When Baba broke the news of Som Dada's marriage, we all were so elated. I Hope Bondita was here too then she would have been so happy. This marriage was some kind of business deal as per Baba for our alcohol factory. She is a British official's daughter so in this way Baba will be on good terms with the Britishers but kaka wasn't happy. For him, nobody could be as perfect as Bondita on top of that British girl was a big no from his side.

I teased Som dada, "wah dada abh choti Boudi ayegi ghar pe" while he blushed.

"Shadi se zyada business deal hain ye" said Binoy, "unse rishta karne se humare factory ko fayda hoga".

"ha par isaaa k ghar mein hi rishta kyu?" kaka made faces at this. "Da ladki to Bangali Bramhin hi hain" baba assured him.

"Baba naam kya hain unki" I asked excitedly.

"Priyam"

This name, hearing which I choke the water that I was drinking and spat it all over. I started to cough hearing this...

Priyam??? That chorni??

Why is my life revolving around all the girls who in turn becomes my boudi...

I was determined that last time Boudi dost bani isbar mujhe dost ko boudi nehi bana na.

"Wo acchi ladki nehi hain kaka" I said immediately which only kaka could hear. "kaka socho wo christian hain, kya wo Bondita ki tarha ban paygi? Nehi na".

" Par abhi to Binoy ne kaha Hindu hain," said Kaka to which I made it very clear to him, "Ha par bari hui hain Christian parivaar mein hi na, kaha apke reet rasam ko samajh paygi"

I don't believe in all these religions and all but I don't want her to marry Som dada. I was not being mean towards my brother because he doesn't even know her. Not that he loves her. I don't know why but I just don't want her to marry my dada.

"Aj unke ghar pe ball hain, Som tum jaoge aur ussey jaan pehechan kar lena" said Baba all of a sudden. I couldn't control my tongue and blurted out, "mein bhi aunga!" All stared at me for a while for such behaviour and I realized I have messed up.

"Tumhe kyu jana hain?" asked Baba with a suspicious look on his face. "Bass man kiya isiliye," I said and went to my room to stop further questions.

And finally, the night arrived when we both the brothers reached her mansion. Kaka and Baba said that they will be joining us later. Som dada was all dressed up to impress her and I can understand that but why was I so concerned about what I was wearing. Before entering I looked at my shoes and made sure that they are polished. The hall was filled mostly with British officials and their families. "Accha huya tu aya Batuk" Som Dada whispered to my ears, "Dada atein to abh tak koi na koi tamasha khara kar dete wo aur Bondita."

"Ha" I agreed, "pata nehi undono ko party se allergy hain shayad! aj tak koi bhi party ya utsav sahi se nehi huya humare gharpe, wo dono kuch na kuch karte hi rehete hain... mujhe to ye samajh nehi ata un dono ko har kalesh hazar logo k samne hi dikhane ka itna kya shok hain".

Dada chuckled, " mujhse puch! un dono k hotey huye mein to shadi bhi na karu us ghar se"

While we were talking, Priyam came along with her father. Her father welcomed us and also made us acquainted with to rest of the guests after all Som dada is his would-be son-in-law. But the thing that irked me was why didn't she tell me before. She should have !!

The orchestra switched to soothing music and Som Dada asked her for dance.

Good! why do I care?

I asked a random girl for a dance too. We were all enjoying the dance but my eyes were fixed on her who was dancing with Som dada. I so badly wanted to confront her for not telling me about this marriage.

Shouldn't I be concentrating on my dance instead of that couple?

Honestly, these people didn't do anything wrong to me since Zafar clearly stated I have got nothing to do with the past they are talking about. They provided me with proper food, untied me as well. Just that I was being used as bait to trap Pati babu but even after that, they have no right to lock me up here, away from my pati babu. I cried to sleep when almost around midnight the door of my room opened and that sound woke me up.

I rubbed my eyes and realized a man entering who had long hair and a beard. He had a cut mark across his face and walked roughly towards me. His face scared me at first, his eyes were as red as blood and he was acting strangely as if some ghost has possessed him. He was also not among those men who brought me here.

"k..k..kaun hain up" I stammered. My palms were sweating seeing that man. I moved an inch back but he held my wrist and was laughing like a 5-year-old.

"Hath choro" I glared at her and he was not leaving me so I started shouting, calling pati babu's name because he is the one who is my Rakhshak babu.

Hearing me scream, Zafar and his men rushed in.

"Bhaijann!" Zafar tried to pull the man away from me but he was not ready to leave me. My wrist started to bleed when the bangles broke and I cried in pain.

"Bhaijaan ap choriye Bondita ko" said Zafar but that man nodded his head vigorously, "mujhe khel na hain is gudiya se".

" Hum apko khilone kharid k denge, ap uska hath choriye," said Iqbal who was trying to separate our hands.

Finally, he left my hand and I rubbed my wrist which was bleeding. Zafar gestured one of his friends to take him away. I looked at him with raged and tear-filled eyes.

"Ye mere bare Bhai the" added Zafar and threw an ointment at me for me to apply on my wound. "Hasta khilta nojawan tha, par bina dosh k saza kaat k pagal ho gye hain wo aur iska zimmedar tumhare parivaar wale hain". I looked at him with shock. Why would my family be responsible for such a thing? I don't believe this so I shouted at him, " tum jhoote ho! mein tumpe yaakein kyu karu".

thud!

he slapped me hard and I held my cheeks and looked at him in horror. "Aj mere abba is duniya mein nehi hain uske zimmedar bhi tumhare parivaar wale hain. Aur mujhe pe agli baar se chillana maat kyuki tum jo zinda ho, sahi salamat ho mere wajase ho. Tum akeli ho yaha tumhe pata bhi nehi mere baki dost tumhari kya haal karte, maine mana kiya hain unhe kyuki mein tum Roy Chowdhury o k jaisa nehi hu. kisi masoom ko saza nehi deta mein".

" AGAR ITNE MAHAN HO TO MUJHE JAANE DO!" I shouted at him once again.

"Ek baar Anirudh a jay, hum tumhe chor denge, maine apne abba se wada kiya tha ki kabhi bhi kisi masoom ki jaan nehi lenge. Bass mujhe Anirudh ki jaan chahiye"

And this is exactly what I don't want. I don't want pati babu to come here not at cost, not even for me or our baby's life. After Zafar left, I broke into tears and started talking to myself.

I am really bad. I always create trouble. I have always put my pati babu's life at stake since childhood. Once again he will come to save me and they will kill him. I have to save pati babu this time no matter what.

"Mir Chacha utho" I called his name and placed his head on my lap when I found Mir chacha injured and lying on the floor. "Mir Chacha" I cried and tears rushed down my eyes, "sirf ap hi mujhe Bondita tak pohocha sakte ho. chacha please uthiye."

I was determined to bring Mir chacha into senses because only he has seen those people. "Uthiye chacha" I patted his cheeks and sprinkled water on his face.

"Malik!" he uttered the word faintly and that's when I could see a silver lining. "Ha chacha mein yaha hu"

"Wo log Choti malkin ko ghasit te huye, baare berehemi k sath le gye" he said and pointed towards the gate.

"kon? kaha le gye? apne chehera dekha?'

I knew he was not in a state of answering so much but for me, it was a do-or-die situation. My blood boiled when chacha was saying all this. " wo...malik ...zafar ne"

Zafar!

I was shocked. This is not possible. How can he do this to us? I trusted him so much and always considered him as my brother just like Saurav. We knew each other since childhood. His father was so faithful to us and why would he do this to Bondita? what has she done? I only feared the fact that she is pregnant and I don't even know what she is going through.

Never have I felt so helpless in my life.

I swear to kill him if anything happens to Bondita. I admitted chacha to a hospital first because he was injured. Now I just need to know where they have taken her.

I looked at the picture of hers in the wallet and tears rushed down my cheeks with a subtle smile. In that picture, her smile had brightened up her face and I could still hear her calling, "pati babu" as if her voice was stuck in my mind. I wonder how much she had cried and called my name when I laid there injured and unconscious. The nurse in the hospital gave me some medicines and bandaged my fresh wounds too.

Has she eaten anything? Did she take her medicines? She needs to have her food on time now for the baby too but is she fine? Is she injured? Is she crying?

And then my brain asked the question that my heart would never dare to ask, Is she alive?

Two days passed after that.

police were searching for Zafar and his companions everywhere. We first went to his house then searched all the abandoned houses of that area. They even checked the train records to make sure that they are still here.

My heart was bleeding with the passage of time and I felt more and more helpless.

Now that the partners were exchanged, Priyam and I were dancing. We coordinated the steps as we spoke to each other, "tumne mujhe bataya kyu nehi ki tum mere dada se shadi karne jaa rahe ho?"

"Tum mere itne acche dost bhi nehi ki main tumhe sab batau samjhe" she eyed me while I twirled her two times and pulled her closer.

"ye buisness wala shadi karna zaroori hain, Tum dono to ek dusre se pyar bhi nehi karte"

"mein to kisi se pyar nehi karti to kya abh shadi bhi nehi karu?"

I turned her around and we both slightly moved with the music, "Ha par pyar mein shadi aur shadi mein pyar hona zaroori hain".

" To tum bhi to Bondita se pyar karte the...hain na?"

This line of hers shocked him to the core and I left her immediately and gave her a questioning look. She smirked at me, "soch rahe ho mujhe kaise pata chala?"

I held her hand and pulled her into a dark room, closed the door and pinned her to the wall, "tumne meri diary parhi thi?" I was enraged by now and wanted to talk to her privately. How did she know the biggest secret of my life?

She seemed a bit scared yet looked at me sternly and nodded her head in no. "Us din tum jab Bondita k baare mein bol rahe the, tumne bilkul wahi varnan kiya jaise Anirudh ne kiya tha".

" Ha to Bondita jaisi hain hum waise hi bolenge na"

"ji nehi" she pushed me away, "rishto k hisab se ye depend karta hain ki hum ek insaan ko kaise describe karte hain. Ek anjaan insaan uske roop ko describe karega, ek dost uske behaviour ko aur ek pati uske haar choti se choti chiz ko. To tumhara aur Anirudh ka Bondita ko dekhne ki nazariya ek kaise ho sakta hain?".

I recalled the moment when a few days back she narrated to me the incident of how she met Anirudh dada and how Anirudh dada described Bondita and at that time even I described Bondita to her. I was still controlling my anger unless she said, " tum pyar karte ho Bondita se".

I pulled her and pinned her to the wall, "mein ussey pyar nehi karta samji".

She tried to leave but I caged her with my arms, " firse mere aur Bondita k rishte ko lekar tum maat bolna kuch".

Suddenly the lights were turned on and we heard the sound of the latch.

We were still in that position when we looked at the door and found Som Dada, Priyam's father, kaka and Baba were standing. They were shocked by seeing us in that way.

We got separated immediately. I knew what they must be thinking but it was nothing like that.

"Tumne bohot bara upkar kiya hain Bondita, tum jo mango gi mein wahi dunga par Anirudh ki jaan baksh ne ko maat kehna aur ye bhi maat kehena ki hum tumhe chorde" Said Zafar.

Bondita took a deep breath and finally spoke, "Mein tumse Pati babu ko chor dene k liye kuch nehi mangungi. Tum pura karna apna badla aur mein ye bhi nehi kahungi ki tum log mujhe jaane do par jo mein mangungi kya wo mujhe milega?"

"Hum waada karke ussey nehi mukarte" Zafar said Proudly.

"Abhi nehi! sahi wakt aane pe mang lungi".