What Happens Now?

5

Aniruddh was sitting in his office, going through some cases' files when he got a call.

He had a telephone installed in his office too, besides the haveli. It clearly made communication easier.

"Hello?" He picked up the call.

"Hello, Barrister babu?" A soft, feminine voice was heard.

His brows raised an inch, surprised to find it was bondita.

She barely talked to him at home, let alone calling at his office. What it must've been to make her call him?

"Yes, bondita?" He replied.

"Ji..woh..kakasasurji was asking if you've had your..lunch. He..he said you haven't taken your lunch today." She said with some hesitation.

He felt a smile forming in amusement as he knew it wasn't his Kaka asking him.

He was running late for the court, and thus in the haste forgot to take the lunch. But he had called his kaka from the office and promised him that he wouldn't forget to have lunch at his office.

It wasn't unbelievable that his Kaka had made bondita call him but something inside him told him that this wasn't the case.

It was her who called him, willingly.

"No, I haven't." He replied.

Although true, he said so just to see what she would reply with.

There was a moment of silence on the other line, making him call her out.

"Bondita?"

"J-ji. Um..kakasasurji is asking if....if he should send it by bhari babu?"

He suppressed the smile from growing wider as he replied,

"Sure."

"Oh, okay."

"Bon—" he was cut off as he heard,

"Bhari babu..." and the line went dead.

His smile faltered a bit but then again widened as his doubt got confirmed.

She called Bihari rather than his Kaka. If his kaka would've made her call him, she surely would've told him first.

But rather, she instantly called out for Bihari.

Maybe he was being delusional but maybe not.

Who knew?
***

Bondita had just came from school and changed her clothes when she heard her kakasasurji telling bhari babu that Aniruddh hadn't taken his lunch today and was hoping that he'd have his lunch at the office.

She suddenly felt the need to call him and ask but was hesitant. Would it be okay to call him? Especially during working hours. And what if he found it annoying or disturbing?

She was conflicted for a while but then decided to call him anyway.

She went to his study to call him rather than the living room, to avoid being noticed by anyone.

She dialed the number she had remembered by heart as he told her to.

"Bondita, let's just assume you're lost or anything like that. What would you do?" Aniruddh asked.

"I'd try to find you." Bondita immediately replied.

He felt warmth in his chest as he witnessed her faith in him to find her.

"Yes, correct. But what if you can't find me?"

"I'd try to find kakasasurji, or bhari babu, or koyeli di, or som Dada, or batuk." She replied in one breath, making faces at the mention of batuk as if it hurt her to take his name.