The storm outside was gradually lowering it's intensity, calming the earth with its benevolent mercy, but inside the Roy Chowdhury mansion, another storm had just began to take shape. Vidhita and Anirudh sat quietly in each other's embrace, feeling the sound of each other's breathing. Vidhi had never felt this closeness to any man in her life, and this sudden endearing emotions had left her overwhelmed.
It was Anirudh, who slowly broke out of the embrace. He sat straight, holding Vidhi by her shoulders, freeing a strand of her hair that had got entangled with his collar button.
"Sorry about that." Vidhi awkwardly murmured an apology, leaving Anirudh with a overpowering desire to clasp her back into his arms and to claim her lips forever. But, in his heart, he knew very well that this was not the time.
A sense of guilt was already hitting him hard as he contemplated his earlier actions in the dining hall. He shouldn't have kissed her that abruptly, and even important, he shouldn't have used his compelling power to make her forget the moment. Afterall, it was her first kiss, and he had taken away that memory from her mercilessly.
Anirudh looked at Vidhi's flushed face as he drew a smile on his own.
"You should sleep now, its about to be dawn soon... I'll be in the dining hall if you need anything.
Vidhi nodded her head.
"Won't you sleep? Which one is your room?"
"This one." Anirudh smiled at her as she rolled her eyes at him.
"So you mean in this whole huge mansion, you just have one room to sleep... And that too, you have given it to me?" She chuckled softly as she stood up from the bed. She walked towards the cupboard and pulled out a fresh cotton nightgown for herself.
"Hm... This one definitely looks like yours." She held the cloth infront, examining the size of it.
"Mine, but new. I haven't worn it. So, you can wear it without any inhibitions."
"I don't have any inhibitions in wearing your clothes." Vidhi blurted out without thinking, as in the next moment, a sharp pang of embarrassment enveloped her being. "I mean, I don't want to... but if needed.... as don't have my clothes, so..."
Anirudh smirked mischievously at her nervous words.
"It's fine. No explanation needed. I'll lend you my shirts someday." He winked at her making her blush profusely as he walked out of the room leaving his charismatic aura behind.
"Uff... what a man!" Vidhi breathed the words as she slowly started to change her clothes.
Anirudh grinned outside, as he draw the window curtains a little, looking out at the dark drenched night as he read Vidhi's thoughts once again.
"I'm your man!" He murmured.
........................
The morning was bright and fresh as Vidhi sat up on her bed. She drew one of the blind curtains, letting a warm ray of the sun bathe the room with its positivity. After a long time, Vidhi had slept well... without any worry, without sadness and without that dream!
The mansion garden looked breathtaking in the glow of the morning sun. She looked outside the window to see the lush green mantle that ensheathed the ground in a circular shape. The mansion stood as a semi circle at the perimeter of that green circular patch. In its centre, there was a lovely Victorian fountain, with a winged angel, from whose hands water sprinkled all around.
"Beautiful!" Vidhi murmured, curving an angelic smile on her face.
She returned back to her bed as the memories of the last night flashed upon her mind. It was surreal. She still couldn't believe how a strikingly handsome stranger had rescued her, first from those boys on the street and next from Vickey Ahuja, her mother's abusive boyfriend. She closed her eyes and sighed as she thought of her moments with the Barrister.
How he had held her in his arms...
How she had felt his breath...
How she had inhaled his enchanting fragnance...
Vidhi smiled, recalling every scene from the previous night. It's been just a day, but the way Anirudh had behaved, it felt like they had known each other since ages!
And, then the revelation... The old album...and the letter!
The thought of the letter made Vidhi's heart beat faster. She lifted her pillow pulling out the folded paper slowly. With trembling hands, she unfolded the letter, and started to read it, once again...
"Dearest Barrister Babu,
It's not new to you how every beat of my heart chants your name... How, every bit of my existence craves for you...
Barrister Babu, our son is the greatest proof of our love! Our Anubhav...
I know that you won't approve what I'm going to do today. But, I'll have to do this... For our son!
I can't bear the thought of losing him... Not even for a moment, and you'll have to understand this!... A mother's love.
I know it would be difficult for you to live without me...
I know your existence wouldn't be the same...
But please don't give up. Live for our son!
Barrister Babu, now that I'm looking at your sleeping angelic face, I can't help but recall that precious moment when I had touch those thin red lips of yours for the first time... It's been a decade now, but it feels like yesterday!
Do you remember that flower swing on our terrace? The one where we gave ourselves to each other for the first time!
I know, I probably won't see you again in this birth... But, I'm yours... And, I'll always be yours.
The curse that's been inflicted on us, I can't let our son bear it, and trust me Patibabu, this is the only way.
I'm not sacrificing myself, I'm glorifying our love... Our epic love story! For I'm confident, that you'll wait for me...
And a hundred years would go in a blink of a moment!
Live for me love, take care of our son, and I'll be back in your arms even before you know. And then, we can fullfill our destiny together... We can immortalise our love together... We can write our new love story together!
Don't cry because it's over, but smile because it happened! Patibabu, I'm smiling... And, when that stake would pierce my heart, I'd still be smiling, as I know that my heart is filled with nothing but your love.
Wait for me...
And till then, I love you.
Yours forever,
Bondita Roy Choudhury"
Vidhi took a deep breath and folded the letter back. Her heart felt heavy and the eyes wailed up in an unknown sadness.
"How can someone love so dearly... So selflessly..." She murmured, wiping away a soft tear from the corner of her eye.
"Miss... You are awake!"
A middle aged woman knocked at her door as Vidhi looked up.
The lady smiled at her brightly as she bowed down a little to her.
"Miss, your breakfast is ready in the dining hall. Your new clothes have arrived. And, if you have the booklist ready, please give it me and I'll get them here in two hours."
Vidhi smiled back at her cordially.
"Thank you Mrs... "
"Sampurna." The lady smiled warmly. "You can call me Sampurna Maa... That's what he calls me as well."
"So nice of you Sampurna Maa... Thank you again."
As the lady left, Vidhi took a deep breath and pulled out a rough notebook from her backpack.
"So booklist... Um... Let's see... So..."
She started scribbling words on a page as she murmured inaudibly to herself.
And, after a good five minutes, she carefully tore the page from the book and walked out of the room.
"Sampurna Maa?" Vidhi called out as she entered the hall. A lavish breakfast was laid on the table as the lady stood at one side of the large table.
"Why is just one plate laid? Won't be be having breakfast?" Vidhi asked, handing over the torn page to her.
"No Miss. He never has breakfast."