Awnirudh held her hands in his. He got down from the chair and kneeled infront of her.
"Vandita, look at me",he whispered.
"You are very special to me. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, that has given my life a meaning, a direction." He paused searching for words.
"But the kind of love that you are probably looking for is not possible right now Vandita. Please understand."
He could see tears wailing up in her eyes again.
"Everything has a time, a course. Untimely actions can only spoil things Vandita." He looked at her eyes to search for an expression but all he could see was pain.
"When you grow up, may be, if you want and still feel the same, then we can redefine our relationship together."
Vandita looked up and said with a grunt.
"I have grown up barrister babu, can't you see!!" With an abrupt, violent aggression, she hugged Awnirudh tight. "I just want to be your real wife.. I just want to be here, in your arms... forever..."
Before Vandita could finish her sentence, Koeli came at the door. She clearly saw Vandita hugging Awnirudh and with a smirk, immediately ran away.
"What are you doing? Vandita!" Awnirudh had almost jumped up, pushing her away gently. "Get a hold on yourself, for goodness sake! This is not what I had expected you to behave like. What has happened to you all so sudden?" A tone of disappointment was inevitable in Awnirudh's voice.
Vandita too was startled. She had regained her composer in the same readiness with which she had lost it, and realising her mistake she slowly sat up straight, away from Awnirudh. His tone was clear to make Vandita understand his displeasure and her embarassment knew no bound.
"Vandita, what you want... I can't give you now.. you understand me?" Awnirudh's voice was stern, and it made renewed jets of unruly tears stream down Vandita's already swollen cheeks.
"Enough is enough! "
A soft murmur, and with these final words Awnirudh had walked out of the room leaving her disoriented and heartbroken. Without realising how his justified heartlessness had caused Vandita to suffer her first rejection.
Tears wailed up and she felt sick in her stomach. His words were so overpowering that her head started to throb and the whole world rocked up and down infront of her teary eyes.
She tried to utter the name Awnirudh one last time before the room became dark and cold to her.
........
Awnirudh had walked out of the door visibly upset with the recent occuring.
'How could that child even think of such horrendous thoughts!' His head was hurting.
He proceeded towards the hall with the thought about the entire episode relaying in his head in a loop.
"Where did I go wrong?" He asked himself repeatedly. He had literally raised Vandita as her mentor and a guardian. And this sudden change in her attitude towards him has left him baffled.
"Is Bondita reciprocating my feelings for her?" He questioned himself. And the thought gave him a shudder.
Anirudh loved her... clearly. He had always loved her and maybe Vandita was now merely trying to change the definition of that love..!
Awnirudh felt scared and dizzy.
His thoughts were interjected once again by the visiters waiting for him. He saw Koeli to have already served them with hot refreshments. Anirudh greeted them with respect.
"Good Afternoon Mr. Sen. It's good to see you. So is there any news?" Awnirudh asked courteously. Mr. Sen was a fellow lawyer who, along with his team has been working under Awnirudh's guidance to pass a few social reformation bills.
Mr. Sen seemed considerably happy that day.
"Barrister Babu, finally our day has come. The British Government has decided the give a verdict in favour of abolition of child marriage." He held his hand straight today's Awnirudh to congratulate him.
However, Awnirudh's thoughts were drifted elsewhere, he smiled brightly, but inside somewhere, some distant light was fading away.
"Is this a sign!" He thought. "This means Vandita would no longer be known as my wife... She would have her own identity now..."
Breaking his chain of thoughts Sen expressed his elation explaining how within a few more months this law would be officially passed and implemented.
"You have no idea how many young lives you have saved Awnirudh Babu. May God bless you with all the happiness." Said Sen emotionally before departing.
All the happiness in the world? But his happiness resides in one person. His Vandita. How can he be...
A loud shirk startled him, breaking him from the tormented trance clouding his clear mind. It was Koeli!
"Vandita Bahuuu..." She was shouting at the top of her voice crying at the same time.
Without wasting a second Awnirudh had rushed down the hallway to the corridor, jumping steps to the second floor, until he reached infront of Vandita's room.
And what he saw next made him wish to pull down the earth and sky together.
Vandita was lying unconscious on the floor and Koeli was crying cradling her head.
Awnirudh stood stunned for a few seconds, he felt as if someone had just carved his heart out. He felt numb.. but that was only for a second, as he knew he had no time to waste.
He quickly rushed towards Koeli and picked up Vandita's unconscious body in his arms.
"Koeli, call the doctor... Immediately." He demanded.
Koeli rushed out.
Awnirudh lay Vandita on the bed and splashed drops of water on her face.
"Vandu, my baby.. what did you do!! What happened to you Shona.." Awnirudh lamented.
"I never meant to hurt you Vandita.. you know that, don't you", continued Awnirudh. "Wake up Shona... Please wake up..."
And it was Awnirudh's moment to shed tears. His eyes knew no bounds.
After what it felt like an eternity, Vandita had slowly opened her eyes.
"Barrister babu... I.. I don't know.. suddenly.." She tried to speak, but Awnirudh didn't let her complete. He held her tight and hugged her as if his life depended on it. Tears rolled down..
"Never do that to me Vandita.. you hear me..Never." He cradled her face and planted a kiss on her forehead before hugging her again.
"Barrister babu, I am Sorry." Vandita uttered feebly.
"Shhhh ... Don't talk." Awnirudh put his index finger on her lips and guided her head to his shoulder. She felt warm, he too.
And there was nothing in the world that could have equated this feeling.. for both Vandita and Awnirudh!