Setting It Right! (A Batuk-Anirudh-Bondita-Kaka Story)

Chapter 9- Unexpected Allies

Grinning widely, she just hugged her brother. Batuk's heart melted at having to hold his little sister with whom he had established a great rapport in the past 6-7 months. She hadn't known who he really was at that time, but she was so cute that he instantly fell in love with her. 

He may have been a really bad man for Bondita, but he was super loving and caring with his little sister Shashwati, and with all the kids that Anirudh dada had adopted. 

During the time when he was impersonating Anirudh and living at the Roy Chaudhary Haveli, he had made sure to give his attention and love to his sister. Perhaps it was because he noticed her loneliness at some level. 

Although she had her parents, with her dad being sick, her mom's attention was mostly towards him, instead of her. Her eldest brother who used to be her father-figure was missing, and her second eldest brother was not interested in her existence. 

Her kaka was also not very interested in her. Her maasi/boudi did try to be there for her most of the time, but even she couldn't help her much. 

Noticing all this, he really felt her loneliness. 

He understood it...because he had experienced it too. 

He had decided to make her feel better, and that was why he had started paying extra attention to her. He helped her with homework, and he started playing different games with her and the other kids too. 

He even played with dolls for her! 

He had difficulty in pronouncing her name, but before Shashwati caught on this 'new' thing in her 'Anirudh Dada,' he had started calling her 'Mishti bōna (Sweet sister)'

Since Anirudh also often used that nickname for her when he was in a good mood or after his re-marriage to Bondita, Shashwati didn't find it odd. 

Now, when Anirudh brought him back from the hospital and instead of taking him to the haveli, he took him to the Kothi instead, he was very sad. One of the major reasons for his sadness was that this change in address would stop him from meeting his sister now. 

However, there was no force on earth that could stop Shashwati from doing whatever she wanted! 

And so, when Anirudh had dropped Batuk in the Kothi and he was having a hard time adjusting to his new reality, at night, when he had woken up from his drug-induced slumber, there she was! 

His sister had sneaked in to meet him. 

She was standing by his bedside, and as he tried to sit up to properly greet her, her small hands had even tried to support him and to help him sit comfortably. 

And then, when he smiled at her weakly, she extended her hand towards him for a hand shake and said, 

"Hi, I am Shashwati Roy Chaudhary!" 

Holding her hand, he smiled and said, 

"I know tum Shash...sha...I mean…I know tum kon ho. And I am sure you now know too who I really am. Jinko tum itne months se Anirudh dada samajh rahy thyn, woh Anirudh dada nahi thay."