These eyes like to bite

part 5

As Bondita turned to meet Anirudh's gaze, a flicker of uncertainty danced in her eyes. Should she reveal her innermost thoughts, the desire to stay with him, even though she herself couldn't fully comprehend the reasons behind this longing?

"What if I told you I didn't want to leave? What if I said I wanted to stay here, with you?" Bondita's voice quivered with unspoken emotions, her heart laid bare in those words.

Anirudh, his eyes reflecting a myriad of emotions, turned to face her, his own vulnerability exposed. "And what if I told you that I wanted you to stay? There is a voice that echoes in my ears, your voice. Your face constantly haunts me, offering me solace. You are the peace that resides in my tumultuous heart."

His words hung in the air, the unspoken emotions weaving a fragile bond between them. And then, in a moment of raw vulnerability, Anirudh's confession tumbled forth, his declaration of love painting the room with its intensity. Bondita, unable to contain the rush of overwhelming emotions, tears cascading down her cheeks, felt her heart expand with both pain and a newfound sense of hope.

"I love you, Bondita. I can't imagine a life without you by my side. But I know that our worlds are so different, our paths so divergent. You, a beacon of light in a world of darkness. And I...I am the shadows that linger at the edge, a criminal who has stained his hands with unforgivable deeds."

Bondita, her heart torn between love and duty, remembered Kaka's words, the whispers of a past that hinted at a different version of Anirudh. "Kaka said you weren't always like this," she murmured softly, seeking solace in the fragments of the man she hoped lay buried beneath the layers of turmoil and despair.

Anirudh's gaze softened, a flicker of remorse crossing his features. "I wasn't always this way. There was a time when life held different promises, when my heart beat with a different rhythm. But the tides of fate have sculpted me into this person, a mere shadow of who I once was."

And in that fragile moment, as love and duty waged war within their hearts, Anirudh and Bondita found themselves at the crossroads of destiny, their fates intertwined in a tapestry of emotions too intricate to unravel..

Flashback...

Little Anirudh, at the tender age of 9 years old, sat restlessly as his mother lovingly massaged oil into his hair, trying to suppress his irritation.

Anirudh: "Ma, why do you put oil in my hair?"

Mother: "Oil keeps your hair soft, my dear."

Anirudh: "But why do the boys in the neighborhood call me a sissy?"

Mother: "Let them say what they want. They are not you. You will grow up to be a smart and educated man."

She planted a kiss on his forehead as he pouted, still longing for the return of his elder sister, Sampoorna.

Anirudh: "When will Sampoorna Didi come back? It's been a week since she went with Ankur brother-in-law after her marriage. I miss her. I want to bring her back."

Mother: "No, Anirudh. Your sister should never return to this house after her marriage. Her husband's house is now her home. Now, go to school."

Anirudh bid goodbye, unknowingly, for the last time to his mother as he headed to school.

In the classroom, Anirudh remained focused on his studies, particularly math, until he was distracted by his best friend, Saudamini, a newcomer in their village. She struggled with math and often resorted to cheating.