chowdhary who is also one of the most influential lawyer of Calcutta pleaded him for the umpteenth time. “Baba, you aren’t well you know that, right?” Rudra pointed out, clutching Aniruddh’s hands as he sat down on his bed, with his head up on the headboard, with some files on his hands.

“I...” Aniruddh struggled to breathe and took a sigh, before continuing. “am fine, Rudra. You’ll t-teach me now? Go, leave! I have lot of work to do.” He lightly scolded his son, as he looked into Rudra’s eyes, which his son inherited from him, without even a chance of change. It held the same fire he had. Rudra passed a look at Bondita, while Bondita closed her eyes, gesturing him to leave. Rudra hesitantly left the place, leaving the couple alone.

“Anirudd-” Bondita sat beside him before calling him out but was interrupted by Aniruddh himself. 

“Shh. Don’t say anything Bondita, Come here.” Aniruddh held his hand out, inviting his wife into his arms. Bondita moved closer before confining herself into those arms, which never failed to provide her endless comfort, protection and above all, selfless love. She hold onto those hands, which was wrinkled and pale. She looked up through her glasses to see, her husband looking at her with endless love reflecting his eyes. Her eyes wandered through his face before locking her eyes with his.

He was handsome. He was still handsome. He was still that Aniruddh Roy Chowdhary who stole her heart away, and never returned it to her, just like she wanted it. Her eyes locked with him, found his eyes full of overwhelming emotions. His eyes were reflecting endless love, for her, care, gratitude and much more. But one thing caught Bondita’s eyes. Suddenly, the realisation dawned on her. No. She wasn’t ready for it. She would never be. One of her hands involuntarily went upto his chest. He was struggling, she could feel it clear. She looked down onto his chest and tears filled up her eyes, making her eyesight blurry. She moved away from his embrace and sat on the bed, her back facing him.

“I have moved all of these properties onto you-“ He took another deep breathe, struggling to speak; “to your name, most impo-importantly, our foundation’s. You-you are well aware of it’s details and stuff right? I-”

“No.” Bondita cut him off. “I won’t be good enough, you, you take care of all of it.” Bondita said, trying to wash away the reality with those words of hers, acting as if he is doing it casually. No, she wasn’t going to let him do this.

“Bondita you-“ He took a sharp breath and it pricked Bondita’s heart. She closed her eyes, a tear or two fell from her spectacle clad eyes. 

“No.” She interrupted.

“Bondita...” He leaned forward to keep his hands on hers. He looked at her, trying to converse with her, calling her, asking her to look at him with his eyes. As if she got his cue, she turned to face him and his eyes held everything she never wanted to see. Aniruddh’s weak, lean hands tried to pull her closer. But it didn’t leave an effect on her. He tend to do this often, from the initial days of their actual married life, and she used to fall back on his chest, young love spreading in the air. But now, she no more did. He no more had the power. Realisation hit Aniruddh hard, he could no more pull the half of his soul to him, he was too weak for that.

As if she read everything on his eyes, she fell back onto his chest, like she always did. She looked at him, mentally pleading him to decide otherwise, even though she knew this was one thing, he couldn’t take a decision, even though it’s all about himself. Her eyes filled with tears and fear, his eyes filled with purest of love and care, and a cue to something, while her eyes denied of the latter. 

“I’ll have to leave, B-Bondita.” His voice cracked, as he confessed it. Now it couldn’t be her misconception, her misreading his eyes. He voiced it out, it was the last thing she wanted to hear.  But she still had hope, hope to be with him. To be with him, the only thing she wanted, more than anything in this universe.

“Can I, join you?” She requested, almost begged him, with tearful eyes which had already turned read due to the pain of parting. Aniruddh looked at his wife’s face. Aged, but like wine. She was a timeless beauty. Parting from her was the last thing he would want, but, he couldn’t go against the fate, the destiny and as if she deserved this adieu, his gut feelings came at the right time. He should do this, he couldn’t be selfish. He was a revolutionary, so was his wife. Before finding an equally talented, if not better hands to handle the years of hard work they did for the betterment of society, both of them couldn’t leave. But him? He didn’t had a choice, but she had.

“Today I feel, you being really young to me, benefitted.”

Bondita looked up at him, with her questioning eyes. Aniruddh smiled, making Bondita’s heart flutter. His smile always did that to him, from feeling that the first time when she was 18, to this date, it hasn’t changed.

“You’ll have to stay Bondita. We’ve- We’ve worked, so, so,- hard to make it to where we are, today. You-, without you, I wouldn’t have done it. You’ll have to stay. Until, until Rudra learns to handle it. For me, you’ll have to stay.” Aniruddh said, taking a sharp breath after each word or two, breaking Bondita’s heart into a million pieces each time. His shivering hands went upto her chin, to hold it up. Bondita’s head shot up, her eyes were still tearful and Aniruddh couldn’t help but shed a tear from the sea of tear brimming at his waterline. He leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead. Bondita looked down, tears making way to her cheeks. Aniruddh wiped them away, and placed a peck on her cheeks. 

“But trust me, we’ll meet soon. Just wait till I come to take you.”

Aniruddh confessed, his lips curving into a sad smile. And then, he kissed her, tasting her lips, and Bondita gave in, a plethora of emotions going through their minds and eyes. He kissed her, felt her lips, and he closed his eyes letting the tear shed, trying to feel her as much as he can, so that he could take it with him. As they parted, Bondita came forward to place a peck on his face while Aniruddh stopped her.

“No. Not now. It’s not the time, give it when I would be laying still, when I won’t be able to give it back to you. But... remember Bondita, each part of me, my soul would still be showering kisses at you. This... keep it for the right time.”

Bondita looked at him, her lips trembling. Aniruddh passed her a full smile, and she tried to etch that image onto her mind, she knew, she knew she wouldn’t be seeing this again. Aniruddh kept the files aside before turning his face to her, asking;

“Tuck me in? For,” He swallowed a sob; “for, one last time?”

Bondita dimmed the lights and helped Aniruddh to lay down. She engulfed him into his arms, his head resting on her chest. Bondita sobbed silently, while Aniruddh closed his eyes, burying himself into her embrace, a peaceful smile spreading on his face.

He was home, for the very last time. 

-x-

Bondita’s eyes shot open as her brain tricked her with the flashbacks. She looked around, trying to find a better reality, but she saw herself clutching onto Aniruddh, just in a position he slept the last night. She looked at the large pendulum clock, it read 5:15. It has been only 15 minutes, but it felt like an eternity.

She snuggled onto Aniruddh, trying to feel his warmth. But no, his body no more emanated warmth. He was warm, but he was colder than usual. No. No. This was the only word her mind could utter at the moment. His hands were instinctively around hers, she tried to clutch on them, trying to remove it, expecting him to hold her tighter, but as she held it, it fell onto his sides. No. Just, No. She moved up, to his chest, burying herself onto him, trying to find his heart beats, but she could find none. She adjusted herself, to look into his face.

He was smiling, his face looked peaceful. Her hands went upto his chest and then below his nose. She realised it much earlier, heck! He bid her adieu. But she accepted it, acceptance dawned her.  Her eyes fell onto the calendar placed above the bed.

19 September 1991.

So that’s the date, the date they parted. No, not forever. How can someone cut a soul into two? They were one, and this separation was momentary. They may not touch each other again, but they’ll converse, they’ll be bonded. And it was forever. A man, who married her to save her, who was the knight in shining armour, her knight, her prince charming, who always stood strong, in front of her, to take any bullet before it hit her. Now, he was gone, seeing a man who stood like a pillar, managing everything, keeping everything together, like this broke her heart, seeing the man she loved gone, broke her. The realisation broke her. This was a day she was never ready for. For her, Aniruddh was this one person who always stood strong, who never weakened, neither physically nor mentally. She knew, the scale of their age difference was large, but she never thought, or she never wanted to think about a day like this, even though she should have expected it, got herself ready for it. But no, Bondita Aniruddh Roy Chowdhary would never be ready to bid bye to her Pati Babu, her and only her Aniruddh, and this won’t be able to separate them, their love was much beyond that and she knew it.

She looked into his face, her hands slowly moved to his white as snow hairs, moving some strands which were on his forehead. Her handsome husband. Hers. Bondita’s Aniruddh. Her Pati Babu. 

Her lips curved into a sad, but adoring smile. Tears formed in her eyes, it was still twinkling at his sight, like it always did, just the way he liked. She held onto him, trying to feel his warmth, for one last time before it goes away, forever before she cupped his face, and kissed his cheeks and at last, she placed a tight kiss on his forehead, her eyes closing in the process, causing her tears to fall on his forehead. 

She moved back, her hands still cupping his face, her face inches from him and whispered;

 “Good Bye, Aniruddh Babu. This is not the end. This is not the end of our story, it’s timeless. My heart knows, we will meet again. Wait for me."

There are things that death cannot touch, their love is one of them. They are still there somewhere, lost in each other's love.

SujZ