After that incident, a strange distance had developed between Anirudh and Bondita. They certainly tried to talk just as they used to, but there was something—something very strange, new, or uniquely odd—about it.

Even after that incident, neither Anirudh’s care for Bondita nor Bondita’s care for him diminished. There were times when Anirudh would become completely lost in gazing at Bondita without her even realizing it.