Tiyasa turns around startled, and sees a 20-year-old boy standing with an umbrella in his hand. The boy is very thin, with a dusky complexion. His shirt is faded and his pants are folded up to his knees because of the mud.

Tiyasa knows the boy. He has a tea stall by the riverbank. His name is Binoy Das, everyone calls him Binu. He is studying in college, second year. In the afternoon, he runs his father's tea stall.

"What happened, Didi? You're not answering?" Binu asks again. His voice is full of worry. "I have been calling you from last 10 minutes. You were sitting in the rain, completely lost."

Tiyasa quickly wipes her face with the end of her saree. She tries to smile.

"Hmm! No, nothing. What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Are you studying properly or are you bunking?"

Scratching his head, the boy says - "What are you saying, Didi! My studies are going fine. I just closed my stall. I saw you from there. But you look so sad today! Did something happen, Didi?" Binu says in a worried tone. He moves his umbrella forward to cover her head fully. His own shoulder is now getting wet.

Tiyasa looks at this boy. For the last two years, Binu is the only one who asks her if she is okay. The rest of the world has forgotten her.

"No, nothing, Binu. Just... old memories. Let's go back. The rain had stopped a while ago. But some trace of it still remains."

Binu nods, but he doesn't leave. He walks beside her silently till the main road, holding the umbrella over her. He doesn't ask any more questions. He understands that some pain cannot be asked about.

Saying goodbye to Binu near the auto stand, she returned to her own house half an hour ago. It is now 8:15 PM. The house is completely silent and dark.

After changing her wet clothes, she makes a hot cup of coffee from the kitchen and sits on the balcony. The fatigue of the whole day and the afternoon's incident combined - her body is giving up. Her head is heavy.

The afternoon's incident flashes in her mind. On her way back from the office, as always, she had gone to Aniruddha's house. And there, she had to face extreme humiliation she never imagined.

*To be continued...

What happened at Aniruddha's house that afternoon?*