Evening shadows deepened into shades of blue and purple as the orange sun sank in the western horizon of the city line. It's was a crossroad where Vidhi lay with her eyes closed, her hair matted in the urban smut and her pink lips quivering in an unconscious disconcertment. Gusty winds ruffled her hair as a few strands tickled her face.
"Bon-di-ta... "
She heard that swishing sound again, in her dreamlike state, as a sharp chill ran down her languid spine.
With a tiring effort, she tried to open her heavy eyelids, as a misty hazy silhouette of a man emerged in her vision.
That familiar, bewildering perfume... That soft magnetic voice...
That white, firm, extended arms...
Vidhi raised her right hand towards the shadow unknowingly, as her fingers brushed with the long slender fingers of the hazy shadow. It was like a jolt, a current of 440 volts that coursed through her body instantly, as she felt those fingers slowly getting entwined with hers, filling in the gaps in between their hands. She felt cold, as the vague outline of the man's face leaned over her.
"Open your eyes... Please, open your eyes!" The voice spoke again, but this time Vidhi stressed on her eyes as she saw the source of those soothing words.
Her sluggish eyes fluttered in a daze as she saw a pair of thin pink lips and a perfect set of white teeth moving slowly to utter those words.
'They are exquisite!' Vidhi thought as her lips curled up into a lazy dreamy smile...
Everything was like a dream... A very sweet dream, that she hadn't seen in a long, long time.
"Bondita... I'm here Bondita... I would never leave you alone... Never again!" The voice spoke again, as Vidhi's eyebrows furrowed into a confusion. She felt his hands on her cheeks as he cupped her face tenderly.
She had forgotten how it feels like to be treated with tenderness since her father...
Vidhi couldn't think anymore. A sudden gush of rough breeze made her acutely aware of her existing reality. This wasn't a dream!
She forced open her eyes wide and looked at the handsome stranger.
And, it was at that moment that she felt her heart to have skipped a beat for the first time!
The face infront of her was no doubt handsome, but there was something more to it. It was magnetic, that promised to draw the last shred of Vidhi's soul.
The clear deep hazel brown eyes were steady on his face as large eyelashes fluttered in regular rhythm. The sharp nose was perfect in his Greek like countenance.
"Who are you?" Vidhi murmured softly.
"Bondi... I... " The man couldn't complete his words as a dark cloud enveloped his worried, perfect face.
"You don't remember me, do you?" The man asked softly.
"Not really." Vidhi replied, as he helped her sit up on the deserted road.
A strong gale rose somewhere in a near distance, as the cemented trees around started to dance in a wild flow.
"Who is Bondita?" Vidhi gaped at him.
"Are you the man from the dream?"
The man didn't reply at her question.
Instead, he looked at her knees as a concerned took over his demeanor.
"You are hurt it seems... And, the wind is getting rough. Let me walk you home." The man picked up her backpack and helped her stand upright. Her knee was scraped and drops of blood oozed out from it. The man quickly pulled out a long white handkerchief from his pocket as he handed the same to her.
"Here... Tie this around the wound till you get home. And, crutch on my shoulders."
Vidhi did as she was told. She extended her hands as he lowered his body to let her crutch on him. He wrapped his free hand on her slender waist, supporting her to move forward.
"You are what... Like 6 feet?" Vidhi murmured again, as her senses were enveloped by an acute fragrance that enchanted her entire being.
On normal circumstances, Vidhi would have never let a strange accompany her, let alone touching her like this... But this was different. There was a uncanny familiarity about this handsome stranger that let her intuition fall for him.
He was safe... And, her heart somehow knew it.
"We'll, 6 feet 1 inch to be precise." The man smirked. "Am I too tall for you?"
Vidhi's face flushed.
"No... I mean... It's difficult to walk like..."
The man didn't let her finish the sentence as he scooped her up from the road.
"So, you won't have to walk then. Let me carry you."
Vidhi felt her heart in her mouth as his gentle yet firm arms clasped her soft body in a cradled embrace.
"My car is here... I'll drive you home."
Vidhi didn't object. Her head started to race against time as she felt a tingling current rise down her spine.
"Why is you heart beating so fast?" The man asked, as that insanely attractive smirk plastered his face.
"You ... You can hear my heartbeat?" Vidhita asked nervously as the thudding increased, painting her face in shades of pink, red and purple.
"I can feel it." The man replied, as he lowered her body down on the other side of the road. He pulled out a sassy key chain from his pocket and pressed a button, followed by a beep noise from his car.
"There it is!" He pointed towards a black Mercedes as he gestured Vidhi to walk a few steps towards it.
The man walked ahead as he unlocked the door and it was for the first time Vidhi got a full view of how he looks.
'Straight from the pages of Vogue!' She thought as her mesmerizing eyes gaped at his urban classy features.
He was a little older than Vidhi.
'A man... Not a boy!' she thought. May be in his mid twenties... Hard to guess! He was wearing a black front open blazer, teamed up with a pair of black jeans and white linen shirt inside. The first two buttons of the shirt was open, giving a sneak peak of his toned chiseled chest. His hair was neatly brushed backwards in a typical 'mafia' style, making his look ferociously irresistible.
The man gestured her again as he held the door open and she slowly adjusted herself into the comfort of the luxury car.
"I'm sorry I quite didn't catch you name Miss..."
"Vidhi... Vidhita Sengupta."
Vidhi promptly replied.
"So Miss Vidhita Sengupta, would you be kind enough to guide me towards your home?" The man replied as he adjusted the mirror before pushing the ignition button.
"That way." Vidhi pointed her fingers as she sat quietly on the seat fidgeting with her fingers.
"Why did you call me Bondita?"
Her abrupt question made the man pull the brakes.
"I mistook you to be someone else Miss Vidhita Sengupta."
His voice was laced with a tone of sadness that touched Vidhi's heart as well.
"Oh... " She looked down.
"What is your name?"
The man expertly drove around the lane, halting down near the red old building where Vidhi lived.
"How do you know this is my house?" Vidhi was astonished as she turned around to look at the handsome stranger.
"I guessed!" The man shrugged.
He unlocked the doors and got down first like a gentleman.
'It's so rare to be treated like this... This feels straight from a dream.' Vidhi smiled reflectively as she allowed the stranger to guide her out of the car.
"Should I walk you upstairs?" He asked politely as Vidhi nodded her head. She just wanted to stall the moment as her heart craved for a little more of the stranger's presence.
She limped towards her building and pushed the iron grill open, as the man rushed behind her and scooped her up in his strong arms once again.
Vidhi didn't object.
"Allow me... You have stairs inside."
"How do you know there are stairs inside?" Vidhi asked softly as her heart started to flutter again at his enticing manly touch.
"This kind of houses generally have stairs inside... Common sense!" The man grinned as his eyes met hers, making her let out a small gasp from her soft pink lips.
"Are you alright?" The man asked as Vidhi nodded her head promptly.
"You didn't tell me your name."
The man looked down at her face once again as she asked him the question.
The time stood still as Vidhi felt violins and saxophones played around her...
'Just like those bollywood movies!' she thought as her face flushed with a tinge of shyness in it.
But, like all good things, the melodious pleasing music ended abruptly as a sharp unpleasant noise of screaming and yelling occupied it's place.
The man lowered her on the ground as they stood outside Vidhi's half opened door.
The noises and screams grew louder and prominent as Vidhi heard her mother sobbing and yelling at someone.
"Please understand... How can I do this? Where will I send her?"
Mrs. Sengupta's voice could clearly be heard from outside as another gruff male voice overpowered her.
"She is a liability. I don't know, kill her... Send her to a brothel!"
The man barked at her, and it was followed by a thrashing sound. Vidhi needed no guesses to understand what was happening inside her house.
"Where is she?" The man barked again. "I'm going to teach that little bitch a lesson today... Let her come!"
Vidhi's face turned pale as a sheet as she started to step backwards from the door.
She neared dangerously close to the staircase as a strong grip pulled her close, shielded her from the eminent fall.
"Ahh...." Vidhi cried out, as she closed her eyes. Her body felt two strong arms snaked firmly around her waist with that enchanting musk, enveloping her to the core.
"You can't stay here."
The man hushed into her ears as she involuntarily leaned against his muscular chest.
"Who's outside..." The rough voice growled from inside.
And, even before Vidhi could fathom the vehemence of the situation, she felt the handsome stranger cradling her body in his arms again, as he ran down the staircase, a little faster than the usual speed.
"What... Who..." Vidhi couldn't ask the question as tears of agony ran down her soft pink cheeks.
'How could her mother live with such people...
How could she even let him say those nasty things about her own daughter...'
Vidhi's heart was filled with a stinging pain as she let out a sharp gasp of anguish.
She had truly felt alone at that moment.
"Don't worry Vidhita Sengupta. I'm here with you... I won't leave you."
The stranger spoke suddenly, as if reading her thoughts, and Vidhi couldn't help but pour her anger out on him.
"I don't even know you... what do you mean you are here for me? My own mother doesn't care and here you are!
And, the funniest part is... I don't even know your name!"
Tears rolled down in stream from her eyes as Vidhi vented out her agony in one breath.
The stranger didn't flinch. Instead, he smiled gently as he lowered her body inside his lavish luxury car.
He closed the door shut as he lowered his angelic face, looking straight at Vidhi through the drawn glass window.
"You can trust me Miss Vidhita Sengupta. I won't hurt you." He flashed an infectious smile at her as he uttered those words of compassion.
"And, my name is Anirudh Roy Chowdhury. I own law farms."
He stood up straight, giving Vidhi time to comprehend his words, as he walked around and sat in the driver's seat.
"I live alone Miss Sengupta... My parents are dead... No siblings... No relatives." He started the ignition of the car releasing a white cloud of smoke behind.
"That's all." He smiled.
"And, now that you know me, can we go home?"
Vidhi gaped at his face as her eyes comprehended the movement of his lips, uttering those nice words... In a daze she nodded her head slowly as the black Mercedes whooshed out of the lane, leading its way to the main street, away from the shadowed negativity that surrounded Vidhi's mundane life.
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