My arms were sore and my back was aching like anything. I felt like my ribs had broken and my palms were full of cuts so were my back. It was raining outside with a wind thunderstorm. I was about to open my kurta, it was above my head when the door opened. Bondita stood there with a small bowl in one hand and a lantern in the other. The light of the lantern fell on her face lighting up her eyes. She slowly walked in as her anklets made a sound. Her hair was wet and open and water dripped on her face. I put down my kurta and wore it again immediately.

She hung the lantern to a hook and looked at me with her seductive eyes. "Haldi" she whispered pointing towards the bowl. I sat on the small bed and she sat in front of me. She slowly took my hands into her and looked at them for a while. I winced in pain when her tears fell on the open cuts. She rubbed off her tears and gently applied the haldi on my palm and I gazed at her, awestruck. She looked at me innocently as if she wanted to say something but didn't. I could clearly see the damage that I have caused in her eyes. I could see an invisible pain that she was hiding through.

"Wo...kurta...hataiye" she hesitated before saying this. I was hesitating to but still removed it. When she touched my wound, I winced in pain and saw her closing her eyes tightly as if she felt the pain.

"Ap chale jaiye please" she cried while applying the haldi on my bareback.

"Tumhare bina nehi, tum kyu nehi chalna chahati?"

"Insan toot ta hain to jur jaata hain, dil tootta hain to samet jaata hain par jab rooh toot jaye to kuch nehi bachta aur apne mere rooh ko tora hain" suddenly there was a thunderstorm outside and she hugged me immediately in fear, hiding her face in my chest. I could feel her tears dripping on my skin. I caressed her hair and felt her tears on my chest while she snuggled in my chest as soon as there was another thunder.

Not that we never hugged each other but that was just... genuine but this one, I felt something different. I felt comfort, happiness and wanted her to be like that only.

I can't see him in pain, I can't see him suffer but I cannot go with him. I am scared of being broken again and again. I was feeling every pain in myself. Those hands that once applied haldi on my wound, made me hold a pain, had cuts and wounds. When he opened his Kurta I saw his body bruised. His back had bruises that had turned blue. I couldn't control myself more and broke into tears in front of him.

It was raining outside with lightning and thunder. I curled myself in his arms not expecting him to reciprocate it but surprisingly he pulled me more closely and now there was no space left between us. I wept silently in his embrace. For the first time, I experienced a different touch from him which comforted me.

The lantern went off due to wind, "ghar laut k chalte hain" he said in a husky voice when his one hand was on my head and the other on my back.

"Apke ghar?" I whispered back.

"Humare ghar"

When he said that, I recalled everything that I went through since childhood and he will never be able to compensate them. From marrying someone else to marrying me off to someone else. I am a human too and there is a limit to everything. I am tired of crying in a dark room.

I pushed him away, "kis riste se wo mera ghar hain, apne to mujhe talak diya tha na?"

In all these, I had almost forgotten that we are divorced and my smile faded away when she reminded me. I recalled how broken she was and I almost forced her to sign on the papers.

She ran out of the room.

5th day

I was in the field as usual. Now that I have learned how to do all these, it has become a lot more easier. Bondita was still stuck to her decision that she doesn't want to go but I was stuck to my decision as well.

I have secretly seen her crying alone every time I got hurt. She thinks herself to be very clever. She used to visit me at night when I pretended to sleep. I want to confess my feelings but not like this. I want her to go with me first.

19th day...today will be the last day of his challenge but I am still stuck to my decision.

I was in my house when Ramu kaka, one of the farmers with whom pati babu works in the field came running, "Choti Malkin!" He shouted my name. I was cooking rice at that time. I kept the pot aside and came out, rubbing my hands with my pallu, "kya huya hain kaka?"

"Chote Malik ko chot lagi hain saar pe kaam karte wakt, bohot khoon beheraha hain".

I panicked hearing this and ran towards the field. I didn't even bother to waste my time on wearing slippers. On my way my feet got pierced in a thin twig and blood came out from my feet but I still ran towards the field. "Pati babu!" I cried.

He was working when I ran to him and hugged him tightly. Then I touched his forehead roughly, "a..ap thik to hain?".

Tears brimmed my eyes and I was shivering in fear but he burst out laughing. I gave him a questioning look and then I realised nothing had happened to him. "Tum itni asani se bewakoof ban gyi".

It wasn't funny, no it wasn't. For a moment I felt like my soul has left my body. I stood there with red tear-filled eyes while he laughed at my condition. "Har chiz mazak lagta hain apko!" I shouted and he stopped laughing.

I just did a little prank with her but when she shouted at me I realised the intensity of the situation. I shouldn't have done this. "Ap konsi janam ki badla le rahe hain? Kyu rulate hain mujhe ap" she yelled at me then covered her mouth to cry.

"S..sorry mujhe pata nehi tha ki...tum" I murmured and held her shoulder but she jerked off my hands. I noticed her bleeding feet, "Bondita tumhare paer mein" I kneeled down but she moved back, "agar apko sach mein parwa hoti meri to ap aisa nehi karte".

"Bondita meri baat suno!" I followed her to the hut while she walked ahead of me with injured feet. "Agey se nehi karunga mazak Shotti!"

"Mujhe kuch nehi sunna" she cried and walked him. "Accha agey se nehi hoga".

When she was not listening to me, I held her hand and pulled her closer to me. "Sorry!" I whispered. "Choriye mujhe!" She said sternly but my hand went downwards and wrapped around her bare tiny waist.

As soon as I touched her, she closed her eyes and I could feel her breath getting heavier. I took out the hairpin from her bun and her long hair flow down her back. Her eyes remained closed while she whispered so softly that only she could hear, "choriye mujhe".

He has never done this before and this was unexpected for me. His cold hands touched my waist and I closed my eyes. When I asked him to leave me, his hold around my waist became more firm. My breath hitched when he pulled me more closely and I stepped on his feet. Our noses touched making me more nervous. I felt butterflies in my stomach. He lowered his face to which I turned away my face and his nose touched my cheek and travelled down to my neck. I clutched his shirt more tightly now as I was unable to stand properly. This time neither did I ask him to stop nor did he stop.

It started to rain now, making us wet but I was so lost in him that I didn't even realise it. But when I did, also realised that my saree started to get transparent and was sticking to my skin.

Oh no! What should I do now?

"Choriye" I whispered again but softly because the voice was not coming from my vocal chord due to our proximity. He pulled me more closer and now there was no space left between us.

He leaned his face and his lips travelled down to my neck and I felt his warm breath on my skin. Then I felt his lips that touched my neck gently. I moved my head back and he turned me away immediately wrapping both his arms around my waist. He removed my wet hair in front and I tilted my head sidewards. His lips melted on my skin. His perfume was intoxicating me, his hands became firm on my waist and then he whispered in my ears,

"Mein jo kehna chahata hu tumse

Tum jo sunna chahati ho mujhse

Uski gavah banega kal ki raat".

My head hung back, resting on his chest when he finally placed a feathery kiss on my neck. Now one hand of his held my shoulder from behind and the other one was still holding me by my waist. Is hand travelled down from my shoulder to the tip of my fingers and he kissed my knuckles and then my wrist. I breathe heavily and let out a soft moan. He chuckled softly as water dripped from his hair to mine.

In all these, I forgot about the condition of my saree which was totally transparent now.

I turned her towards me again. Our lips were inches apart now. I softly and gently clutched her hair while her hands rubbed my back.

But suddenly I realised a kind of discomfort from her side and so pulled myself away immediately. Did I make her uncomfortable? Was I forcing my feelings on her? I felt guilty but then looked at her. She had embraced herself and I understood her problem when I looked at her properly. We both were drenched in rain and due to this her saree has turned transparent and was barely hiding her.

She ignored my look in embarrassment. I has a piece of cloth tied around my torso which I opened and wrapped around her.

How could I be so stupid? I was so carried away with the moment that I barely noticed her problem. I smiled at her to make her comfortable and again my hands automatically tugged her hair behind her ears.

I looked at her face. What if she still doesn't change her mind by tomorrow? Will I have to leave her forever?

I cleared my mind and picked her up.

He suddenly picked me up and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He walked towards the home carrying me and on our way, I don't know when but the piece of cloth wrapped around me slipped off and fell on the ground. We had only one room where maa and I used to sleep. Pati babu used to sleep outside but since it was raining heavily he carried me to the shed and laid me on the haystack. He stood up and walked towards the entrance while I lied on the haystack silently. He was facing on the other side, standing near the entrance of the shed. My eyes were fixed on him while I lied there.

"Pa...ti ba...bu" I said softly.

He turned towards me, came to me and leaned over me. He brushed his fingers softly from my forehead to my chin. I shivered, clutched the hays and turned my face to another side. He held my chin and made me face him.

He then smiled at me, "so jao" and he again went to the entrance and stood there.

She is still young, she is still naive and I don't want to cross my limits. After a while, I turned back and found her sleeping peacefully. I went to her and looked at her feet which were bleeding. I slowly took out the thin twig and she winced in pain in her sleep. I smiled at her innocent face and kissed her on her feet, just on the wound to reduce the pain. She made a subtle movement in her sleep.

Som dada and Batuk held me when I was acting like a mad person, "pati babu k pass jaane do na mujhe!"

"Bahu shant ho jao" kaka cried.

"Arrey wo natak kar rahe hain, kal bhi kar rahe the. Mein unke samne jaungi to wo has parenge, unhone vaada kiya tha ki wo aj mujhe kuch kahenge" I tried to free myself but Som dada held me tightly.

"Pati Babu!" I cried and then suddenly everything seemed to blackout. I held my head and collapsed in Som Dada's arms.

How was the chapter guys???