Anidita : The Flaming Flambeau

CHAPTER 3 : Part 3

"Barrister Bondita Roy Chowdhary"

I froze to a spot and stopped breathing. They're caught! They're freaking caught! I can already imagine Kaka running behind me all over the haveli with his chadi, Baba giving me deadly glares and scolding ruthlessly, Somu dada hanging me upside down and Anirudh dada... I don't want to imagine that. Hey Dugga Maa, why???

If I stay here, I too will get caught. We'll need back up. So I ran away to a safe spot with the gaadi. But... What should I do now? 

Bondita's p.o.v

It was as though the world has stopped working all of a sudden and the intolerable noise of silence pierced through our ears. I swallowed hard. We're caught. What should we do? We haven't even seen Rudhira's Maa yet and we're already caught. Hey Dugga Maa, help us. I prayed mentally.

"Theek se suna na?" he continued after so long.

I sighed confidently and turned to face him. Let's face it! What will happen at the extreme anyway?

"Barrister Bondita Anirudh Roy Chowdhary" 

He was on... phone? I frowned in confusion.

"Haan, aur Barrister Anirudh Roy Chowdhary" He was on phone talking to someone, the duplicate records of Zamindari clutched safely in his palms.

"Dekhke batao yeh donon kitne samay tak Court mein rahenge. Aur haan, din bhi batana... Yes, mujhe in donon ka poora schedule chahiye"

I looked at Rudhi who seemed to imitate my reaction. She too doesn't know what he's upto.

"Tum bas utna karo jitna tumse bola gaya hai, zyada sawal mat pucho" he warned on line and continued "Bas itna samjho ki mujhe court mein kuch kaam hai lekin Barrister jodi ko uske bare mein pata nahi chalna chahiye" he smirked evilly, clutching the papers in his hand much harder.

Whatever that is about, I'll face it later. Right now, we're here to save her mother. Let's focus on that. With a look to Laya and Rudhi, I gestured for them to resume our journey. Upon reaching a withered out door, Rudhi stopped and sighed loudly before opening it and running inside.

"Maa"

A squeal was all we heard before seeing her suffocating a frail figure in a bone-crushing hug. It was long and emotional, one that'll make the spectator's eyes well up. When she leaned back from it, her mother's fragile form came into view. She was fair and innocent. A green silk saree covered her skinny frame which can be marked close-to-malnourished. Her eyes so lifeless and hopeless that I fear it had the power to inflict those emotions to the person on which it falls –they carried those emotions with such extremity. And then we saw that. Her one hand holding a cane to lean onto. Just the sight of her earned a gasp from the two of us, making her attention drift to us. She gave a blank look to Rudhi so she explained.

"Maa yeh Bondita didi, Tulsipur ki mashhoor mahila Barrister aur Roy Chowdhariyon ki badi bahu. Yeh hai Laya didi, Tulsipur hospital ki Doctor babu aur Roy Chowdhariyon ki doosri bahu"

A meek gasp left the woman's lips. Obviously, she didn't expect to meet the daughter in laws of the Roy Chowdharys in such shabby clothes. Before she could respond, Rudhi continued.

"Maa dekho, humare paas zyada vakt nahi hai. Isiliye abhi ap bas itna samajh lijiye ki hum apko lene aaye hai. Ap please apni zidd chodiye aur humare sath chaliye"