Author's Pov

Aratrika was arranging her cupboard when a ping in her phone diverted her attention.

She stood up from the floor and walked towards the small table where her phone was kept and picked it up.

As soon as her eyes fell on the screen, she didn't know how to react.

Mr. Saptarshi : Hey, what's up? I hope I didn't disturb you.

This message made her feel mixed emotions.

It's been three days since they are connected with each other through chats. But everytime she receives a text from him, she feels this kind of emotions inside her.

First of all, someone other than her Jethima and Dada is interested to know about her...that also an outsider and this thought made her a bit overwhelmed.

Secondly there is a question in her mind why Saptarshi is interested to be her friend --- this thought made her anxious.

"Oh ho...don't think too much. You have nothing to lose then why this fear!! If you win something, that will be a good friend for life. So go with the flow ." Her heart advised her.

"No no...don't be friends with someone unknown. You know that very well.How much do you know him? How can you be so sure that he is a decent guy? Maybe he has something sinister in his mind regarding you.Think rationally ." Her mind reminded her.

"Sometimes it's best to loosen up. Moreover, if you don't talk to him, how will you know him? In fact he was the one who gave you his number, so that when you feel comfortable, you will text him." Her heart replied.

She couldn't help but agree with her heart.

After so many years she decided to listen to her heart.

She texted him back.

"Everything is fine. No you're not disturbing me. I was just arranging some of my stuffs .What about you?"

Within some seconds she got her answer.

Mr. Saptarshi: I am fine as well. Actually I just returned from a library which opened near our locality and collected some books which I haven't read yet.

Aratrika was surprised. She didn't expect him to be a reader or bookworm type of guy.

Her message made it clear :"Oh!! You like reading!! I didn't expect you to be like that.

"Did I say too much?" She asked herself after she sent the text to him.

As her phone pinged, she hurriedly opened the message.

Mr. Saptarshi : Well, I liked that I surprised you. But yes, I am an avid reader...you can say a bookworm.

Aratrika smiled while reading it and typed, "Nice to hear that. I am also a bookworm...but only for story books. Textbooks except Bengali and English nothing excite me...not today and not in my school life as well. "

Within seconds Saptarshi's message came : "But I thought of you as someone who won't eat her food until she finishes her assigned chapters while you were in school.

Hmm...that means we have assumed things about each other too much before knowing anything about each other. "

Aratrika was still reading his message.

Isn't it true that she was assuming him as a not so decent guy and doubted his intentions some time ago?

Soon a message from his side made her think : "We shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"Maybe I should stop assuming things about him ." She said to herself.

She decided to talk to him without any judgemental thoughts and prejudices.

She was about to reply when a knock on her door made her jump on her place.

"Ke? (Who is this?)" She asked after composing herself.

"Ami Suporno. Niche Khete aay (I am Suporno, Come downstairs to have dinner) "

Hearing her brother's voice ,she sighed in relief. But soon her relief washed away as worry took over her senses.

Looking at the clock she hurriedly kept her phone back on the table and walked towards the door to open it.

They both went downstairs.

"Maharani r Niche asar somoy holo !!! Ta aaj thik ki Karone raat er ranna ta korte namli nah ?(Oh Finally Her highness graced us with her presence. So today why did you not come downstairs to cook the dinner?)" Sarcasm was evident in her mother's tone which made her shiver a bit due to fear.

She looked down, unable to see her eyes. She got so involved in arranging her room and talking with Saptarshi that she didn't notice the time.

"Stop it ,Binita. It's okay. There is nothing to react like this.

Aratrika, it's okay. Go wash your hands and bring the roti" Sudeshna scolded Binita who made a face and then talked softly to Aratrika.

"Just because of Didi, I didn't go to your room to give you a piece of mind. Otherwise you would have seen what I would have done to you." Binita threatened her daughter who trembled under her mother's angry eyes.

"Oh Kakimoni, Stop it already. Stop torturing her like this. You are such an insensitive human being ." Suporna said to Binita in an angry tone.

Binita scowled looking at Suporno but before she could reply a voice boomed in the dining room .

"Suporno, dare you talk to her like that . Don't forget that she is older than you. " Biplop scolded his son.

"I didn't forget that but tell her to behave normally with her daughter." Suporno said in an annoyed tone.

"And you girl, I know what you are trying to do. Stop instigating your brother against his family." Biplod said to Aratrika sternly.

Aratrika closed her eyes in pain ,a few tears slipped from her eyes when the words "His family " rang in her ears.

"Isn't it my family as well?" This thought broke her heart in to million pieces.

"What is this "his family "? It's my sister's family as well. Moreover what instigation you are talking about?" Suporno asked in a cold tone. He was a minute away from saying or doing something out of anger.

"The instigation is that she demands you to admit her for the Masters course. " Biplob said.

Seeing the shocked expression in Aratrika's and Suporno's face, he smirked and said ,"I know everything, my son."

Suporno's face mirrored the state of his mind -- Shock, then thinking followed by realisation.

His eyes snapped towards Smita who was standing beside Kanika with a small smirk on her lips.

As soon as their eyes met ,Smita changed her expression in to a curious one. But it didn't take Suporno a second to understand who was eavesdropping on the conversation between Suporno and Aratrika.

"I will see her later." Suporno thought to himself and turned towards his father.

"Aru has every right to continue what she wants. She deserves it as well. But you are wrong in some thing. It was not Aru who told me about the Masters course, it was me who talked about it to her. I guess whoever has given you the information doesn't have much the experience of eavesdropping or maybe deliberately has given you the message because she wanted Aru to get insulted." Suporno said the last words looking directly at Smita whose face tuned red in anger and embarrassment.

"I am telling you this now for the first time and for the last time that Aratrika will take admission and continue her studies. And I will make sure about that...Let's see who stops me from doing it." Suporno challenged everyone.

Aratrika's parents, Kanika, were looking at him with wide eyes. Biplob was fuming in anger. Smita became mad due to her jealousy.
But Sudeshna was proud of her son who took a stand for her sister.

"Suporno, Take Aru to her room, I am sending the dinner for both of you." Sudeshna said to them, ignoring the angry eyes of her husband.

Suporno nodded at her mother and took Aru who was crying all the time to upstairs towards his room.
.
.
.

"We shouldn't judge a book by its cover."
Sending the message Saptarshi took a deep breath.

Though he sent the message unintentionally, it just came with the flow of their conversation.
But he knew that Aratrika didn't trust him fully. She still had a thought of him being a bad guy and he had a sinister reason behind his sweet and friendly talks.

"Maybe my unintentional text can do some miracles." He thought to himself.

Taking a deep breath once again, he left his room and went downstairs .

He was walking down stairs but stopped in the middle as soon as he heard some words .

Lifting his eyes as he looked at the scene in front of him, he was stunned.

Rage...it was the only thing which he felt at that time.

How's the chapter let me know .

I am really sorry for being late. I needed to do some work in this story so I took time.

Also I will take time from  today to reply to your comments in the chapters.

Next update will be on Thursday.